Heroes’ Day: — Saturday – New Mexico Lobos vs. Boise State
Seats For Solders: $10 tickets in the turquoise section for active or retired military and all first responders. Tickets are $10 each. To purchase ticket donations, please contact Joe Gehling at 505-925-1620/jgehling@unm.edu or Andrew Aho at 505-925-5743/aaho@unm.edu
Other activities/promotions
- Special Military themed performance from the UNM Spirit Marching Band
- The Howl Zone will feature Military & First Responder vehicles for fans to explore
- Scout Day, over 350 scouts are expected to be in attendance
- Special HALL OF HONOR recognition at halftime
- $2 hot dogs for all fans in attendance
New Mexico Lobo 31, UNLV Rebels 28
By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
The finish that so often eluded the New Mexico Lobos came in dramatic fashion Saturday in Las Vegas as the Lobos rallied for a 31-28 Mountain West victory over the UNLV Rebels.
“That was huge,” Lobo Coach Bob Davie said of UNM’s first road win in league action since 2012. “We have been in this situation so many times. For a while, it looked like we were on the same path again.”
The path Davie referred to was being in position to win a football game, but not producing the necessary finish. The Lobos produced in Sam Boyd Stadium with a time-consuming, 66-yard drive that burned 6:57 off the clock while handing UNM a 31-28 lead.
The Rebels got the ball back with 1:11 to play and managed to get off a 55-yard field goal at the final gun, but the kick – on line — went beneath the distant goal posts. The win pushes UNM to 3-5 on the season and 1-3 in MW play. UNLV falls to 2-7 and 1-4 in league games.
“Maybe we learned today to be a young team that knows how to win a game,” said Davie. “And how about our defense with a couple of turnovers? We hung in there and won a game.”
The Lobos had claimed a 17-0 lead with 1:50 to play in the first half, but UNLV scored on three straight possessions to take a 21-17 lead. The first score came in the final minute of the first half.
UNLV carried that momentum into its first possession of the second half driving 77 yards in ten plays to make it 17-14. The Rebs held on defense and then drove 95 yards to snag a 21-17 lead. That gave UNLV three touchdowns on those three consecutive offensive possessions.
The Lobos got a huge turnover that set up their go-ahead score at 24-21. UNLV quarterback Blake Decker hit a Rebel receiver in the hands, but the pass was high and inside. The deflected pass ended in Lobo Isaiah Brown’s hands and he returned the pick 43 yards to the UNLV 4-yard line. Jhurell Pressley scored his third touchdown of the day to make it 24-21.
The Rebels came right back and answered with another up-tempo drive that went 85 yards in 12 plays. UNLV was back up 28-24. It was the Lobos’ turn to provide an answer. They did it. Quarterback Lamar Jordan led UNM 66 yards with Teriyon Gipson finished the drive from three yards out.
That 31-28 lead held up to give the Lobos their first Mountain West win of the season.
Pressley ended the game with 138 yards on 20 carries for a 6.9-yard average per carry. Gipson added 80 yards and Jordan had 60 yards rushing. Jordan went 2-of-7 passing for five yards.
Decker went 28-of-44 passing for 271 yards. UNLV, last in the MW in rushing, added 214 yards rushing. UNLV had 485 total yards to 306 for the Lobos. A big diference in the game was UNM forcing three turnovers while giving up only one fumble. Decker had two interceptions with the major sting coming off Brown’s pick that set up a Lobo score. UNLV also hurt its cause with ten penalties for 69 yards. UNM had five flags for 30 yards.
UNLV was 9-of-15 on third-down conversions and UNM was 4-of-13. The Rebels averaged 6.0 yards per play and UNM averaged 4.5 yards per play. Rebel Devonte Boyd had 11 catches for 108 yards.
SaQwan Edwards led UNM on defense with nine solo tackles and one assist. Ryan Langford had nine tackles and Tevin Newman had seven tackles plus an interception.
First Half – New Mexico 17, UNLV 7
The Lobos pretty much dominated the first half – until UNLV’s final possession. The Rebels’ scored a touchdown in the final minute to produce the 17-7 halftime count and maybe steal some momentum for the second half.
The Lobos lost Cole Gautsche in the first quarter with an injury to his left foot that took the junior quarterback out for the remainder of the game.
Pressley had a huge first half with 105 yards on 10 carries for a 10.5 average. He scored two touchdowns, one a 34-yard scamper around the left side of the UNM offensive line. The Lobos totaled 194 yards in the first half.
UNLV’s Blake Decker did not sizzle in the first half going 8-of-18 for 77 yards, but he did engineer the Rebs’ scoring drive at the close of the half. UNM ended the half with 199 yards and UNLV totaled 147 yards on offense, The Rebels had 72 yards on their first seven possessions of the half and went 75 yards in 1:39 to finally scratch some numbers on the scoreboard.