Lobos Thump UCLA IN the Rose Bowl 35-10

PASADENA, Calif. --- New Mexico pounded the ball and it dominated on defense in a 35-10 win in the iconic Rose Bowl over UCLA, pushing the Lobos to 2-1 on the season and giving Head Coach Jason Eck a signature win in just his third game with the program.

The win marked the largest margin of victory for a Mountain West team over a Big Ten team since September 7, 2002, when Utah defeated Indiana 40-13. The win was New Mexico’s first ever against a Big Ten team. The win is believed to be the largest margin of victory in a road non-conference game for UNM, outside of games with New Mexico State since October 17, 1931, when the Lobos defeated New Mexico Military 25-0 in Roswell.

The Lobos dominated the game pretty much from the outset, but the score was just 14-7 at the break. UNM had a chance in the third quarter inside the five-yard line to put more points on the board, but UNM’s Deshaun Buchanan burst through the line on a fourth-and-1, securing a first down, but lost the ball, turning it over. UNM pitched a three-and-out and turned the ball over a second time in under a minute when Michael Buckley muffed a short punt.

However, it really didn’t matter thanks to a massive defensive effort that saw UNM limit UCLA to just 326 yards and 10 points. UCLA took the ball after the muffed punt and converted it into a 51-yard field goal to make it 14-10, but the Lobos put on an offensive clinic after that.

Jack Layne orchestrated a time-consuming touchdown drive that took 7:52 off the clock, moving 75 yards in 13 plays. D.J. McKinney and Damon Bankston did the heavy lifting on most of the drive, with Bankston scoring from two yards out for a 21-10 lead.

UNM that forced a turnover on downs when Abraham Williams broke up a fourth-down pass. UNM turned that into a 28-10 lead with just 7:06 to go, Layne hit Bankston on a screen pass, and he somehow evaded everyone for a touchdown that clearly had the Lobo faithful in attendance in full roar.

UCLA drove into UNM territory to try to get back in it, but Tavian Combs picked off a pass after Jaxton Eck broke it up, giving UNM the ball again. The Lobos attempted to run the clock out, but the offensive line and the running game were too much for UCLA, and McKinney scored from three yards out after a 54-yard run by Bankston, and UNM had itself a 21-point fourth quarter and a 35-10 win.

After an exchange of punts to open the game, UCLA’s coming after a David Murphy tackle for loss, the Lobos went to work, mainly on the ground, to open the scoring. Scottre Humphrey opened the drive from the UNM 35 with 36 yards on four straight runs. After McKinney converted a third-down run, the Lobos got a short pass to Dorian Thomas to set up UNM on first-and-goal.

After backup quarterback James Laubstein ran it to the 1-yard line, Humphrey pumped it in from a yard out behind a Jaymar Tasi block to give UNM a 7-0 lead. After a UCLA, the Lobos went to work again.

Keyed by a 43-yard run by Bankston to the 11-yard line of UCLA, the Lobos faced fourth-and-goal, and Jack Layne found Simon Mapa alone in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. The catch was Mapa’s first of his career, and the ensuing Luke Drzewiecki extra point made it 14-0.

UCLA finally answered when Nico Iamaleava hit Titus Moklao-Atimalala for a 12-yard touchdown pass. That led to a wild finish to the half. The Lobos drove all the way to the UNLV three-yard line, but Layne was stuffed on fourth-and-1. That gave the Bruins the ball with just 1:09 to go. After getting to midfield and getting a favorable review to put one second on the clock at midfield, UCLA elected to run a draw play, which advanced all the way to the Lobo 20-yard line before true freshman CJ McBean made the stop to end the first half with UNM up 14-7.

Postgame Notes

• This was the second meeting between the two teams.
• The series is now tied 1-1
• New Mexico now leads the series in Pasadena 1-0
  UCLA leads the series in Las Vegas 1-0
• New Mexico has a one-game winning streak in the series.
• Starting lineup changes for UNM from the published two-deep

Offense: Shawn Miller started at WR for Keagan Johnson, Deshaun Buchanan started at RB for Scottre Humphrey, 88 Cade Keith started at TE for Dorian Thomas, 10 D.J. McKinney started at RB for Michael Buckley (WR).

Defense: CJ McBean started at safety for Drew Speech, Dimitri Johnson started at LB for Ky’Won McCray

• New Mexico’s captains were Richard Pearce, Gabe Lopez, Keyshawn James-Newby, and Jaxton Eck.
• New Mexico’s David Murphy carried the state flag of New Mexico onto the field, and Xavier Slayton carried the United States flag.
• New Mexico won the toss and elected to receive. UCLA elected to defend the south goal.
  
  TEAM NOTES:
  
  
• UNM opened the play with a double-reverse flea flicker, which went for 20 yards from Jack Layne to D.J. McKinney.
• New Mexico has lost 21 straight Power-4 games since a 36-28 win over Arizona of the Pac-12 on September 13, 2008. UNM’s last road win over a Power-4 opponent was also against Arizona, winning 29-27 in Tucson on September 15, 2007.
• New Mexico was called for its first defensive penalty of the season on a roughing the passer call (hit to the head) in the second quarter.
• Of New Mexico’s first three touchdown passes of the season, two came on fourth down inside the 10.
• New Mexico is now outscoring its opponents 36-13 in the fourth quarter this season.
• New Mexico’s four penalties were one more than they had all season. UCLA’s 13 penalties tied for the 15^th most by an opponent against UNM.
• The 10 points allowed to a Power-4 team were the fewest since September 14, 2002, when UNM defeated Baylor in Albuquerque 23-0.
• The game was the first game in the coaching career of Jason Eck that was played on grass.
• New Mexico’s fourth quarter interception gave UNM two on the season, through three games. UNM had three all of last year.
• New Mexico allowed 10 points on the road to a Big Ten team. Last season, the Lobos allowed 10 points in a quarter 26 times during the season (out of 48 quarters)

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

• New Mexico punted on its opening drive, the third time in three games it did so.
• David Murphy’s solo TFL to end UCLA’s first drive on a third-and-3 was the first solo TFL of his career.
• Simon Mapa’s touchdown reception in the second quarter was his first career catch.
• Damon Bankston’s 154 yards were his 10^th career 100-yard game, and his first with UNM. Overall, it was the third-most rushing yards in a game in his career.
• Bankston overall led UNM with 203 yards of all-purpose yardage, 154 on the ground and 49 receiving.
• The interception for Combs was the third of his career, but the first since September 18, 2021, when he picked off a pass at Texas A&M.
• Daniel Hughes punted twice but averaged 50 yards and had one inside the 20.
• Luke Drzewiecki had five extra points to move into fourth place at UNM with 94 career extra points. He is five behind Joe Hartshorne, who kicked from 1969-71.
• Jaxton Eck, who entered the game tied for 9^th nationally in tackles per game with 11.5, had 11.