Photo Courtesy of UNM Athletics
New Mexico Holds Off Nevada’s Challenge in a 24-22 Home Victory
The New Mexico Lobos narrowly defeated Nevada 24-22 Saturday night at University Stadium. They relied on a steady
ground game and crucial defensive stops to earn their first Mountain West Conference victory of the season in front of 18,233 fans in Albuquerque for a late night evening game on Fox Sports 1
The Lobos (4-3, 1-2 MW) controlled the game, finishing with 348 total yards of offense, including 210 rushing yards under the leadership of Quarterback Jack Layne.
Quarterback Jack Layne led the ground attack with 71 rushing yards and completed 14 of 22 passes for 138 yards in the air, and had his most balanced game yet of the year.
Running backs D.J. McKinney and Scottre Humphrey each scored a touchdown as New Mexico averaged five yards per carry
Nevada (1-6, 0-3 MW) showed promise with freshman quarterback Carter Jones, who completed 23 of 29 passes for 209 yards. However, the Wolf Pack struggled to run the ball, gaining just 57 yards on 25 attempts.
Receivers Marshaun Brown and Dakota Thomas combined for 15 receptions for 142 yards, keeping Nevada close to New Mexico throughout the game.
New Mexico quickly set the tone by scoring on its first drive of the game for the first time this season.
The Lobos marched 75 yards, with McKinney rushing in from two yards out to make it 7-0. Humphrey added another score on a 1-yard run midway through the second quarter, extending the lead to 14-3. This capped off a 91-yard drive that showcased the Lobos’ balanced attack.
Nevada capitalized on two Lobo fumbles before halftime, closing the gap to 14-12. However, a failed two-point conversion kept New Mexico ahead.
After halftime, New Mexico’s defense forced a turnover on downs. This set up McKinney’s second touchdown of the night, a 22-yard run that increased the lead to 21-12.
Nevada responded with a 75-yard scoring drive, concluding with a touchdown from Caleb Ramseur. Luke Drzewiecki then kicked a 29-yard field goal at the end of the third quarter, making it 24-19 for the Lobos.
In the fourth quarter, Nevada narrowed the lead to 24-22 with a 41-yard field goal from Joe McFadden, but the Lobo defense stepped up.
Brett Karhu had a crucial sack on third down, and Jaxton Eck led all defenders with 11 tackles. The Wolf Pack’s final drive stalled near midfield. On fourth down, Drew Speech broke up a pass after it was deflected with just under three minutes left in the game.
Needing one more first down to run out the clock, Layne and the offense returned to their successful ground game. On fourth-and-1, Humphrey pushed ahead for two yards to secure the victory and allow the Lobos to run down the clock.
The Wolf Pack hurt themselves with costly penalties—nine for 61 yards, several of which occurred on third downs and extended New Mexico’s drives.
While time of possession was nearly even, it was the Lobos’ physical ground game and timely production down the stretch that secured their win.
With this victory, New Mexico ended a two-game losing streak and gained valuable confidence going into next week’s home game against Utah State against former Lobo head coach Bronco Mendenhall.
This should be a great game if you watch both teams play this year and consider all the emotion from the Lobo fan base feeling a bit rejected by Mendenhall taking the Aggie job after just one year as head Lobo coach.
