Bowl-bound! Three takeaways from New Mexico's wild win over UNLV

LAS VEGAS — New Mexico running back D.J. McKinney scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2:54 left in the game and the Lobos got two late stops to win a thrilling 40-35 shootout against UNLV on Saturday at Allegiant Stadium.

With the win, UNM (6-3, 3-2) is bowl-eligible for the first time since 2016. Head coach Jason Eck is now the first Lobo coach to take the program to a bowl in their first season.

Three takeaways from UNM’s wild win:

1. After a heavyweight response, these Lobos might just be contenders

The way Eck talked about this one with the team, Saturday was a heavyweight fight.

“We showed them some clips of fights today,” he said, “just (to show) how you gotta keep getting off the mat.”

It was a narrative as convenient as it was true: Like any up-and-comer, UNM had to go out to the fight capital of the world to show it was worthy of the big time. And, sure, the Lobos would weather a couple haymakers, drop a few rounds. Few (if any) leave a heavyweight bout completely unscathed.

But if they responded? If they kept getting off the mat?

“It’s gonna come down to the last minute, like it did today,” offensive lineman Isaiah Sillemon said.

No part of the Lobos’ 40-35 win over UNLV was more impressive than that: The Lobos simply just kept swinging. Every time they got knocked down, they got right back up. Every time they were on the ropes, they got out of it — and slugged right back.

“I mean, I just saw no quit in anyone on the sideline,” wide receiver Keagan Johnson said.

Consider: When UNM lost a 21-0 lead in the second quarter, on a game-tying pick-6 no less? Quarterback Jack Layne regrouped to find Johnson for a wide open 80-yard touchdown, the big play in a sequence that helped the Lobos take a 10-point halftime lead.

Or when UNM fell behind 35-34 in the fourth quarter? The Lobos authored an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive kept alive by two ridiculous catches from Johnson and capped with McKinney’s 13-yard touchdown.

And when UNLV had not one, but two drives to get a touchdown and answer?

The Lobos forced two turnovers on downs.

“Just outstanding,” Eck said.

Now UNM is bowl-eligible not even a full day into November. That in and of itself makes this season a smashing success in the grand scheme of things.

They might be able to prove themselves as capable of something more, too.

Consider: Only San Diego State remains unbeaten in the Mountain West. Boise State took an ugly (and rare) home loss to Fresno State. Hawaii has one conference loss. Then there’s a whole pack of two-loss Mountain West teams — like UNM — that might just be playing for a bid in the conference championship game.

Are the Lobos … contenders?

At the very least, they’ll have the opportunity to show they are — or aren’t.

“We gotta go see what we can do,” Eck said.

2. The Lobos probably won’t play (and win) a wilder one

To be clear, the boxing analogy resonated with the players.

“It’s Pacquiao vs. Mayweather,” Sillemon said. “Who wants it more?”

With all due respect to what was then billed as the “Fight of the Century,” Saturday was a bit more entertaining. A few of the eye-popping statistics from one of the more memorable games the Lobos have played this year:

— The teams combined for 992 yards of total offense (UNM had 532) in a game with 25 total possessions. If Saturday felt like a game UNM might have played last year, that was reflected in the numbers.

— The teams had 13 (!) combined explosive plays, three of which went for Lobo touchdowns.

— Even in a game that felt like a track meet at times, UNM held UNLV to just 88 rushing yards on three yards a carry. Entering Saturday, the Rebels were averaging 208.43 yards on the ground (second in the league) and a gaudy 5.66 yards per carry (best in the league).

Perhaps the wildest part? UNM won with only 12 tailback runs. Quarterback James Laubstein finished as the Lobos’ leading rusher, ripping off 99 yards on eight carries. UNM’s running backs accounted for only 29 yards on the ground.

This hasn’t exactly been the Lobos’ style. It definitely won’t be going forward.

UNM will take it, though.

3. This one felt great for all, better for others

For how dominating of a win it was, there was an almost awestruck vibe among players after UNM stomped UCLA 35-10 at the Rose Bowl. After all, it was the Rose Bowl, one of the more hallowed sites in college football. You got the feeling they were trying to take it in a little bit more than throw an all-out party.

Saturday? UNM wasted absolutely zero time getting into the celebration. T-shirts with “BOWL BOUND” on the front were distributed, linebacker Jaxton Eck prominently wearing one in a postgame news conference. Players and coaches alike weren’t afraid to make a little noise, either.

“GRITTY!” quarterback Layne yelled to all the Lobo supporters waiting just off the field.

There were even cigars — some for photos, some for real, honest smoking — distributed. “Like this was the Alabama-Tennessee game — which it’s not,” Eck chuckled.

(UNM was polite enough to smoke them outside.)

There was, however, a somewhat deferential tone when Eck and some players talked about some of the holdovers; the guys that had been there two years, three years, four years, five years. How long a day like Saturday was coming for the Tavian Combses and the Isaiah Sillemons on this team, the long-haul players that weathered some downright ugly seasons.

How did they feel?

About as great as you might expect.

“I could have left a long time ago,” Sillemon said, “and went somewhere else. But I stayed here, stuck through the fire. At the end of the day, (God) blessed this team — not just me by myself.”