Aztecs Strike Late and win 31-23
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — San Diego State scored 17 points over the final 7:29, getting a beneficial replay reversal that wiped out a Lobo first down, and the Aztecs snatched a 31-23 win against the Lobos, sending UNM to a fourth-straight loss. UNM must now win its final three games, at Air Force, and at home against Boise State and Wyoming, to become bowl eligible.
UNM struggled throughout the game on offense, recording a season-low 142 yards, including just 41 yards passing. Yet, UNM led nearly the whole game, thanks to three fumble recoveries for the second straight week.
UNM’s Adebayo Soremekun had a huge game with two fumble recoveries, a sack and a touchdown. That touchdown opened the scoring as he recovered a fumble by quarterback Ryan Agnew and raced untouched 44 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0. The Aztecs answered quickly with an extended 14-play, 75-yard drive with Chase Jasmin scoring from 5 yards out.
The only other first half score was set up by Soremekun again, who recovered a Juwan Washington fumble in Aztec territory, and that was eventually converted into an Andrew Shelley field goal of 41 yards, and UNM led 10-7 at the break.
Here are the highlights from tonight’s close game! #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/X1QLuEutcZ
— New Mexico Lobos (@UNMLOBOS) November 4, 2018
SDSU retook the lead in the third quarter when Washington took a pitch and raced 34 yards to make it 14-10. A third fumble recovery, this by Rhashaun Epting, set UNM to retake the lead. D’Angelo Ross stripped Jordan Byrd and Epting recovered at the Aztec 13-yard line. Coltin Gerhart converted that into a 12-yard touchdown pass to Anselem Umeh. The extra point was blocked, which turned into a big deal later, making it 16-14. It stayed that way into the fourth quarter, when UNM went on its longest drive of the game, culminating in a ridiculous one-handed touchdown catch by Delane Hart-Johnson, making it 23-14 with 10:07 to go.
However, SDSU had answers. The Aztecs, behind Christian Chapman, who returned from injury along with Washington, led a 5-play drive to get SDSU right back in it, including a key completion after a 10-yard sack by Erin Austin. Kahale Warring scored from 19 yards out to make it 23-21 with 7:29 to go.
UNM took over on it’s 25, and was still there on third down when Gerhart hit a sliding Delane Hart-Johnson for an apparent first down, but the play was reviewed, and the play was overruled, forcing UNM to punt instead of a first down at midfield. That was compounded when Tyson Dyer’s punt was returned 34 yards to a Lobo 41.
That set up a short drive and John Baron II, who drilled a 32-yard field goal with 2:56 left for a 24-23 lead. Garhart was then picked off, and it looked like SDSU would just run the clock out, but Washington ended up scoring with 1:52 left in the game on a 50-yard touchdown, leaving UNM within eight points.
However, the Lobos couldn’t get a first down, and from there SDSU ran out the clock.
The Lobos head back out on the road for the final time in the regular season as the Lobos will head to Colorado Springs to face off with the Air Force Falcons. That game will be on Saturday, November 10 at 1:30 p.m. and broadcast on CBS Sports Network. It’s UNM’s first game in Colorado Springs since 2014, as the last scheduled road game against Air Force was played at The Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas in 2016.
Postgame Notes: San Diego State 31, New Mexico 23
This was the 42nd meeting all-time between the two teams.
San Diego State now leads 26-16
San Diego State now leads 13-7 in Albuquerque
San Diego State leads 14-8 in San Diego
San Diego State has won seven straight overall
San Diego State has won three straight in Albuquerque
Starting lineup changes for UNM from published two-deep
Offense: UNM receiver Elijah Lilly was the non-starter.
Defense: Patrick Peek started at free safety for Stanley Barnwell.
*New Mexico’s captains were Aaron Jenkins, Alex Hart, Aaron Blackwell and Bijon Parker.
*New Mexico won the toss for only the third time in nine tries this season, and second straight. UNM deferred and started on defense for the second time this season.
*Dylan Kelly-Romero was the New Mexico Man and carried the Lobo flag. It was his first career honor.
TEAM NOTES:
*After going 9-3 in winning the coin toss last year, UNM is now 3-6 in coin tosses.
*UNM has six fumble recoveries in the last two games after just three in the first seven games.
*UNM was down five starters on defense in Trent Sellers, Evahelotu Tohi, Alex Hart, Stanley Barnwell and Marcus Hayes.
*UNM didn’t hit 100 yards of total offense until the 13:51 mark of the fourth quarter.
*UNM threw its 21st TD pass of the season. The school record for a season is 24 in 1997. All of those in 1997 where thrown by Graham Leigh.
*After allowing just 10 sacks in the first eight games, UNM allowed six on Saturday to SDSU.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
*Adebayo Soremekun scored on a 44-yard fumble recovery to open the scoring. It was UNM’s third defensive touchdown of the season. Alexander “Moana” Vainikolo forced the fumble on a sack, the first of his career.
*Soremekun later recovered a fumble inside SDSU territory that led to a UNM field goal. He also added a sack on the play.
*Andrew Shelley extend his perfect streak on field goals to five, but he has an extra point blocked, his fifth missed extra point of the season.
*Coltin Gerhart’s third quarter touchdown pass was his first TD pass of the season. All three UNM quarterbacks have thrown a touchdown pass this season.