New Mexico Lobo Football Fans Must See Program's Unicorn, as Central Michigan Witnessed
“We’ve got a good football team... we’ve got to keep getting better. We’ve got to get to the level to be as good as we can be…”
The first unwritten rule in the Lobo football coaching manual is that the job is a marathon, not a sprint.
Jason Eck did not get that manual.
Eck resumed his assault on the University of New Mexico football record book Saturday night when UNM disposed of an outmanned Central Michigan team 38-7 at University Stadium.
Eck became the fastest coach in Lobo history to record his 10th win (in 14 games). He is undefeated at home – 7-0 during his tenure, and the program won its eighth straight at home for the first time since 1938-1940.
UNM won its seventh straight regular-season game, eclipsing a six-game streak in 1997 under Dennis Franchione – the man who inserted the “marathon, not a sprint” motto in the coaching training manual.
The 2026 Lobos showed a new wrinkle it hadn’t shown at home last season – a dull finish. The 31-point margin of victory was the largest of Eck’s brief New Mexico tenure. The previous high was the team’s 35-10 rout of UCLA in Pasadena, Calif., 51 weeks ago. The largest home win in 2025 was 19 points – a 33-14 knockout of Utah State and a certain former UNM coach who shall not be named.
“We’ve got a good football team,” Eck said after the win late Saturday night. “We’ve got to keep getting better. We’ve got to get to the level to be as good as we can be. …”
The season debut wasn’t a perfect debut, but it was close because of the imperfections revealed that should occupy the team’s practices this week.
New Mexico linebacker Jaxton Eck (6) looks into the backfield before the ball is snapped against Central Michigan University. Photo: Ryan Kelly-Romero/R&R Sports Photography
The Lobos thoroughly inspected their three-headed monster at quarterback in Luke Moga, Toa Fa’avae and James Laubstein, and all three brought different strengths to the table.
Fa’avae started the game. went three and out on his first series and misfired on his first three passes. But a nifty 16-yard scramble on third and 10 at the UNM 22 on its second possession jump-started the offense, which scored on four consecutive possessions to take a 20-0 halftime.
Moga looked the most comfortable in the pocket, completing 13 of 17 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. But he had an intentional grounding penalty that stalled one drive when UNM appeared headed for a third straight visit to the end zone.
Laubstein was … Laubstein. He either scored a TD (twice) or rushed for a first down (four times) in all six of his carries for a total of 18 yards.
The defense, meanwhile, started the game forcing four straight three-and-outs and didn’t yield a first down until a minute left in the first half.
And New Mexico has an exciting punt returner in Marco Beltran, who had 47 yards total on two returns. The team had 55 punt return yards for the entire 2025 season.
The offense, however, did bog down and settle for three second quarter field goal attempts. Eck said finishing drives would be a priority this week in practice.
The team also suffered injuries to middle linebacker Jaxton Eck (shoulder) and Jaymar Tasi (ankle). Their statuses are in question for next week’s game against Mercyhurst.
And while the attendance of 24,126 was the most for a home opener since 2014, it wasn’t the kind of reception befitting the team’s performance over these last 14 games.
“That was a 31-point win against a team that went to a bowl game last year,” Eck said. "I’d like to see a better crowd next week.
“I think this is going to be the best football team since further back than that, so I expect better (attendance). I think these guys deserve better than that.”
By the way, UNM started this eight-game home winning streak in glorious fashion, shocking then-No 18 Washington State 38-35 in the 2024 home finale.
And the coach who engineered that win – the same he who shall not be named – just lost to Idaho State in his Utah State team’s 2026 season opener.
Turns out, that man did have UNM’s best interest at heart; his departure has led to this rarest of occasions: Instead of a Bronco, New Mexico has captured (for now) a true unicorn – a phenomenally successful football coach.
R&R Sports Photography (Ryan Kelly-Romero)
Suffocate, throttle, or dominate—pick your verb, because New Mexico’s defense executed them all on Saturday night.
In front of 24,126 fans, their largest home-opening crowd since 2014, the Lobos dismantled Central Michigan 38-7 to secure their most decisive season-opening victory against an FBS opponent in 42 years. Defensive coordinator Spence Nowinsky’s unit delivered a masterclass in relentless execution, holding the Chippewas without a single first down for nearly the entire first half and surrendering just three yards across CMU's opening 12 plays.