New Mexico St beats South Alabama, ends 57-year bowl drought

Posted December 02, 2017 6:00 am

The Associated Press

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - Tyler Rogers passed for 451 yards and led a drive that brought New Mexico State back into the lead in the final minute for a 22-17 win over South Alabama on Saturday that made the Aggies eligible for their first bowl since 1960.

More than likely, the Aggies (6-6, 4-4) will play in the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl in Tucson, Arizona, on Dec. 29. NMSU chancellor and president Garrey Carruthers indicated on Nov. 16 that it was possibly the only Sun Belt bowl bid the athletic department could afford to accept and the Arizona Bowl executive director Alan Young told the Las Cruces Sun-News he would be happy to host them .

South Alabama (4-8, 3-5) scored 10 straight to take a 17-16 lead with 5:24 left in the fourth quarter. But Rogers and the Aggies responded with a 15-play, 83-yard drive capped by a 7-yard pass to Conner Cramer with 32 seconds left.

New Mexico State defeated Utah State 20-13 in the 1960 Sun Bowl and the Aggies' 57-year drought was the longest current streak in the FBS.

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