Game Two
NM State (0-1) vs. Dixie State (1-0)
Sunday, March 7 | 3:00 p.m. | El Paso, Texas | The Sun Bowl
Watch | Listen | Live Stats | NM State Game Notes | Dixie State Game Notes
THE KICKOFF
• NM State, the nation's lone FBS team to hit the gridiron for games this spring, will wrap up its two-game spring slate Sunday afternoon by hosting NCAA Division I FCS newcomer Dixie State at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. The inaugural meeting between the Aggies and Trailblazers is set for 3:00 p.m. MT
• No fans will be allowed at Sunday's game.
WATCH US
• FOX Sports Arizona Plus, Comcast New Mexico and The CW Las Cruces/El Paso will televise the game. FloFootball will stream the game online. Adam Young and Danny Knee will be on the call for Sunday's game.
OVER THE AIRWAVES
• In lieu of regular NM State play-by-play man Jack Nixon, KVIA's Nate Ryan will be filling in on the radio. He'll team with Cory Lucas who will also be on-hand to call the game. Zia Country 99.5 FM will broadcast Nixon's and Lucas' narration of the action.
• Listeners outside of the Las Cruces area can access Ryan's call on the Aggie Sports Network's affiliate stations which include 103.5 FM KNMZ (Alamogordo), 1150 AM KNMM (Albuquerque), 1240 AM KAMQ (Carlsbad), 1380 AM KHEY (El Paso), 1230 AM, 94.9 FM KYVA (Gallup) and 107.1 FM KMDS (Las Vegas). Fans not in any of those areas can also find his broadcast via the TuneIn app which is available nationwide.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
• The Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, will serve as the Aggies' "home" field for their 2021 spring season.
• Current COVID-19 restrictions in the state of New Mexico allow the Aggies to practice in the state, but do not allow them to play games anywhere in the state.
• Recently, the state of New Mexico announced it would allow in-state athletic competitions in counties designated as yellow or green. Unfortunately, Doña Ana County (where NM State is located) is still designated as a "red" county which means the Aggies are unable to host any competitions in Las Cruces.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT
• Turning heads with his speed, the collegiate debut of redshirt freshman Juwaun Price was a great one. NM State's lead back showed off his speed in the return department in addition to serving as the team's top backfield option.
• With 11:19 to go in the opening quarter, Price turned on the jets and took a kickoff 94 yards to the endzone. The kickoff return score was the first by an Aggie since Jason Huntley took a kick 85 yards to the house in a showdown with Liberty on Nov. 24, 2018.
• In all, Price piled up 159 kickoff return yards in the Aggies' setback to Tarleton. That's the highest total for an NM State return man since Taveon Rogers amassed 172 against Idaho on Oct. 15, 2011.
• On the day, Price amassed 189 all-purpose yards.
BRO-DEPENDENT
• Putting forth the best all-around effort of his collegiate career so far, junior linebacker Trevor Brohard paced the Aggies' defense in their 2021 spring season opener against Tarleton on Sunday, Feb. 21.
• The Los Lunas, N.M., product generated a team and career-high 11 tackles as well as one of the team's two sacks. It was Brohard's first sack as a collegian.
LAST TIME OUT | NM State 17, Tarleton State 43 | Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021
• In the Aggies' first of two spring games in 2021, visiting Tarleton State scored on two of its first three offensive plays from scrimmage and NM State went on to drop a 43-17 decision in the first meeting between the two programs.
• The Texans piled up 501 total yards of offense and carried a 33-7 lead into the halftime break. Of those 501 yards, 156 game on the Texans' first three plays from scrimmage.
• NM State committed three turnovers in the game (all interceptions).
SCOUTING DIXIE STATE | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• In the Trailblazers' NCAA Division I debut last week, they went to Stephenville, Texas, and knocked off Tarleton State by a score of 26-14. Displaying a dynamic defense, Dixie State forced five Tarleton turnovers (three fumbles, two interceptions) and held the Texans to just 362 yards in the victory.
• Most of Dixie State's damage is done through the air with gunslinger Kody Wilstead tossing for 350 yards and a touchdown strike in his team's victory over Tarleton. Quali Conley added a rushing score in the Trailblazers' win last weekend, grinding his way to a 68-yard performance on the ground.
• Six Trailblazers latched on to receptions from Wilstead last week with Chase Hess leading the way. Hess hauled in five balls for 96 yards and a score and was one of five Dixie State pass recipients who generated three or more catches.
• Headlining the Trailblazers' efforts on the defensive side of the ball is safety Darrius Nash. He piled up a team-leading 10 stops last weekend in Stephenville to go along with two of Dixie State's four sacks. Additionally, the ball-hawking defensive back forced two of the Texans' three fumbles.
COMING UP NEXT
• NM State will turn its attention to the fall of 2021 upon completion of Sunday's game.
++NM State++
