cbs17
RENO, Nev. (AP) — No. 22 New Mexico celebrated its first appearance in the AP poll with a commanding 31-3 victory over Nevada on Friday night.
Toa Faavae engineered two first-quarter touchdown drives, and Brett Karhu's strip-sack set up another score as the Lobos (8-1, 5-0 Mountain West) controlled the game from start to finish.
Faavae completed 14 of 20 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown while adding 34 rushing yards on eight attempts. Scottre Humphrey carried 17 times for 107 yards and two scores.
New Mexico's defense stifled Nevada (3-6, 2-3), limiting the Wolf Pack to minus-9 rushing yards and forcing 10 punts. Nevada's average starting field position was its own 21-yard line.
Humphrey opened the scoring with a 2-yard run to cap New Mexico's first drive, then added a 1-yard touchdown after Darren Agu recovered a fumble at the 5 in the third quarter. Kiefer Sibley contributed a 31-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and Faavae connected with tight end Cade Keith on a 25-yard scoring strike early in the fourth. Nick Romero finished the scoring with a 37-yard field goal.
AJ Bianco completed 14 of 31 passes for 106 yards for Nevada and lost a fumble on Karhu's sack. The Wolf Pack's only points came on Jacob Fernandez's 32-yard field goal in the final minute of the first half.
Key Analysis
With three regular-season games remaining, New Mexico is positioning itself for a potential playoff berth, though the path is challenging as a Group of Five team competing with the likes of No. 20 Boise State.
New Mexico will host UNLV on Saturday, Nov. 14, while Nevada travels to Northern Illinois on the same day.
Originally reported by cbs17.