NMSU has the longest continuous drought between rankings. When was it last ranked?
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This week, New Mexico State earned an unfortunate record.
The Aggies now hold the longest drought between AP Poll appearances among continuously eligible FBS programs, having not been ranked since 1960. North Texas previously held the record, but broke its 66-year drought on Sunday, Nov. 16, when it landed at No. 22 in the latest poll.
Several schools technically have longer droughts, but either no longer have a football team or now play in levels below Division I. It is also impossible for teams that have never been ranked to have a drought between appearances.
Delaware was last ranked in 1946. However, the Blue Hens have previously competed at lower levels for decades and were ineligible to be ranked. Teams in the FCS, which UD was a part of from 1980-2024, couldn't receive votes until 2007. Thus, NM State's 65-year absence from the AP Poll is the longest continuous one.
What did the Aggies look like in 1960? Take a look at the squad that remains NM State's latest ranked team.
The 1960 New Mexico State Aggies
Called by the university itself as its greatest-ever football team, NM State went 11-0. This was its first season being called New Mexico State after changing its name from New Mexico A&M. Warren B. Woodson was in his third of eight seasons as the coach.
The Aggies won the Border Conference, made up of Arizona, Arizona State, Hardin-Simmons (now in Division III), Texas Western (now UTEP) and West Texas State (now West Texas A&M in Division II). NM State finished with a 4-0 record in conference play, defeating every Border Conference team but Arizona, which it didn't play.
The Aggies were invited to the Sun Bowl for the second consecutive season and defeated Utah State 20-13 at Kidd Field in El Paso, TX. It remained NM State's last bowl win until 2017, when the long drought was finally broken with an Arizona Bowl win, coincidentally also against USU.
The team was inducted into the NM State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009. Per the university's athletics website, they are one of five Aggies teams to earn such an honor.
Ranking progression
NM State received its first ranking in 1960 after defeating Wichita (now Wichita State) 40-8 to go 6-0, entering the poll at No. 18.
The Aggies were ranked for the rest of the season and reached as high as No. 14 after wins over Arizona State and West Texas State. NM State slid down the poll in the weeks after those games despite continuing to win, ultimately finishing the season at No. 17.
A dominant offense
Quarterback Charley Johnson, who would later play in the NFL and be inducted into NM State's football Ring of Honor and athletics Hall of Fame, tallied a nationwide third-best 1,634 total yards, of which 1,511 were passing yards. Johnson threw for 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Running back Bob Gaiters led the nation in both rushing yards (1,338), the second of four straight seasons that an Aggie led the country in rushing, and total touchdowns (23). He'd be drafted in the first and second rounds of the following year's AFL and NFL drafts, respectively.
E.A. Sims was NM State's leading receiver at 415 yards and would later play professionally in the CFL. Pervis Atkins scored a nationwide fifth-best 12 total touchdowns.
The Aggies had the nation's best statistical offense, ranking first in both yards per game (419.6) and points per game (37.4). They also ranked third with 263.9 rushing yards per game and sixth with 155.7 passing yards per game. NM State scored 30 or more points eight times, 40 or more points five times and never finished a game with less than 20 points.
The Sun Bowl
NM State trailed 13-7 to USU at halftime, with its touchdown coming on a two-yard pass from Johnson to Atkins. But the Aggies would rally.
They scored 13 third-quarter points to take a 20-13 lead, which would be their margin of victory. Gaiters rushed for a 32-yard touchdown and Sims caught a seven-yard touchdown from Johnson.
Johnson was named Sun Bowl MVP after completing 18 of his 26 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns.
1960 schedule
- Sept. 10: 41-0 vs. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
- Sept. 17: 38-18 at Tulsa
- Sept. 24: 45-0 vs. Trinity (Texas)
- Oct. 8: 34-0 at New Mexico
- Oct. 15: 47-17 vs. McMurray
- Oct. 22: 40-8 vs. Wichita
- Oct. 29: 27-24 at Arizona State (NM State's ranking: No. 18)
- Nov. 12: 35-15 at West Texas State (NM State's ranking: No. 15)
- Nov. 19: 40-3 at Hardin-Simmons (NM State's ranking: No. 14)
- Nov. 26: 27-15 vs. Texas Western (NM State's ranking: No. 15)
- Dec. 31, Sun Bowl: 20-13 vs. Utah State in El Paso (NM State's ranking: No. 17)
The Aggies were not ranked in the AP Poll to start the 1961 season, and haven't been since.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: See what NMSU football looked like when it was last ranked
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