ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Fresno State took an early lead and never let UNM into the game, despite a solid effort, as the Bulldogs moved to 3-1 on the season and 1-0 in the Mountain West with a 31-10 victory over UNM, the seventh straight win in Albuquerque over UNM for the Bulldogs. The Lobos dropped to 0-4 and 0-1 in the Mountain West.
The Lobos head on the road next week to take on rival New Mexico State in Las Cruces.
UNM’s defense opened the game with a three-and-out, forcing an early punt by the Bulldogs, but UNM coughed the ball up. On third down, Eli Sanders went around the end for a first down but the ball was punched out and recovered at the Lobo 39-yard line. The defense held tough, but Fresno State eventually scored on the 10th play of the drive on a 5-yard toss from Mikey Keene to Josiah Freeman, and then Fresno State ran the swinging gate for a two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead.
UNM then went right down the field, going 73 yards on 14 plays, but UNM couldn’t punch it in on first-and-goal from the 10-yard line when on third down Devon Dampier’s scramble only got to the three-yard line. Fresno State responded with a touchdown to go up 15-3, and eventually the Bulldogs went up 25-3 when a trick play halfback pass turned into a 26-yard touchdown with 1:24 to go in the half.
UNM started its next drive at the 7-yard line, but moved all the way down the field, scoring on a 5-yard Dampier to Trace Bruckler pass for a 25-10 deficit with six seconds left in the half. UNM then got the ball to start the third quarter, but couldn’t move it. Eventually Fresno State kicked a field goal, and then UNM, down 28-10, got hurt with a pair of penalties.
First, a holding call nullified a 58-yard Dampier to Nic Trujillo score that would have made it 28-16 with the conversion pending in the third quarter. After that was marked off, UNM continued down the field and a Dampier scramble to the half-yard line was nullified by another holding penalty, and UNM had to settle for a second Luke Drzewiecki field goal.
After a stop, UNM in desperation mode down 28-13 went for a fourth-and-1 at its own 12-yard line and couldn’t convert. Fresno State eventually punched that one in, somehow getting three first downs due to penalties, giving the Bulldogs a 35-13 lead.
After UNM got a 1-yard run by Javen Jacobs and then a two-point conversion run by backup quarterback James Laubstein, UNM looked to have recovered an onside kick, but Isaiah Chavez was called for being offside, although all replays showed otherwise. A second onside was almost recovered by UNM again, but Fresno State knocked it out of bounds, and Fresno State added a late field goal to close the scoring.
UNM outgained the Bulldogs 485 to 345, the 345 being the lowest output allowed by UNM this season.