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EL PASO, Texas — Heading into Saturday’s game at UTEP, the New Mexico football team hadn’t won in the state of Texas since 1997, losing 15 games straight during that time.
UNM was able to put an end to that streak with a thrilling 42-35 overtime victory over the Miners at the Sun Bowl. The win also snaps the Lobos’ seven-game losing streak.
“That’s all we talked about (winning the game) at halftime,” head coach Bob Davie said. “There’s no more ‘Are we drilled’ or ‘Are we well drilled.’ What we got to do is go win this game. At some point you got to get over the hump and win one of those games.
That was the point of the whole halftime conversation. How do you win this game?”
A week after not being able to establish a consistent running game against the University of Texas-San Antonio, the Lobos gashed the Miners for 395 yards on the ground. Senior running back Kasey Carrier gained 293 yards on 41 attempts with four touchdowns, including the game winner in overtime.
Carrier, who averaged 7.1 yards per game carry, was named College Sports Madness Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.
“Coach was emphasizing a physical game and that we have to establish the run game,” Carrier said. “Running the ball is what we do and we had to come out and get that started.”
UNM (1-1) entered overtime after squandering a chance to end the game in regulation. With 1:12 remaining in the game, junior quarterback Clayton Mitchem hit sophomore running back Jhurell Pressley for a 40-yard gain. That set up the Lobos at UTEP’s 39-yard line but their drive stalled when Mitchem was sacked for a 13-yard loss on third-and-seven that ran out the clock.
In overtime, on third-and-six, Carrier busted through the line for a 21-yard touchdown to give the Lobos a 42-35 lead. UTEP had one last chance to answer but on fourth-and-one from UNM’s 4-yard line, junior running back Nathan Jeffrey was stuffed by the Lobo defense for no gain, sealing UNM’s 42-35 overtime win.
Along with Carrier’s 293 yards, Mitchem pitched in 64 yards on nine carries with two touchdowns, and junior halfback Crusoe Gongbay had 43 yards on five attempts. As for the passing game, Mitchem went 4 of 7 for 88 yards.
UNM was able to run straight up the gut against UTEP (0-1), and Davie said that was the key to the game. Most of Carrier’s touches came right up the middle.
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“You kind of get a feel early in the game whether or not we’re going to be able to run the dive,” Davie said. “Tonight was a night that we could run the dive. It gets to the point that it doesn’t matter whether they plug linebackers or blitz, because you can still run it up in there.”
The Lobo defense struggled allowing 399 yards of total offense to the Miners. UTEP freshman running back Aaron Jones ran the ball 11 times for 127 yards and two touchdowns. The Miners junior quarterback Jameill Showers threw for 119 yards on 15 of 20 passing with one touchdown. Showers also ran for 49 yards and one touchdown on eight attempts.
UNM’s main problem was missed tackles that gave UTEP extra yards after contact. The Miners’ first touchdown was a direct result from the Lobos’ bad tackling, when Jeffrey broke several tackles for a 13-yard touchdown reception.
“You see the good and bad. We missed some tackles, big time missed some tackles,” Davie said. “I thought we got mauled a little bit at times in space. I think we’re building something on defense.”
Neither team could separate from each other as the score was tied five times during the course of the game.
After a half of play the score was tied at 21. UTEP broke the tie when Jones went 65 yards untouched to the end zone for a 28-21 lead.
At the start of the fourth quarter, the Miners gave the Lobos great field position after a fumbled snap and a shanked punt put UNM at UTEP’s own 39-yard line. Carrier capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown to make it 28-28.
Mitchem gave the Lobos a 35-28 lead when he scrambled for a 17-yard touchdown, finishing an eight-play, 70-yard drive. UTEP came right back with a 14-play, 70-yard drive of its own finished by a Jones 8-yard score to tie the game at 35.
Then came the Lobos’ failed game-winning drive at the end of the fourth quarter. In overtime, Carrier scored the final touchdown of the game from 21 yards out for the UNM’s 42-35 victory.
Injury report
Late in the second quarter, UNM senior starting center Dillon Farrell went down with an apparent knee injury. The Lobos’ running game didn’t slow down with Farrell out, and they rushed for 173 yards in the second half.
“We need Dillon Farrell back, he’s the key to our offense,” Carrier said.
