Each SDSU touchdown came off of a run of 25 yards or more. Head coach Bob Davie said allowing the big runs are exhausting to his team.
“It really takes the wind out of everybody’s sails,” Davie said. “It takes you to your knees, giving up big plays like that. It really does.”
Davie said he was pleased by how hard his defense played, but the inconsistency on the defensive side of the ball is what hurt his club.
“There were a lot of positives out there,” Davie said. “We just have to keep doing what we’re doing, but do it better.”
Going into the night, Davie knew the UNM defense was going to have its hands full with Donnel Pumphrey, who now leads the Mountain West in rushing with 807 yards, averaging 134.5 a game.
“Give number 19 some credit ... he is really good,” Davie said of Pumphrey. “We won’t be the last team that number 19 breaks a long run on.”
Pumphrey finished the night with 246 rushing yards on 20 carries for SDSU (3-3, 1-1 MW), good enough for a 12.3-yard average. The sophomore running back out of Las Vegas, Nevada broke off a 49-yard touchdown run in the second quarter in addition to a 93 yarder for a touchdown, his season longest.
“We were a little thin there on defense, but it was more missed tackles and the kid out-quicking us,” Davie said. “It’s a frustrating thing. It wears you out.”
New Mexico (2-4, 0-2 MW) also allowed Chase Price to carry the ball for 142 yards on 17 carries. Price, too, had a big run of 27 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter.
“There were too many explosive plays,” senior safety David Guthrie said. “That’s what you give up — big plays — when you miss tackles.”
Guthrie was in on the most tackles on Friday with six solo stops and helping out on seven separate occasions. He said effort contributed to his solid performance, especially on the opening series where Guthrie was involved in eight tackles, holding SDSU to its only field goal of the night.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Despite missed tackles and big gains early, UNM didn’t allow a big gain for a score, following Pumphrey’s 93-yard burst up the sideline with 3:59 to go in the third quarter. In fact, UNM’s defense forced four consecutive turnovers in the fourth quarter in hopes of igniting the Lobo offense.
“I don’t think I have ever been in a game where there were four turnovers created in four series in a row,” Davie said.
Markel Byrd, a redshirt freshman out of San Diego, forced both Aztec fumbles in addition to his four unassisted tackles on the night. Redshirt junior Donnie Duncan and junior Cranston Jones were the two defensive backs to record interceptions for New Mexico.
Despite four straight series with turnovers, the damage had already been done on the ground as New Mexico’s offense was unable to play catch-up in the final quarter of the game.
Davie said that while the turnovers provided a boost, the battle of field position hurt UNM as the Lobos started 12 of 13 drives inside its own 32-yard line.
Liam Cary-Eaves is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
