Sun Bowl, El Paso-The final scheduled installment of the Battle of I-10 delivered everything the rivalry has been known for emotion, momentum swings, heartbreak and ended with the New Mexico State Aggies celebrating a stunning 34–31 victory over the UTEP Miners in the Sun Bowl.
For UTEP, it was a bitter finish to a game that began with pure dominance and appeared destined to be a long-awaited home breakthrough.
A 21–0 Avalanche to Open the Game
If there was ever a script for a perfect start, UTEP wrote it in the first quarter. Ashton Emory ignited the Sun Bowl crowd with a 56-yard burst to set the Miners up at the goal line, and quarterback Skyler Locklear cashed in with a keeper to give UTEP a quick 7–0 lead.
On the next possession, the Miner defense struck. Solo Barnes jumped a route, picking off Aggie QB Adam Damante at the NMSU 30. One snap later, Emory went right back to work30 yards untouched to put the Miners ahead 14–0.
Moments later, Shakaun Bowser pounced on a Damante fumble, gifting UTEP yet another short field. Locklear made sure it mattered, finding Wondame Davis on a 27-yard strike, and the Miners had a jaw-dropping 21–0 lead. The Sun Bowl was rocking, and UTEP seemed poised to run the Aggies out of the stadium.
Aggies Respond in a Stunning Second-Quarter Surge
But rivalries never die quietly, Donovan Faupel began the Aggie rally with an 8-yard touchdown connection. After a Miner drive stalled, the duo struck again this time from 11 yards to pull NMSU within 21–14.
Then came the back-breaker of the half: Aggie running back Dijon Stanley burst through the right side for a 57-yard score, tying the game at 21. In 15 minutes, UTEP’s three-touchdown lead evaporated.
Field Goals, Nerves, and a Wild Fourth Quarter
Both teams traded field goals in the third quarter, setting up a dramatic final frame of I-10 history. NMSU nudged ahead 27–24 on a 27-yard kick. UTEP’s defense forced a punt to give the Miners one last shot though the ball was fair-caught at their own 3-yard line. What followed was one of the greatest clutch drives the rivalry has ever seen.With 0:56 remaining, Locklear led a 97-yard march, capped by a perfectly placed 28-yard touchdown pass to Jenny Odom, giving UTEP a 31–27 lead and sending the Sun Bowl into a frenzy. It felt like the perfect movie ending.
But the Aggies had one last chapter to write. Starting with less than a minute left, Damante dissected the Miner secondary with precision. In only 35 seconds, he moved NMSU 75 yards down the field and delivered the dagger a strike to TK King in the back of the end zone for the 34–31 game-winner.
A Painful Home Finale
For UTEP, the loss capped a frustrating home campaign:
- Five straight losses in the Sun Bowl
- No FBS home victories in 2025
- And now, a rivalry that’s been part of Borderland identity for generations ends at least for the foreseeable future.
The Miners showed flash, fight, and heart. But once again, they couldn’t deliver the knockout blow or the final defensive standto secure a win their fans desperately wanted.
If this truly was the last Battle of I-10 for years to come, it ended with all the drama and pain of a rivalry that has shaped both programs for decades. For UTEP, it’s another “what could have been” in a season full of them.
Story by Chris Gomez