ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Needing a touchdown to tie in the final minutes, UNM’s dreams of a first conference title since 1964 were dashed when Lamar Jordan threw his third interception of the game, clinching a 28-21 win for Colorado State, making the Rams the Mountain West’s seventh bowl eligible team.
New Mexico was looking to get into the Mountain West title game with a Mountain Division title, but UNM needed to win its last two games. The loss gave the title to Air Force, who will meet San Diego State in the title matchup on December 5.
UNM and Colorado State never really stopped each other, with just one punt in the game combined, that by UNM near the end of the first half. UNM had just eight possessions, and CSU had nine.
UNM trailed 7-0 and 14-7, but tied it up on the ground twice. Jhurell Pressley scored the first touchdown at the 8:53 mark of the first quarter to tie it at 7-7, and Lamar Jordan scored early in the second to tie the game at 14-14. CSU hit a short 24-yard field goal at the gun for a 17-14 halftime lead.
The Rams took the second half kickoff and got another short field goal, this from 22 yards out to make it 20-14 before UNM took its first lead on a 36-yard Jhurell Pressley run, giving UNM a 21-20 lead.
The Lobos then got a fourth-and-1 stop at its own 28 and methodically moved the ball down the field, but with 1st-and-goal at the 10, UNM could only get the ball to the 5-yard line on three rushes. Zack Rogers then had his kick blocked by DeAndre Elliott in the opening moments of the fourth quarter. CSU took over at its own 8-yard line and went 92 yards in 12 plays (10 of those rushes) with Izzy Matthews scoring from a yard out. The Rams tacked on a two-point conversion to make it 28-21.
Jordan threw his second interception of the game on the next play, underthrowing Reece White who was open and might have scored. The pick didn’t hurt as CSU went backwards nine yards and Braxton Davis, the kickoff specialist, came in for a 52-yard field goal that was just short.
With renewed life and 6:02 left, UNM went to work, twice converting fourth downs and get to the CSU 40 with just over two minutes left. Jordan however, who finished with 97 yards rushing, was sacked for a 15-yard loss on first down and then threw a ball deep and into coverage and Kevin Pierre-Louis picked it off. CSU then got the one first down it needed before taking a knee twice to wrap up bowl eligibility for a third straight year and end UNM’s conference title hopes.
Postgame Notes: Colorado State 28, New Mexico 21
This was the 64th meeting between the two teams.
Colorado State leads the series 38-25
Colorado State leads 19-14 in Albuquerque
Colorado State leads 17-11 in Ft. Collins
Colorado State has won six straight in the series
Colorado State has won three straight in Albuquerque
Starting lineup changes for UNM from published two-deep
Offense: QB-None
Defense: DE-Cody Baker for Garrett Hughes; WLB-Kimmie Carson for Ryan Langford; LCB-I.B. Brown for Nias Martin.
*New Mexico’s captains were Lamar Jordan, Dakota Cox and Reece White
*New Mexico won the toss and elected to receive.
*David Anaya was the New Mexico Man and carried the New Mexico flag onto the field.
TEAM NOTES:
*New Mexico converted its first five third downs. UNM entered the game 2-for-24 over the last two weeks and 4-for-32 over the last three. Overall, the Lobos were 6-of-11 on third down.
*It was just the second loss in the Bob Davie era when leading after three quarters. The other was last year against Boise State, a game UNM led 49-41 but lost 60-49.
*New Mexico was 3-for-3 on fourth down, improving to 14-for-18 on the season.
*UNM’s 268 yards rushing were its most since 401 against New Mexico State.
*It was UNM’s first loss of the season when throwing fewer than 20 passes.
*UNM was -3 in the turnover battle. UNM is now +9 in its six wins, and -6 in its five losses. UNM also 0-3 when having more turnovers than takeaways this season.
*UNM now has 10 interceptions on the season. It’s the most for UNM’s offense since
*Two years ago, Colorado State punted once and UNM didn’t punt. This season it was reversed with CSU not punting and UNM punting once.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
*The interception Lamar Jordan threw on his first pass was his third of the season. He threw three in the game after coming in with two all season.
*Nik D’Avanzo blocked a second quarter 36-yard field goal. It was UNM’s first block of a field goal since the penultimate game of the 2013 season when D’Avanzo blocked a field goal from Fresno State.
*Lamar Jordan’s 97 yards rushing were his most since 157 against New Mexico State on 10/3/2015
*Jhurell Pressley passed Stoney Case for third place on the career rushing touchdowns list with his 32nd, which he scored in the third quarter, his second TD of the day. Case was at the game as he was inducted into the UNM Hall of Honor.
*Dakota Cox moved into the UNM top-20 in tackles, moving into 20th place with 293, ahead of his former teammate Dallas Bollema.
*Teriyon Gipson moved into the top-20 in rushing at UNM, moving into 20th place with his 76 yards, giving him 1,724 for his career. He is a junior.
*Zack Rogers had a 23-yard field goal blocked in the fourth quarter. The last four misses for Rogers going back to last year have all been blocked (Boise State, Wyoming, San Jose State and now Colorado State).
Championship Dreams Dashed in 28-21 Loss to CSU
