Aggies Rush for 253 Yards but Fall to Missouri State

NM State rushed for a season-high 253 yards, but Missouri State secured a 27-21 overtime victory on Saturday after a late fourth-quarter score forced the extra period, according to NMStateSports.com.

The Aggies held a lead late into regulation before the Bears mounted an 80-yard drive to knot the game at 21 with 56 seconds remaining. In the first overtime period, Missouri State intercepted a pass and returned it for a game-ending touchdown.

James Jones led the ground attack with 25 carries for 150 yards, marking his sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season. With that performance, Jones became the first Aggie to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a single season since Jason Huntley in 2019.

Teammate TJ Washington Jr. added 107 yards on 15 carries to record the first 100-yard rushing game of his collegiate career. Two Aggie rushers topped 100 yards in the same game for the first time since Mike Washington and Seth McGowan did so against Western Kentucky on Nov. 9, 2024.

Missouri State opened the scoring in the first half when Dylan Brooks intercepted a pass on the Aggies’ 15-yard line and returned it for a touchdown. NM State answered before halftime when Trey Hedden threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Brodie Malone-Bradford to tie the game at 7-7.

The Bears responded with a 17-play, 90-yard drive that consumed nearly nine minutes, capped by a touchdown pass to Jmariyae Robinson. In the third quarter, De’Marcus Peters intercepted a pass to set up the Aggies at the Missouri State 21-yard line, leading to a 14-yard scoring pass from Hedden to Washington Jr.

Jones later punched in a 1-yard rushing score to give NM State a 21-14 lead in the fourth quarter. However, a missed field goal later in the period kept the advantage at seven points, allowing Missouri State to force overtime moments later.

NM State outgained Missouri State 383 to 292 in total yards. Hedden finished with 110 passing yards, pushing his collegiate career total past 6,000 yards dating back to his time at Furman.

Defensively, Tory Gethers led the Aggies with nine tackles, including a career-best 2.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback pressures. The Aggies held the ball for 33:16 compared to Missouri State’s 26:44, marking just the second time this season NM State led in time of possession.