AMHERST, Mass. – A headline 1,498 days in the making. 49 months. 214 weeks. However you want to spin it.
 
For the first time since September 22, 2018, the NM State football team heads back to Las Cruces victorious in a road contest. The Aggies put a damper on the UMass homecoming, notching a 23-13 win in Amherst.
 
The Minutemen led 3-0 after the first quarter, following a 41-yard field goal off the foot of Cameron Carson. UMass wasted no time in the second quarter expanding their lead to double digits. Taking advantage of an Aggie blitz, Kay'Ron Adams forced a missed tackle and wound up with a 66-yard touchdown run.
 
Syrus Dumas' second interception gave NM State great field position and set up the Aggies' first scoring drive of the day. Still struggling to find an offensive groove, the Aggies settled for a 41-yard field goal from Ethan Albertson.
 
After head coach Jerry Kill made the change to Diego Pavia at quarterback, the decision quickly paid dividends. On Pavia's second drive, the Aggies needed just two plays to go 69 yards and find the end zone.
 
With seven seconds remaining in the first half, UMass drilled a field goal to take a three point lead into the break. Kill and company used the final two timeouts of the half in an attempt to ice the kicker but Carson proved to have ice in his veins.
 
Albertson split the uprights from 30-yards out to tie the contest at 13 early in the second half. NM State's scoring drive was set up by a 48-yard rush by Pavia, the longest of his career and the second-longest rush for an Aggie this season.
 
As it has for the last several weeks, the NM State defense stood strong down the stretch. Led by the takeaway from Dumas and 12 tackles from linebacker Chris Ojoh, the Aggies did not allow a second half score in the northeast. NM State finishes the month of October allowing just two touchdowns.
 
Offensively, Terrell Warner put the nail in the coffin with a fourth quarter touchdown. Pavia found Warner down the right side for a 27-yard score. Warner's first touchdown of the season could not have come at a better time, giving NM State a ten point lead with less than four minutes to play.
 
Winners of three of the last four, NM State will have their third off weekend of the season following the victory. The last time the Aggies had won three of four was 2017, when NM State won three of four to close out the season. Following the short break, NM State will return to Aggie Memorial Stadium for the final time in 2022 to host Lamar on Saturday, November 12 at 12 p.m. MT.
 
News and Notes

NM State

• With a 23-13 victory, NM State picks up its first road win since September 22, 2018 against UTEP. With the win, the Aggies leave UMass with the longest road losing streak at 21 games.
• Syrus Dumas recorded his second interception of the season for NM State in the second quarter. Dumas now has two of NM State's three interceptions.
• Diego Pavia completed his first touchdown pass of the season when he found Jamoni Jones for 39 yards.
• The touchdown was also Jones' first receiving touchdown of his NM State career.
• Needing just two plays and 22 seconds for Jones' touchdown catch, it was second-fastest scoring drive this season for NM State.
• Pavia's 48-yard run in the third quarter was the longest of his NM State career and the second-longest rush by an Aggie this season.
• Pavia needed just five completions to set a new career-best in passing yards. The Albuquerque native finished with 194 passing yards.
• Justice Powers finished with a career-high 81 receiving yards and matched his career-best with three receptions.
• NM State threw for 223 yards on Saturday - The most in a single-game this season.
• Pavia found Terrell Warner for a 27-yard touchdown with 3:42 left to play. The score was the first of the season for the wide receiver.
• 11 different Aggies caught a pass in the ballgame.
• Chris Ojoh finished the game with 12 tackles, marking his third straight game with 10+ defensive stops.

Game

• The Aggies were represented at the coin toss by Thomas Whitford (Rhode Island) and Linwood Crump (New Jersey).
• UMass won the toss and deferred. NM State received the opening kick.
• The Aggies move to 2-0 in their Zia helmets.
• UMass lead 10-0 with 6:38 remaining in the second quarter.
• The Aggies have won three of their last four contests - The first time since 2017 to achieve the feat.