The University of New Mexico Lobo football team pushed the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins to their limits, beating the Bruins 35-10. The Lobos proved their ferocity both on defense and offense, during the game on Friday, Sept. 12, at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif.
This Lobos victory marks their first-ever win over a Big Ten opponent in football and their first triumph against a Power Conference program since the 2008 season. The last time UNM faced UCLA was in 2002, when former Lobos kicker Katie Hnida became the first female player in a bowl game.
The Lobos set the winning tone early on as Offensive Coordinator Luke Schleusner's offense began the night with back-to-back trick plays which failed, leading to a touchdown, but demonstrated that they were not scared to take risks. This continued throughout the game, as the Lobos gambled all night during their time with the ball, sending the message to UCLA that they were going to play aggressively.
Lobo Head Coach Jason Eck said that the Lobos came into the game knowing they were going to be the aggressor.
“We told the kids we were going to be aggressive, we weren’t going to be scared, we are trying to win these games,” Eck said.
The Lobos bullied the Bruins when it came to the run game, as UCLA was unable to answer the Lobos. UNM scattered the Bruins and finished the game with 298 rushing yards. Three of the Lobos' five touchdowns came from the run game, and all three were run in by three separate running backs: Damon Bankston, D.J. McKinney and Scottre Humphrey.
Bankston said he was proud of the RB Room and the Lobos know they have potential.
“The ceiling of this team is really unknown right now; we know how good this team can be,” Bankton said.
In the fourth quarter, the Bruins mounted a late push, but their hopes were dashed when Lobo safety Tavian Combs sealed the game with an interception with nearly three minutes left of the game, shutting down the Bruins' last offensive effort.
Although the victory is impressive, the Lobos were not perfect. The Lobos struggled at times on both the offensive and defensive ends, even with holding on to the ball during punt returns, dropping it twice. Their aggressiveness and risks also failed at times, as the Lobos were unable to convert two of their four fourth down conversion attempts. The UNM squad was able to pull off the upset, demonstrating the team’s new prowess.
The Lobos came into the night as the FBS team averaging the fewest penalty yards per game, having only committed three penalties through two games, for a total of nine yards per game. Against UCLA, the Lobos committed four penalties, for a total of 19 yards.
UCLA, on the other hand, committed a grand total of 13 penalties throughout the game, causing the Bruins to be set back 116 yards. This marked the third game in a row where the Lobos' composure on the offense and defensive end spelled trouble for the opposing team.
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The Lobos now go into a bye week before facing the New Mexico State Aggies, on Sept. 27, as part of the Rio Grande Rivalry.
Wyatt S. Padilla is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @wyattspadilla
