It was the kind of week that programs remember for decades. New Mexico Football closed its regular season with a dramatic double-overtime victory that kept the Lobos in the hunt for the Mountain West title, their head coach earned a major contract extension, two generations of the Eck family made conference history, and one of the nation’s best runners claimed the highest honor in collegiate cross country. Meanwhile, Lobo women’s basketball split a pair of games at the Florida Gulf Classic, showing both dominance and resilience.
Football: Lobos Outlast Aztecs in Double OT to Finish 9–3
In front of a raucous Senior Day crowd of 30,575 at University Stadium, New Mexico earned one of its most memorable victories in recent years, grinding out a 23–17 double-overtime win over San Diego State to finish 9–3 overall and 6–2 in Mountain West play. The win capped a perfect 6–0 home season and marked the Lobos’ sixth straight victory.
UNM’s defense delivered when it mattered most. After a fourth quarter defined by field-position battles and missed opportunities on both sides, the game moved to overtime tied at 17. Austin Brawley opened the extra period with an interception that set the Lobos up for a potential walk-off score—only for a late fumble at the 3-yard line to force a second overtime.
New Mexico didn’t let the second chance slip away. Jack Layne lofted a pass to Cade Keith, who extended for a spectacular one-handed grab before racing into the end zone for the decisive touchdown. Though the Lobos failed on the two-point try after a penalty, the defense shut the door. Three consecutive false starts pushed SDSU back to the 25, and back-to-back sacks by Keyshawn James-Newby and Darren Agu forced a fourth-and-goal from the 30. The final pass sailed long, igniting a stadium-wide celebration.
Layne finished 14-for-25 for 127 yards and the game-winner, while the ground game churned out 181 yards against an Aztec defense that had allowed just three rushing TDs all year. James Laubstein ran for 70 yards and a score, and D.J. McKinney dashed for a fourth-down 54-yard touchdown. Defensively, Tavian Combs posted 12 tackles, and Jaxton Eck added 11 as UNM limited SDSU to 355 total yards.
Despite the win, UNM narrowly missed a spot in the Mountain West Championship Game due to computer-rank tiebreakers. The Lobos will learn their bowl destination December 7.
Brawley Named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week
Safety Austin Brawley’s late-season surge continued, earning him his second Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week honor in three games. Against the Aztecs, Brawley recorded 10 tackles, a sack, a TFL, a forced fumble, and the overtime interception that changed the game’s trajectory. Since returning from injury, he has helped fuel nine takeaways in three games and allowed UNM’s defense to hold opponents to just 12.3 points per contest.
Jason and Jaxton Eck Make Mountain West History
The Lobos’ year of resurgence became even more historic as head coach Jason Eck was named Mountain West Coach of the Year and his son, linebacker Jaxton Eck, was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
The father-son duo is the first in Mountain West history to earn major awards in the same season and the first FBS pairing to do it since 2018. Jaxton joined Keyshawn James-Newby on the All-Mountain West First Team Defense, while tight end Dorian Thomas and kick returner Damon Bankston also earned First Team nods. In total, UNM collected 11 All-Conference selections.
Eck Signs New Five-Year Contract
Adding to the celebration, UNM announced a new five-year contract extension for Coach Eck, keeping him in Albuquerque through 2030. The agreement increases guaranteed compensation and expands performance bonuses, reflecting a season that redefined expectations.
In his debut campaign, Eck delivered UNM’s first Big Ten win, its first sellout since 2007, snapped multiple multi-decade losing streaks, and positioned the Lobos as the nation’s top team in surpassing preseason win projections. Off the field, the program’s social media presence surged into national relevance thanks to Eck’s accessible personality and viral pop-culture parodies.
Women’s Basketball: Lobos Roll, Then Rally, At the Florida Gulf Classic
The Lobo women opened the Florida Gulf Classic in dominant fashion, routing Chicago State 80–53 behind a season-high 17 points from Cacia Antonio and a 24–5 second quarter that featured an 18–0 run. New Mexico generated a season-best 19 steals, with Emma Najjuma leading on the boards with 10 rebounds.
A day later, UNM found itself fighting from behind against Cincinnati. Trailing by 10 early in the fourth, the Lobos stormed back on a flurry of threes from Nayli Padilla, Joana Magalhães, and Laila Abdurraqib. Padilla’s fifth three-pointer of the game gave UNM a 60–59 lead with just over two minutes remaining, but the Bearcats closed on a 4–0 run to steal a 63–60 win.
Padilla finished with a career-high 19 points, including 13 in the second half, while Hooks added 10. Najjuma and Antonio each hauled in 11 rebounds.
UNM leaves the tournament 6–3 and returns to action December 7 at Arizona.
Cross Country: Habtom Samuel Named National Athlete of the Year
Capping the week, Lobo star Habtom Samuel was recognized as the USTFCCCA Division I Men’s National Athlete of the Year after an undefeated season culminating in his first NCAA cross country title. Samuel posted a blazing 10K mark of 28:33.9—the fastest in Mountain West history—and became the first Lobo man to win an NCAA XC championship.
He is now a three-time Mountain Region Athlete of the Year and one of the nation’s most decorated collegiate distance runners.
A Program Ascending
From overtime heroics to national awards, historic coaching recognition, and breakout performances across multiple sports, New Mexico’s athletic department is surging into December with unprecedented momentum. Football awaits its bowl assignment, women’s basketball continues nonconference play with confidence, and cross country has claimed the nation’s top honor.
It was a week that captured exactly what UNM Athletics has become under its new era of leadership—competitive, compelling, and undeniably rising.