Kirk Returns Two Punts For TDs, No. 9 Texas A&M Rolls
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COLLEGE STATION (AP) — Christian Kirk returned two punts for touchdowns and added a third score on a reception to help No. 9 Texas A&M rout New Mexico State 52-10 on Saturday night.
Texas A&M (7-1) took a break from Southeastern Conference play to face the Sun Belt team for the first time a week after suffering its first loss at top-ranked Alabama.
Kirk returned punts for 70 and 73 yards to become the first player in school history with two punt return scores in a game. He has four in his career, which is a Texas A&M record.
A 12-yard run by Trayveon Williams on A&M's first drive made it 7-0 before Kirk's first return TD pushed the lead to 14-0 later in the first. On that return, Kirk grabbed the ball and evaded the first wave of defenders before sidestepping another one, getting a couple of blocks, sprinting away from the rest of the defense and waltzing into the end zone.
Trevor Knight found Kirk on a 3-yard reception in the corner of the end zone in the second quarter to leave Texas A&M up 24-0.
Texas A&M was up by 28 points early in the third quarter when Kirk added his second return score to make it 38-3. Knight was replaced by backup Jake Hubenak not long after that, and most of A&M's starters were soon on the bench.
Tyler Rogers threw for 138 yards and a touchdown and ran for 40 yards for New Mexico State (2-6).
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