1-6 , 0-3
NM State
3-4 , 2-1
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NM State | 0 | 14 | 16 | 0 | 30 |
| Sam Houston | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
10/21/2026 11:25:00 PM | Football
HUNTSVILLE – NM State leaned on Conference USA's leading rusher to hold off Sam Houston 30-24 on Wednesday night at Bowers Stadium.
James Jones rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown, including a pivotal fourth-down conversion late in the fourth quarter that allowed the Aggies (3-4, 2-1 CUSA) to run out the clock and hand the Bearkats (1-6, 0-3 CUSA) their fourth consecutive loss.
Sam Houston trailed by 13 points entering the fourth quarter before an interception by Railyn Adams sparked a late rally. Quarterback Landyn Locke helped move the Kats into scoring position before MJ Dowdy capped an eight-play, 32-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 30-24 with four minutes remaining.
NM State advanced to the Sam Houston 33-yard line on its ensuing possession before facing fourth-and-2 with 25 seconds remaining. Jones picked up two yards to move the chains and seal the victory.
Locke completed 18 of 31 passes for 235 yards, including an 81-yard touchdown pass to Tim Burns Jr. that gave Sam Houston a 17-14 lead on the opening offensive play of the third quarter.
Burns finished with four receptions for 117 yards, becoming the first Bearkat to reach the 100-yard receiving mark since Qua'Vez Humphreys against Hawaii in 2024. Jerrian Parker added three receptions for 58 yards.
Sam Houston's defense and special teams provided an early spark, forcing NM State into a three-and-out on its opening possession.
Terrence Guillory II broke through the line and blocked the ensuing punt deep in Aggie territory, with Adams recovering the ball in the end zone to give the Kats a 7-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.
NM State tied the game early in the second quarter after an interception gave the Aggies possession at the Sam Houston 1-yard line. Jones scored on the next play to even the score.
The Bearkat defense responded with another takeaway when NM State lost a fumble on a backward pass, giving Sam Houston possession at the Aggie 20. The Kats settled for a 38-yard field goal by Sam Carpenter to reclaim a 10-7 lead.
NM State moved back in front just before halftime when Adam Damante connected with AJ Williams III on a 27-yard touchdown pass, giving the Aggies a 14-10 advantage at the break.
The two teams combined for just 175 yards of offense in the opening half, with Sam Houston held to 13 yards.
Locke's touchdown pass to Burns briefly put the Kats back in front early in the third quarter, but NM State responded with 16 unanswered points to take a 30-17 lead into the fourth.
Adams' interception with 8:43 remaining gave Sam Houston possession at the NM State 32 and set up Dowdy's touchdown, but the Aggies held on to secure the victory.
Sam Houston will play its next two games on the road, beginning Tuesday when the Bearkats travel to Springfield, Missouri, to face Missouri State at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
NMS 7, SAM 7
NMS - Jones,James 1 yd run (Francone,Kyah kick), 1 plays, 1 yards, TOP 00:06
NMS 7, SAM 10
SAM - Carpenter,Samuel 38 yd field goal 4 plays, yards, TOP 01:56
NMS 14, SAM 10
NMS - Williams III,AJ 27 yd pass from Damante,Adam (Francone,Kyah kick) 2 plays, 43 yards, TOP 00:18
NMS 14, SAM 17
SAM - Burns Jr.,Tim 81 yd pass from Locke,Landyn (Carpenter,Samuel kick) 1 plays, 81 yards, TOP 00:14
NMS 21, SAM 17
NMS - Williams III,AJ 5 yd pass from Damante,Adam (Francone,Kyah kick) 7 plays, 60 yards, TOP 03:57
NMS 24, SAM 17
NMS - Francone,Kyah 25 yd field goal 8 plays, 27 yards, TOP 03:07
NMS 30, SAM 17
NMS - Washington Jr.,TJ 7 yd run (), 2 plays, 27 yards, TOP 00:45
NMS 30, SAM 24
SAM - Dowdy,MJ 1 yd run (Carpenter,Samuel kick), 8 plays, 32 yards, TOP 04:43
