By : Izaiah Ortiz
(Photo/Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)
The New Mexico Lobos dealt a crushing blow to UCLA on Friday night, routing the Bruins 35-10 at the Rose Bowl in a win that exposed glaring issues in discipline, execution, and depth for UCLA. The Lobos used a bruising ground game, timely playmaking, and second-half dominance to silence the Bruins, handing them their third straight defeat.
Lead and Turning Points
From the outset, the Lobos sought to control the line of scrimmage. With a trick-play tease to start, they pivoted quickly to a rushing attack that would eventually yield 298 yards on the ground. Damon Bankston, D.J. McKinney, and Scottre Humphrey all took their turn carrying the load.
Humphrey punched in a 1-yard touchdown run to cap a drive powered by runs and solid blocking. Jack Layne found tight end Simon Mapa in the end zone on fourth down to stretch the lead to 14-0. UCLA finally responded with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Nico Iamaleava to Titus Mokiao-Atimalala.
Although UCLA cut the margin to 14-10 early in the third, the Lobos’ defense stiffened, and New Mexico’s offense steadily pulled away. A 13-play, 75-yard drive culminating in a Bankston 2-yard run pushed the lead to 21-10. Later, Bankston caught a 43-yard pass, breaking tackles to make it 28-10. A late touchdown run by McKinney sealed the final 35-10 tally.
Standout Performers
Damon Bankston (Lobos) — He keyed the ground game with 154 rushing yards, scored on the ground, and hauled in the long 43-yard reception for a touchdown. His versatility and breakaway ability opened up New Mexico’s offense.
Jack Layne (Lobos) — Though his passing yards were moderate (152 yards), Layne was efficient and made critical plays, including the fourth-down TD to Simon Mapa and setting up long drives that wore down the Bruins defense.
UCLA Mistakes & Penalties — The Bruins were flagged 13 times for 116 yards, and the miscues compounded a poor start. Offensive struggles were evident as they failed to sustain drives. The only drive that seemed to click for the Bruins was the aforementioned touchdown drive.
What the Loss Means & Looking Ahead
For New Mexico, this is a signature victory under first-year coach Jason Eck. Beating a power-conference opponent so convincingly boosts confidence and raises the program’s profile, especially as the Lobos executed a physical game plan and held UCLA to just 10 points.
For UCLA, the shortcomings on both offense and defense are now laid bare. Winless at 0-3 and still yet to hold a lead in a game this season, the Bruins have parted ways with head coach DeShaun Foster after the rocky start. Foster finishes his tenure with a 5-10 record.