The Aggies were competitive this week against rival UTEP – but only for three quarters. The visiting Miners defeated NMSU by a score of 42-21.
The Aggies again struggled with running the football, but overall the offense was productive. King Davis III again played a major factor at quarterback, despite senior Andrew McDonald getting the starting nod. Both QBs played well and managed the offense effectively, despite the struggles of the running game.
The defense again was vulnerable to the big play, especially late in the second half. Junior linebacker Clint Barnard recorded a game-high 20 tackles, while safety Davis Cazares chipped in with 16 tackles and a forced fumble. True freshman Kawe Johnson, filling in for injured safety George Callender, recorded his first career interception.
As bad as the run defense was, I enjoyed seeing our defensive line pressure UTEP quarterback Jameill Showers, sacking him three times.
Barnard has been a pleasant surprise at linebacker – he’s a walk-on transfer from New Mexico Highlands (a D2 school) who shows smarts and aggressiveness. Johnson (who is only 5’8″, 175) also performed well in his first major action of the 2013 season. He recorded eight interceptions as a senior for Kahuku High School, helping them to a Hawaii state championship. He’ll definitely be a player to watch going forward.
The Aggies’ offense was effective through the air, with Brandon Betancourt, Jerrel Brown, and Perris Scoggins all catching touchdowns for us. Hopefully that will continue in the next few weeks.
NMSU heads off to Westwood this next week to take on the nationally-ranked UCLA Bruins. Go Aggies!
Letters from Las Cruces 