TUCSON, Ariz. — No. 21 Arizona scored two touchdowns in the opening 2:34 of the second half to give itself some breathing room and New Mexico couldn’t ever quite close the gap as the Wildcats outlasted the Lobos 61-39 at Arizona Stadium. The loss dropped UNM to 0-2 on the year while Arizona started 1-0.
The loss spoiled a brilliant offensive day for UNM as Devon Dampier and Luke Wysong both had career days, but there was no stopping Terairoa McMillan, who had 10 catches for an Arizona record 304 yards and four touchdowns. The 304 yards were the most ever allowed by UNM, besting the 281 by Marshall Sperbeck of Boise State, who did that on 14 catches on November 14, 2015 in UNM’s 31-24 win over the Broncos.
The Lobos went toe-to-toe with the Wildcats in the first half in what was a back-and-forth affair in the opening 30 minutes. Arizona scored on a 69-yard pass from Fafita to McMillan in what was the start of a career-day for him. However, UNM had an answer as Dampier led the Lobos right down the field, and two highlight reel catches by Luke Wysong, the last from 16 yards out tied the game at 7-7.
After Arizona responded with another Fifita to McMillan scoring strike, this from 17 yards, UNM again answered with Naquari Rogers scoring his first UNM touchdown on a short pass from Dampier. That made it 14-14 at the break. After the teams traded field goals at the start of the third, UNM got a stop when Noa Pola-Gates, who played terrific with two pass breakups, forced a tipped pass that Christian Ellis picked off. That led to a Dampier 13 yard touchdown run and a 24-17.
That lead was short-lived as Fifita had time and hit a crossing McMillan for his third touchdown of the half, this time going for a 78-yard catch and run for a 24-24 tie. A late 46-yard field goal by Tyler Loop gave the ’Cats a 27-24 lead at the break. The Wildcats opened the second half with the ball and on a third-and-1 from midfield, Quali Conley raced 51 yards for a touchdown and a 34-24 lead. The back-breaker came when a Dampier pass went off the hands of a Lobo receiver and into the waiting arms of Treydan Stukes. Arizona took that interception and turned it into six when McMillan caught his fourth TD on the next pass, this from 40 yards out for a 41-24 lead.
Dampier led UNM right back and got UNM within 10 with some nifty work. He hit Nic Trujillo to move the sticks on third down, and then eventually scored his second rushing touchdown when he faked a pitch and scored from seven yards out.
After another Conley TD made it 48-31, UNM was forced to punt, but Aaron Rodriguez’ punt hit a Wildcat blocker and Hyrum Hatch, the long snapper, recovered for UNM. The Lobos couldn’t capitalize on the short field and Conley eventually added his third TD to make it 55-31.
The Lobos stayed in the game with a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive with Dampier accounting for a fifth touchdown on the night, hitting Caleb Medford for a 9-yard score. UNM went for two and Dampier flipped the ball to Eli Sanders for a deuce and UNM was within two scores at 55-41. The Lobos didn’t recover the onside kick and Arizona tacked on a late TD to account for the 61-39 final.