Rate Bowl thriller: New Mexico falls to Minnesota in overtime

PHOENIX — New Mexico led early and rallied late, but ultimately fell 20-17 to Minnesota in overtime Friday in a tightly contested Rate Bowl at Chase Field.

Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey found wide receiver Jalen Smith for a 12-yard walkoff touchdown on third-and-8 in the first overtime period, giving the Gophers (8-5) their ninth consecutive bowl victory — the longest such streak in the country.

The Lobos (9-4) — who struck first in overtime, taking a 17-14 lead after kicker Luke Drzewiecki’s 36-yard field goal — fell to 4-9-1 all-time in bowls.

Playing in front of an announced crowd of 27,439, UNM largely matched Minnesota defensively, but struggled to find a reliable offensive rhythm. The Lobos were outgained 252-204 (116 rushing) and did not score an offensive touchdown over the course of 66 plays.

UNM struggled at points to protect quarterback Jack Layne, who completed 14 of 25 passes for 88 yards and one interception. The redshirt junior completed only 2 of 9 passes in the second half. The Lobos allowed four sacks on the day.

“I thought we fought our tails off today, just came up a little bit short,” head coach Jason Eck said in a news conference. “I thought we particularly played well on defense – just got maybe worn down a little as the game went on … They’re a very good opponent.”

On a day where UNM struggled to move the ball, one play changed everything.

Trailing 14-6 in the fourth quarter, UNM running back Damon Bankston returned a kickoff 100 yards for the Lobos’ only touchdown of the game. The fifth-year senior’s highlight run was the longest touchdown in Rate Bowl history, and his second 100-yard return of the season.

“They kicked in the middle of the field — and teams usually don’t kick in the middle of the field,” Bankston said in a news conference. “ … I tried to keep it straight, I went the way the return’s supposed to hit and I (saw) it open up (and) I just (burst through).

“I knew it was gonna be a touchdown.”

Layne’s ensuing two-point attempt to wide receiver Keagan Johnson tied the game.

“Obviously this game didn’t go the way we wanted, and we needed to make another play or two to win the game,” Eck said. “But (UNM) should be very proud of what they accomplished — nobody really had expectations of being in a bowl game … I believe we’re on a collision course (toward) winning a Mountain West Championship. It’s a matter of time.”

Minnesota led 7-6 through three quarters following Lindsey’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Smith late in the second quarter. Despite running 40 first-half plays to the Gophers’ 22, the Lobos settled for (and converted) field goals on two trips to the red zone.

In the first quarter, the Lobos had a fresh set of downs at Minnesota’s 1-yard line but were unable to punch it in on three straight plays. The ensuing 31-yard field goal from Drzewiecki gave UNM a 3-0 lead. Notably, the field goal was UNM's first in a bowl game away from New Mexico.

Drzewiecki’s 29-yarder came after UNM opted to not go for it on fourth-and-3 midway through the second quarter. Six plays before, the Lobos attempted — and converted – a fourth-and-7 near midfield.

“Luke’s been so damn accurate, you can almost count those as three-point opportunities,” Eck said of the decision to kick the second field goal. “You start looking at, ‘hey, we got a high 90% chance of getting three points,’ and fourth-and-3 is that area where you probably have to pass it. We just thought it leaned towards a kick situation.”

Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year Jaxton Eck — UNM’s starting middle linebacker — left the game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury. He returned, but for only one play — an unsuccessful fake punt on fourth-and-2 in the fourth quarter.

“We took some chances that backfired … I thought we needed a spark to try to get something going on offense when we were struggling to move the ball,” Coach Eck said of the fake punt attempt.

Without Jaxton on the field, UNM gave up a 5-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to Minnesota running back Darius Taylor — what looked to be the knockout punch before the Lobos’ late rally.

Despite the loss, the Lobos surpassed all expectations this season in getting nine wins and a bowl invite — the team's first winning season since 2016. 

Eck, in his first year at the helm and with more than 70 new players in the program, led the Lobos to a 6-2 record in the Mountain West, which landed UNM in a tie with three other teams for first place.