Lobos Grind Out 24-22 Win Over Nevada Behind 210-Yard Rushing Effort

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The New Mexico Lobos leaned on a dominant ground game and clutch fourth-down defense to outlast Nevada 24–22 on Saturday night at University Stadium, securing their first Mountain West victory of the season in front of 18,233 fans.

The Lobos (4–3, 1–2 MW) rushed for 210 yards, led by a balanced attack from Scottre Humphrey, D.J. McKinney, Damon Bankston, Jack Layne, and James Laubstein, while the defense came up with a pair of crucial fourth-down stops to preserve the win.

New Mexico set the tone immediately, driving 75 yards on the opening possession and converting two fourth downs before McKinney plunged in from two yards out to make it 7–0. After a Nevada field goal, the Lobos extended the lead in the second quarter when Humphrey capped a 91-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run for a 14-3 advantage.

Nevada (1–6, 0–3 MW) closed the gap with a pair of late second-quarter scores, including a short touchdown run by Caleb Ramseur after a Lobo fumble, trimming the margin to 14–12 at halftime. Nevada went for the tie, but freshman C.J. McBean broke up the two-point conversion pass, and that forced Nevada to play catch-up the rest of the game.

New Mexico responded immediately after the break. Following a defensive stand that turned away Nevada on downs, UNM started at the Nevada 34-yard line. McKinney sprinted 22 yards for his second touchdown of the night, pushing the lead to 21-12. After a Wolf Pack touchdown by Caleb Ramseur that capped a 75-yard drive, Luke Drzewiecki drilled a 29-yard field goal as time expired in the third quarter to make it 24-19.

The fourth quarter turned into a defensive battle. Nevada connected on a 41-yard field goal by Joe McFadden with 10:55 left to pull within 24-22, but the Lobo defense rose up from there. Linebacker Brett Karhu recorded a key third-down sack, and Jaxton Eck led all defenders with 11 tackles as New Mexico repeatedly denied the Wolf Pack on key drives, including a pivotal fourth-down stop near midfield with under three minutes remaining.

On third-and-7 at the 50, Carter Jones was hurried by Darren Agu, and Drew Speech knocked away a pass intended for Jett Carpenter. On the next play, Jones misfired looking for Dakota Thomas, and UNM took over with 2:28 to go.

Needing one final conversion to seal the win, Layne and the offense delivered, converting on fourth-and-1 near the Nevada 40 as Scottre Humphrey bullied his way for two yards to clinch the win.  Layne took a pair of knees to run out the clock and preserve the victory.

Layne finished the night completing 14 of 22 passes for 138 yards while adding 71 rushing yards, including the 54-yard keeper that helped set up a field goal. Humphrey ran for 58 yards and a score, and McKinney totaled 82 all-purpose yards with two touchdowns. Dorian Thomas led the receiving corps with five catches for 56 yards.

In total, New Mexico outgained Nevada 348–257 and went 3-for-4 on fourth downs, including the game-clincher. The Lobos’ defense limited the Wolf Pack to just 2.0 yards per carry and only one touchdown drive longer than 40 yards.

The win improves New Mexico to 3–0 at home this season and gives the Lobos their fourth win overall. UNM is 4-3 and over .500 after seven games for the first time since 2016, when UNM was also 4-3.

The Lobos now host the Utah State Aggies next weekend at University Stadium. The game will be a battle of two 4-3 teams, with the winner having an inside track for a bowl game. The game is also the return of Bronco Mendenhall, who was UNM’s head coach in 2024 but left the week after the season to take the Utah State position, with almost his entire staff following him to Logan.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. MT on Altitude and the Mountain West Network.