ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It was a familiar refrain for a second straight week as New Mexico bolted to a 14-0 first quarter lead, and then never got another score as Wyoming came back for a 27-14 win in front of 14,226 fans at University Stadium to drop UNM to 0-3 in the Mountain West and 2-4 overall.  Wyoming moved to 2-1 in the league and 4-3 overall.

The Lobos travel for the Rio Grande Rivalry next week in Las Cruces against New Mexico State, which was idle.

New Mexico raced out to a 14-0 lead on the strength of back-to-back touchdown drives to open the game.  The first drive opened the game and was a brilliant, going 75 yards over 16 plays with 7:08 burned off the clock.  The drive featured the first fourth down conversion of the year as Nate Jones pushed the pile for two yards on a fourth-and-1 at the Wyoming 29-yard line.

The drive saw both Kendrick and Justin Holaday take snaps, with Kendrick converting a third-and-8 with a 9-yard pass to Bobby Wooden.  Jaden Hullaby rushed for 10 yards to the two-yard line and Kendrick scored his team-high third touchdown of the season to make it 7-0.  After a three-and-out, UNM set up shop at its own 33 and went 67 yards in six plays to make it 14-0.

Holaday started the drive with a 15-yard run, Nate Jones added 11 and Kendrick hit a big pass play, finding Andrew Erickson at the 10-yard line.  Holaday then kept a ball on the option and bullied his way in for the 14-0 lead.

Wyoming got a score back when Andrew Peasley hit Treyton Welch from 47 yards out to make it 14-7 with 10:08 left in the half, and from there, it was a host of self-inflicted errors that did UNM in.

UNM was able to drive from its own 16 to the Wyoming 28 over the final 1:41, but George Steinkamp’s 45-yard field goal clanged off the right upright and bounced across but in front of the crossbar to keep the score 14-7.

Wyoming tied it on the opening drive of the second half, when Peasley found Welch again, this time from 29 yards out.  It looked like Reco Hannah and Cody Moon had him dead to rights but Hannah was spun around into Moon, and that gave Peasley enough time to hit Welch for the score.

From there, it was a series of mistakes that decided the game.  First, Andrew Erickson muffed a punt at the UNM 15-yard line, and Wyoming converted that into a go-ahead field goal and a 17-14 lead.  After UNM punted, the Lobos downed the ball early, stopping a rolling ball at the 10-yard line that would have rolled further, pinning Wyoming deep.  Instead, Wyoming punted and Jer’Marius Lewis returned it 36 yards to a the Wyoming 12-yard line, but after UNM go the 3-yard line, a holding penalty pushed them back, and Steinkamp eventually attempted a 22-yard field goal to tie the game.

His kick was low, and Gavin Myers blocked it.  After an exchange of punts Wyoming got back into field goal range in the strength of a 34-yard conversion on third-and-4, and John Hoyland banged in a 19-yard field goal to make it 20-14.

UNM went backwards on the next drive, but a Wyoming punt to the 1-yard line left UNM needing to go 99 yards over the final 2:50.  They got 29 of them.  Kendrick, who was sacked five times, scrambled for 18 yards to the 20, and then he hit a diving Christian Jourdain for 10 to the 30.  After a sack, he threw a pass well short of Duece Jones, and for the second straight week a final drive to take the lead ended in a defensive pick-six, this from 38 yards for Cameron Stone.

This was the 75th meeting between the two teams.

Wyoming now leads the series 39-26

Wyoming now leads the series 20-15 in Albuquerque

New Mexico leads the series 20-19 in Laramie

New Mexico leads the series 1-0 in Las Vegas

Wyoming has now won one straight in the series and two straight in Albuquerque

Starting lineup changes for UNM from published two-deep

Offense: Christian Jourdain started at WR for Luke Wysong, Andrew Erickson started at WR for Geordon Porter, Connor Witthoft started at TE for Trae Hall (WR).

Defense: Jer’Marius Lewis started at wolf and Jerrick Reed II started at corner instead of wolf for Donte Martin (CB) and Ian Shewell started at End for Omar Darame.

*New Mexico’s captains were Jerrick Reed, Miles Kendrick, Reco Hannah and Isaak Gutierrez.

*New Mexico’s Bryce Santana carried the state flag of New Mexico onto the field and George Steinkamp carried the United States flag.

*UNM won the toss and elected to receive and defend the South goal. It marked the 23^rd time in 24 games under Danny Gonzales that UNM has received the opening kickoff.

TEAM NOTES:

*New Mexico converted a fourth-and-one on its opening drive, its first conversion of the season.  The conversion left Iowa as the only team left in the nation without a fourth-down conversion.

*New Mexico scored a touchdown on its opening drive for the second straight week.

*Wyoming’s 47-yard touchdown came on third-and-10, and it was the longest conversion against UNM for a third down this season.  UNM’s opponents were 1-for-30 on third-and-long (3^rd and 7 or more), converting only a third-and-7.

*For the second straight game, the Lobos opened the game with a 14-0 lead after two quarters.

*The Lobos didn’t convert a third down in the second half for the third straight game, and UNM hasn’t scored a third quarter point in the last five games.

*UNM lost the turnover battle for the first time this season, losing it 3-0.

*UNM outgained Wyoming 319-304.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

*Miles Kendrick’s opening run for a touchdown gave him UNM’s last three touchdowns.

*Justin Holaday’s rushing touchdown was his first career touchdown.  He was playing in his first career game.

*Jer’Marius Lewis made his first start at punt returner, and averaged 23.5 yards on two returns.

*George Steinkamp hit the upright from 45 yards and was blocked from 22 yards.  It made UNM 4-fior-10 on field goals this season.

*Elijah Queen had his first two catches of the season, and Christian Jourdain made his first career catch in his first career start.

*Six Lobos led the team with two catches each.

*Cody Moon led the team with nine tackles in making his fourth straight start.

*Miles Kendrick had a career-high 72 yards rushing to lead the team.