Utah State Defeats UNM 61-19

Box Score | 2018 Season Statistics

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico had a chance to take a 10-7 lead on a pass to Elijah Lilly in the end zone, but Utah State’s Shaq Bond picked it off and then went 100-yards for a score to give Utah State a 14-3 lead, and that opened the floodgates as the Aggies rolled to a 61-19 win at Maverik Stadium.  The loss was New Mexico’s third straight and drops UNM to 3-5 overall and 1-3 in the Mountain West.  The win was Utah State’s seventh straight.
 
The Lobos opened the game up by pitching a three-and-out with a pair of pass break-ups, from Jalin Burrell and Marcus Hayes.  UNM then stalled at the Aggie 36-yard line, but rookie kicker Andrew Shelley hammered home a 53-yard field goal, the second-longest in school history.  That gave UNM a 3-0 lead.
 
The Aggies went down the field, covering 82 yards for a 7-3 lead, but UNM drove right back.  UNM got a key third-down conversion on a 30-yard pass from Sheriron Jones to Delane Hart-Johnson, and then UNM got runs by Ahmari Davis, Tyrone Owens and Zahneer Shuler to put the ball on the 10-yard line.  From there, Jones went for Lilly, who had a step on Bond, but Jones’ pass was a little behind, and then Bond zigged and zagged his way to a touchdown.
 

How about a 53-yard FG by Andrew Shelley! Longest field goal by a freshman in school history and 2nd longest in UNM history!!! #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/Of92V6tFzD

— New Mexico Lobos (@UNMLOBOS) October 27, 2018

From there, the wheels fell off as Utah State scored on five straight drives with quarterback Jordan Love throwing for four TDs and running for another.  Three of those touchdown drives took less than a minute.  The final touchdown was Love’s 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal and made it 49-3.
 
The Lobo defense did get a score of their own as Jermane Conyers recorded UNM’s first safety in three years when he tackled Darwin Thompson in the end zone after a fumble.
 
Jones went 10-for-25 passing for 110 yards but three costly interceptions.  He was replaced in the third quarter by Coltin Gerhart, who entered the season as UNM’s No. 2 quarterback but got hurt on his lone series in the season opener.  This was his first game back and he played well.  He threw his first touchdown pass of the season, hitting Brayden Dickey for nine yards.  UNM also scored a touchdown when Evahelotu Tohi recovered a fumble and scored from 18 yards out.  Both Gerhart and Jones threw for 110 yards.
 

Evahelotu Tohi recovers a fumble and scores his first career touchdown and @UNMLoboFB trails 61-19 in the third. #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/uLLjx4DO1A

— New Mexico Lobos (@UNMLOBOS) October 27, 2018

The Lobos will face a second straight one-loss team as UNM travels to Logan, Utah to face the first-place team in the Mountain Division in 6-1 Utah State.  That game will be on Stadium/Facebook and it will take place at 2 p.m. at Maverik Stadium.
 
Postgame Notes:  Utah State 61, New Mexico 19
 
This was the 25th meeting all-time between the two teams.
New Mexico now leads 13-12
Utah State now leads 7-4 in Logan
New Mexico leads 9-5 in Albuquerque
Utah State has won two straight overall
Utah State has won one straight in Logan
 
Starting lineup changes for UNM from published two-deep
Offense: UNM started four receivers, and tight end Marcus Williams didn’t start.
Defense: Bijon Parker started at free safety for Stanley Barnwell, Jr., who was out with an injury.
                                                                                                                          
*New Mexico’s captains were Aaron Jenkins, Cody Baker, D’Angelo Ross and Sitivena Tamaivena.
*New Mexico won the toss for only the second time in eight tries this season. UNM deferred and started on defense for the second time this season.
 
TEAM NOTES:
*After going 9-3 in winning the coin toss last year, UNM is now 2-6
*The 52 points allowed in the first half were the most since allowing 59 in the opening half at Oregon on September 4, 2010.
*The 704 yards by Utah State was the most UNM has allowed this season and it was the fourth time in eighth games allowing at least 568 yards.  UNM is now 2-2 in such games.  The 704 yards was a Utah State single-game record.
*UNM recovered three fumbles in the game after recovering three all season.  All told there were eight turnovers, three by Utah State and five by New Mexico.
 
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
*Andrew Shelley’s 53-yard field goal was the longest ever by a New Mexico freshman, and it tied for the second-longest field goal in school history.  It was the longest since Jason Sanders hit a 53-yard field goal with no time left to defeat Tulsa on September 23, 2017.
*Tyson Dyer’s 69-yard punt in the second quarter went for a touchback and was a career-long.  He averaged 46.6 on eight punts.
*Tyrone Owens moved into ninth place on the career rushing list at New Mexico, passing former teammate Lamar Jordan and Willie Turral.  He now has 2,530 yards in his career.  Next up on the list at No. 8 is Jhurell Pressley, another former teammate of Owens.
*Brayden Dickey’s touchdown was his first as a Lobo and his first of his career, as he didn’t have one at Washington.
*Coltin Gerhart saw his first action since the season opener, and he threw his first touchdown pass of the season and second of his career.
*Patrick Peek recorded his first forced fumble and it was recovered by Evahelotu Tohi, who returned it 18 yards for a Lobo touchdown, the first of his career.
*Cody Baker forced and recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter.