NMSU football suffers deflating loss to UMass in nationally televised home game
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LAS CRUCES 鈥� There wasn鈥檛 much to Kelton McPherson鈥檚 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鈥檚 more than what he did as a student at New Mexico State in the early 1990s, too.
鈥淏ack then, there was no tailgating 鈥� we鈥檇 be very excited at the beginning of the year: 鈥�We鈥檙e gonna be better!鈥欌�� he said, raising his fist in mock excitement. 鈥淎nd against the Lobos there鈥檇 be a lot of fans, but eventually it鈥檇 die down.鈥�
Understandable. Before a breakthrough 6-5 season under Jim Hess in 1992, the Aggies were 4-40 from 1987-91. UMass wasn鈥檛 on the schedule, either.
鈥淏ack 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,鈥� 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.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a really different atmosphere,鈥� he said, gesturing out to the traffic.
How different?
鈥淚t feels like a basketball atmosphere,鈥� he answered.
Which is all to say: a positive one. Before the pick-six, before the fake punt, before New Mexico State鈥檚 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 鈥� or bad 鈥� feelings that may come.
Of course, with RVs. Charcoal grills. More lawn chairs to shake a stick at. And plenty of cornhole boards.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what you do, right?鈥� said NMSU student Shawn Bradley. 鈥淵ou tailgate a football game 鈥� let鈥檚 get out here and pitch a tent, cook some burgers and enjoy some football.鈥�
NMSU was slotted on ESPN2 for last season鈥檚 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.
鈥淭he school鈥檚 finally getting some recognition,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been a basketball program for years and years 鈥� now we鈥檙e turning into a football school. So getting shown on the big stage and getting (an) ESPN spotlight, it鈥檚 just cool.鈥�
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.
鈥淲e were scrambling for games and it really didn鈥檛 mean anything,鈥� Bradley said. 鈥淣ow, we鈥檙e in a conference and we鈥檙e 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.鈥�
Delilah Torrez, 38, echoed Bradley鈥檚 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 Jerry Kill went bowling in his first season at NMSU; he's cautiously optimistic heading into Year 2
鈥淐oach Kill has already set the expectations high from last season. When he came in, we weren鈥檛 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.鈥�
Jose Orta, 53, felt similarly 鈥� especially, considering what Kill has done off the field while living in Las Cruces.
鈥淢y wife and I, we鈥檝e seen him outside in the community 鈥� being a part of the community. Coming over and saying hi, just being a regular guy,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t 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.鈥�
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鈥檇 like to just see a team that put up a fight. Kill promised as much following the game.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not gonna let this carry on like we did for about five games last year,鈥� he said.
鈥淭his guy with his program, Jerry Kill, he鈥檚 taking us beyond that,鈥� Orta said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 given us hope that at the end, we might have a bowl game. We might have a winning record every season.鈥�
Well, might. But there鈥檚 something to that.
