In a lopsided affair that kicked off the Conference USA slate on Thursday night, New Mexico State handed Sam Houston a decisive 37-10 defeat at Aggie Memorial Stadium. The Aggies, now sitting at 3-2, showcased their potent passing attack early and often, leaving the winless Bearkats—0-5 after the loss—scrambling to find answers on defense. It was a game that unfolded predictably for those watching the trends, yet the margin felt sharper than expected under the Las Cruces lights.
Indeed, quarterback Tommy Lunday for New Mexico State was the standout, threading the needle with precision on multiple long balls that stretched the field. He tossed for over 250 yards and three touchdowns, exploiting a Sam Houston secondary that had been leaky all season. The Bearkats managed a brief spark with a touchdown run midway through the second quarter, but momentum swung back decisively when the Aggies' ground game kicked in, adding two rushing scores to pad the lead. Sam Houston's offense, meanwhile, sputtered with just 180 total yards, their quarterback sacked four times in a performance that highlighted ongoing line woes. However, the visitors did show grit in the fourth, forcing a turnover that briefly halted the bleeding.
Moreover, this win bolsters New Mexico State's case for a mid-tier bowl push in a conference that's still sorting itself out. For Sam Houston, though, it's another tough pill; their transition to FBS has been rocky, with four straight losses exposing vulnerabilities across the board. Coach K.C. Keeler called it a learning curve post-game, but the scoreboard doesn't lie—defensive lapses cost them dearly here. The Aggies' crowd of 12,000-plus erupted as the clock wound down, a rare home highlight in a program building brick by brick.
Yet, as both teams regroup for tougher tests ahead, one wonders if these early stumbles will define their seasons or merely serve as footnotes in a long campaign.