Dixie State Falls To New Mexico State On Late Touchdown Run
Mar 7, 2021, 6:25 PM
(Photo courtesy of Ivan Pierre Aguirre for Dixie State Athletics)
(Photo courtesy of Ivan Pierre Aguirre for Dixie State Athletics)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Dixie State Trailblazers lost their first game of the season by a late touchdown by New Mexico State, 36-29.
Kody Wilstead threw for 352 yards and two touchdowns and a score on the ground. Quali Conley racked up 95 yards on 11 carries and one TD, as well as four receptions for 98 yards and a score. Jalen Powell caught five passes for 97 yards and a touchdown.
Jonah Johnson threw for 171 yards for New Mexico State, while also getting two touchdowns on the ground. Juwan Price had 19 carries for 165 yards and one TD.
Dixie State started the game strong after getting the ball for their first drive when New Mexico State turned the ball over on downs. It took them just five plays for 76 yards for them to get into the end zone as Quali Conley ran in a 57-yard score to put the Trailblazers up 7-0 with 9:15 left in the first quarter.
FB: @DixieState_FB (1-1) will host @TarletonSports in the Trailblazers home opener this Saturday night inside Greater Zion Stadium at 7 p.m. #DixieBlazers #WeAreONE #OnTheRISE
— Dixie State Athletics (@DixieAthletics) March 8, 2021
The Aggies turned the ball over on downs for the second consecutive time on their next possession but DSU was forced to punt. From that point, both teams punted the ball on their possessions in the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, New Mexico State was able to get on the scoreboard with a field goal to trail 7-3 with 10:39 remaining in the half. Dixie State didn’t want NMSU to stick around so they scored a one-yard touchdown from quarterback Kody Wilstead to put the Trailblazers up 14-3 with 7:36 left in the second quarter.
Near the end of the second quarter, New Mexico State found the end zone once again as Weston Eget hit Andre Bodison for a 12-yard TD. The Trailblazers’ lead was 14-10 with 2:28 left in the first half.
FB: Kody Wilstead + Quali Conley = TOUCHDOWN! #DixieBlazers #WeAreONE #OnTheRISE pic.twitter.com/9YxqdOfBUU
— Dixie State Football (@DixieState_FB) March 8, 2021
The Aggies took the lead for the first time midway through the third quarter when Jonah Johnson ran in a one-yard touchdown to put them up 17-14 with 8:30 left in the period. They went up by six when Ethan Albertson nailed a 33-yard field goal with 2:38 remaining in the third.
Just two plays into Dixie’s next drive, Kody Wilstead found Jalen Powell for a 65-yard touchdown as the Trailblazers took a 21-20 lead with 2:02 left in the third. Early in the fourth quarter, Jonah Johnson ran in a one-yard TD to put the Aggies back in front, 26-21 less than two minutes into the final period.
The Aggies picked up another field goal after the TD to take a 29-21 lead with 6:03 to play. Dixie State didn’t fold as Wilstead threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Quali Conley, trailing NMSU 29-27 with 5:52 remaining in the game. It was a one-play drive. New Mexico State ran in a 13-yard touchdown by Juwan Price with just 21 seconds on the clock to take a 35-27 lead.
Dixie State dropped their record to 1-1 on the season. They will play their first home game of the season on Saturday, March 13 against Tarleton State. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. MT.
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