Aggies conclude road trip in Hawaii

If you’re not fortunate enough to make the trip to Honolulu to watch New Mexico State’s Saturday, Sept. 23, game at the University of Hawaii, maybe you can make it a brunch date with longtime Aggie radio broadcaster Jack Nixon.  

The game starts at 10 a.m. Las Cruces time.

We won’t know until then which Aggie team will take the field.

Will it be the Aggie team that, against both UMass and Liberty, turned the ball over three times and got beat?

Or will it be the Aggie team that played turnover-free ball in victories against Western Illinois and New Mexico?

Either way, it’s almost certain Aggie quarterback Diego Pavia will throw a touchdown pass. He’s done that in every NM State game, win or lose. He’s thrown eight on the season, three of them for 75 yards or more.

Against UNM Sept. 16, Pavia threw just 14 passes, but completed nine of them, two of them connecting with wide receiver Jonathan Brady for touchdowns. Pavia also led the Aggies in rushing yards with 99.

Defensively, linebacker Keyshaun Elliott led the Aggies with a career-high 10 tackles. Kicker Ethan Albertson connected on two field goals and three extra points, earning Conference-USA’s special teams player of the week award.

The victory over the Lobos gives the Aggies their second straight victory in the I-25 rivalry under Coach Jerry Kill.

For the Sept. 23 game, Hawaii is 1-3 after losing 55-10 Sept. 16 at No. 13-ranked Oregon. The Aggies are 2-2. The Hawaii game concludes NM State’s three-game road trip.

The Aggies return home to host Florida International 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, to begin a streak of both C-USA games and midweek games. The Aggies will also be at home Wednesday, Oct. 11, and will travel to UTEP for a game Wednesday, Oct. 18.