ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — In a game where the two teams combined for 1,180 yards of offense, it was an interception return for a touchdown by Wyoming’s Wrook Brown that set up a fourth quarter comeback to give the Cowboys a 49-45 win over New Mexico and deal the Lobos a blow to potential bowl hopes.

Wyoming moved to 2-7 overall and 2-3 in the Mountain West, and UNM is now 3-6 overall and 2-3 in the Mountain West.  The Lobos must win the final three games to get bowl eligible.  UNM plays at San Diego State on Friday night in San Diego.

After a wild first half in which there were 10 touchdowns and the game was even at 35, UNM built a 45-35 lead on a Luke Drzewiecki 30-yard field goal and then a dazzling 85-yard touchdown run by quarterback Devon Dampier, who cut right, broke a tackle and raced for the longest run ever by a UNM quarterback.  That touchdown run came after a Noah Avinger interception at the Lobo 8-yard line that snuffed out a Wyoming drive and was another big play by the Lobo defense in the quarter.  On the opening drive of the second half, UNM stopped Wyoming on a fourth-and-1, a play that led to the field goal drive and the UNM lead.

Wyoming drove to the Lobo 23 to open the fourth quarter, but that drive stalled and John Hoyland, who earlier in the game became the all-time leading scorer in Cowboy history, missed wide right from 40 yards.  UNM took over with 13:02 to go at the 23, and a score could have put the game out of reach.  Instead, it was Wyoming that scored.  On the first play of the drive, Dampier threw towards Ryan Davis, but Wrook Davis stepped in front of it at the 29-yard line and raced untouched for a touchdown, and suddenly a Wyoming team that could do nothing in the second half was back within three at 45-42.

UNM got just one first down and had to punt, and the Cowboys drove 88 yards in 11 plays, overcoming a pass interference in the end zone.  On second-and-goal after the pass interference moved the ball to the Lobo 27, Kaden Anderson, making his first start, hit Justin Stevenson for a 27-yard touchdown and a 49-45 lead.

UNM mounted a comeback attempt, moving the ball into Wyoming territory.  Eli Sanders burst through the line to the Cowboy 27-yard line, but a holding call negated it and made it first-and-20.  On third-and-14, Dampier was sacked from behind and fumbled, with Wyoming recovering.  The Cowboys ran out the clock from there.

The opening half was wild with 717 yards and 70 combined points.  UNM opened the scoring with a 10-yard touchdown from Dampier to Ryan Davis, but UNM’s two-point conversion failed.  Eli Sanders had a 34-yard touchdown run to answer a Wyoming score, but the Cowboys another touchdown pass and a rushing touchdown by Anderson.  Dampier answered with an 18-yard score, and then UNM’s Trace Bruckler scored his third rushing two-pointer of the season.

The teams traded touchdowns going into halftime, with Dampier scoring from 40 yards out and Sanders from 75 yards out.

Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall

Defensive Back Noah Avinger

Running Back Eli Sanders

Postgame Notes

This was 77th meeting between the two teams.

Wyoming now leads the series 41-36

Wyoming now leads the series 21-15 in Albuquerque

The series is tied 20-20 in Laramie

Wyoming has won three straight in the series and two straight in Albuquerque.

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Starting lineup changes for UNM from published two-deep

Offense: Caleb Medford started at WR for Nic Trujillo; Michael Buckley started at WR for Luke Wysong, Isaiah Sillemon started at TE for RB Eli Sanders.

Defense: Bryce Santana started at DL for Devin Brandt-Epps, Kyler Drake started at DL for Moso Tuitele.

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*New Mexico’s captains were Richard Pearce, Gabe Lopez and Noah Avinger.

*New Mexico’s Garrison Walker carried the state flag of New Mexico onto the field and Malik Alaine carried the United States flag.

*Wyoming won the toss and deferred.  New Mexico received while defending the north goal.

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TEAM NOTES:

*The Lobos missed on a two-point conversion to start the game.  Later Trace Bruckler rushed for his third two-point conversion, making UNM 5-for-9.

*The two teams combined for 717 yards and 70 points in the first half.

*The halftime tie marked the first time this season that a Lobo game was tied after the second quarter.

*New Mexico rushed just 29 times but for 412 yards, an average of 14.2 yards per carry.  It easily broke the previous record of 10.3, set on November 8, 2024 when the Lobos rushed for 505 yards on 49 carries against Boise State in a 60-49 loss.

*The 94 combined points marked the fourth time this year a Lobo game has had 90 or more combined points.

*New Mexico’s scoring average went up to 34.8 points a game, currently second all-time at UNM.

*New Mexico’s total offense average went up to 480.1 yards per game, and that would top the old record of 472.0 yards per game set in 1994.

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INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

*Luke Wysong, Na’Quari Rogers and Javen Jacobs all missed the game with injuries.

*Melaki Gutierrez had his first career touch in his first career game, a 29-yard kickoff return.

*UNM backup quarterbacks Isaiah Chavez and Emery Floyd both played on special teams.  It was Floyd’s first career game.

*Devon Dampier became the first Lobo to ever have three separate 100-yard rushing and passing games in the same season.

*Eli Sanders not only had his career 100-yard rushing game, but his first career 200-yard rushing game, finishing at 205 yards.

*Dampier’s 85-yard run was the longest ever by a Lobo quarterback and his 193 yards rushing was the most in school history by a quarterback.  The previous longest run by a quarterback was 80 yards by Stan Quintana vs. Colorado State on November 14, 1964 and Kole McKamey vs. Wyoming on November 20, 2004.  The only run in school history longer was a 91-yard touchdown by Bobby Santiago on November 10, 1962 against Colorado State.

*Sanders and Dampier became the first Lobo teammates to each hit triple-digits in rushing in the same game since UNM had three players do it against UNLV on November 17, 2017.  That night Tyrone Owens (164), Daryl Chestnut (145) and Lamar Jordan (116) all did it in a game in which UNM had zero passing yards.  They are the first to ever have 200-yard rushing games in the same game.

*Overall, Dampier’s 207 yards rushing is 14^th in a single-game at UNM, and it’s the most by a quarterback, topping Cole Gautsche’s 184 yards rushing against UTEP on August 30, 2014.  Sanders’ 205 yards is tied for 16^th-most in school history.  Sanders’ 200-yard game was the 17^th in school history, and Dampier’s was the 18^th.

*UNM lost for the second time this season when leading after three quarters.  The last time a Bronco Mendenhall team lost two leads after three quarters was in 2016, his first season at Virginia when the Cavaliers were just 2-3 when leading after three.

*Noah Avinger’s third quarter interception was his first as a Lobo.

*Luke Drzewiecki’s 30-yard field goal gave him 31 in his career, two away from Kenny Byrd’s 33 which is fifth at UNM for a career.

*Dampier’s four touchdowns (three rushing, one passing) gives him 23 on the season (10 passing, 13 rushing) and it ties him with Steve Myer for fifth in a single season.  Myer had 21 passing touchdowns and two rushing.  He also now has 33 in his career.

*Dampier is now at 2,989 yards of total offense and he moved from 10^th to fourth on the single-season list.  He needs just 660 yards to match Stoney Case’s 3,649 yards in 1994.

*Additionally, Dampier’s 13 rushing touchdowns is one behind Kole McKamey’s single-season school record for quarterbacks, as he had 14 in 1993.