Rammed: New Mexico's offense sputters in deflating loss to Colorado State

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Bronco Mendenhall is fond of saying most football games are decided by only four or five plays.

New Mexico’s 17-6 loss to Colorado State was more or less decided by three.

Down 7-3 with 10:34 left in the second quarter, quarterback Devon Dampier took the snap, sprinted outside and pitched it to running back Eli Sanders for a gain of 10 — 1st and 10 UNM. Officials, however, opted to review the play and ruled it an illegal forward pass — 3rd and 10 UNM.

On third down, Dampier stepped forward in the pocket, stopped and ran to his right before he was clobbered by defensive end Kennedy McDowell for a sack. UNM punted on fourth down and couldn’t get a handle on returner Kobe Johnson, who roared down the sideline for an 82-yard touchdown — and an 11-point lead Colorado State would never relinquish.

“In close games, there’s critical sequences,” said Mendenhall, New Mexico’s first-year head coach. “That was certainly one of them.”

UNM (3-5, 2-2) has now lost 13 straight games to the Rams (5-3, 3-0), a streak that dates back to 2009.

“We came up here to win the game,” Mendenhall said, “and believed we could. This isn’t that we were hopeful if we would play well — or wondering. We came up here to win. So we’re disappointed.”

In a jarring break from the norm, it was a dysfunctional offensive performance that doomed the Lobos on Saturday. Entering the game averaging 37.4 points per game, UNM did not score a touchdown for the first time all season despite outgaining Colorado State 453-334 and racking up 25 first downs — 10 more than the Rams.

Dampier completed 23 of 40 passes for 319 yards, no touchdowns and two fourth-quarter interceptions, rushing for 51 yards with a fumble to boot. Kicker Luke Drzewiecki made two of three attempted field goals, scoring all six of UNM’s points.

Running back Eli Sanders led the Lobos on the ground with 70 yards on a day where UNM’s offense was marred by injuries and a rash of third-down penalties. Wide receiver Caleb Medford and running backs Javen Jacobs and Na’Quari Rogers all missed Saturday’s game after suffering undisclosed injuries during the Lobos’ 50-45 win over Utah State last week.

But perhaps UNM’s most devastating loss to injury occurred on the Lobos’ first drive of the day. Running down the sideline on 2nd and 15, wide receiver Luke Wysong was hit late by defensive back Henry Blackburn and came up limping before heading to the injury tent.

UNM’s leading receiver missed the rest of the game with an undisclosed injury. Mendenhall did not have an update after the game.

“I don’t know,” Mendenhall said. “He was certainly missed. And just what an amazing young person and leader. But I haven’t been told.”

In Wysong’s absence, Ryan Davis hauled in a career-best nine receptions for 146 yards. Wide receiver Michael Buckley caught the first seven passes of his career for 90 yards and Sanders added four receptions for 42 yards.

The Lobos’ season-worst day on offense was a sore complement to what might’ve been a season best for the defense. Led by safety Christian Ellis (10 total tackles) and linebacker Randolph Kpai (11 total tackles), UNM held running back Avery Morrow to 85 yards on 15 carries and the Rams to just one offensive touchdown.

Colorado State did not run a play in the red zone.

“So encouraged and happy for them,” Mendenhall said of the defense. “They’ve been working really hard. And just took a step forward and gave us a chance to have a winnable game all the way in the fourth quarter.”

Colorado State quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi completed 11 of 20 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown, a 46-yard pass to wide receiver Caleb Goodie (three receptions for 62 yards) in the second quarter.

Goodie’s touchdown reception gave the Rams the lead after UNM opened the scoring with Dzewiecki’s 29-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Down 7-3, UNM moved past midfield before the pitch to Sanders was called back and Johnson uncorked an 82-yard return to move Colorado State ahead 14-3.

Rams kicker Jordan Noyes added a 47-yard field goal to make it 17-3 at the half.

UNM opened the third quarter strong, driving all the way to Colorado State’s one-yard line with relative ease.

What followed: no gain on first and goal, no gain on second and goal and a false start on third and goal — one of five penalties committed by UNM on third down. Facing third and goal from the six, Dampier ran it outside the left tackle to gain a few yards before fumbling it away to Colorado State, perhaps the most costly of UNM’s four turnovers.

UNM held the Rams scoreless in the second half but could only muster a 44-yard Drzewiecki field goal to set up a 17-6 final.

“When we get the ball down to the two or three-yard line and don’t score, you know, those …” Mendenhall trailed off. “To win the Mountain West conference, to win games on the road, a few critical plays have to be made.”