ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Austin Apodaca drove New Mexico 80 yards in just 1:19 on his only drive of the game, hitting Dameon Gamblin for a 28-yard touchdown with 55 seconds left, and Zack Rogers hit the extra point as the Lobos came back from the grave for a thrilling 28-27 victory over Hawai’i. The win improved UNM to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the Mountain Division, good for a tie for second place.
The drive looked like it would be academic as the Rainbow Warriors (2-5, 0-3 MW) lined up for a chip-shot 22 yard field goal with 2:18 left. However with the score 27-21 Hawai’i, Rigoberto Sanchez, who earlier hit a career-long 49-yarder, mishit it his kick from the far right hash and was wide left, giving the Lobos one last chance. Apodaca and company made Hawai’I pay dearly for their mistake.
He opened the drive with an 8-yard pass to Gamblin, and then after an incompletion, he somehow flipped a shovel pass before being tackled to Romell Jordan for a first down. He then hit Jordan for eight, had an imcompletion and then converted a second third-down with an 11-yard pass to Gamblin to midfield. After a holding penalty moved the ball to the Hawai’i 40, Apocada threw two straight incompletions before hitting Carlos Wiggins on a thread-the-needle sideline route for 12 yards and a first down.
From the 28, Apodaca pump-faked, got the safety to bite and hit Gamblin at the 10, and Dameon raced in to tie the game at 27. After a false start, Zack Rogers hit the extra point to make it 28-27.
Lee Crosby ended the any hope of a Rainbow Warrior comeback with his second pick of the game with three seconds left.
The game marked the second straight home game that UNM came back after trailing at the half, and the second straight home game allowing just three second half points.
UNM gave up a touchdown on the opening drive to Hawai’i, but the Lobos got the seven points right back when Carlos Wiggins housed the ensuing kickoff 100 yards. It extended his UNM and Mountain West record for kickoff return touchdowns to five, and he became the first player in MW history with three 100-yard kickoff returns.
After a Hawai’i field goal, UNM took its only lead until the end on a 2-yard Jhurell Pressley run to make it 14-10. The lead was short lived as Hawai’I answered right back with second 1-yard touchdown run from Paul Harris. Dylan Collie’s 27-yard catch from Ikaika Woosley made it 24-14 at the break.
Down 10, Crosby’s first pick of the evening set up UNM inside Hawai’i territory, where starting quarterback Lamar Jordan scrambled and found David Anaya in the end zone on third-and-goal for an 11-yard score to make it a 24-21 game. UNM then allowed only a field goal of 47 yards, setting up Apodaca’s winning drive.
Postgame Notes: New Mexico 28, Hawai’i 27
This was the 23rd meeting between the two teams.
Hawai’i now leads the series 14-9
New Mexico now leads 4-3 in Albuquerque
Hawai’i leads 11-5 in Honolulu
New Mexico has won six straight in the series
New Mexico has won three straight in Albuquerque
Starting lineup changes for UNM from published two-deep
Offense: WR-Delane Hart-Johnson for Dameon Gamblin; RB David Anaya for Jhurell Pressley
Defense: None
*New Mexico’s captains were Lamar Jordan, Dakota Cox and Reece White
*Hawai’i won the toss and elected to receive.
*New Mexico kicked off to start the game for the second straight game after receiving the opening kick the first five
TEAM NOTES:
*New Mexico’s two turnovers equaled their most this season.
*The Lobos were 3-0 this season when rushing for 300 yards, and 0-3 when rushing for fewer than that. UNM rushed for 197 in the game against Hawai’i for their first win when not gaining 300.
*UNM has now recorded a takeaway in 16 of its last 17 games.
*Hawai’i hit two field goals in the game, from 49 and 47 yards. UNM opponents were a perfect 11-for-11 before Rigoberto Sanchez missed a 22-yard attempt with 2:14 left.
*UNM was three-for-three on third downs on the game-winning drive.
*UNM was 1-22 when trailing at the half under Bob Davie through his first 41 games. In his last three he is 2-1.
*Courtesy Rick Wright, The win was UNM’s first under Bob Davie when rushing for under 200 yards. UNM rushed for 197, although it was 202 until the final play of the game when UNM took a knee for -5 yards.
*In Bob Davie’s first three seasons, UNM was 0-16 when trailing after the first quarter. The team is 2-0 this season (New Mexico State and Hawai’i).
*It was the fourth fourth quarter comeback under Bob Davie.
*New Mexico’s last one-point win was on October 28, 2006 over Colorado State 20-19 in Fort Collins. UNM’s last one-point win at University Stadium was November 12, 1988 when UNM won 24-23, also over Colorado State.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
*Carlos Wiggins scored on a 100-yard kickoff return. It was his third 100-yard return, the most in New Mexico and Mountain West history, and overall it was his fifth kickoff return for a touchdown, extending his MW and UNM record.
*Reece White’s 72 yards receiving were a career-high. He entered the game with 61 receiving yards on the season.
*Jhurell Pressley’s second quarter touchdown was his 28th career rushing touchdown. He remained in fifth place on the UNM list.
*Lee Crosby’s third quarter interception made him the first Lobo this season with an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
*Dameon Gamblin caught three passes on the Lobos’ final drive of the fourth quarter after not catching a single pass in the previous three quarters. He capped this by catching the go ahead touchdown, his 2nd on the season.
*Austin Apodaca threw his first career touchdown pass as a Lobo which happened to be the game winning touchdown with only 55 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
*Lee Crosby picked off two passes which is the first time a Lobo has done this since Destry Berry did it against Texas State in 2012.
*The touchdown drive was the first fourth quarter game-winner in Apodaca’s career, and it was UNM’s third in the last two seasons in the final minute (New Mexico State 2014, UNLV 2014).
POST GAME QUOTES
New Mexico Head Coach Bob Davie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-W9hYzlgOE
New Mexico QB Austin Apodaca: https://youtu.be/tpNlM5IURLk
New Mexico WR-KR Carlos Wiggins: https://youtu.be/3s4rgf3X7T0
New Mexico DB Lee Crosby: https://youtu.be/vFmdOiJGWVU
Hawai’i Head Coach Norm Chow: https://youtu.be/eMbJUU8sNG8
Hawai’i RB Paul Harris: https://youtu.be/vFmdOiJGWVU