NMSU football suffers deflating loss to UMass in nationally televised home game

LAS CRUCES — There wasn’t much to Kelton McPherson’s tailgate on Saturday afternoon. He popped the trunk of his SUV, poured a few drinks and sat next to his wife, Valerie, their legs dangling over the hot white dust of the dirt lot.

And that was it. No RV. No charcoal grill. Not even a lawn chair. McPherson was quick to add it’s more than what he did as a student at New Mexico State in the early 1990s, too.

“Back then, there was no tailgating … we’d be very excited at the beginning of the year: ‘We’re gonna be better!’” he said, raising his fist in mock excitement. “And against the Lobos there’d be a lot of fans, but eventually it’d die down.”

Understandable. Before a breakthrough 6-5 season under Jim Hess in 1992, the Aggies were 4-40 from 1987-91. UMass wasn’t on the schedule, either.

“Back then, you could get a sticker on your ID and get into all the games for free. And even then, not many students would come,” McPherson remembered, the sight and sound of cars rumbling up and down the lot, fans walking from tailgate to tailgate bringing him back to the present.

“It’s a really different atmosphere,” he said, gesturing out to the traffic.

How different?

“It feels like a basketball atmosphere,” he answered.

Which is all to say: a positive one. Before the pick-six, before the fake punt, before New Mexico State’s deflating 41-30 loss to UMass, a healthy showing of fans tailgated in the lots around Aggie Memorial Stadium and the Pan-American Center, celebrating the return of football, higher expectations and all the good — or bad — feelings that may come.

Of course, with RVs. Charcoal grills. More lawn chairs to shake a stick at. And plenty of cornhole boards.

“That’s what you do, right?” said NMSU student Shawn Bradley. “You tailgate a football game — let’s get out here and pitch a tent, cook some burgers and enjoy some football.”

NMSU was slotted on ESPN2 for last season’s opening loss to Nevada. But the combination of higher expectations after the Aggies finished last season with a 7-6 record and victory in the Quick Lane Bowl with a spot on ESPN this year excited him in particular.

“The school’s finally getting some recognition,” he said. “We’ve been a basketball program for years and years — now we’re turning into a football school. So getting shown on the big stage and getting (an) ESPN spotlight, it’s just cool.”

NMSU has also been a card-carrying member of Conference USA since July 1, other athletic programs beginning competition within the last few weeks. But with football calling the shots on the conference realignment carousel, the promise of steady membership was especially enticing, too.

“We were scrambling for games and it really didn’t mean anything,” Bradley said. “Now, we’re in a conference and we’re in a conference with our rival down the road (UTEP). It just gives us a little more mojo and also means a little bit more for the players.”

Delilah Torrez, 38, echoed Bradley’s excitement for the football team going from an independent (in football only) to Conference USA, especially regarding what it might do for players. A season ticket holder, she said she goes with her family to not only NMSU football games but basketball and soccer as well.

For her, the draw she already felt to NMSU football has only been enhanced by what head coach Jerry Kill has brought to the table.

“Coach Kill has already set the expectations high from last season. When he came in, we weren’t really sure what he was going to be able to do for the program. And we ended up going to a bowl game, so I think the expectation this year is to do the exact same thing.”

Jose Orta, 53, felt similarly — especially, considering what Kill has done off the field while living in Las Cruces.

“My wife and I, we’ve seen him outside in the community — being a part of the community. Coming over and saying hi, just being a regular guy,” he said. “It means a lot to us to have somebody like that here trying to build a winning program. And if he does that, by showing what he does for our community, I hope that Aggies everywhere come to support him.”

When asked about expectations, Valerie McPherson remembered teams she felt gave up over the course of games and the season at large before saying she’d like to just see a team that put up a fight. Kill promised as much following the game.

“We’re not gonna let this carry on like we did for about five games last year,” he said.

“This guy with his program, Jerry Kill, he’s taking us beyond that,” Orta said. “He’s given us hope that at the end, we might have a bowl game. We might have a winning record every season.”

Well, might. But there’s something to that.