LAS CRUCES, N.M. – NM State returned to action at Aggie Memorial Stadium on Saturday night, playing in their seventh nationally televised matchup in a Homecoming contest with Liberty. The Aggies (3-6, 2-3 CUSA) played the conference-leading Flames (8-1, 5-0 CUSA) tight for most of the night, though late scores by LU saw NM State fall by a final score of 30-14.
Making his first start since Sept. 26, Trey Hedden commanded the Aggie offense to a touchdown on the first drive of the game. Hedden III found AJ Williams III three times for 64 yards, including a 24-yard completion on third down, for the senior wide receiver's team-leading fourth touchdown of the season to give the Aggies a 7-0 advantage.
On the ensuing possession, the Flames were able to march down the field, getting a first-and-goal opportunity at the four-yard line. However, back-to-back tackles for loss, including one sack by Tory Gethers, saw Liberty settle for a 35-yard field goal to make it 7-3 with 4:02 remaining in the first quarter.
Following an NM State turnover, Liberty took their third trip into the Aggie red zone. A third-down sack by Sone Aupiu led to the second Flames field goal of the contest, keeping LU out of the end zone and making it a 7-6 contest with 9:19 to go in the first half.
A 49-yard field goal by the Flames gave them their first lead of the contest (9-7) with 4:02 to go in the second. Liberty would score their first touchdown of the night with just 18 seconds remaining, heading into halftime with a 16-7 lead.
A slow start to the second half for both teams saw three consecutive punts to begin the third quarter. Failing to garner much momentum following an opening drive score, the Aggies went back to what works – finding AJ Williams III for a pair of receptions, including a 44-yard deep shot down the right side of the field. This put the Spring City, Texas, native over 100 receiving yards on the night, the most in a game for NM State this season.
Still driving to begin the fourth quarter, Trey Hedden III found Myles Libman on third down to move the chains and put the Aggies in the red zone for the second time on Saturday night. Facing another crucial third down, Hedden found Williams III in the right corner of the end zone, where the 6-foot-4 receiver outworked the Liberty defender to haul in his second touchdown of the night. Capping off a 12-play, 90-yard drive, the Crimson & White shrunk the deficit to just three (17-14).
However, this would be the closest the Aggies would get for the remainder of the night, as a turnover on downs and an interception on NM State's final drive of the night would allow the Flames to extend its lead late.
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AJ Williams III finished with eight catches for 150 yards – a Division I-best in both receptions and yards for the senior. These were also a new single-game high for an Aggie receiver this season. 150 yards are the most by an Aggie since TK King tallied 178 yards against MTSU on Nov. 29, 2025. With two touchdown receptions, he took the team lead in receiving touchdowns this season (5).
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For just the second time in conference play, running back James Jones failed to tally 100 yards rushing, finishing with 51 yards on 14 carries. Heading into Saturday's game with Liberty, Jones averaged 133.5 yards against Conference USA foes.
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Safety Nick Sessions finished with 10 tackles on Saturday night, tied with linebacker Tory Gethers for the team lead. This became the second time this season Sessions finished with double-digit tackles (13, FIU) and second straight game that his running mate posted 10 or more tackles after logging 12 tackles against Jax State.
For complete coverage of the NM State football program, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics - and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Football), Twitter (@NMStateFootball) and Instagram (@NMStateFB).
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