LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The University of the Incarnate Word football team fell, 41-28, to New Mexico State University on Saturday night at Aggie Memorial Stadium.
 
Jon Copeland completed 18 out of 40 pass attempts for 181 yards, while freshman QB Kevin Yeager was 4-for-10 for 62 yards. Mark Sullivan had three catches for 48 yards.
 
With Copeland's 181 yards, he surpassed the 3,000-yard passing mark for the 2019 season, becoming the first QB in program history to do so in a single season.
 
The Aggies took the first lead of the game, scoring with 4:38 left in the first quarter when Josh Adkins found Tony Nicholson in the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown. The Aggies added another touchdown with 1:24 left in the first, going 44 yards in three plays. NM State capped the drive with a 42-yard pass from Adkins to Nicholson to go up 14-0.
 
NM State opened the second quarter with a 77-yard punt return, extending its lead to 21-0, but the Cardinals responded with 9:31 left in the half. Yeager opened the drive with a 35-yard pass to CJ Hardy, putting the Cardinals on the NMSU 15. Another 12-yard pass from Yeager to Hardy gave UIW first and goal on the one-yard line. Keyondrick Philio capped the four-play, 50-yard drive with another short-down score, leaving the Aggies with a 21-7 lead.
 
With 4:00 left before the break, the Aggies added a 30-yard field goal, letting them take a 24-7 lead into halftime.
 
The teams traded possessions to start the third quarter before Dylan Brown's 28-yard field goal concluded a 10-play, 44-yard drive. The score extended the Aggie lead to 27-7 with 4:46 left in the quarter.
 
UIW answered, marching 75-yards down the field in 13 plays. Copeland completed passes to Colby Anthony (19), Jaelin Campbell (13) and Gunnar Henderson (13) to highlight the possession. The sophomore quarterback then hit Ameer King for an 11-yard touchdown, cutting the Aggie lead to 27-14 with 16 seconds left in the third quarter.
 
Jason Huntley ran for a one-yard Aggie score to open the fourth quarter, but the Cardinals refused to go quietly and responded on the ensuing kickoff. Ce'Cori Tolds caught the kickoff in the end zone, rushed to the right side of the field and ran for a 100-yard score. With 13:41 remaining in the game, the Cardinals trailed 34-21.
 
NM State added another touchdown with 3:49 left in the game when Christian Gibson rushed for a two-yard score, extending the Aggie lead to 41-21. Again, UIW refused to quit and scored with 57 seconds left in the game. The drive was highlighted by a 20-yard pass to Kamden Perry and a 21-yard pass to Gunnar Henderson. With the pass to Henderson, Copeland became the first UIW quarterback in program history to eclipse 3,000 passing yards in a single season. Three plays later, Copeland used a one-yard quarterback keeper for a touchdown. UIW's comeback gained momentum as Malick Phillips recovered the ensuing onside kick, but ultimately came up short short and the Cardinals fell, 41-28.