A Jason Sanders 42-yard field goal with the Lobos down 35 points in the fourth quarter was the only scoring play for New Mexico on Saturday evening, as the Wyoming Cowboys manhandled the UNM Lobos 42-3 at Way Memorial Stadium.
Highly touted NFL prospect Josh Allen completed 16 of 28 passes for 234 yards and four touchdowns, including two short passes to junior tight end Austin Fort.
But the real story of the game was the Wyoming defense shutting down the New Mexico offense to just 184 yards, while forcing an impressive seven turnovers. Lobo quarterbacks Lamar Jordan and Tevaka Tuioti combined for five interceptions, while wide receiver Chris Davis Jr. and running back Rommel Jordan each lost a fumble.
The game started off with both teams exchanging a pair of scoreless drives and punts before
Carl Granderson returned an interception of Jordan 37 yards to the UNM three-yard line. After a two-yard run by Trey Woods, Allen punched in the score on a QB sneak to put the Cowboys on the board.
The quick score after the interception would be the first of six first-half touchdowns by Wyoming aided by five New Mexico turnovers, as the Cowboys went into the locker room with a commanding 42-0 lead.
It was a shocking 30 minutes of football for the Lobos and the first time a Bob Davie-led team has ever allowed five turnovers in a half.
“I’d never seen it where it broke down to that point where it was like, Oh my God. What’s going to happen here? It was a numb kind of feeling,” said UNM head coach Bob Davie after the game.
The numb feeling continued in the second half as the Lobos failed to score a touchdown, while the Cowboys ran the clock down with a run-heavy scheme. Sanders would keep the Lobos from getting shut out with his field goal with seven minutes to play – not much of a consolation for a Lobo team that had won the previous three meetings between the schools.
“I know last year was last year, but that didn’t sit well with us,” Cowboys head coach Craig Bohl said. “We were focused, came out fast and played an explosive second quarter.”
The Lobos will look to get back on track this Saturday against the Utah State Aggies at DreamStyle Stadium, while the Cowboys will try to build off this win when they host CSU next week.