Texas A&M football kicks off their 2023 season against the New Mexico Lobos on Saturday, September 2nd. The 2 teams have played 5 times in the past, so how has each side fared in the matchup?
The Texas A&M Aggies are 5-0 against the New Mexico Lobos. The teams first played in 1926, where the Aggies won 63-0 behind fullback Bean Woodman, who accounted for 44 points on his own.
The two did not play each other again until 2008, where the two met up in Albuquerque, and the Aggies pulled out a close win 28-22. The Aggies’ quarterback at the time was Jerrod Johnson, who was 10-19 with 124 yards and 3 touchdowns on the day, throwing to future Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Texas A&M football had gone into halftime with a 21-7 lead, but after going back and forth, the Lobos put up 12 unanswered points to keep the game close, but eventually after stopping an onside kick recovery, the Aggies put them away.
The matchup continued the next year, where the Aggies dominated the Lobos 41-6, behind a Jerrod Johnson masterclass, where Johnson threw for 349 yards and 2 TDs, and rushed for 57 more. The Aggies put over 600 yards of offense this game, while the defense held the Lobos to 231 yards and forced 2 turnovers throughout the game.
The Aggies continued their dominance in their next matchup in 2017, beating the Lobos 55-1. Texas A&M football was led by Nick Starkel that day, who threw for 416 yards and 4 touchdowns, with a touchdown from Trayveon Williams to match. Texas A&M scored 35 points in a single quarter, had 3 receivers gaining over 100 yards, a pair of touchdowns from receiver Damion Ratley, and a punt return from Christian Kirk for 6. The defense held up their end as well when, only allowing 144 yards and 1 touchdown, with the other being a kick return from the Lobos.
Hear from Damion Ratley following the win over New Mexico. Ratley finished with a pair of touchdown receptions on the night. #12thMan pic.twitter.com/hYJ9nMt83p
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) November 12, 2017
Texas A&M’s most recent matchup with New Mexico, and only matchup in the Jimbo Fisher era, was in 2021, where the Aggies won 34-0. The team was led by Zach Calzada’s first start, after Haynes King was injured against Colorado the week before. Calzada threw for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns, featuring a Moose Muhammad highlight catch, and the defense held the Lobos to only 122 yards of offense, with an interception along the way.
HIGHLIGHTS | A&M 34, New Mexico 0#GigEm pic.twitter.com/c9V5QJjKY5
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) September 18, 2021
This Saturday will be the 6th matchup between Texas A&M and New Mexico, and the Aggies will hope to continue their trend for a dominant performance in their season opener. With the Aggies hoping for some success this season, this game could be a great way to start their momentum.