ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico was only able to muster 196 yards of offense, and a short-handed Lobo crew couldn’t spoil Fresno State’s senior day as the Bulldogs won 34-7 on Saturday night in Fresno. The loss dropped UNM to 3-7 overall and 1-5 in the Mountain West as UNM was officially eliminated from bowl contention. Fresno State improved to 8-3 overall and 5-2 in the Mountain West.

The Lobos entered the game shorthanded on defense as both Tavian Combs, who had never missed a game in his career, was out. The starting Lobo had started each of the first 16 games of his career. UNM was also with starting nose tackle Langston Murray, and a hobbled Isaiah Chavez made his third straight start at quarterback. UNM was down to just Chavez and Connor Genal at quarterback after CJ Montes was injured last week in the loss to UNLV. The Lobos were forced to activate Bryson Carroll, who was still on the roster but serving as a graduate manager.

Down 27-0 after a 49-yard field goal to open the second half for Fresno State, the Lobos were able to march down the field, moving 74 yards in 10 plays. UNM did it mostly on the ground, picking up a key third down conversion when Aaron Dumas converted on third-and-3 with a 4-yard run, pushing him over the century mark for his first 100-yard game, and UNM’s second this season. Chavez hit Trace Bruckler for a 25-yard pass to the 1-yard line, and Dumas pushed it in from there, making it 27-7.

UNM then had Fresno State right where they wanted them. Jake Haener was sacked for a 13-yard loss, and Fresno State was facing a third-and-18 at the Bulldog 17, but Jordan Mims got loose on a screen pass for a 78-yard catch and run, and the Bulldogs scored three plays later on a Mims catch from 5-yards out to make it 34-7.

UNM had a chance to get another score after Syaire Riley forced a fumble and Ronald Wilson recovered, but on the first play, Chavez escaped pressure and overthrew a wide open Keyonta Lanier for what would have been a walk-in 64-yard touchdown. UNM ended up punting on the drive after going three-and-out.

The game got off to a horrific start for UNM as Isaiah Chavez’ first pass of the game was intercepted, giving the Bulldogs a short field, and Ronnie Rivers punched it in from four yards out for a 7-0 lead. That was the only score of the opening quarter. UNM had a chance to get on the board in the first quarter when Aaron Dumas converted a third-and-1, bouncing out for a 63-yard run to the Fresno State 18-yard line. UNM went backwards from there, losing 11 yards on three rushing attempts, and Andrew Shelley was wide left from 46 yards out.

From there the Bulldogs, which were in the CFP rankings just a week ago before a 40-14 loss to Boise State, took over. The made it 14-0 with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Raymond Pauwels, Jr., and then a 21-yard juggling catch by Josh Kelly made it 21-0 with 6:42 to go in the first half.

A huge sack by Ray Leutele knocked Fresno State back, but in a microcosm of how it went, Fresno State used a screen pass to set up a 51-yard field goal attempt by Cesar Silva. That kick bounced off the upright and flipped over the bar to make it 24-0 at the half.

Overall, UNM scuffled with just 34 yards passing and seven first downs, yet a missed field goal and the missed open receiver were the difference between seven and 17 points, which could have forced a different conclusion.

Postgame Notes

This was the 19th meeting between the two teams.

Fresno State now leads the series 14-5 overall

Fresno State now leads the series 8-1 in Fresno

Fresno State leads the series 6-3 in Albuquerque

New Mexico leads the series 1-0 in Las Vegas

Fresno State has won one straight in the series

Starting lineup changes for UNM from published two-deep

Offense: Isaiah Chavez started at QB for Terry Wilson

Defense: Bryce Santana started at NT for Langston Murray; Patrick Peek started at Left Wolf for Ronald Wilson as Wilson started at Lobo for Tavian Combs.

*New Mexico’s captains were Jerrick Reed II, Kyle Stapley and Joey Noble.

*New Mexico’s Bryce Santana carried the state flag of New Mexico onto the field.

*New Mexico won the toss and elected to receive, defending the south goal.  UNM has received the opening kickoff in 16 of Danny Gonzales’ 17 games (Houston Baptist is the only exception).

TEAM NOTES:

*New Mexico entered the game last in the nation in red zone scoring at 63.6% (14 scores on 22 opportunities). UNM went 1-for-2, missing a 46-yard field goal and Dumas scoring from a yard out.

*New Mexico was held under 100 yards passing for the fourth time this season, totaling just 34 yards. From 2016-2020, UNM was held under 50 yards passing five times over those five seasons.

*New Mexico’s seven first downs were its fewest since getting six against Wyoming in the 2018 season finale, a 31-3 loss to the Cowboys at University Stadium.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

*Bryson Carroll, who played two plays at quarterback in 2017 in his true freshman season and was a running back from 2018-2020 was activated an emergency quarterback for the game. He had been serving as a graduate manager.

*Isaiah Chavez threw an interception on the game’s second play, the first interception thrown in his career.

*Aaron Dumas’s 63-yard run on third-and-1 in the first quarter was his longest of his career, and it was UNM’s fifth rush of 20 or more yards in the last two games after having only one in the first eight games. Dumas rushed for 109 yards, his first career 100-yard game and the second of the season for UNM.

*Dumas’ season rushing total improved to 622 yards, and that is the most rushing yards by a Lobo freshman running back since DonTrell Moore’s 1,134 yards in 2002. Freshman quarterback Cole Gautsche rushed for 760 yards in 2012.

*UC Davis transfer Peyton Dixon made his Lobo debut, rushing for 21 yards on five carries and returning three kickoffs for 72 yards, a 24.0 average.

*Ronald Wilson recovered the first fumble of his career.