The Aggies manage just 29 passing yards and fail to capitalize on two interceptions as Jacksonville State rolls up 324 rushing yards in Las Cruces.

Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News

LAS CRUCES - New Mexico State's return to Aggie Memorial Stadium ended in a shutout Wednesday night as Jacksonville State overwhelmed the Aggies 24-0, exposing an ineffective passing game and running for 324 yards against one of Conference USA's better rushing defenses.

NM State (3-5, 2-2 CUSA) managed just 29 passing yards, missed two field goals and failed to score on either of its trips inside Jacksonville State's 20-yard line. The Gamecocks (6-2, 4-0) controlled the ball for more than 35 minutes and finished with 433 yards of total offense.

The defeat came one week after the Aggies beat Sam Houston 30-24, a victory that had given them an opportunity to build momentum entering the second half of their season. Instead, Wednesday's nationally televised matchup became their first shutout loss of the year.

A promising start produces nothing

NM State's defense gave the Aggies an early opportunity when Josiah Charles intercepted Jacksonville State quarterback Caden Creel on the Gamecocks' opening possession.

Starting at their own 9-yard line, the Aggies assembled an 18-play, 78-yard drive, their longest of the season by number of plays. Running backs James Jones and TJ Washington Jr. repeatedly moved the chains as NM State reached the Jacksonville State 13.

But quarterback Adam Damante's third-down pass fell incomplete, and Kyah Francone missed a 31-yard field-goal attempt.

Jacksonville State took over at its own 20 and answered with a 12-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. Creel capped the possession with a 3-yard run early in the second quarter to give the Gamecocks a 7-0 lead.

The Aggies' defense kept the game within reach before halftime. Nick Session and Gabe Peterson helped stop Jacksonville State on fourth-and-2 in NM State territory, and the Gamecocks carried only a seven-point lead into the locker room.

The Aggies, however, had produced no points and struggled to establish a passing attack.

Gamecocks pull away

Jacksonville State extended its lead early in the third quarter on Garrison Rippa's 49-yard field goal.

Another defensive takeaway briefly offered NM State a chance to respond. RJ Chapman intercepted Creel and returned the ball 53 yards to the Jacksonville State 29.

But the opportunity disappeared when Damante was intercepted, giving the ball back to the Gamecocks at their own 15.

On the next possession, Creel broke loose for an 84-yard run to the NM State 1-yard line. Jalen Likely scored on the following play, pushing Jacksonville State's advantage to 17-0 with 2:31 remaining in the third quarter.

The Aggies mounted another drive into scoring position, advancing to the Jacksonville State 16, but Francone missed a 34-yard field-goal attempt early in the fourth quarter.

Jacksonville State responded with a 12-play drive that consumed nearly eight minutes. Creel connected with Luke Gilbert for a 29-yard touchdown pass with 4:48 remaining, completing the scoring.

Passing game falls flat

The Aggies' inability to move the ball through the air was among the game's most striking statistics.

Damante completed just six of 19 passes for 29 yards and one interception. NM State recorded only one passing first down and averaged 1.5 yards per pass attempt.

Jones was a bright spot on the ground, rushing for 112 yards on 20 carries. It was his fifth 100-yard rushing performance of the season, making him the first NM State player to accomplish that feat in a season since Jason Huntley in 2019.

Washington added a career-high 70 rushing yards on 10 carries.

Together, the backs helped NM State finish with 192 rushing yards, but the production did not translate into points. The Aggies totaled just 221 yards of offense, compared with Jacksonville State's 433.

Creel, meanwhile, rushed for 211 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, averaging 10 yards per attempt. He also completed 11 of 17 passes for 109 yards and another touchdown, although NM State intercepted him twice.

Jacksonville State averaged seven yards per rushing attempt and recorded 23 first downs to NM State's 11.

The Gamecocks punted only once.

Aggies face uphill climb

The loss leaves NM State at 3-5 with four games remaining in the regular season. The Aggies would need to win at least three of those contests to reach six victories, the traditional benchmark for bowl eligibility.

NM State returns to Aggie Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 7, to host Liberty for Homecoming. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

The remaining schedule includes road games at Missouri State and Middle Tennessee, with a home matchup against Delaware in between.

For an Aggies team hoping to build on its victory over Sam Houston, Wednesday's shutout was a significant setback — and a reminder of how much work remains on offense.

Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.