by JASON GORDON
The Texas State football team fell to New Mexico, 35-14 Saturday on the road at Branch Field.
The return to Albuquerque was the first for head coach Dennis Franchione since leaving the university. He was head coach at New Mexico from 1992-1997 before leaving to take over at Texas Christian University.
The Lobos (3-3) jumped out to a 14-0 advantage over Texas State to begin the game. Kasey Carrier ran for a 37-yard touchdown run on the game’s opening drive. After the Bobcats fumbled on the ensuing kickoff, Carrier rushed for a one-yard touchdown.
“We talked all week about finding some way to steal a possession in this game because you knew it was going to be two very similar offenses,” New Mexico head coach Bob Davie said. “And our kickoff team found a way to steal a possession right off the bat.”
Texas State (2-3) got on the board when Shaun Rutherford connected with Chase Harper on a 40-yard touchdown pass to cut the Lobos lead to 14-7 with 7:15 to go in the first quarter.
It would be 11 minutes later before the next score of the game. The Lobos Jhurell Pressley rushed for a one-yard touchdown to make it 21-7.
The Bobcats came up big immediately afterward when Rutherford connected with Andy Erickson on a 35-yard touchdown pass midway through the second quarter as Texas State closed to within 21-14. The touchdown reception was the longest of Erickson’s career.
New Mexico rushed for its fourth touchdown of the game when Carrier ran it in from 19 yards out into the end zone with three minutes remaining in the first half. The Bobcats ended the half with a fumble recovery by Joplo Bartu as time expired but still trailed 28-14 at the break.
“We rushed for 200 yards in the first half and I think they had 21 plays in the first half,” New Mexico head coach Bob Davie said. “It’s pretty impressive when you can rush for 200 yards on mostly dive plays. This Texas State team is a good team; you saw what they did to the University of Houston in that first game, how they played Nevada in the first half, that’s a pretty good team.”
The Bobcats continued to have a hard time stopping Carrier in the second half as the Lobo running back rushed for his fourth touchdown of the game on a 43-yard run to increase the Lobos’ lead to 35-14.
Texas State will return to Bobcat Stadium on Saturday as the Bobcats host Idaho in their annual homecoming game. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
