LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Idaho committed two turnovers in the first six minutes and New Mexico State cashed them in for 14 points.

The Vandals (3-8, 2-5 Sun Belt) limited the Aggies (5-6, 3-4 Sun Belt) to just a field goal the rest of the way but could not come all the way back in a 17-10 loss Saturday at Aggie Memorial Stadium.

“Our defense played their hearts out,” Idaho coach Paul Petrino said. “We’re just not playing well enough on offense. You have to score more points. It’s a shame for those defensive guys because I thought they competed their hearts out and played really well. There were some guys on offense who competed hard, but overall as a group we’re not playing well enough.”

True freshman quarterback Colton Richardson from Lewiston High made his collegiate debut after sophomore starter Mason Petrino was forced to leave on the Idaho’s second offensive possession with an apparent upper body injury following a sack by Cedric Wilcots II, who finished with 3½ sacks. Richardson’s first career completion went for 6 yards before being fumbled and setting up New Mexico State just outside the red zone. Five plays later the Aggies had their second touchdown and a 14-0 lead, less than seven minutes into the game.

Idaho’s defense and special teams kept the Vandals in the game, forcing two turnovers and blocking two field goals. It is the first time Idaho has blocked two kicks in a game since 2008, when they blocked a field goal and a punt against Idaho State.

The first turnover gave Richardson the opportunity to breathe life into Idaho’s offense before the half. With just over two minutes to go in the second quarter, Ed Hall tracked down a receiver and forced a fumble that Jalen Hoover grabbed out of the air near midfield.

Richardson fired a 25-yard touchdown pass to David Ungerer along the left sideline to cap the first scoring drive of his career, going 44 yards in three plays and bringing the Vandals within seven at the break. Richardson finished 18 for 33 for 167 yards and the one touchdown. He was intercepted on the final play of the game with the Vandals needing to go 71 yards in six seconds. Richardson was also sacked 10 times as the Aggies tallied a school-record 11 sacks for the game.

“I thought he competed hard,” Petrino said of Richardson. “There were obviously some things, your first start, he got confused, and he wasn’t sure, but he competed his tail off. You’ve got to protect him a little better than that.”

The momentum carried over out of the locker room as Idaho’s second blocked field goal put an end to New Mexico State’s first drive of the third quarter. The Vandals used a field goal by Lakeland High product Cade Coffey to get within 14-10.

NMSU started the fourth quarter by driving into the red zone, but the Vandal defense held the Aggies to a 24-yard field goal with 12:29 remaining.

After an Armond Hawkins interception in the end zone stymied another deep NMSU drive, the Vandals put together their longest drive of the second half. Idaho went 47 yards in 10 plays, including a 31-yard completion from Richardson to Onunwor and a fourth-down conversion by Aaron Duckworth. Ultimately a fourth-down sack gave the ball back to NMSU on downs with 3:10 to play and Idaho did not cross midfield again.

Tony Lashley led the defensive effort with a career-high-tying 16 tackles. Lashley, a junior, paces the Vandals with 107 tackles on the season, his second 100-tackle season. Hawkins finished the day with eight tackles, an interception and a blocked kick.

All seven of Idaho’s Sun Belt games have been decided by one possession and the Vandals’ five conference losses have come by a combined 24 points.

Larry Rose III carried 22 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns for New Mexico State, which needs a win over visiting South Alabama next Saturday to become bowl eligible. The Aggies have not played in a bowl game in 57 years (since the 1960 Sun Bowl).

Idaho 0 7 3 0 — 10

New Mex. St. 14 0 0 3 — 17

First Quarter

NMS—Rose 25 run (Brown kick), 10:19.

NMS—Rose 3 run (Waston kick), 8:24.

Second Quarter

IDA—Ungerer 25 pass from Richardson (Coffey kick), 1:46.

Third Quarter

IDA—FG 34 Coffey, 7:00.

Fourth Quarter

NMS—FG 24 Brown, 12:29.

A—21,894.

IDA NMS

First downs 16 23

Rushes-yards 38-41 37-172

Passing 174 231

Comp-Att-Int 19-35-2 31-49-1

Return Yards 3 34

Punts-Avg. 6-0.0 6-0.0

Fumbles-Lost 2-1 1-1

Penalties-Yards 4-20 6-60

Time of Possession 31:55 28:05

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—Idaho, Duckworth 13-39, Saunders 6-18, Petrino 3-10, Thigpen 2-2, (Team) 1-(minus 2), C.Richardson 13-(minus 26). New Mexico St., L.Rose 22-100, Jeanty 9-43, Huntley 6-29.

PASSING—Idaho, C.Richardson 18-33-1-167, Petrino 1-2-1-7. New Mexico St., Jeanty 31-49-1-231.

RECEIVING—Idaho, Onunwor 6-63, Ungerer 6-57, Mwehla 3-38, Thigpen 1-9, Duckworth 1-4, Wills 1-4, K.Elliss 1-(minus 1). New Mexico St., Scott 8-77, Cramer 5-32, O.Clark 3-26, L.Rose 3-9, Huntley 3-4, Boone 2-33, Roberts 2-20, Lottie 2-15, Hogan 2-9, Muse 1-6.

MISSED FIELD GOALS—Idaho, Coffey 41. New Mexico St., Brown 29, 34.