by Scott Batts
The last time the New Mexico State Aggies were in a bowl game, Dwight D. Eisenhower was in the oval office. This year, a Rose is in the mix.
The Aggies are in the Arizona Bowl for the first time since 1960 and they will take on the Utah State Aggies on December 29.
The New Mexico State Aggies are led by the familiar face of Larry Rose III. He is the leader in rushing for the 6-6 Aggies with 807 rushing that put him fifth in the Sun Belt Conference.
The Aggies last played in the Sun Bowl in El Paso against the same Utah State team they faced in 1960. The team from Las Cruces, New Mexico has a short bowl history, but they are unbeaten. They also played in the 1959 Sun Bowl and won 28-3 and the first bowl appearance in the 1936 Sun Bowl produced a 14-14 tie with Hardin-Simmons.
Rose is a big part of that success as he enters his final game at New Mexico State as the school’s third leading rusher with 3618 yards on 585 carries and 27 touchdowns. He is 267 yards from second all time to pass Ron James. Denvis Manns holds the top spot with 4692.
Larry Rose III had a career year in his sophomore season. He amassed 1651 yards on 240 carries and 14 touchdowns. That rushing mark is the best single season rushing total in school history and his 260 yards against New Mexico that year is still the sixth best all time. It was in this season that he was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year and first team all-conference. He also finished on the Associated Press Third Team All American.
Rose comes from the Fairfield Eagles team that played for a state 4A title in 2013. He rushed for 260 yards in the state final against the Argyle Eagles and that is good for third all time in Conference 4A. The Fairfield Eagles lost 38-33 in what is still considered one of the top ten most exciting state finals matchups.
The New Mexico State Aggies offered Rose a chance to play as a freshman he has made a name for himself in the state of New Mexico, even appearing on some media release information for the school. He has 4253 total rushing and receiving yards and has a total of 30 touchdowns. He certainly has represented himself well in the college ranks and makes Fairfield and surrounding areas proud.
The Arizona Bowl will be played Friday, December 29 at 4:30 p.m. at Arizona Stadium in Tucson. The game will be shown on CBS SN. Larry Rose III will be making his final appearance for New Mexico State and the future is bright for Fairfield’s Shining Star. Tune in and watch the Fairfield Eagle as they look to rewrite history.
