FORT COLLINS, Colo. — New Mexico’s record-setting offense could never capitalize when it needed to, suffering from untimely penalties, a missed field goal and costly fumble inside the five-yard line and four turnovers overall as UNM’s three-game winning streak ended at the hands of Colorado State, falling 17-6 in Fort Collins. It ran CSU’s winning streak to 13 straight over UNM.
The Lobos dropped to 3-5 overall and 2-2 in the Mountain West and UNM hosts Wyoming at 2 pm at University Stadium on Saturday. Colorado State moved to 5-3 overall and 3-0 in the Mountain West.
The loss dampened a terrific outing by the Lobo defense, which allowed just 10 points and just 334, it fewest allowed this year. The only touchdown came after a 30-yard Luke Drzewiecki field goal when Caleb Goodie hauled in a 46-yard touchdown pass from Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, but that was the only offensive touchdown for Colorado State. The Lobo defense forced a punt on every drive of the second half until the Rams took a knee with under a minute left.
After a drive in which UNM looked like it was moving into the Colorado State down 7-3, Devon Dampier was called for an illegal forward pass, turning a 15-yard gain into a third-and-10. Dampier was then sacked and Aaron Rodriguez’ ensuing punt was returned 82 yards for a touchdown by Kobe Johnson for a 14-3 lead. The Rams tacked on a 47-yard field goal at the end of the half.
From there, the Lobo defense came up with stop after stop, and UNM just could never cash in. On the opening drive of the second half, UNM moved right down the field to end up with third-and-goal at the 1-yard line, but a false start moved UNM back and Dampier fumbled on the next snap. After a three-and-out, UNM again was in Colorado State territory and convert a third-and-3 at the 34-yard line but a holding penalty moved UNM back, although it did eventually convert on fourth down. That drive ended in Drzewiecki’s second field goal of the game, this from 44 to make it 17-6.
A second straight three-and-out gave UNM the ball, and again UNM moved into CSU territory. UNM took two shots to the end zone and from the 26, the Lobos ended up not scoring when Drzewiecki missed a 43-yard field goal. After a punt to the 1-yard line, the Lobos got to midfield before punting, and twice in the fourth quarter the Lobos drove into CSU territory but Dampier threw interceptions on both drives.
Penalties were both plentiful for UNM, but they were untimely, and almost exclusively on the offense. Driving for a potential score in the second quarter, a face mask on the offense moved them out of field goal range, and then on a 52-yard attempt for Drzewiecki, a substitution penalty moved UNM out of range. Overall UNM had 10 penalties with nine on offense and one on the field goal attempt.