New Mexico State football overcame adversity to win their first bowl game in 57 years, defeating Utah State in overtime at the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl.
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It took back-to-back one-score wins over Idaho and South Alabama for the New Mexico State Aggies to earn their first trip to the postseason since 1960. Coincidentally the New Mexico State Aggies beat the Utah Aggies in the Sun Bowl that season, finishing with a dazzling 11-0.
The 2017 squad was far from undefeated, checking in at 6-6, but was not going to be intimidated by their momentous achievement. Larry Rose III led the Aggies on the ground with 16 carries for 132 yards and the game-winning touchdown in overtime. Outside of Rose, the Aggies’ defense played incredibly well. Leon McQuaker led team with 13 tackles. Three different players picked up at least one sack.
Both sides traded scores with neither team scored two times in a row until New Mexico State’s game-winning overtime touchdown. The score came after Utah State place kicker Dominik Eberle knocked a field goal off the uprights in the first half of the overtime period.
Travel restrictions made the Arizona Bowl one of the few bids that New Mexico State could have accepted. Not only did they decide to come, the Aggies etched their name into history, forever. There have been three winners in Arizona Bowl history – Nevada, Air Force and now New Mexico State.
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New Mexico State had the misfortune of playing on the same day as a record-setting Belk Bowl as well as a top-10 showdown between Ohio State and USC. While everyone was looking somewhere else, the Aggies quietly made some history of their own.