Remote Surveillance Trailer in Artesia, NM

This story was updated at 2:19 p.m. on April 5 to add photos and a gallery and later updated to correct the spelling of Rontravious Perry's name.

ARTESIA — New Mexico State took its party to the southeast part of the state.

The Aggies held their 2025 spring game at the Bulldog Bowl on Saturday morning. NM State didn't play a traditional game between two teams; instead, it set their offense at various parts of the field to start drives. The first drive started at the 25-yard line with 75 yards to go, while the last started at the other 25-yard line.

The game was supposed to last from 10 a.m. to noon, but ended at 11:30 a.m. due to inclement weather. Temperatures were below 40°F throughout the contest with strong winds and precipitation, including rain and snow.

Despite the conditions, Aggies coach Tony Sanchez thought his team fared well.

"(We got to see) who's tough and who's not," Sanchez said. "At the end of it, that doesn't really bother me that it was bad weather conditions because we've already had four weeks of great weather and good conditions and good practices. Honestly, you probably learn a whole lot more about yourself in a situation like this than you would on a normal, sunny day."

Here are five observations from NM State's spring game:

Fife is "the guy" at QB

It appears Sanchez has his quarterback.

He thought Montana transfer Logan Fife had a solid spring game, completing his first few passes before the weather resulted in balls slipping out of his hands. He started the game and led the offense's lone touchdown drive.

Sanchez commended Fife's play throughout spring football, and says he's seen enough to make him the starter.

"Logan Fife is our guy," Sanchez said. "He's done a great job throughout the course of the spring. He made some good throws. We had some drops, a couple of balls slipped out of his hands and things like that. But again, I don't know if we'll see quite that weather again. He did a good job throughout the course of the spring. We're excited about him."

A senior, Fife threw 1,890 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions for Montana last season.

Rudison scores only touchdown

NM State's offense only scored one touchdown, a one-yard rush from running back Isaiah Rudison on the game's third drive.

The junior from El Paso, Tex., saw more snaps than usual due to Sanchez's decision to hold starting running back Seth McGowan out of the spring game. He rushed for 20 yards on three carries during the drive, including the score.

Rudison says he contributed to a good team performance.

"I think we all played good as a team," Rudison said. "It was just cold. We all were just trying to be physical during the weather, so I think we played good during the circumstances. It was a fun time, for sure."

Most of the Aggies' offensive production came through runs, as the weather made passes challenging.

"It was really difficult to throw the ball today," Sanchez said. "It's really slick and windy out there and it just creates a difficult situation to throw the ball."

Defense earns several red zone stops

As the offense started drives closer to the end zone, the defense faced shorter fields. But it seemed the shorter they got, the more the defense held firm.

NM State's defense made three consecutive stops in the red zone, yardage at the 20-yard line and beyond, to end the spring game. The defense forced a fumble on the final drive which was recovered by defensive end Reeves Baller.

Linebacker Tyler Martinez said red-zone stops are part of the defense's "big four" principles, which include holding teams to field goals or less.

"Defense doesn't get to choose where we start," Martinez said. "If we're stuck down there, then we still got to find a way to stop them, and we did a really good job of that today."

Baller's fumble recovery wasn't the Aggies' only one. Cornerback Zedekiah Rodriguez-Brown earned one after quarterback Parker Awad dropped a snap on the game's second drive.

Perry stands out

Linebacker Rontravious Perry received mostly second-team snaps, but made the most of them.

Perry earned numerous quarterback pressures, including one that forced Awad to scramble several yards outside of the pocket. He also earned what likely would've been a sack in a normal game, as defenders weren’t allowed to make serious contact with quarterbacks.

Perry, who seeks a larger role after recording only eight total tackles last season, feels he seized his opportunities.

"I was feeling real good," Perry said. "It was real forceful for me, especially my teammates in the environment. It helped me push even more. (Linebackers coach Jared Hensley) kept saying, 'It's always something you'll remember, so put something good on tape.'"

Artesia product returns home

Saturday provided a homecoming for defensive tackle and Artesia native Matthew Saiz.

Saiz was part of Artesia High School's 5A state championship team in 2023 and played at the varsity level from 2021-23. Teammates chastised Saiz about his hometown due to the weather, but playing college football in his hometown is something he won't forget.

"It means a lot," Saiz said. "I know that the fans couldn't really show out because of the weather, but it was pretty cool to come back and see that. You can't take much for granted. I get really emotional thinking about it."