Aggies roll past Mercyhurst 51-14 behind dominant second half
NM State pulled away from Mercyhurst with a dominant second half Saturday night, earning a 51-14 victory in its 2026 home opener at Aggie Memorial Stadium.
NM State outgained the Lakers 335-29 after halftime and scored 28 unanswered second-half points to win its home opener
Organ Mountain News report
Key Numbers
LAS CRUCES - NM State turned a competitive first half into a rout Saturday night, dominating Mercyhurst after halftime in a 51-14 victory at Aggie Memorial Stadium.
The Aggies improved to 1-1 with their first win of the 2026 season after opening the year on the road at Florida State.
NM State led 23-14 at halftime before overwhelming Mercyhurst over the final two quarters. The Aggies outgained the Lakers 335-29 in the second half, holding Mercyhurst to nine rushing yards and two first downs.
NM State scored touchdowns on every second-half possession except its opening drive and the final series, when the Aggies ran out the clock.
Defense strikes immediately
The Aggies needed just one play to get on the scoreboard.
Nick Session intercepted Mercyhurst quarterback Alex Gevaudan on the opening snap and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown, giving NM State a 7-0 lead just 13 seconds into the game.
Mercyhurst answered with a 75-yard touchdown drive before TJ Washington Jr. scored on a 16-yard run to put the Aggies back in front.
The Lakers briefly took a 14-13 lead early in the second quarter, but Ilya Uvaydov’s 39-yard field goal put NM State ahead for good.
James Jones then broke loose for a 46-yard touchdown run, sending the Aggies into halftime with a nine-point advantage.
Aggies take control after halftime
Washington added his second rushing touchdown of the night midway through the third quarter, scoring from 1 yard out to extend the lead to 30-14.
The Aggies broke the game open in the fourth.
Jones caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Trey Hedden before Hedden connected with Terrione Graves for an 83-yard touchdown. The play was NM State’s longest passing touchdown since 2014.
AJ Williams III later caught a touchdown pass from Adam Damante to push the Aggies past the 50-point mark.
Mercyhurst did not score after halftime.
Jones leads ground game
Jones finished with 137 rushing yards on 19 carries, including his 46-yard touchdown. His performance marked the most rushing yards by an Aggie since Mike Washington ran for 153 yards against Western Kentucky in November 2024.
Hedden completed 11 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
TK King led NM State receivers with 94 yards on three catches, while Graves’ lone reception went for the 83-yard touchdown.
Session and Sone Aupiu each recorded interceptions as the Aggies extended their streak of games with at least one forced turnover to 18.
The 51 points were NM State’s most since scoring 58 against Western Illinois in September 2023.
Saturday also marked the Aggies’ third consecutive home-opening victory, their first such streak since 2002-04.
NM State will travel to Hawaii next Saturday for a 10 p.m. Mountain time kickoff.
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