EL PASO -- While UTEP was cursing a narrow loss suffered without its best players, New Mexico State was celebrating exactly the type of victory that has been too rare in recent years.
"Three years ago we would have lost this game,"
quarterback Chase Holbrook said. "We did lose it (in 2006)."
For all of the Miners' personnel losses on offense, the Aggies won the game because three times they answered UTEP lead-changing scores on the next possession, all on drives led by Holbrook and finished by Holbrook touchdown passes.
# Getting offensive: The last time UTEP scored two non-offensive touchdowns in a game was in 2005 against New Mexico, when safety Joe Fleskoski had an interception for a score and cornerback Nate Draughon reached the end zone on a blocked punt recovery.
UTEP scored on a Robert Soleyjacks fumble return and an Anthony Morrow interception return against NMSU. Soleyjacks created the interception return by hitting Holbrook as he threw.
# Seconds: The 277rushing yards was the second most by a Mike Price team after the 308 UTEP had against SMU last year. The 95 passing yards was the second fewest a Price team has managed after the 81 they had last year against New Mexico. UTEP is now 5-2 under Mike Price when rushing for more than 200 yards.
# Career days: Freshman tailback Vernon Frazier made his first career start and established career-highs for rushing attempts (14) and rushing yardage(74).#
Freshman RB Daniel Palmer also had career-highs for rushes (14) and yards (64).
# Dewing it on the line: Brandis Dew got his first sack of the year on New Mexico State's second possession, setting up a nice game for the Miner defensive front that obviously was highlighted by Robert Soleyjacks' 24-yard fumble return for a score.
James Ol alekan had two sacks and even caused a fumble that Holbrook recovered. The defensive line had 1å sacks in the first two games.
Soleyjacks' hit of Holbrook on the fourth possession led to Anthony Morrow's first career interception and score. Ja'Boy Leomiti, who spent the week on the scout team for undisclosed reasons and lost his starting spot, added a second-quarter sack.
