“I think we have an historic defense... If you’re playing historically good defense, I think it is (feasible to keep saving games). Obviously, that puts a lot of pressure on them if all of a sudden they have a game where they give up 24 (and) are we in big trouble.”
How fitting that in a game played on Halloween, the University of New Mexico football team received an epic scare.
Safety Austin Brawley intercepted San Jose State quarterback Luke Weaver in the end zone with 11 seconds left as the mighty Lobo defense overcame yet another spooky scenario with a late-game stand that preserved a 21-16 road victory over the Spartans on Saturday afternoon.
UNM (7-1, 4-0) won its fifth straight, 10th straight conference game dating back to last year, won in San Jose for the first time since 1969, produced only its second 7-1 start to the season in 88 years (the other time being 1982 – the school’s only 10-win season) and won back-to-back 21-16 games after toppling North Dakota State by the same score last week.
The victory puts New Mexico on the doorstep of its first-ever ranking in The Associated Press College Football Poll.
And yet, relief was the main emotion UNM felt after leaving what had the potential of turning into an afternoon horror show.
“Great way to find a way to get a win on the road,” coach Jason Eck said in his postgame comments. “I thought our defense was exceptional.”
The Lobos have not given up more than 20 points in their last 11 games. In six of those games, the defense has been tasked with preserving leads late in the fourth quarter or overtime.
The only loss among those six came vs. Minnesota in overtime in last year’s Rate Bowl (and the one time UNM gave up as many as 20 points during that span).
“… I think we have an historic defense,” Eck said. “If you’re playing historically good defense, I think it is (feasible to keep saving games). Obviously, that puts a lot of pressure on them if all of a sudden they have a game where they give up 24 (and) are we in big trouble.”
Defense heroics were necessary yet again because of UNM’s mercurial passing attack that couldn’t hold leads of 12 and 11 points. Quarterback Toa Fa’avae struggled again, completing 9 of 14 passes for 101 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions that led to 13 points for the Spartans (4-5, 2-3).
Especially when the rushing attack produced 231 yards and a 5.4-yard average per carry. Kiefer Sibley had 12 carries for 102 yards, and Scottre Humprey had 16 for 87 yards and two TDs.
Leading 21-16, UNM already stopped one SJSU drive that started with under five minutes left and ended at the Lobo 37.
The offense couldn’t run out the clock, and New Mexico punted the ball back to SJSU at its own 27 with 22 seconds left.
A 39-yard pass from Weaver to Anthony Ivey gave the Spartans a first down at the UNM 34 with 16 seconds left. Brawley stepped in front of a Weaver pass in the end zone on the next play to seal the win.
“Brawley’s playing like the conference player of the year,” Eck said.
Just another Saturday at work for the Lobo defense.
“There was no worry in my mind at any second that we were going to lose that game,” said senior defensive end Darren Agu (six tackles, three for loss and two sacks) of the last stand. “So, I was confident we were going to come out with the dub (‘W’).
It was a game UNM controlled throughout but never put away.
The Lobos led 21-9 with the ball at the SJSU 29 with 11:03 left in the fourth quarter, looking to pad their lead.
A Fa’avae pass bounced off wide receiver Miles Williams’ outstretched hand, and Spartans safety Tuli Tagovailoa-Amosa caught it in and returned it 89 yards for a TD.
Fa’avae also threw interceptions on back-to-back plays in the final 3:27 of the first half that UNM’s defense limited to a pair of field goals, cutting its lead to 14-9 at halftime.
Eck blamed himself for poor play-calling.
“The pick-six, I should’ve called a run,” Eck said. “There’s a lot of value in a field goal there to give us a chance to go up by 15. “I’ve got to do a better job managing the game. I’ve got to do a better job of protecting the football, putting Toa in good situations.”
Eck, however, added UNM may reevaluate the quarterback situation.
“I’ll say this: By whatever means necessary, we’ve got to do a better job protecting the football,” Eck said. “It starts with us coaching things better. I wouldn’t say that’s off the table – playing multiple guys.”
Credit the team for understanding the 20-point defensive benchmark. Despite the struggles, the team has done enough to score 21 in each of its last three games.
But while Eck believes the Lobos can continue winning games in the manner they’ve done during those three games, it is telling that the one game they lost – at Oklahoma – was a game they were behind and failed to come up with a late touchdown on offense.
Thankfully, UNM hasn’t had to face that scenario again. Surviving Halloween sets up the potential for the greatest November in program history.
Austin Brawley’s game-saving end-zone interception preserved a thrilling 21-16 victory for New Mexico over San Jose State. The Lobos moved to 7-1 on the season, extending their conference winning streak to 10 behind a historic defense that continues to clutch out victories.