Naeten Mitchell stripped the football out of Grady O’Neill’s hands and guided it to his own. He was off and running.
The redshirt sophomore safety’s first career interception, returned for a 71-yard touchdown to seal a 37-10 home win for New Mexico State (3-2, 1-1 Conference USA) over Sam Houston (0-5, 0-2) in the fourth quarter, capped off an exciting day for Aggies athletics. A monumental day for NM State’s athletics department ended with a commanding win for one of its most visible teams.
Hours before Mitchell’s interception and kickoff against the Bearkats on Thursday, Oct. 2, Joe Fields was formally introduced as the university’s next athletics director. The public press conference brought cheers from fans, athletes, coaches and donors alike, as the incoming AD made his first impression among the Aggies faithful. Fields then attended the evening’s game and saw NM State retain its unbeaten record at home after being shown to the Aggie Memorial Stadium crowd.
Advertisement
The Aggies are 3-0 at home for the first time since 2007. NM State matched its 2024 win total with seven games left. And overall, Fields has generated plenty of intrigue for the university’s athletics department.
“I think having (NMSU) President (Valerio) Ferme in place with the direction he’s taking our university, with Mr. Fields in place now as our athletic director with a great support group around him, I think now we can set a vision, and set this place on a track,” said Aggies coach Tony Sanchez postgame.
Aggie receiver Shawn Brown tries to get the ball inside the pylon for a score as NMSU took on the Sam Houston Bearkats on Oct. 2, 2025, at Aggie Memorial Stadium.
MORE AGGIES SPORTS: Who is Joe Fields? Meet New Mexico State’s next athletic director
Advertisement
Zeroing in on NM State’s victory shows much upside. Offensively, Logan Fife finished a game with zero turnovers for the first time this season and made the positive plays he has all season without negating them, completing 73% of his passes for 255 yards with two total touchdowns (one passing, one rushing). He played on a sprained ankle, and spent the short week in and out of physical therapy with a walking boot.
The Aggies rushed for a season-high 95 yards, with running back Kadarius Calloway producing 66 of them with a touchdown (and 44 receiving yards). A big-time game was needed from the California transfer with Dijon Stanley missing (concussion), and he delivered. Wide receiver and Wyoming transfer TK King emphatically made his NM State debut with a team-high 132 receiving yards on six catches, including two for over 40 yards.
“You’ll see that out of me a lot,” King said. “If that ball is in the air, I want it and I’m gonna go get it.”
Defensively, the Aggies rebounded from their lackluster performances against Louisiana Tech and New Mexico by holding the Bearkats to 10 points. Linebacker Tory Gethers, starting ahead of the injured Tyler Martinez (lower body), earned one sack, one pass breakup and six total tackles. Defensive lineman Ezra Christensen continued standing out with two tackles for a loss, one sack and three quarterback hits.
Advertisement
And of course, there’s Mitchell. He finished with a team-high 10 total tackles and two pass breakups alongside his interception. Tabbed as a breakout player by coaches during fall camp, Mitchell produced his best collegiate game on Thursday.
“You pray for moments like that,” Mitchell said. “The opportunity came, and I’ve worked my tail off to make plays like that. To be able to have that come to life is a surreal moment. Going into the end zone, it was a blessing to have my teammates around me, and I just see the fans go crazy.”
MORE AGGIES FOOTBALL: From car wrecks to tonsillitis, NMSU’s Donovan Faupel is no stranger to adversity
Uncertainty surrounded NM State sports and its football team nine months ago. The Aggies had finished a disappointing 3-9 campaign, and longtime AD Mario Moccia was fired on Ferme’s first official day in office.
Advertisement
Things are now looking up. Key stakeholders are excited by Fields’ hiring, and the Aggies have a winning record with plenty of favorable matchups ahead. Games against Missouri State, Kennesaw State, UTEP and Middle Tennessee remain, with only the Owls having a record matching NM State’s. Even a road game against Liberty (1-4, 0-1), the Aggies’ next opponent at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 14, on the road, looks winnable after the Flames’ underwhelming start.
Sanchez and his team aren’t jumping for joy just yet, though. Things can fall apart just as quickly as they appear promising at NM State.
“It’s going to come down to our execution, the way we focus, the way we practice, the way we prepare,” Sanchez said. “You can ask anybody on this team, we’re not taking I mean, there’s nothing we can take for granted here at New Mexico State… It’s gonna be a dog fight.”
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Dominant NMSU football win ends promising day for Aggies sports
