CS Long Beach Finally Stops New Mexico St., Goes On to Win, 55-48

Just when it seemed neither team would stop the other, Cal State Long Beach got some defense and escaped with a 55-48 Big West Conference victory over winless New Mexico State Saturday at Long Beach.

It took a late touchdown on an interception by Pepper Jenkins for the 49ers to stave off the Aggies, who rolled up 634 yards.

The wild game at Veterans Stadium may have had more yards than fans. There were 1,100 yards in total offense. There was a crowd estimated at 1,000, although Long Beach officials said the attendance was unavailable.

The 49ers, 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the Big West, had to overcome a 21-0 lead to avoid losing to a team that hasn’t won a conference game in three years. New Mexico State (0-5, 0-2) has lost 11 consecutive games over two seasons and 22 in a row in the Big West.

“I’ve never seen a group work so hard to be rewarded so little,” Aggie Coach Mike Knoll said. “They know success is right around the corner.”

The Aggies trailed, 48-45, and were driving late in the fourth quarter when Jenkins intercepted Phil Vinson’s pass, which was tipped by defensive end Richard Hensley, and ran 51 yards for a touchdown.

Before that the 49ers had little success against Vinson, who completed 25 passes for 405 yards and three touchdowns, or fullback Anthony Singleton, who rushed for 137 yards.

“We kept coming to the sidelines, saying, ‘It’s gonna change, it’s gonna change,’ ” Jenkins said. “That interception changed it a lot.”

Both teams were unstoppable in the third quarter. New Mexico State drove 80 yards to build a 35-21 lead. Long Beach drove 90 yards for a touchdown. The Aggies then drove 85 for another touchdown. The 49ers answered by going 62 yards in a little more than a minute, scoring on a 50-yard pass play from Paul Oates to Sean Foster.

After forcing the Aggies to punt, the 49ers tied the game, 42-42, on a 10-yard run by Freddie Leslie. Only 15 seconds later, after an interception by Marc Tourville, Foster made a leaping catch in the end zone of Oates’ 27-yard pass to put the 49ers ahead, 48-42.

The 41 points in the third quarter were one fewer than what the teams combined for in the second period.

Oates passed for 270 yards and four touchdowns, Foster caught seven passes for 130 yards and tailback Jeff Fassett ran for 133 yards, including one of 57 in the second quarter that gave the 49ers their first touchdown.