Defense took the weekend off for the Lobos and Spartans, as the two teams combined for 89 points and over 900 yards in total offense in UNM’s 48-41 win over SJSU on Saturday afternoon at University Stadium.
Richard McQuarley led the Lobos with three rushing touchdowns and Terriyon Gipson added 156 yards and a score, as UNM totaled a whopping 446 yards on the ground.
In stark contrast of the Lobos, the Spartans chose the air game to move the ball downfield, with quarterback Kenny Potter completing 16 of 29 passes for three touchdowns and one interception.
Potter hit three different receivers for touchdowns, including a 14-yard strike to Tre Hartley to bring the Spartans within one score with 31 seconds left in the game.
The Lobos jumped out to an early 14-0 lead on a 40-yard td run by Gipson to cap off a 9-play, 89 yard drive on UNM’s second possession of the game.
The Spartans would respond with two scores of their own, but finished the first quarter down 14-13 after the Lobos block Bryce Crawford’s extra point attempt.
UNM scored ten points to start the second half after Austin Ocasio intercepted Potter for a 37-yard touchdown. It was one of the few impressive defensive plays on the day for the Lobos, and it extended the lead to three scores over the Spartans.
Relentless on the offensive side of the ball, SJSU would respond with 14 points to start the fourth quarter before falling just short as the final whistle blew.
A defensive coach by nature, the win was important to head coach Bob Davie, but he was obviously concerned with how poorly his defense played.
“I’m happy we won. I think we have some good things going,” Davie said after the game. “I just thought we would be playing at a higher level right now, defensively, and I know we all feel that way across the board.”
The team will savor the win for the weekend, but then it is back to work for the Lobos as the 19th ranked Boise St. Broncos come to town on Friday night.
“It’s a positive that we won. We are excited, we are happy,” Davie said. “But I also know today is like Sunday to me, because we play Friday night against Boise. So I’m back to reality right now. We have to get better.”
The Broncos are 4-0 on the season, with impressive wins over Oregon St. and Washington St. this season.