T-Mac attack: Receiver's record-setting night sinks New Mexico in loss to No. 21 Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz. — Zone coverage. Man coverage. Zone pressures. Man with help.

For all New Mexico threw at him, nothing slowed down wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.

McMillan set a single-game Arizona record with 304 receiving yards and scored four touchdowns as No. 21 Arizona pulled away after a back-and-forth first half to deal UNM a 61-39 loss on Saturday night.

After the Wildcats (1-0) entered halftime holding a slim three-point lead, the 6-foot-5, 212-pound junior hauled in his fourth touchdown early in the second half to put Arizona up by three scores. The Lobos (0-2) never got back within two as McMillan – nicknamed “T-Mac” – accounted for a little under half of Arizona’s 627 yards of total offense on 10 catches.

“They did a really nice job moving him around,” UNM head coach Bronco Mendenhall said of McMillan. “We didn’t have answers – not effective answers. And when we did, we didn’t execute them well enough.”

Widely regarded as a first-round NFL Draft pick, the long and smooth McMillan exploded for 69, 17 and 78-yard touchdowns in an opening half that may have surprised some of the 47,748 announced fans at Arizona Stadium. Quarterback Devon Dampier’s five touchdown night keyed a hot start for the Lobos, one that saw UNM match Arizona blow-for-blow across the first two quarters.

Following McMillan’s opening score, Dampier answered with a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Luke Wysong. The sophomore from Scottsdale, Arizona went on to connect with running back Na’Quari Rogers for a 7-yard score before Arizona’s Tyler Loop (2-for-2, 54 long) and UNM’s Luke Drzewiecki (1-for-1, 20 long) traded field goals to tie it at 17 all.

And after Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita threw a deflected pick to safety Christian Ellis, Dampier faked a pitch and sprinted into the end zone for a 13-yard rushing touchdown to give UNM a short-lived 24-17 lead late in the second quarter.

In total, he completed 24 of 42 passes for a career-high 253 yards, three touchdowns and the first two interceptions of his career. Dampier also led UNM on the ground with a team-high 130 yards and two touchdowns.

Wysong set a new career-high of his own with 129 yards on eight receptions, while wide receiver Caleb Medford (one reception, nine yards) hauled in Dampier’s third and final passing touchdown in the fourth quarter.

“He’s a great decision-maker,” Mendenhall said of Dampier. “He’s capable with his arms and legs. He’s poised and he had a really strong performance tonight – he gave us a great chance.”

But for as good of a chance as it was, it only took a matter of minutes for the second half to swing right back in Arizona’s direction. After Loop put the Wildcats back in the lead with a 46-yard field goal to end the second quarter, running back Quali Conley broke free in the third for a 51-yard rushing touchdown that put Arizona up 10.

Three plays later, Dampier threw his second interception, a ball that bounced off wide receiver Shawn Miller’s chest and into the hands of linebacker Treydan Stukes. Fifita (304 yards, four touchdowns, one interception) took advantage of a short field and hit McMillan for a 40-yard touchdown to make it 41-24 early in the third quarter.

Dampier briefly halted Arizona’s momentum with a 7-yard rushing touchdown before Conley (90 rushing yards) surged ahead for two more of his own. Former UNM running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (106 yards) followed Medford’s touchdown with a late 36-yard scoring run, one that set up a 61-39 final.

“I really was encouraged by the first half,” Mendenhall said. “It wasn’t perfect and it wasn’t clean and it wasn’t exact, but I expected the second half to be the same. Big plays against our defense hurt us.”

Safety Bobby Arnold III led UNM with eight tackles on a night where the defense consistently gave up big plays and struggled to reliably pressure Fifita. Starting linebacker Jayden Wilson was ejected after being flagged for targeting in the second quarter.

“I expected it to go right to the very end, I really did,” Mendenhall added. “We came down to play that kind of game – when the first half ended, I was really hopeful and believed the game would finish that way. But again, (there was) improvement through parts of the game.

“(It’s) still not consistent enough. Not against this caliber (of) opponent on the road.”