New Mexico Lobos Achieve Historic Win Over UCLA Bruins

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The New Mexico Lobos secured their first victory against a Big Ten opponent on Friday night, defeating the UCLA Bruins 28-10.

The Lobos’ standout performance included 154 rushing yards and a touchdown from running back . He also caught a 43-yard touchdown pass, while quarterback threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns. This win marks the Lobos’ first triumph over a power conference team since they beat a Pac-10 member back in 2008.

Entering the game as 15½-point underdogs, the Lobos dominated the ground game, amassing 298 rushing yards on 46 carries. New Mexico’s first-year coach, Jason Eck, attributed the success to a bold offensive approach. “Fortune favors the bold, so you got to be aggressive to win games like that,” Eck said. “We weren’t going to be scared. We don’t play these games to try to keep it close. We come to win these games.”

UCLA struggled throughout the night, with quarterback completing 22 of 34 passes for 217 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The Bruins committed 13 penalties for a total of 116 yards, which added to their woes. UCLA coach DeShaun Foster expressed concern about his team’s performance, saying, “It’s pretty low right now. Just not executing.”

New Mexico took control early, with a strong ground game. After trying trick plays at the start, they relied on rushing to score. A 1-yard touchdown run by transformed the first quarter’s momentum.

The Lobos extended their lead to 14-0 when Layne connected with tight end for an 8-yard touchdown catch. The Bruins finally responded with Iamaleava’s 12-yard touchdown pass, bringing them within 14-10 after a muffed punt recovery led to a field goal from .

However, New Mexico answered decisively with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a 2-yard touchdown run by Bankston. “I ain’t gonna lie — me personally, I thought it was gonna be a closer game,” Bankston said. “But once we got to halftime, it was like, let’s go ahead and try to pull away from these guys.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.