New Mexico State knocks off UTEP for first win of season

EL PASO - They say that the first win is the most difficult to get.

That proved to be true for New Mexico State, who broke a four-game losing streak at the Sun Bowl for their first victory of the season, beating winless UTEP 27-20 on Saturday.

Aggies head coach Doug Martin called it a must win as the Aggies are 1-4.

"Hopefully this gets us started," Martin said. "We needed this. We have a week off and then Liberty at home. If we can improve, we have a chance to get another win."

The Aggies scored on defense and special teams to build a halftime lead before the NM State offense showed up in the fourth quarter.

"We still have a long way to go offensively but our defense stepped up and special teams scored a touchdown that was huge," Martin said.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Josh Adkins led a 13-play 75-yard drive that took 4:51 off the clock. Adkins hit Johnathan Boone for 37 yards down the sideline and then connected with Bryce Roberts to the UTEP 18. Dylan Brown put the Aggies up 27-20 with 3:24 to play on a 22 yard field goal.

"It wasn't the prettiest of offense but we got it done when we needed to," Adkins said. "Our defense kept us in the game the whole night and we knew we had been dragging. We knew it was our chance to make up for it and in that last drive, that is exactly what we did."

NM State finished with 311 yards of offense on six yards per play.

The NM State defense shut the door, sacking UTEP quarterback Kai Locksley  for an eighth and final time before Austin Perkins picked him off on fourth down deep in UTEP territory.

"I feel like as a defense, it gave us an opportunity to take a leadership role and kind of step up," said Aggies middle linebacker Javahn Fergurson, who had 17 tackles with 1.5 sacks.

Cedric Wilcots II had 2.5 sacks, Roy Lopez, DeShawnte Lloyd and Billy Nipp recorded one sack each.

After passing for 33 yards in the first half, Adkins hit Royce Caldwell in the flat and the speedy Caldwell raced 53-yard touchdown down the sideline that put NM State up 24-17 with 2:48 left in the third quarter. It was the longest passing play for Adkins, who made his first college start. Adkins was 5 for 8 for 123 yards in the second half.

"I saw one on one with Royce and I know how fast he is," Adkins said. "I was a little late on the throw but he bailed me out. Big time players like that, we need those kinds of plays and he came through."

UTEP surpassed totals in nearly every offensive category against an Aggies defense that was playing without star linebacker Terrill Hanks, who suffered an ankle injury in practice during the week.

Locksley was 10 of 16 passing for 194 yards passing after the Miners had passed for 239 yards in their first three games.  UTEP tied the game at 17-17 on a 76-yard touchdown pass from to Terry Juniel  on a third and 18 play.

Locksley finished with 64 rushing yards on 27 carries, but as the Aggies’ hits mounted throughout the game. Locksley started to hand the ball off. The Miners finished with 235 yards rushing (3.7 yards per carry) and outgained NM State 429-311.

"We said before the game that we had to wear (Locksley) down and if we took him out of the game, it would make it that much easier," Fergurson said. "A couple of those hits hurt me so I think they have hurt him a little bit."

The Aggies defense stiffened in the fourth quarter, holding UTEP to a field goal with 8:20 to play. Wilcots and Fergurson combined to sack Locksley after a 19-play UTEP possession to hold UTEP to three points and keep a 24-20 lead.

New Mexico State recovered two UTEP fumbles in the last five minutes of the first half, taking a 17-10 lead at the break on a 55-yard Malik Demby fumble return for a touchdown with 37 seconds left in the first half.

"We knew they were lacking a little in pass protection and (Locksley) wasn't that accurate of a passer so we made it happen when they were in that situation," said Demby, who had one sack and five tackles.

Wilcots and Leon McQuaker combined to knock the ball free from Locksley on one of NM State’s three first-half sacks and Demby scooped it up along the Aggies sideline and put the Aggies on top.

It was the second straight UTEP possession that ended in a lost fumble. The Miners reached the Aggies 8 before Roy Lopez knocked the ball free from Winston Dimel and Billy Nipp recovered as NM State forced  three turnovers.

"We saw that he was a big part of their offense," Fergurson said. "It's different playing against it because you don't believe it until you see it. (Locksley) is a real weapon and it was expected they were going to use it."

NM State rushed for a season high 155 yards on 4.6 yards per carry, led by Christian Gibson, who had a career high 103 yards, including a 40-yard run in the first half and a three-yard run on third and 1 to the UTEP 16 on NM State's final, clock chewing possession.

In reality, Gibson had a career game in the first half. He blocked a punt on UTEP’s opening possession and Isaiah Lottie returned the loose ball 10 yards to put NM State up early.

A 34-yard Gibson run set up a 32-yard Dylan Brown field goal to put the Aggies up 10-7.

The Aggies are open next week before hosting Liberty on Oct. 6.

"It gives us some confidence going into the rest of the schedule," Fergurson said. "Coach Martin said we just needed something to boost our team and I think this is going to catapult us to the next game."

Sports Editor Jason Groves can be reached at 575-541-5459 or jgroves@lcsun-news.com. Follow him on Twitter @jpgroves.