Las Cruces, N.M. — New Mexico State opened its 2025 season with a win, but it was hardly the type of statement the Aggies hoped for. In front of just 10,058 fans at Aggie Memorial Stadium, NMSU labored past FCS opponent Bryant 19–3, leaning on its defense and special teams to cover for an offense that sputtered outside of a handful of explosive plays.
Quarterback Logan Fife delivered flashes in the passing game, finishing 14 of 31 for 227 yards with a touchdown and an interception. His best moments came on a pair of deep strikes in the first quarter, a 55-yard connection to Donovan Faupel and a 24-yard touchdown to PJ Johnson III, that gave the Aggies an early lead. But those highlights were offset by inconsistency. Protection broke down often behind an offensive line playing its first game together, leading to five sacks and several stalled drives.
The ground game never settled in either. Despite Kadarius Calloway’s 17-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that finally put the game out of reach, NMSU managed just 79 rushing yards on 31 attempts, a meager 2.4 yards per carry. For most of the night, the running lanes were clogged and the timing between backs and blockers felt off.
It was the defense and the punt unit that carried the night. Linebacker Jamall Thompson led the charge with nine tackles and two sacks, while Sone Aupiu added another sack and Ezra Christensen was active up front. The secondary had shaky moments in zone coverage, but Bryant quarterback Brennan Myer couldn’t capitalize, finishing 20 of 33 for 227 yards with a late interception to Jakobe Campbell.
Punter Max Dean was arguably the MVP, flipping the field with seven punts for a 46.1-yard average, including four inside the 20. His ability to pin Bryant deep repeatedly kept the Bulldogs from building momentum.
NMSU held a slim 9–3 lead at halftime and entered the fourth quarter still clinging to that margin. A short field goal from Ethan Hawk stretched the lead to 12–3 early in the final frame, and Calloway’s touchdown run with 6:20 left finally sealed the outcome.
The Aggies outgained Bryant 306–255 but were sloppy throughout. Penalties stalled promising drives, protection issues exposed Fife’s lack of visibility in the pocket, and the offense converted just 4 of 15 third downs. For a team favored by 19.5 points, the performance fell well short of dominance.
Head coach Tony Sanchez has said repeatedly the strength of this team is on defense, and that proved true on opening night. But with a tougher schedule looming, the Aggies will need more cohesion up front and more consistency from their quarterback to avoid long nights like this one.
Final Score: New Mexico State 19, Bryant 3
Christian Molinar Reporting