Written By: NMSU Athletic Dept.
LINCOLN, NE - The New Mexico State football team was outmatched by the Nebraska Cornhuskers in its season opening game Saturday night, where the Huskers handed the Aggies a 38-7 defeat at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska improved to 3-0 with the win while the Aggies drop to 0-1.
The Aggies, who were the last team in Division I to play in their first game, had trouble getting the ball into the end zone. NMSU was in the Huskers red zone four different times, but only came away with points on one of those drives.
Junior running back Marquell Colston scored NMSU's lone touchdown on the evening evening. He scattered in the end zone on a three-yard run that was set up by a 48-yard fumble return by senior cornerback Marvin Betts to the Nebraska three.
New Mexico State finished with 339 yards of total offense compared to the Huskers 553 yards. That was the telling story of Saturday's game, as the Huskers controlled it with their 330 yards on the ground.
"I thought we played hard," head coach Hal Mumme said after the game. "We had the first game jitters, but those are things we can work out for our game with UTEP. I thought our team fought until the end."
Aggie quarterback Chase Holbrook completed 15-of-30 passes for 142 yards and two interceptions. Wide receiver Chris Williams had 42 yards receiving on four catches, as he moved into third place on New Mexico State's career receiving list. Colston led the NMSU rushing attack that tallied up 114 yards with his 45 yards on eight.
Senior safety Derrick Richardson finished with a career-high 17 tackles, seven of which were solo. His 17 stops was also seven more than the next highest tally in the game, which came from Aggie junior linebacker Jason Scott. Scott also finished with three tackles-for-a-loss in his first career game with New Mexico State.
Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz led the Husker attack. He recorded a rushing, receiving and passing touchdown on the evening where he threw for 158 yards and rushed for another 69. Husker running back Marlon Lucky was responsible for three touchdowns; two on the ground and the third on a halfback pass to Ganz. He had a game-high 103 yards on 15 carries.
The first two drives of the game saw plenty of offense from both teams, but it all resulted in zero points. NMSU's offense took the games opening drive down 77 yards on 13 plays to the Nebraska three-yard line, but were unable to score as Kyle Hughes' 20-yard field goal attempt was blocked. On the Huskers ensuing possession they drove down 73 yards to the NMSU 17, but had their 35-yard field goal attempt sail wide right, keeping it a scoreless game.
It wasn't until near the end of the first quarter before either team got on the scoreboard. Ganz led Nebraska 58 yards on six plays when Lucky took an eight-yard carry into the end zone putting the Huskers up 7-0.
Ganz would be responsible for the Huskers next 14 points in the second quarter. His first touchdown came one play after a Holbrook interception was returned 57 yards to the NMSU 20. There, Lucky threw a 20-yard halfback pass to Ganz who glided into the end zone. On Nebraska's next possession, Ganz capped off a six-play, 89-yard drive with a 33-yard touchdown run.
Nebraska threatened again late in the second quarter as they had a first-and-goal inside on the NMSU eight. The Huskers rushed the ball three-straight times to no avail and on fourth and goal from the four, Scott tackled Ganz on the option for a one-yard loss to kill their drive and keep Nebraska's lead at 21 heading into the locker room.
Lucky took the second play of the second half down 58-yards to the NMSU 16. Four plays later he took it in on a one-yard rush for his second rushing touchdown of the game, putting the Huskers up 28-0. Ganz would add another touchdown nearly seven minutes later on a 35-yard pass to Mike McNeill.
On New Mexico State's ensuing possession they drove down inside the Nebraska 20-yard line, but came up empty once again as Holbrook was intercepted. Betts got the ball right back for the Aggies, returning a Husker fumble 48-yards to the Nebraska three.
Colston took the first play after that and ran around the left side into the end zone for NMSU's only points of the game, making it a 35-7 ball game.
The Huskers would add three more points in the fourth quarter on a 19-yard field gal from Alex Henery at 8:15.
Sophomore quarterback J.J. McDermott came into the game in that fourth quarter and drove the Aggies inside the Husker 20, but the clock went to 0:00 before the Aggies could score. He completed a 55-yard pass to Julius Fleming on that last drive.
New Mexico State now shifts its attention to the first of two consecutive rivalry games. The Aggies will play the UTEP Miners, Sept. 20 in El Paso, Texas before hosting New Mexico in its season opener on Sept. 27.
