NMSU (1-4) came out in commanding fashion for its first win of the season and coach Jerry Kill’s first win in crimson. The team put up 357 rushing yards and an electric Aggie defense proved to be too much for the Rainbow Warriors (1-4) despite a good outing from sophomore quarterback, Brayden Schager.
NMSU returned home after three losses on the road with a new gameplan at quarterback: stick with Frakes. The true freshman got his second start of the season and didn’t look back. Frakes finished with 81 passing yards, a passing touchdown, 78 rushing yards and a 20-yard rushing touchdown.
Most of the production, however, came on the back of the Aggies’ ground game. Over 350 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns helped NMSU score 45 points, which is more than they’d scored in the first four games of the season combined. The team’s offensive production was coupled with a strong defensive performance backed by standout linebacker Chris Ojoh’s overwhelming presence on the field. The Hawaii football team didn’t have any answers.
Hawaii opened the game with a Dedrick Parson scrambling touchdown to cap off an eight-play, 75-yard drive down the field to go up 7-0 with 11:55 left in the first quarter. However, the Aggies would assume control of the rest of the game on the next drive and go on to score four rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown to go up 35-10 at halftime.
Hawaii outscored New Mexico State 16-10 in the second half, but couldn’t seem to break through a tough Aggie defense resulting in a final score of 45-26 in favor of NMSU.
Highlight Player:
NMSU sophomore running back, Star Thomas, shined bright on the field finishing with 144 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. Thomas’ 13.1 average yards-per-carry stunned the Rainbow Warriors’ defense.
A Look Ahead:
The Aggies look to make it two in a row at home as they take on Florida International University next Saturday, Oct. 1, at 6 p.m. MDT, for the second game of a four-game home stand.
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