LAS CRUCES, N.M. – NM State Football is set to return to Aggie Memorial Stadium for the second consecutive contest as it hosts Liberty on Saturday during Homecoming weekend. The matchup will mark the 10^th all-time meeting between the Aggies and Flames and fourth time the two programs square off in Las Cruces. Kickoff for the Saturday bout is slated for 6 p.m. MT and fans can purchase tickets at this link. Additionally, the game will be available to watch on ESPNU as the Aggies play their seventh nationally televised game of the season.
 
GAME NINE
Who: NM State (3-5, 2-2 CUSA) vs. Liberty (7-1, 4-0 CUSA)
Where: Las Cruces, N.M. – Aggie Memorial Stadium (28,853)
When: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026 – 6 p.m. MT
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
Watch: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Joe Tordy
Analyst: Forrest Conoly
 
Radio: 99.5 FM KXPZ / TuneIn App
Play-by-Play: MJ Newsom
Color Analyst: Danny Knee
 
Spanish Radio: 96.7 FM La Equis
Play-by-Play: Darien Salayandia
Color Analyst: Jose Aragon
 
Live Stats: NMStateSports.com/Stats
 
LAST TIME OUT: JAX STATE 24, NM STATE 0
NM State returned home for its final weekday Conference USA game of the 2026 season and dropped a 24-0 decision to Jax State on Wednesday night at Aggie Memorial Stadium.
 
The Aggie defense continued to create opportunities, forcing two interceptions as Josiah Charles and RJ Chapman each recorded picks, helping NM State force a turnover for the 23rd time in its last 24 games.
 
Offensively, the Aggies moved the ball effectively on the ground, highlighted by 112 rushing yards from James Jones and a career-high 70 rushing yards from TJ Washington Jr., but missed two field goals and committed costly turnovers that stalled scoring chances. Jax State capitalized on its opportunities with 24 unanswered points to hand the Aggies the Conference USA setback.
 
CONTROLLING THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE     
Entering Wednesday, NM State's rushing attack is averaging 156.8 yards per game to rank third among Conference USA teams. This is led by standout running back James Jones who is averaging 111.1 rushing yards per game to pace all CUSA backs and rank 11th in the nation.
 
This comes just one year after the Aggies finished last in the nation in rushing offense (77.3 yards per game).
 
In 2026, the NM State offense is averaging 4.6 yards per carry against FBS opponents after averaging 2.6 last season. The 2.0-yard increase is the largest among all FBS programs this year.
 
RESTRICTING THE RUSH                           
Despite allowing 324 rushing yards in its last outing, the Aggie defense still ranks third among all Conference USA teams in rushing yards allowed per game at 136.0 per contest.
 
Additionally, the Aggies rank second in rushing yards allowed during CUSA play, giving up 120.3 yards per game across their first four league matchups.
 
The Aggies recently limited Sam Houston to just 11 rushing yards to mark the fourth time this season that the Aggies allowed fewer than 75 rushing yards. This serves as the first time since at least 1994 that the Aggies have kept their opponents under 75 rushing yards four times in a single season.
 
WE MEET AGAIN                                               
NM State is set to square off with Liberty for the 10th time in program history, marking the most head-to-head matchups between the Aggies and any fellow Conference USA teams.
 
While this will be the 10th time the Aggies play the Flames, it will only be the fourth time that Liberty makes the long trip to Las Cruces.
 
NM State has not beaten Liberty since 2022, however, the Aggies held late fourth-quarter leads in each of their last two meetings.
 
LIVING IN THE BACKFIELD                       
Entering Saturday's game, the Aggies have recorded 6.4 tackles for loss per game. This is good for first in the conference and 26th in the nation.
 
Individually, the Aggies are led in this department by Sone Aupiu (8.5) and Gabe Peterson (8.0) who rank second and third, respectively, in the conference in tackles for loss this season.
 
BRICK WALLING THE BEARKATS       
In the win over Sam Houston on Oct. 21, the Aggie defense allowed just 11 total rushing yards to mark the fewest rushing yards in a single game by an NM State opponent since Oct. 4, 2008, when the Aggies held Alcorn State to -13 rushing yards. The performance against the Bearkats also marked the 17th fewest rushing yards an FBS defense has allowed in a single game this season.
 
This is also the fewest allowed by a CUSA team since UTEP held LA Tech to seven yards on Oct. 22, 2024.
 
GOOD TO BE BACK                                          
This season, CUSA teams have struggled to win on the road as the Aggies' win over Sam Houston marked NM State's first road win of the season and just the seventh road victory for all CUSA teams as the league now holds a record of 10-31 in road games. On the other hand, the Aggies are 2-2 at Aggie Memorial Stadium this year, while CUSA teams are a combined 26-13 at home during the 2026 campaign.
 
CONSISTENCY IS KEY                   
This season, the NM State defense has seen consistency throughout the year as nine Aggies have started all eight games this year. This includes Brad Vislisel, Henry Davis III, Gabe Peterson, Tory Gethers, Sone Aupiu, Josiah Charles, De'Marcus Peters, Lorenzo Smith and Nick Session.
 
STAGNANT STICKS                                          
Against Sam Houston on Oct. 21, the Aggie defense allowed the Bearkats to gain just nine first downs. This marked the first time in over 20 years that NM State's opponent gained fewer than 10 first downs. The Aggies last accomplished this when it limited UL Monroe to nine first downs on Oct. 25, 2003.
 
PRESSURING THE PASSER                        
The Aggie defense has now recorded multiple sacks in four of its last five games. This charge is led by defensive end Gabe Peterson as he paces the Aggies and ranks first among all CUSA defenders with a career-best 5.5 sacks through just six games. This includes a league-best 4.0 sacks in conference action.
 
In the Aggies' CUSA opener against WKU, the Aggie defense recorded six total sacks to mark the program's most sacks in a single game since a seven-sack performance against FIU on Oct. 4, 2023.
 
NM State now sits at 12 sacks during league action to pace all CUSA squads.
 
This will be put to the test on Saturday as Jax State enters the week having allowed just four sacks across its first four Conference USA games.
 
In total, seven different Aggies have at least one sack this season, including five players with multiple sacks just beyond the midway point of the season.
 
TALLYING TURNOVERS                               
After finishing 14th in the nation in turnovers forced in 2025, the Aggie defense has continued to produce takeaways. With an interception against Jax State, the NM State defense has now forced a turnover in 23 of its last 24 games dating back to the 2024 season. During this stretch, the Aggies have recorded an interception in 18 of the 24 contests.
 
With eight interceptions this season, the Aggies rank first among CUSA teams and 22nd in the nation.
 
DEFENSE TO OFFENSE                                  
Against WKU on Oct. 1, De'Marcus Peters' pick-six marked his second touchdown of the season and the third for the Aggie defense this season. With this, NM State ranks tied for fourth in the country in defensive touchdowns and is one of just nine FBS teams in the nation with three or more defensive touchdowns this year.
 
LEADERS IN THE MIDDLE                         
NM State brought back two big pieces of its defense as both linebackers Sone Aupiu and Tory Gethers returned for the 2026 season.
 
Aupiu is in his fifth year with the program and fourth as a starter. In total, Aupiu has now made 44 starts to lead all Aggies and currently ranks third among NM State defenders in tackles with 38. He also leads all Aggies with 8.5 tackles for loss and ranks tied for second on the team in sacks with 3.0. Aupiu also has one interception and one forced fumble this season.
 
After a breakout season in 2025, Tory Gethers is alongside Aupiu once again. Currently, Gethers ranks second on the team in tackles with 56, including a sack, three tackles for loss and four quarterback hurries.
 
THE JAMES JONES EXPERIENCE            
After another strong outing against Jax State, James Jones continues to cement his place among the top running backs in Conference USA and in the nation. Jones rushed for 112 yards to record his fifth 100-yard game of the season, one week after posting a career-high 178 yards against Sam Houston, the most by an Aggie in a game since 2019.
 
Through eight games, Jones has totaled 889 rushing yards on 139 carries while averaging 111.1 yards per game. He leads Conference USA and ranks 11th nationally in rushing yards per game, and sits 12th in the country in total rushing yards. His 6.4 yards per carry also ranks second in the league and 14th nationally.
 
With four games remaining, Jones is on pace to become the first Aggie since Larry Rose in 2015 to average more than 100 rushing yards per game for a season. In conference play, he has been even better, leading CUSA with 133.5 rushing yards per game, nearly 20 yards ahead of second-place Caden Creel of Jax State.
 
Jones' production extends beyond this season. Dating back to his time at Delaware State, he has surpassed the 100-yard mark in eight of his last 12 games and has recorded 15 career 100-yard rushing performances. His five 100-yard games this season are the most by an Aggie since Jason Huntley accomplished the feat five times during the 2019 season.
 
CLASS IS IN SESSION                     
One of the biggest plays in the Aggies' win over Mercyhurst earlier this season came from safety Nick Session who intercepted a pass on the first play of the game and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown.
 
Prior to his interception in the season opener, Session had just one interception in his collegiate career with his first coming as a member of the Oklahoma State defense in 2021.
 
Session has also been flying around on the back end this season as he currently leads the Aggies in total tackles with 58, including 38 solo tackles. With his total, he is just five tackles away from matching his season total from last year.
 
WHERE TO WATCH THE AGGIES         
After just three of the Aggies' 12 games were featured on national networks in 2025, the Aggies will find themselves in the national spotlight at least seven times this season. This year, NM State is slated to play four games on ESPN2, two games on CBS Sports Network and one game on The CW.
 
Week 9 marks the seventh time this season that the Aggies will play on national television as Joe Tordy (PxP) and Forrest Conoly (Analyst) will be on the call for ESPNU.
 
WHERE TO LISTEN TO THE AGGIES  
Once again, all games this season will air live on 99.5 FM KXPZ for those in Las Cruces and the surrounding areas. Radio broadcasts for all Aggie games will also be available to listen to nationwide via the TuneIn App. Radio play-by-play for Wednesday's game will be provided by MJ Newsom, with analysis provided by Danny Knee.
 
Additionally, all home games will be available in Spanish on 96.7 FM La Equis with the call provided by Darien Salayandia (play-by-play) and Jose Aragon (analyst).