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How It Happened: No. 21 Tennessee handles New Mexico State on Homecoming, 42-9

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey10 hours agoGrantRamey
Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images | Tennessee defensive back Colton Hood (8) and the Tennessee defense celebrate after a play stopping the New Mexico State offense in an NCAA college football game on November 15, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn.
Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images | Tennessee defensive back Colton Hood (8) and the Tennessee defense celebrate after a play stopping the New Mexico State offense in an NCAA college football game on November 15, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn.

Joey Aguilar passed for 204 yards and a touchdown and No. 21 Tennessee ran for 186 yards and four touchdowns as a team in an 42-9 win over New Mexico State Saturday on Homecoming at Neyland Stadium.

Here’s how it happened, as it happened:

First Quarter

Tennessee 7, New Mexico State 0 (7:54): Joey Aguilar hit Chris Brazzell II on a 45-yard pass down to the 1-yard line and DeSean Bishop ran in on the next play to open the scoring. Bishop ran for 13 yards over the first two plays of the drive, before Aguilar’s deep shot to Brazzell. 

Tennessee 14, New Mexico State 0 (5:43): Ty Redmond came up with an interception to give Tennessee the ball at the New Mexico State 36-yard line and the Vols were in the end zone three plays later, with Joey Aguilar running 27 yards for a touchdown. 

Second Quarter

Tennessee 21, New Mexico State 0 (11:24): Joey Aguilar hit Braylon Staley over the middle for a 15-yard touchdown to put Tennessee up by three touchdowns. Two plays earlier Aguilar escaped pressure by throwing to Star Thomas for a 12-yard gain and set up the touchdown. The drive covered 99 yards in 13 plays, taking 4:46 off the clock.

Tennessee 21, New Mexico State 3 (1:25): New Mexico State got on the board with a 32-yard David Barker field goal to cap a 51-yards scoring drive just before the half.

Third Quarter

Tennessee 28, New Mexico State 3 (10:46): Tennessee started the second half with a 75-yard touchdown drive, with running back Star Thomas scoring on a 21-yard run against his former school. Thomas, who transferred to Tennessee from Duke, spent two seasons at New Mexico State, running for 1,171 yards and nine touchdowns in 28 games over the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Tennessee 35, New Mexico State 3 (2:36): Peyton Lewis ran in from a yard out for Tennessee’s fifth touchdown of the game. The scoring drive covered 60 yards in 11 plays, taking 4:31 off the clock. It was the fourth rushing touchdown for the Vols, scored by four different players.

Tennessee 42, New Mexico State 3 (1:24): William Wright intercepted New Mexico State quarterback Adam Damante and returned the pick 35 yards for a touchdown. It was the sixth defensive touchdown of the season scored by the Tennessee defense. Tyre West deflected the NMSU pass high into the hire to set up the Wright pick.

Fourth Quarter

Tennessee 42, New Mexico State 9 (7:47): New Mexico State got in the end zone for the first time on a 1-yard touchdown run from Isaiah Rudison. The Aggies went 42 yards in six plays midway through the fourth quarter.