LAS CRUCES, N.M. — New Mexico State opened Conference USA play in impressive fashion Thursday night, defeating Western Kentucky 34-13 at Aggie Memorial Stadium.
After suffering a difficult loss to New Mexico Sept. 26 in the Rio Grande Rivalry, the Aggies responded with a complete performance on both sides of the football, earning their second win of the season and starting conference play with a 1-0 record for the first time since joining the conference in 2023.
NMSU established control early and never allowed the Hilltoppers to find a consistent rhythm. The Aggies opened the scoring with two field goals from Ilya Uvaydov, including a 52-yard kick, before the defense delivered one of the biggest plays of the night. De’Marcus Peters intercepted Western Kentucky quarterback Rodney Tisdale Jr. and returned the pick 45 yards for a touchdown, giving the Aggies a 13-3 advantage.
The Aggies carried a 20-6 lead into halftime, setting the tone for a second half in which NMSU continued to control the game. Quarterback Adam Damante provided a steady performance in his first start of the season, completing 15 of 26 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing touchdown. Damante connected with TK King on a 15-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, extending NMSU’s lead to 27-6.
The Aggies found much of their success on the ground, with James Jones delivering a standout performance. Jones rushed 20 times for 155 yards and a touchdown, helping NMSU control the clock and consistently move the football against the Hilltoppers’ defense.
For Jones, the offensive success came from the team working together and maintaining its energy throughout the night.
“I just feel that we got to keep complementing each other,” Jones said. “The energy on the sideline, it was just different.”
Defensive end Gabe Peterson echoed that message, emphasizing the importance of the Aggies finding their flow.
“Just keeping our rhythm, just keep it,” Peterson said. “You know, the first and second drives of the game, honestly, we found our rhythm.”
Peterson finished the game with one sack and 1-1/2 tackles for loss.
Western Kentucky managed to respond in the third quarter when Brock Glenn scored on a 9-yard rushing touchdown, cutting the deficit to 27-13. However, NMSU quickly regained control and prevented the Hilltoppers from making a comeback.
The Aggies’ defense continued to make plays when they needed them most. NMSU recorded six sacks and nine tackles for loss while holding Western Kentucky to just 43 rushing yards. The defensive performance allowed the Aggies to limit the Hilltoppers’ ability to establish their running game and forced them to rely heavily on the passing attack.
Head coach Tony Sanchez credited the defensive effort for helping NMSU control the game.
“Anytime you can stop a team from running the football, and you make them one-dimensional, it gives you a great opportunity,” Sanchez said.
NMSU put the game away in the fourth quarter when Jones scored on a 7-yard touchdown run, giving the Aggies a 34-13 advantage and sending the home crowd into celebration.
The victory was exactly the response NMSU needed after its rivalry loss. The Aggies played with physicality, protected their lead and finished the game strong. With CUSA play now underway.
NMSU leaves its home opener with momentum and a 1-0 conference record.
New Mexico State next travels to Miami to face Florida International Wednesday, Oct. 7. The game has a 5:30 Mountain Time kickoff and will be televised on ESPN2. The Las Cruces radio broadcast will be on KXPZ-FM, 99.5.
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