SAN JOSE, Calif. --- The University of New Mexico football team’s three-game winning streak came to an end Friday night in a 35-28 loss at San Jose State in a game that UNM never led but had another strong fourth quarter that came up a little short. Receiver Keagan Johnson had a career night with 11 receptions for 145 yards.
Johnson’s 11 receptions tied for the 11th-most receptions in a single game in UNM history. The junior repeatedly gave quarterback Jack Layne a reliable target, moving the chains on crucial downs and keeping the Lobos within striking distance. Through just four games played this season, Johnson now has 26 receptions for 326 yards, solidifying himself as one of the top receiving threats in the Mountain West.
The Lobos (3-2, 0-1 Mountain West) entered the matchup riding momentum from three straight victories, including a commanding rivalry win over rival New Mexico State. But San Jose State struck quickly, building a 14-0 lead in the second quarter as the Spartans tallied touchdowns on their first three drives. UNM responded behind its ground game, as Damon Bankston scored from four yards out and Scottre Humphrey added a one-yard touchdown to pull within 21-14. A Luke Drzewiecki 25-yard field goal on the final play of the half sent the Lobos into the locker room down just 21-17.
The third quarter proved costly for New Mexico. UNM opened with the ball and a chance to take the lead, but two third down attempts were wiped out by penalties. One was a hold that offset a pass interference call, and the other was a hold that negatved a 21-yard catch and run for a first down by Shawn Miller. Instead, UNM punted and the Spartans eventually scored two touchdowns to stretch the margin to 35-17. Still, the Lobos mounted a fourth-quarter comeback. Layne engineered a fourth-quarter drive capped by his own three-yard rushing touchdown, followed by a successful two-point conversion pass to Shawn Miller, cutting the deficit to 35-25 with 11:02 to go. After forcing a punt, the Lobos drove from their own 6-yard line to the San Jose State 14. Michael Buckley nearly pulled in a third-down conversion for a touchdown. Instead, that pass was broken up, and he suffered an injury on the play. Drzewiecki drilled a 31-yard field goal with 3:41 to play, making it a one-score game at 35-28.
UNM squib-kicked with 3:41 to go, but the Spartans were able to run out the clock, sealing the narrow victory with three first downs.
Offensively, the Lobos finished with 420 total yards, including 344 passing yards from Layne, who completed 28-of-40 attempts. The 344 yards were a career-high for Layne. New Mexico outgained San Jose State in first downs (29-24) and matched them stride for stride in total offense, showing its balance with three rushing touchdowns and Johnson’s record-setting performance through the air. Frankie Edwards III led the way with seven tackles.
The loss marked New Mexico’s first setback since the season opener at Michigan and its first defeat in Mountain West play. New Mexico heads right back out on the road next weekend for another key Mountain West matchup, as the Lobos will face off with the preseason pick for the conference title, Boise State. That game will kick off at 7:45 p.m. Mountain Time on FS1.