New Mexico State scored a touchdown with just 21 seconds remaining to hand Dixie State a heart-breaking 36-29 loss on Sunday afternoon at The Sun Bowl Stadium.
 
With the loss, the Trailblazers' spring 2021 record fell to 1-1 overall, while the Aggies closed out their abbreviated two-game spring slate with a 1-1 mark.
 
Dixie State relied on the big play to open up a 14-3 first half lead. The Trailblazers got on the scoreboard on their first possession of the game when freshman running back Quali Conley broke loose for a 57-yard touchdown run on DSU's fifth play from scrimmage. The freshman back took a Kody Wilstead hand off around the left side and went untouched for his second rushing touchdown in as many games.
 
After NMSU got on the board with a second quarter field goal, the Blazers responded with a seven play, 75-yard drive to go up two scores. Wilstead complete 5-of-6 passes on the drive, starting with a 13-yard hook-up with Conley to begin the drive. Wilstead also found Malcolm Ross-Turner for a 33-yard catch and run down the sideline, and a 15-yard pass play to tight end Chase Hess.
 
Then after two completions to Jalen Powell got the DSU inside the Aggie 1-yard line, Wilstead completed the drive with a quick reach dive over the goal line with 7:39 to play in the half.
 
New Mexico State scored its first touchdown with 2:28 left in the opening stanza when Weston Eget found Andre Bodison from 12-yards out to cut the Aggie deficit to 14-10.
 
That touchdown was the first of three unanswered Aggies scoring drives that gave NMSU a 20-14 third quarter lead. Following a Trailblazer punt on their first possession of the second half and the Aggies took advantage, marching 71 yards in 10 plays to wrestle the lead away.

NMSU gained 36 yards on the ground on the drive, culminating with a 1-yard Juwaun Price touchdown run, which marked the first time on the young season that Dixie State had trailed in a game. New Mexico State would also add an Ethan Albertson 33-yard field goal that spotted the Aggies their six-point cushion with 2:38 remaining in the third quarter.
 
That lead would be short lived as the Trailblazer needed only two plays to take lead right back. After Conley opened the DSU possession with a 10 yard run, Wilstead completed a screen pass to Powell, who then raced down the Trailblazer sideline 65 yards to pay dirt, and Dixie State reclaimed the lead at 21-20 after the James Baird PAT.
 
New Mexico State answered on its next possession with a 1-yard Jonah Johnson keeper, which capped a nine play drive. The Aggies would go for the two-point conversion to make a full seven-point advantage, but Johnson's pass into the end zone was batted down and left NMSU leading 26-21 with 13:10 left.
 
DSU rattled off an eight-play drive on its ensuing possession, but after the drive stalled at the Aggie 27 yard line, Baird's 44-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright which kept it a five point game. NMSU then extended its lead to eight points on an Albertson 32 yard field goal with 6:03 remaining.
 
The Trailblazers' big-play offense struck again, and did so in a flash, when Wilstead found Conley wide open in the flat for a 75-yard touchdown completion on DSU's next offensive play. Conley released out of the back field on the snap and Wilstead floated a pass that the freshman hauled in at the DSU 47, and Conley did the rest, going the final 53 yards untouched to the end zone.
 
Dixie State went for two, but Wilstead's pass was knocked down. However NMSU was flagged for pass interference in the end zone, which gave the Blazers another chance. And this time Wilstead delivered as he found Hess over the middle for the conversion to pull DSU even at 29-29 with 5:52 on the clock.
 
DSU's defense then stepped up and forced an Aggie three-and-out to give the Blazers offense a chance to possibly win the game with 4:04 left. However the Aggie defense returned the favor and forced a Dixie State punt, which flipped the field and gave NMSU the ball back on the Aggie 46 yard line with 2:26 left.
 
New Mexico State looked as if it was playing for a last second game-winning field goal attempt, but Price got loose up the middle and scored from 13-yards out to put the Aggies up for good. DSU got the ball back but could not do anything with it in the closing seconds and NMSU escaped with the win.
 
Dixie State racked up 483 yards of offense, which included a career-high 373 yards from Wilstead on 26-of-38 passing. The junior quarterback also rushed for 29 yards and finished with three total touchdowns.
 
Meanwhile Conley rushed for a career-best 81 yards on 11 carries and wound up with 179 total yards (career-high) to go with his two touchdowns as he caught four passes for a career-high 98 yards. Powell also reached the century mark as he finished with 104 receiving yards on six catches.

Not all the highlights were reserved for the offense as junior linebacker Malaki Malaki tied the program's NCAA-era record with 19 total tackles, including nine solo stops. Malaki, who also had 2.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble, tied the record first set by former DSU linebacker Robert Metz, who also recorded 19 tackles in a 2015 game at Central Washington. In addition, freshman safety Malini Ti'a and senior defensive lineman Isaac Fotu collected 10 tackles apiece, with Fotu registering DSU's lone sack. 
 
"Our guys played their guts out the entire game, and that's what we want – from whistle to whistle," DSU Head Coach Paul Peterson said. "The big thing in the game was that [NMSU] made a few more plays than we did. It was a well-fought game, we have some things to fix and when we watch the film it's going to sting a little bit for some plays we left out there, but I thought our guys showed up and were ready to go."
 
NMSU tallied 561 total yards, 329 of those came on the ground, led by Price who rushed for 165 yards on 19 carries. Johnson threw for 171 yards and also ran for 53 yards with his two rushing scores.

After beginning the year with two-straight road games, Dixie State will make its NCAA FCS home debut this Saturday night, March 13, with a return game vs. Tarleton State. Kick off inside Greater Zion Stadium is slated for 7 p.m.