Las Vegas, NV— What began as a blowout turned into a heart-stopping finish, but New Mexico found a way to hang on.
Jack Layne threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns, and D.J. McKinney delivered the go-ahead score with just three minutes left as the Lobos escaped with a 40–35 victory over UNLV on Saturday night.
The win snapped a two-game skid for New Mexico (6–3, 3–2 Mountain West), which saw early leads of 21–0 and 34–21 vanish before regrouping for a game-winning drive.
A Hot Start Turns Chaotic
New Mexico looked unstoppable out of the gate. Layne opened the scoring with a pair of first-quarter touchdown passes, then hit Damon Bankston on a stunning 84-yard strike early in the second quarter to give the Lobos a commanding 21–0 lead.
UNLV, however, refused to fold. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea led a furious rally, connecting for one touchdown before Keyvone Lee powered in from short range. Moments later, cornerback Quandarius Keyes jumped a route and returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown, tying the game 21–21 and igniting the home crowd.
Layne answered quickly, launching another deep ball — this time an 80-yard touchdown to Keagan Johnson — to restore the Lobos’ advantage. A field goal before halftime extended the margin to 31–21, and New Mexico carried all the momentum into the break.
UNLV Storms Back, New Mexico Responds
UNLV chipped away in the second half behind Colandrea’s accurate arm. The sophomore quarterback completed 36 of 46 passes for 382 yards and three touchdowns, repeatedly finding Nick Elksnis and Ricky White in the seams.
After a quiet third quarter that ended with New Mexico clinging to a 34–28 lead, the Rebels took their first advantage of the night with just over six minutes remaining. Colandrea capped an eight-play drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Elksnis, giving UNLV a 35–34 lead.
That advantage was short-lived. The Lobos responded immediately, marching 75 yards in eight plays, with McKinney bursting through the line for the winning touchdown with three minutes left.
UNLV’s final drive stalled near midfield, sealing the Lobos’ biggest road win of the season.
Offensive Showcase
Layne finished an efficient 17 of 22 with a sparkling 243.8 passer rating, while backup quarterback James Laubstein added 99 rushing yards and completed two of three passes for 29 yards.
Johnson and Bankston were nearly unstoppable on the outside — Johnson racked up 158 yards receiving, and Bankston added 122, with both scoring long touchdowns.
Up Next:
New Mexico returns home next week to face Boise State, while UNLV (6–2, 2–2 Mountain West) will look to regroup on the road at San Jose State.
