# 2024 New Mexico Lobos football team

The 2024 New Mexico Lobos football team represented the University of New Mexico as a member of the Mountain West Conference during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Lobos were led by Bronco Mendenhall in his first and only year as New Mexico's head coach. They played home games at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Following the season, Mendenhall left the team to accept the head coaching position at Utah State. On December 14, Idaho head coach Jason Eck was hired as the Lobos' new head coach.

## Offseason
### Transfers
#### Outgoing

| Player | Position | Destination |
| Christian Washington | RB | Coastal Carolina |
| DJ Wingfield | OT | Purdue |
| Tavian Combs | S | Withdrawn |
| Devon Smith | OT | Louisiana–Monroe |
| Jacob Trussell | TE | Unknown |
| Jermarius Lewis | S | UTSA |
| Christian Ellis | S | Withdrawn |
| Andrew Henry | RB | Withdrawn |
| JC Davis | OT | Illinois |
| Zach Morris | CB | UTSA |
| CJ James | TE | UTSA |
| Ezra Sexton | WR | East Tennessee State |
| Reese Steele | IOL | Louisiana–Monroe |
| Wyatt McClour | TE | Louisiana–Monroe |
| Sam Telesa | IOL | Louisiana–Monroe |
| Jacob Godfrey | WR | Louisiana–Monroe |
| Austin Ackel | TE | Louisiana-Monroe |
| Shancco Matautia | IOL | Arizona State |
| Marvin Covington | S | TBD |
| Aidan Armenta | QB | Louisiana-Monroe |
| Duece Jones | WR | Grambling State |
| Hunter Sellers | CB | TBD |
| Alec Marenco | LB | Kansas State |
| D'Arco Perkins-McAllister | CB | TBD |
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt | RB | TBD |

#### Incoming

| Player | Position | Previous School |
| Javen Jacobs | RB | Arizona State |
| Elvin Harris | OT | Campbell |
| Richard Pierce | IOL | East Carolina |
| Wallace Unamba | OT | Florida Atlantic |
| Shawn Miller | WR | Illinois |
| Eli Sanders | RB | Iowa State |
| Noah Avinger | CB | San Diego State |
| Isaiah Jones | WR | Syracuse |
| James Bailey | IOL | Texas A&M |
| Lajuan Owens | IOL | Tulane |
| Okiki Olorunfunmi | EDGE | Weber State |

## Preseason
### Mountain West media poll

The Mountain West's preseason prediction poll was released on July 10, 2024.
Mountain West media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Boise State | 543 (38) |
| 2 | UNLV | 471 (4) |
| 3 | Fresno State | 460 (4) |
| 4 | Air Force | 384 |
| 5 | Colorado State | 337 |
| 6 | Wyoming | 296 |
| 7 | Utah State | 285 |
| 8 | San Diego State | 251 |
| 9 | Hawaii | 214 |
| 10 | San Jose State | 185 |
| 11 | New Mexico | 85 |
| 12 | Nevada | 77 |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 24 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 4 (FCS) Montana State* | University StadiumAlbuquerque, NM | FS1 | L 31–35 | 17,314 |
| August 31 | 8:30 p.m. | at No. 21 Arizona* | Arizona StadiumTucson, AZ (rivalry) | ESPN | L 39–61 | 44,748 |
| September 14 | 5:30 p.m. | at Auburn* | Jordan-Hare StadiumAuburn, AL | ESPN2 | L 19–45 | 88,043 |
| September 21 | 6:30 p.m. | Fresno State | University StadiumAlbuquerque, NM | TruTV | L 21–38 | 18,019 |
| September 28 | 6:00 p.m. | at New Mexico State* | Aggie Memorial StadiumLas Cruces, NM (Rio Grande Rivalry) | ESPN+ | W 50–40 | 21,062 |
| October 12 | 5:00 p.m. | Air Force | University StadiumAlbuquerque, NM | TruTV | W 52–37 | 15,561 |
| October 19 | 2:00 p.m. | at Utah State | Maverik StadiumLogan, UT | TruTV | W 50–45 | 14,584 |
| October 26 | 3:00 p.m. | at Colorado State | Canvas StadiumFort Collins, CO | Altitude | L 6–17 | 36,980 |
| November 2 | 2:00 p.m. | Wyoming | University StadiumAlbuquerque, NM | TruTV | L 45–49 | 15,046 |
| November 8 | 8:30 p.m. | at San Diego State | Snapdragon StadiumSan Diego, CA | FS1 | W 21–16 | 21,832 |
| November 16 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 18 Washington State* | University StadiumAlbuquerque, NM | FS1 | W 38–35 | 14,067 |
| November 30 | 9:00 p.m. | at Hawaii | Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics ComplexHonolulu, HI | SPEC PPV | L 30–38 | 12,046 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game |||||||

## Game summaries
### No. 4 (FCS) Montana State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 4 (FCS) Bobcats | 0 | 14 | 0 | 21 | 35 |
| Lobos | 10 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
at University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico
* Date: August 24, 2024
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 90 °F (32 °C)
* Game attendance: 17,314
* Referee: Jonathan Noli
* TV announcers (FS1): Tim Brando (play-by-play), Devin Gardner (analyst), and Josh Sims (sideline)
* Box score
| Statistics | MTST | UNM |
| First downs | 27 | 19 |
| Total yards | 567 | 324 |
| Rushing yards | 47–362 | 28–152 |
| Passing yards | 205 | 172 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 21–32–0 | 18–26–0 |
| Time of possession | 34:40 | 25:20 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Montana State | Passing | Tommy Mellott | 21/32, 205 yards, 2 TD |
| Montana State | Rushing | Adam Jones | 17 carries, 167 yards, TD |
| Montana State | Receiving | Ty McCullouch | 7 receptions, 66 yards, TD |
| New Mexico | Passing | Devon Dampier | 18/26, 172 yards, TD |
| New Mexico | Rushing | Eli Sanders | 17 carries, 87 yards |
| New Mexico | Receiving | Luke Wysong | 6 receptions, 95 yards |
Entering the game, the Bobcats were double-digit favorites to win the game. It was the first time since 2013 that an FCS team was a double-digit favorite to win against an FBS opponent.

### at No. 21 Arizona (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lobos | 14 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 39 |
| No. 21 Wildcats | 14 | 13 | 21 | 13 | 61 |
at Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Arizona
* Date: August 31, 2024
* Game time: 8:30 p.m. MDT/7:30 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 89 °F (32 °C)
* Game attendance: 44,748
* Referee: Stephon Baron
* TV announcers (ESPN): Brian Custer (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst), and Lauren Sisler (sideline reporter)
| Statistics | UNM | ARIZ |
| First downs | 30 | 22 |
| Total yards | 471 | 672 |
| Rushing yards | 38–211 | 26–205 |
| Passing yards | 260 | 422 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 24–42–2 | 19–31–1 |
| Time of possession | 34:58 | 25:02 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| New Mexico | Passing | Devon Dampier | 24/42, 260 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT |
| New Mexico | Rushing | Devon Dampier | 15 carries, 130 yards, 2 TD |
| New Mexico | Receiving | Luke Wysong | 8 receptions, 129 yards, TD |
| Arizona | Passing | Noah Fifita | 19/31, 422 yards, 4 TD, INT |
| Arizona | Rushing | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | 13 carries, 106 yards, TD |
| Arizona | Receiving | Tetairoa McMillan | 10 receptions, 304 yards, 4 TD |

### at Auburn

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lobos | 10 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 19 |
| Tigers | 14 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 45 |
at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama
* Date: Saturday September 14, 2024
* Game time: 5:30 p.m. MDT/6:30 CDT
* Game weather: Rain • Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Wind: E 6 mph
* Game attendance: 88,043
* Referee: Lee Hedrick
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Sam Acho (analyst), Taylor Davis (sideline reporter)
| Statistics | UNM | AUB |
| First downs | 22 | 26 |
| Total yards | 448 | 503 |
| Rushing yards | 157 | 268 |
| Passing yards | 291 | 235 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 32:31 | 27:29 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| New Mexico | Passing | Devon Dampier | 22/44, 291 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| New Mexico | Rushing | Eli Sanders | 7 rushes, 72 yards |
| New Mexico | Receiving | Ryan Davis | 6 receptions, 100 yards |
| Auburn | Passing | Hank Brown | 17/25, 235 yards, 4 TD |
| Auburn | Rushing | Jarquez Hunter | 20 rushes, 152 yards, TD |
| Auburn | Receiving | Camden Brown | 4 receptions, 33 yards, TD |

### vs. Fresno State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 8 | 17 | 0 | 10 | 35 |
| Lobos | 3 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 21 |
at University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico
* Date: Saturday September 21, 2024
* Game time: 6:30 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 71 °F (22 °C) • Wind: NW 16 mph
* Game attendance: 18,019
* Referee: Cal McNeill
* TV announcers (TruTV): Ari Wolfe (play-by-play) and Darius Walker (sideline)
| Statistics | FRES | UNM |
| First downs | 21 | 25 |
| Total yards | 345 | 485 |
| Rushing yards | 93 | 147 |
| Passing yards | 252 | 338 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 31:17 | 28:43 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Fresno State | Passing | Mikey Keene | 26/33, 226 yards, TD |
| Fresno State | Rushing | Elijah Gilliam | 18 carries, 54 yards, TD |
| Fresno State | Receiving | Raylen Sharpe | 6 receptions, 49 yards |
| New Mexico | Passing | Devon Dampier | 33/53, 338 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| New Mexico | Rushing | Devon Dampier | 9 carries, 67 yards |
| New Mexico | Receiving | Luke Wysong | 10 receptions, 126 yards |

### at New Mexico State (Rio Grande Rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lobos | 7 | 14 | 9 | 20 | 50 |
| Aggies | 7 | 3 | 7 | 23 | 40 |
at Aggie Memorial Stadium, Las Cruces, New Mexico
* Date: Saturday September 28, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 93 °F (34 °C)
* Game attendance: 21,062
* Referee: Rory Bernard
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Adam Young (play-by-play) and Danny Knee (analyst)
| Statistics | UNM | NMSU |
| First downs | 28 | 27 |
| Total yards | 579 | 474 |
| Rushing yards | 331 | 285 |
| Passing yards | 248 | 189 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 33:36 | 26:24 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| New Mexico | Passing | Devon Dampier | 13/28, 248 yards |
| New Mexico | Rushing | NaQuari Rogers | 21 carries, 122 yards, 3 TD |
| New Mexico | Receiving | Caleb Medford | 2 receptions, 91 yards |
| New Mexico State | Passing | Santino Marucci | 13/29, 189 yards, TD |
| New Mexico State | Rushing | Larenzo McMillan | 1 carry, 84 yards, TD |
| New Mexico State | Receiving | T. J. Pride | 3 receptions, 63 yards |

### vs. Air Force

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 3 | 14 | 0 | 20 | 37 |
| Lobos | 7 | 21 | 17 | 7 | 52 |
at University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico
* Date: Saturday October 12, 2024
* Game time: 5:00 p.m. MDT
* TV announcers (TruTV): JB Long (play-by-play) and Mike Golic Jr. (analyst)
| Statistics | AFA | UNM |
| First downs | 21 | 21 |
| Total yards | 474 | 434 |
| Rushing yards | 325 | 255 |
| Passing yards | 149 | 179 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 35:59 | 24:01 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Air Force | Passing | Quentin Hayes | 4/7, 79 yards |
| Air Force | Rushing | Quentin Hayes | 18 carries, 103 yards, TD |
| Air Force | Receiving | Quin Smith | 3 receptions, 82 yards, TD |
| New Mexico | Passing | Devon Dampier | 14/19, 179 yards, TD |
| New Mexico | Rushing | Eli Sanders | 5 carries, 80 yards, 2 TD |
| New Mexico | Receiving | Nic Trujillo | 4 receptions, 85 yards, TD |

### at Utah State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lobos | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aggies | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Maverik Stadium, Logan, Utah
* Date: Saturday October 19, 2024
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. MDT
* TV announcers (TruTV): Ari Wolfe (play-by-play) and Darius Walker (analyst)
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| New Mexico | Passing |
| New Mexico | Rushing |
| New Mexico | Receiving |
| Utah State | Passing |
| Utah State | Rushing |
| Utah State | Receiving |

### at Colorado State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lobos | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Rams | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
at Canvas Stadium, Fort Collins, Colorado
* Date: Saturday October 26, 2024
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 69 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 36,980
* Referee: Michael Cuttone
* TV announcers (MW Network): Brian Roth (play-by-play) and Mike Sanford Jr. (analyst)
| Statistics | UNM | CSU |
| First downs | 25 | 14 |
| Total yards | 453 | 334 |
| Rushing yards | 134 | 192 |
| Passing yards | 319 | 142 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 29:35 | 30:25 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| New Mexico | Passing | Devon Dampier | 23/40, 319 yards, 2 INT |
| New Mexico | Rushing | Eli Sanders | 15 carries, 70 yards |
| New Mexico | Receiving | Ryan Davis | 9 receptions, 146 yards |
| Colorado State | Passing | Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi | 11/20, 142 yards, TD |
| Colorado State | Rushing | Avery Morrow | 16 carries, 89 yards |
| Colorado State | Receiving | Caleb Goodie | 3 receptions, 62 yards, TD |

### vs. Wyoming

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 14 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 49 |
| Lobos | 13 | 22 | 10 | 0 | 45 |
at University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico
* Date: Saturday November 2, 2024
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 68 °F (20 °C) • Wind: SW 7 miles per hour (11 km/h)
* Game attendance: 15,046
* Referee: Christian Watson
* TV announcers (TruTV): Ari Wolfe (play-by-play) and Darius Walker (analyst)
| Statistics | WYO | UNM |
| First downs | 30 | 22 |
| Total yards | 604 | 576 |
| Rushing yards | 262 | 412 |
| Passing yards | 342 | 164 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 37:13 | 22:47 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Wyoming | Passing | Kaden Anderson | 20/29, 342 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Wyoming | Rushing | Harrison Waylee | 27 carries, 170 yards, TD |
| Wyoming | Receiving | Jaylen Sargent | 6 receptions, 186 yards, TD |
| New Mexico | Passing | Devon Dampier | 16/31, 164 yards, TD, INT |
| New Mexico | Rushing | Devon Dampier | 12 carries, 207 yards, 3 TD |
| New Mexico | Receiving | Ryan Davis | 6 receptions, 74 yards, TD |

### at San Diego State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lobos | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Aztecs | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
at Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: Friday November 8, 2024
* Game time: 8:30 p.m. MST/7:30 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 58 °F (14 °C) • Wind: N 1 mile per hour (1.6 km/h)
* Game attendance: 21,832
* Referee: Michael Cuttone
* TV announcers (FS1): Dan Hellie (play-by-play) and Petros Papadakis (analyst)
| Statistics | UNM | SDSU |
| First downs | 21 | 26 |
| Total yards | 475 | 341 |
| Rushing yards | 300 | 146 |
| Passing yards | 175 | 195 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 24:58 | 35:02 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| New Mexico | Passing | Devon Dampier | 16/24, 175 yards, TD |
| New Mexico | Rushing | Eli Sanders | 16 carries, 173 yards, 2 TD |
| New Mexico | Receiving | Ryan Davis | 5 receptions, 47 yards, TD |
| San Diego State | Passing | Danny O'Neil | 26/41, 195 yards, TD |
| San Diego State | Rushing | Marquez Cooper | 35 carries, 123 yards |
| San Diego State | Receiving | Jordan Napier | 9 receptions, 63 yards |

### vs. No. 18 Washington State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 18 Cougars | 14 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
| Lobos | 7 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 38 |
at University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico
* Date: Saturday November 16, 2024
* Game time: 7:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 47 °F (8 °C) • Wind: NE 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h)
* Game attendance: 14,067
* Referee: Nolan Dumas
* TV announcers (FS1): Dan Hellie (play-by-play) and Petros Papadakis (analyst)
| Statistics | WSU | UNM |
| First downs | 27 | 27 |
| Total yards | 547 | 534 |
| Rushing yards | 172 | 360 |
| Passing yards | 375 | 174 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 28:48 | 31:12 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Washington State | Passing | John Mateer | 25/36, 375 yards, 4 TD |
| Washington State | Rushing | John Mateer | 9 carries, 65 yards, TD |
| Washington State | Receiving | Kyle Williams | 9 receptions, 181 yards, 3 TD |
| New Mexico | Passing | Devon Dampier | 11/25, 174 yards, TD |
| New Mexico | Rushing | Devon Dampier | 28 carries, 193 yards, 3 TD |
| New Mexico | Receiving | Luke Wysong | 5 receptions, 71 yards |

### at Hawaii

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lobos | 0 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 30 |
| Rainbow Warriors | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex • Honolulu, HI
* Date: Saturday November 30, 2024
* Game time: 11:00 PM EST
* Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
* TV announcers (SPEC PPV): Kanoa Leahey, Rich Miano, Jordan Hellie
| Statistics | UNM | HAW |
| First downs | 30 | 28 |
| Total yards | 481 | 586 |
| Rushing yards | 305 | 102 |
| Passing yards | 176 | 484 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 19-31-0 | 39-59-0 |
| Time of possession | 29:00 | 31:00 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| New Mexico | Passing | Devon Dampier | 19/31, 176 yards |
| New Mexico | Rushing | Eli Sanders | 17 carries, 121 yards |
| New Mexico | Receiving | Luke Wysong | 9 receptions, 69 yards |
| Hawaii | Passing | Micah Alejado | 37/57, 469 yards, 5 TD |
| Hawaii | Rushing | Micah Alejado | 10 carries, 54 yards |
| Hawaii | Receiving | Spencer Curtis | 7 receptions, 100 yards |