NMSU clobbers Auburn as 25
Nov 18, 2023, 07:48 PM ET Diego Pavia passed for 201 backyards and three goals as New Mexico State upset host Auburn 31-10 on Saturday for the Aggies’ first win over an SEC team.New Mexico State(9-3 )outscored the Tigers (6-5)21-3 in the 2nd half after being available in as a 25 1/2 -point underdog. The Aggies, who have actually already clinched a spot in the Conference USA national championship versus Liberty, had lost their first 27 conferences versus SEC teams.
“You don’t get lots of chances like this,” New Mexico State coach Jerry Eliminate said. “We’re playing a Southeastern Conference football team, and we actually dominated the football game most of the time.”
The former Minnesota coach called it “one of the biggest wins New Mexico State’s had in a very long time” and “among the best wins I’ve ever been part of.”
The Aggies put away their seventh straight victory with two successful gambles in the 4th quarter.New Mexico State converted a fake punt from its own territory on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Pavia then hit Eli Stowers for a 2-yard touchdown on another fourth-down gamble to make it 24-7. It ended a 16-play, 83-yard drive that worked 9:58 off the clock and left Auburn’s having a hard time offense, which was outgained 414-213 in overall lawns, long shot to return in it.Editor’s Picks
The win was the second largest by point spread this second, behind just Texas State’s 42-31 decision over Baylor on Sept. 2, when the Bobcats were a 26 1/2-point underdog.Pavia completed
19 of 28 passes and ran 8 times for 35 lawns. Stowers lined up at quarterback and tight end and ran for 19 backyards while catching four passes for 48 yards.Payton Thorne
completed 15 of 19 passes for 148 backyards and a goal for Auburn while acquiring 38 backyards on 17 runs.The Aggies silenced Jordan-Hare Stadium when Pavia’s 9-yard goal pass to Kordell David closed an opening drive that was helped by a pair of pass interference penalties. Auburn fans didn’t have a lot to cheer about the rest of the way.New Mexico State got a
tremendous payday for the game– and a big win.” How about that– $ 1.7 million and we won the game,”Kill said, smiling.Auburn was available in on a three-game winning streak,
all versus SEC groups, while allowing only a combined 38 points. New Mexico State nearly matched that point overall while handing the Tigers their biggest upset loss in the past 45 years.”It was the precise opposite today
,”Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said.” It’s really frustrating. Our university deserves a better effort than that.”Freeze, in his very first season at Auburn
, will likely be happy not to see New Mexico State once again at any time quickly. His Liberty group was a 24-point favorite last season when it lost 49-14 to the Aggies; it was the last time a team was at least a 21-point underdog and won by a minimum of 21 points.The Associated Press added to this report.