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SAN JOSE, Calif. — New Mexico was down three starters in the defensive backfield and San José State was able to take advantage, scoring on four long passes as the Spartans were able to hold off the Lobos 38-21 and spoil the head coaching debut of Danny Gonzales. San José State scored the final 17 points of the game after UNM tied it at 21-all in the third quarter.
While UNM allowed a few long scoring plays, the trademarks of a defense from years back was there. UNM laid plenty of hard hits, had a key first quarter fourth down stop and they allowed just 98 yards on the ground. The issue was Nick Starkel, who two schools ago was at Texas A&M when the Aggies defeated UNM in 2017. He was brilliant against UNM, going 34-for-47 for 467 yards and five touchdowns.
Down 21-14 at the break, UNM’s defense held firm on the opening drive of the second half, and the Lobos were able to drive and tie the game. Bobby Cole had a long 19-yard gain on a third-and-1 at midfield to keep the drive alive, and it sure looked like Jordan Kress scored on a five-yard run extending the ball over the pylon. Amazingly in a game with nine replay reviews, that wasn’t one of them, but it was no matter as Tuioti scored on the next play diving over from a half-yard out. Ironically that score stood after another lengthy review.
San José State answered and took the lead for good with a 35-yard field goal on the next drive, and both teams traded punts afterwards. However with just four seconds left in the quarter, SJSU went for a home run and hit it when Bailey Gaither, who had 10 catches and 208 yards on the evening, got past everyone for a 69-yard backbreaking touchdown.
“I think after we tied it we took a bad penalty that gave them a free 15 yards and then they got that long touchdown right at the break, and that took the wind out of us a little bit, and we have to respond better,” said Gonzales after the game. “We have to get tougher and meaner, but that will come.”
SJSU iced the game in the fourth quarter, converting on fourth-and-goal from the one with a rollout pass that accounted for the final score. UNM did drive inside the 25 in the final minute but Tuioti’s pass to Erickson was incomplete on fourth down.
The Spartans led 21-14 at the break, but UNM never backed down. After a highlight-reel catch from Tre Walker for a late first quarter touchdown that was aided by a huge penalty on a punt that gave SJSU a first down, UNM trailed 7-0 at the quarter.
After the Spartans made it 14-0, Tuioti and the Lobo offense came alive. UNM got on the board as Tuioti found an open Cedric Patterson III behind the defense for a 39-yard touchdown pass. That play capped a picture-perfect four-play, 84-yard drive, all through the air. Than after an amazing toe-tapping touchdown by Walker for his second touchdown, Tuioti led another drive. He found Andrew Erickson for a 46-yard catch inside the red zone, and then UNM ended up with fourth down at the Spartan four-yard line. Danny Gonzales opted to go for it, and Tuioti was able to scramble and find Erickson again, this time for a score to make it 21-14 at the half.