• Final Statistics

What started out being a western shootout, turned into a Homecoming celebration for New Mexico State (3-5), Saturday night, with a 56-31 victory over FIU (2-4) in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Aggies quarterback Buck Pierce completed 27-of-35 passes for 367 yards and three touchdowns as NMSU rolled up 646 yards of total offense in scoring the most points ever against the Golden Panthers in their 29-game history.

"This was a defensive embarrassment. We didn't do anything right," said FIU head coach Don Strock. "Every time we appear to be making progress, we seem to fall backwards. Tonight, we definitely went backwards."

The loss spoiled a record-breaking performance by senior running back Rashod Smith who raced for 230 yards--204 in the first half--and a school record four touchdowns.

Smith, who scored on runs of 76, 73, two and two yards was forced to leave the game late in the third quarter after suffering from cramps and dehydration, necessitating intravenous feedings in the locker room.

"I started cramping up in the second half," said Smith. "The holes were still there, I just wasn't hitting them as quickly and the defense seemed to make some adjustments."

FIU quarterbacks Josh Padrick and David Tabor combined for 180 yards on 15-of-27 passes, but the pair also threw four interceptions--two that were returned for touchdowns.

Despite that, the Golden Panthers trailed by only three at the intermission, but could never get back on track in the second half.

FIU drew first blood on a drive that consumed 65 yards just 1:54 into the contest. Padrick hit Chandler Williams with a 40-yard pass on the very first play of the game. After a pair of Smith runs got the ball inside the New Mexico State 15, Padrick found tight end James Williams for a seven-yard gain and a first-and-goal from the four.

Two plays later, Smith ran around the right end for a two yard score. Adam Moss' PAT gave the Golden Panthers a 7-0 lead.

But New Mexico State cut the lead to 7-3 on a 35-yard field goal by Ryan Guardia, and then went up 10-7 when sophomore defensive back Gill Byrd picked off a Padrick pass for his first career interception and ran it back 48 yards for a touchdown.

Back came the Golden Panthers, however, as Smith took a handoff broke several tackles at the line of scrimmage and raced 73 yards down the sideline for a touchdown and the longest rushing play of the season for FIU and a 14-10 lead.

But that lead was short-lived, too, as the Aggies went on a 12-play, 86-yard drive that lasted 7:01 and culminated on a six-yard touchdown pass from Pierce to Andrew Mooney. At the end of the first quarter, New Mexico State led, 17-14.

FIU's opening drive of the second quarter got as far as the New Mexico one-yard line, but on a fourth and goal situation from there, Padrick's attempted pass to Samuel Smith in the far corner of the end zone sailed high, and the Golden Panthers were turned away.

New Mexico State made FIU pay, taking the ball 99 yards over the next five minutes with Pierce finding Tim Tolbert from four yards out on the very type play the Golden Panthers had failed to convert.

Down 24-14, Smith once again took matters into his own hands, scoring on another long run from 76 yards, off tackle and down the right sideline, closing the lead to 24-21.

But New Mexico State used some razzle-dazzle to go back up by 10. The Aggies replaced Pierce with backup Paul Dombrowski who tossed the ball back to running back Joey Vincent who found a wide-open Tolbert for a 47-yard touchdown.

FIU closed the gap again just before the half. Getting his first collegiate playing time at running back, freshmen Ben West carried the ball four times for 33 yards on a six-play, 42-yard scoring drive that ended with Rashod Smith going in from two yards. West, making his collegiate debut, ended the game rushing for 79 yards on eight carries.

New Mexico State extended its halftime lead to 34-28 on a 30-yard Guardia field goal. The Aggies had a first-and-10 from the FIU 12, but Pierce misfired on three-straight pass attempts, after missing only two of 20 attempts in the first half, and NMSU had to settle for the field goal.

FIU moved the ball into New Mexico State territory on its next possession but the drive stalled at the 41, when on a fourth-and-one, Smith was stopped at the line of scrimmage. The Aggies went right back to work and scored on a 44-yard touchdown pass from Pierce to Brandon Allen. New Mexico State's two-point conversation was good, and the Aggies led 42-28 midway through the third quarter.

Moss' 28-yard field goal, his ninth straight on the season, brought the Golden Panthers to within 42-31 with 2:57 to go in the third period was FIU's only scoring of the second half. And a 10-play, 80-yard New Mexico State drive that ended with a 21-yard run by Muammar Ali pushed the Aggie lead to 49-31 early in the fourth quarter.

New Mexico State then iced it away when Matt Griebel intercepted a pass and raced 64 yards for a score. Up 56-31, with 9:15 to play in the game, it was the most points scored by an FIU opponent in the history of the program. The old mark, 55, was set by Western Kentucky during the 2002 season.

The Golden Panthers return to action in two weeks when they take on I-AA No. 2 ranked Georgia Southern on Saturday, November 13 with a special 11:00 a.m. Homecoming kickoff at FIU Stadium.