Third Quarter Dooms UNM in 41-27 Loss
LOGAN, Utah. — UNM nearly had a comeback for the ages but Utah State thwarted UNM’s comeback attempt with a late touchdown and the Aggies won 41-27 in a Thanksgiving night battle at Maverik Stadium in Logan, Utah. The Lobos now return to Las Vegas to play its final two games of the season, starting next Saturday against Wyoming.
New Mexico was down 34-27 after back-to-back touchdowns wrapped around the third quarter break and had Utah State in 3rd-and-5 at the Aggie 38, but Andrew Peasley somehow wriggled out of a sack and then raced for a back-breaking 62-yard touchdown with 4:03 to go to make it 41-27.
Down 34-13, New Mexico got back in the game with a trick play as Bryson Carroll hit Andrew Erickson for a 28-yard touchdown on a halfback option. The touchdown capped a 6-play, 65-yard drive that saw Trae Hall rush for 16 but take a punishing hit. Hall had to leave the game, giving way to fourth-string quarterback and walk-on Connor Genal. Genal’s first two drives only gained one first down, but his third was UNM’s second long touchdown drive of the game. He completed his first two career passes to open the drive including a dime-dropped 24-yarder to Marcus Williams. Carroll had a big run for 37 yards and then Genal took a targeting hit that earned another first down.
UNM capped it off with Bobby Cole’s second touchdown of the game and with 7:08 to go, UNM was just one score away from tying the game or winning. UNM then forced Utah State into a passing situation at third-and-five and brought a blitz, but Peasley wiggled out of a sack, went right around the edge for the score that put USU in the driver’s seat. Forced to hurry, UNM drove to the Utah State 40 but Genal was intercepted at the 12-yard line with just over a minute left.
UNM had a 13-7 lead, scoring the only touchdown of the first half on a long 13-play, 89-yard drive in the second quarter. Hall was masterful, rushing the ball, reading the defense and hitting targets in the passing game. Hall looked to have scored on a 12-yard run, but after getting ruled down at the 1-yard line, Cole bowled over the Aggies to give UNM a 10-6 lead. UNM made it 13-6 at the end of the half with a Donovan Murphree 31-yard field goal, his second of the game.
That field goal came after Utah State looked to have gone ahead as Peasley dove to the pylon, but Brandon Shook hit his arm as he extended and Peasley fumbled the ball through the side of the end zone for a touchback. Hall then led a long drive that culminated in the field goal just before the half.
However, a huge third quarter saw the Aggies score four times, once on defense, and that spelled doom for UNM. Utah State tied it up on its first drive of the half on a 36-yard touchdown pass and then took the lead on a 26-yard pass. Disaster then struck on UNM’s next two drives. Tyson Dyer had a punt blocked, and USU turned that into a touchdown, and then Hall was sacked and lost the ball, and Kina Maile, who blocked the earlier punt, scooped and scored to make it 34-13 Utah State.
Hall then led UNM down the field, with UNM scoring when Carroll took a handoff and then threw to Erickson for a 28-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 34-20 late in the third.
Postgame Notes
This was the 27th meeting between the two teams.
Utah State now leads 14-13
Utah State now leads 8-4 in Logan
New Mexico leads 9-6 in Albuquerque
Utah State has now won 2 straight in Logan
Utah State has now won 4 straight in the series
Starting lineup changes for UNM from published two-deep
Offense: Elijah Queen started at WR for Jordan Kress, Nathaniel Jones started at RB for Bobby Cole.
Defense: Ben Gansallo started at NT for Elmer Pauni
*New Mexico’s captains were Marcus Williams, Teton Saltes, Kam Miller and Tyson Dyer.
*New Mexico’s Kyle Stapley carried the state flag of New Mexico onto the field.
TEAM NOTES:
*UNM won the toss and elected to receive and it defended the North goal. UNM received the opening kickoff for the fifth straight week and is 2-3 in the coin toss.
*UNM’s touchdown drive at the 8:10 mark of the second quarter was its longest touchdown drive of the season. UNM drove 89 yards in 12 plays with Bobby Cole scoring from a yard out. The previous longest scoring drive was an 84-yard touchdown drive in the opener against San Jose State.
*Utah State scored on a sack/fumble, the first fumble return for a touchdown against UNM since Sonatane Lui returned a sack/fumble for Boise State last year on the opening play of the game on 11/16/2019.
*Each team turned the ball over twice.
*UNM was a season-best 9-for-17 on third down.
*UNM’s opponents have not missed a field goal (6-for-6) or an extra point (22-for-22) all year.
*UNM’s nine takeaways over the first five games are two short of the season total over 12 games that UNM had last year.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
*Donovan Murphree connected on the first field goal attempt of his career. He was previous 0-for-2 on extra points in his career, having one blocked and missing one against Utah State last year. On the day he was perfect on his five kicks (two field goals and three extra points).
*Donte Martin recorded the first sack of his career.
*Bobby Cole’s touchdowns were the second and third of the season. He leads the team in touchdowns.
*With Trae Hall hurt, Connor Genal, a walk-on, entered the game for the first snaps of his career.
*Tavian Combs forced a fumble, the first of his career, and it was recovered by Jake Saltonstall, his first recovery.
*Quinn Potts and Bryce Santana each made their season debuts.