LAS CRUCES, N.M. — New Mexico rushed for seven touchdowns including a back-breaking 50-yard touchdown on an end-around by Javen Jacobs as the Lobos rolled to 579 yards of offense in taking the 114th meeting of the Rio Grande Rivalry, winning 50-40 over New Mexico State. The 50 points were the most by the Lobos in Aggie Memorial Stadium in 30 years.
The Lobos never trailed in the game, and were tied just once, at 7-7. UNM rushed for 331 yards in the game, it’s most of the season, and never suffered an offensive play for a loss until Devon Dampier took two kneel-downs to end the game. The team’s seven rushing touchdowns were rolled up by three players with three by Dampier, three by NaQuari Rogers and one by Jacobs.
Rogers was the superstar with 122 yards rushing on just 21 carries with his career-best three touchdowns.
Up 21-10, UNM opened the third quarter with a 75-yard drive that took just 3:01 with Dampier racing in from 24 yards out. UNM went for a two-point conversion and missed, keeping the game at 27-10. The Aggies answered with a touchdown to make it 27-17, but Luke Drzewiecki capped off a time-consuming driving with a short 20-yard field goal and UNM had a 30-17 lead at the end of three.
UNM then held on a first-and-goal, allowing just a short field goal to move the score to 30-20, but NaQuari Rogers scored his second rushing touchdown of the day to make it 36-20. It stayed a two-score game when UNM missed the extra point. The Aggies scored but missed their own two-point conversion leaving it at 10 points, 36-26. After Nigel Williams recovered the onside kick, UNM faced a third-and-9 at midfield when Jacobs went around the end and outraced everyone for a clinching touchdown. The Aggies tacked on a touchdown on a quarterback scramble but Williams again recovered the onside kick, and again UNM ended up scoring as Rogers scored on the third play from 29 yards out with 1:46 to go, making it 50-33.
The Aggies ended the scoring with a 2-yard run on a drive that was aided by four penalties. UNM didn’t need to recover the onside this time as it was kicked straight out of bounds, and Dampier knelt down twice for the win.
The Lobos took a 21-10 lead into the break when Dampier scored his second touchdown of the game with just 22 seconds left in the half. That capped a 67-yard drive, although UNM allowed a late long field goal by the Aggies to make it 21-10 at the break.
The Lobos pulled away in the second quarter when Dampier led UNM on a long 95-yard touchdown drive, capping that off with first of his three touchdowns. Dampier, who started the game just 6-for-15 passing, ended up 13-for-28 for 248 yards but his career-high three TDs led the way.
Rogers capped the opening touchdown drive, a drive that featured UNM converting on a fourth-and-1. On the first play after that touchdown, New Mexico State got an 84-yard run for a score, but until the field goal at the end of the half, that was its only points.
The win was UNM’s 500th as a program, and the Lobos are now off next week before hosting Air Force.