Updated

David Ash had four touchdown passes as No. 15 Texas thumped New Mexico State, 56-7, in the opener for both schools.

Ash was 20-of-28 for 343 yards and two interceptions, while adding 91 yards and a score on eight carries for the Longhorns (1-0), who were 9-4 last season and beat Oregon State in the Alamo Bowl.

Malcolm Brown caught three passes for 109 yards and a score, while Daje Johnson, Mike Davis and John Harris each had a touchdown receiving. Johnson also had a touchdown on the ground, while Jalen Overstreet added two rushing touchdowns.

Andrew McDonald was 32-of-46 for 242 yards, one score and one interception for the Aggies (0-1), who come into the season as an Independent following the dissolution of the Western Athletic Conference.

Neither team got on the board in the first quarter, but New Mexico State was able to take the lead with 2:28 to play in the half as McDonald and Joshua Bowen got together on an 11-yard score to cap a nine-play, 64-yard drive.

Texas, though, woke up on its ensuing touch as the second play saw Ash and Harris hook up on a 54-yard score to tie the game.

After holding the Aggies to a three-and-out, the Longhorns got the ball back at their own 34 and the first play saw Ash hit Johnson for another score and a 14-7 lead going into the break.

"(Trailing) 14-7 at halftime is about as good as we could have hoped coming into the game," New Mexico State head coach Doug Martin said. "We just let the game get away from us in the second half."

Texas took control of the game after the break as the team scored on its first three possessions of the second half.

On the sixth play of the first drive, Johnson took a handoff 24 yards into the end zone for a 21-7 advantage just over two minutes in.

A three-and-out from New Mexico State saw Texas get the ball back at its own 12. Following a 30-yard catch from Brown, Ash kept the ball himself and took it to the end zone for a 55-yard score.

The big plays continued to come for the Longhorns, as Ash found Brown for a 74-yard score and a 35-7 lead with just over eight minutes to play in the third.

In the fourth quarter, Ash threw his fourth TD pass of the game to Davis for a 25-yard score, and Overstreet took the ball in from a yard out along with a 38-yard TD run to cap the scoring in the contest.

"We ended up blowing them out, and it wasn't easy in the first half. We had to fight. We had some adversity, had to overcome some things," Texas head coach Mack Brown said.

Game Notes

The Aggies will move to the Sun Belt Conference next season ... Texas totaled 715 yards on offense, including 359 on the ground ... Texas has won all five matchups against New Mexico State ... McDonald led the Aggies in rushing with 50 yards on 14 carries.