Monday, November 25, 2019

NM State Aggies vs UTEP Miners Football 11-23-19



I finally made it out to a football game this season.  My workplace gave out tickets to this rivalry matchup.  I asked Ron about going and he finally said, “Yes,” and meant it.  Ron has been reluctant to go to any game with free work tickets to the point of stiffing me right before leaving for a game.  Getting fired from a place and seeing former co-workers has a way of doing that.  For whatever reason, or lack of an excuse, he was okay finally doing it this time, but seemed pretty unenthusiastic when he picked me up late.  We even sat in his car for a while after getting there.  Maybe something else was bothering him (he wasn’t feeling entirely well), but Ron wouldn’t talk about it.

Instead of the main gate, we parked on the south end, behind the Fulton Center.  There were still a bunch of people there.  Some were tailgating.  (The workplace had a big tailgate on the north end, but I didn’t bother asking Ron about going to it.)  Some were not wearing shirts and had letters painted on their chests.  I question those guys’ sanity.  It was bright and sunny, but there was a cool little breeze going with a low ambient temperature, which made it cold. 

Upon entry, I finally found the elusive Aggie hamburger stand.  It was hard to miss the savory smell as it came from a tent right behind the gate.  Whoa!  $10 for the house double burger.  I’ll pass.  Too much meat for a meal for me anyway.  Ron assured me that the Chihuahuas’ burger was better and sold at a cheaper price.  Kids were rolling down the grassy knoll in front of the suites during most of the game.  A proposed stadium upgrade I saw replaced the knoll with terraced seating.  Unless there was club service with them, they’d be lousy seats.  I’m ambivalent on that proposal.

The first thing we saw out on the field was the Pride Band marching in.  They were majestic.  Striking the Wonder Dog was introduced and he ran down the field too.  During the Anthem, the flag corps had trouble unfurling the giant flag on field.  The UTEP fans seemed a bit amused.  The group got a round of applause when they got it unraveled. 
   
We found our seats on the south 30 in the upper bowl.  It was about where we sat when we went to some games a couple of years ago.  They provide a commanding view of the field.  I left to find something to eat and maybe a program or a giveaway.  I found nothing but a really long line.  So much for an overpriced slice of pizza (but I was willing to overpay for that).  I finally settled on a bag of kettle corn and a lemonade from a stand with no waiting.  I was hungry and thirsty, so it was great.  I found a program in the stands after the game.

The crowd for the game was excellent.  The west side was well-filled with fans.  I saw and greeted some co-workers.  The lower section was stuffed with season ticket holders.  The student section was filled and they stood for the entire game.  (They also chanted, “F UTEP!” before the game.)  The section next to them was for UTEP fans and they filled it.  They stood too, so I’m thinking that was mostly students.  I saw some shirtless guys in their front row.  I don’t think they were the Aggie fans I saw outside, but rather Miner fans.  I only saw the bare-chested Aggie guys on the video screen once.  Of course, they weren’t in order and misspelled, “Aggies.”

Next to the Miner fan section was the UTEP Band and their full complement of Cheerleaders and Dancers.  At times in the game, we’d have dueling bands, so it was kind of cool.  Their band did not play that great remix version of their fight song that I keep hearing on the radio.  They did play the MCU Avengers theme, which sounds excellent live in a stadium.           

I heard the Miner pre-pregame show earlier in the morning on El Paso Sportstalk.  John Tischer, voice of the Miners, thought pretty highly of the Aggies, even though both teams had the same 1-9 record going into the game.  The Aggies were playing an, “Athletic Director’s schedule,” he called it, with three games against Power 5 conferences (money games).  Tischer was also on the Aggies’ pregame show.  I didn’t know he started off broadcasting in this area doing Aggie games for a year. 


First Quarter
I haven’t recapped a football game in a while.  Wow, is this easier than doing volleyball or basketball.  I’m also using my new little notebook, since I filled up the previous one at my last game, and I had a new fountain pen.  I found myself watching the game, mentally noting any significant plays, then writing stuff down after the possession ended. 

UTEP won the toss and deferred.  The Aggies received the kickoff and committed a personal foul.  That seemed like a bad sign for fouls, but instead, it just set the tone.  The Aggies got a first down, but no further.  Kai Locksley was starting at quarterback for the Miners.  In the pregame, the hosts wanted one of the backups in instead, but the senior known for his running abilities got the nod.  Indeed, he did rush a couple of times, but the Aggies broke up a third down pass for a three and out.

In the next Aggie series, senior running back Jason Huntley picked up some yards rushing.  Quarterback Josh Adkins mixed in a completed pass.  Then, Huntley broke off a 39-yard dash for a touchdown.  7-0 Aggies just like that.  The next series, the Miners managed to get a first down from out of their own endzone.  The UTEP band played a short riff from their fight song whenever they had a first down.  I saw Marketing Director Nicole running up the stairs nearby.  She already looked exhausted.  Four penalties would end up sabotaging the Miners’ drive.  Kai was hammered on his final pass attempt.  The Aggies got the ball, but handed right back after four downs.


Second Quarter
UTEP stayed on the ground on their next possession.  Kai had a 20-yard run as part of a touchdown-scoring drive that finished at the start of the second quarter.  7-7.  Huntley came up big again with a 50-yard run to the UTEP 15, but unfortunately this only resulted in a missed field goal.  During the break, there was the fan burger-making contest with the fans dressed as top and bottom buns.  Both top buns enthusiastically jumped on their bottom bun partners.  Funny stuff.

The Miners mixed it up next on their next series running and passing.  A 20-yard pass got them into the Aggie red zone.  The Aggie defense held the Miners to a field goal.  10-7 Miners.  In the break, the Aggie Cheerleaders took to the field for their big routine.  Nice.  The seats in the lower northwest end let you watch the Cheerleaders working hard for the whole game. 

The Aggies went three and out trying to pass downfield.  Adkins did not look good here.  There was a near fight after the punt, but no flags or punches thrown.  The UTEP Cheerleaders congregated by the Aggie Cheerleaders waiting to perform for the halftime show.  I saw no interaction between the two groups.

Kai got another 20-yard pass to drive the Miners to inside the Aggie 5.  Senior Shamad Lomax broke up a pass in the endzone.  UTEP settled for another field goal.  13-7 Miners.  There was about 1:30 left in this quickly-played half.  A UTEP penalty gave the Aggies a good starting position.  Huntley came up big again with a 40-yard dash down the sideline for another touchdown.  14-13 Aggies going into halftime.            


Halftime
The Las Cruces crowd had the rare treat of seeing two bands perform for the half.  The UTEP band came out first and got a warm round of applause for their performance.  The Pride Band came out and put on a whole production number.  They were doing some recent songs by artists I did not know, but I recognized one of the numbers that gets played in the Pan-Am Center during games all the time.  The UTEP band stayed on the sidelines and watched the performance.


Third Quarter
Before the kickoff, Pistol Pete mounted an elevated platform that raised in front of the video board, taller than the goal post.  He waved a flag, while a banner unfurled from the platform that said, “Cowbell,” which is the official fan noise-maker for NMSU.  During the game, they play a clip from the SNL Cowbell bit to lead the crowd on third downs for the opponents.

The Miners took the kick and worked downfield well, but had to settle for a field goal attempt, which missed.  There was a mass t-shirt toss into the crowd by the Cheerleaders.  This is another reason to sit near the Cheerleaders.  They’re always tossing stuff into the stands.  The Aggies went three and out again when they got the ball back.  Payton Theisler got off a great punt, but the Miners got a good return, as an Aggie was injured missing the tackle on the returner. 

In the break, I think I saw Marketing Intern Emerson take a fan on field for a contest.  The guy had three chances to drive a tennis ball through the uprights with an oversized golf club.  Maybe because he was standing next to such a beautiful young woman, he flat whiffed on five swings.  He got a round of applause just for hitting one.  PA Ed helpfully offered the classic golf advice, “Be the ball.”  The guy only got a ball into the air when he picked one up and threw it through the goalpost.

UTEP moved downfield well again.  The Aggie defense stopped them on a third and short.  The Miners tacked on a field goal.  16-14 Miners.  The Aggies’ next series went well with a pair of completions and face mask penalty.  A 20-yard third down pass to Jared Wyatt got the Aggies into the UTEP red zone.  There was that Huntley guy again.  He cut one to the outside from five yards out for his third touchdown.  21-16 Aggies.


Fourth Quarter
As the sun went down, the temperature dropped and I was shivering a bit.  Unfortunately, this final quarter dragged out terribly in relation to the previous three.  Between the lemonade and the cold, I took three piss breaks during the game.  I’ve been colder at Aggie sporting events though.  The Sundancers performed in the break in the north endzone.  They looked good.  The cheer squads for both teams would put on pants and jackets in this quarter, so you knew it was cold.

UTEP made another drive into Aggie territory.  They were stopped on third down in the red zone, but went for it on fourth down and got a touchdown.  UTEP fans chanted, “Aggies suck!”  The two-point conversion was broken up.  22-21 Miners.  The bands started battling each other with music briefly.


On the next Aggie possession on third down, Adkins evaded a sack and found Caleb Mills for a catch downfield.  The Aggies then went for it on a fourth down play on the Miner 35.  Adkins found senior OJ Clark for another first down.  In the UTEP red zone, Huntley took a direct snap.  He then flipped the ball to Tony Nicholson on a double reverse.  Nicholson then tossed it high to Adkins, who went over the defender to grab it for a touchdown!  Where have I seen this play before (11-19-16)?  Ron saw the play standing by the endzone on the concourse and was amazed.  The two-point conversion was dropped, as the receiver as too wide open.  It was 27-22 Aggies.

The Miners and Aggies then traded three and outs.  Theisler made another great kick and the coverage nailed the returner.  Kai pressed on the next series with time running out.  Rashie Hodge then came up big with an interception over the middle.  It was the first turnover of the game.  The Aggies got the ball, but had to keep the drive going with a fourth and one sneak by Adkins.  On the next third down play, Josh’s pass was blocked, but he caught the deflection to keep possession.  Senior Dylan Brown came out for another field goal attempt and hit a personal best 53-yarder.  Clutch there.  30-22 Aggies.

Right after that, we had our second turnover of the game.  Xander Yarbergough stripped Kai of the ball as he went back to pass.  Matthew Young recovered the ball and ran it right in.  37-22 Aggies.  Kai came back with a vengeance with a huge uncovered run down the field on the next Miner possession.  He passed down to the Aggie 1 yardline.  The ball came out on a dive on another play, but was recovered by the Miners for a touchdown.  37-29 Aggies.


On the Aggies next possession, a third down deep pass to OJ gave the Aggies another set of downs.  Senior Christian Gibson then broke it open with a 60-yard run for a touchdown.  44-29 Aggies.  After the Miners got the ball back, there was an extended delay as a Miner was dumped on his head.  He was able to walk off to a round of applause from the crowd.  Kai made one more good drive downfield.  He was sacked by senior Roy Lopez, but a ruffing the passer penalty later gave the Miners a final play in the red zone with four seconds left.  Kai found a receiver in the back of the endzone as time expired.  The Aggies won the Battle of I-10, 44-35.             
 
I don’t know if I said this out loud before the game, but events transpired for the Aggies the way I thought they would, if they were going to win.  All they had to do was not beat themselves.  Mostly I was thinking they had not turn the ball over by fumble or interception.  I imagined the Aggies could beat the Miners talent-wise and let the Miners lose the game by themselves with their mistakes.  

Though they acquired a flag on the first play of the game, the Aggies were magnificent in avoiding penalties, which is the other way football teams beat themselves.  The Miners didn’t do as well in that category, but weren’t that bad either.  Hmm.  Ron later confirmed what I thought; the refs stayed out of the way and just let them play it out.  Lastly, let’s hear it for the Aggie seniors.  They wanted to go out winners on their home field.
   
Even with much of the crowd gone and being at the south entrance, there was still a traffic jam.  It wasn’t too bad though.  Ron found a back road in the dark to avoid most of it.  Regrettably, he took a wrong turn to get to the pizza place we had planned on going to.  “You knew where you were up to a point,” I said.  Suddenly, we were at What-a-burger with about 50 other people.  Neither of us wanted to delay eating, so we went with it.  The meal was okay, but even better, it was fairly quick.  After the chill, neither of us wanted ice cream.  This was definitely the best case scenario for getting to see an Aggie Football game this year.  Thank goodness I got see this one in person.   

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