Washington State Cougars On SI

RECAP: #18 Washington State Cougars Upset By New Mexico in Albuquerque 38-35

Joe Londergan

Nov 9, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer (10) throws a pass against the Utah State Aggies in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images
Nov 9, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer (10) throws a pass against the Utah State Aggies in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images
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Jake Dickert's #18 Washington State Cougars fell on the road Saturday night, dropping a 38-35 result to Bronco Mendenhall's New Mexico Lobos.

Cougs' quarterback John Mateer accounted for five total touchdowns, the fifth time he has done so this season. Mateer completed 25 passes on 36 attempts for 375 yards with four passing touchdowns, plus nine carries for 68 yards and a touchdown.

Kyle Williams also had the best individual game of his college career, catching nine passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns.

Unfortunately for the Cougars, they ultimately struggled heavily against the Lobos' running game, which accumulated 360 yards on the ground. Quarterback Devon Dampier carried 28 times 193 yards and three touchdowns. Eli Sanders also carried 13 times for 108 yards and a touchdown in a historic win for UNM.

First Half

New Mexico received the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in 11 plays, ending in a Devon Dampier rushing touchdown. WSU quickly answered with a 90-yard drive that ended in a 28-yard touchdown pass from Mateer to Carlos Hernandez.

The Cougs took the lead at the end of the first quarter when Mateer capped a longer, ten-play drive with a five-yard rushing touchdown.

In the second quarter, after a great punt by New Mexico pinned the Cougars at their own seven, Mateer connected on a series of longer passes to move them down the field, including a 50-yard connection with tight end Cooper Mathers. Mateer hit Williams for his first touchdown of the night two plays later from 20 yards out.

After trading punts, Dampier heaved the ball down the field, connecting with Caleb Medford for a 42-yard score to shorten the gap.

The final score of the first half was another Mateer-Williams connection. This time, it was a 29-yard score at the end of another 10-play, 75-yard drive. That made it 28-14 in WSU's favor at the break.

Second Half

Washington State punted on their first possession of the second half. New Mexico responded with an efficient 80-yard possession, which Dampier ended with a 33-yard scamper back to the end zone.

Both offenses struggled after that, until the final minutes of the third quarter. Lobos' running back Eli Sanders broke off a 26-yard rushing score with 0:25 remaining in the quarter to tie the game up.

WSU punted again on their next possession, and New Mexico mounted the longest drive of the game up to that point at 7:27. It ended in a 19-yard field goal by Luke Drzewiecki. Mateer needed less than 90 seconds to connect with Williams again on a 37-yard score to put WSU back on top with 3:12 left in the game.

The Cougs' worst fears were then realized as Dampier engineered a quick 75-yard drive and scored his second rushing touchdown of the day, putting the Lobos up three with 21 seconds left. Mateer's Hail Mary attempt was unsuccessful, giving UNM their first win against a top 25 opponent since 2003 (per Fox Sports).

What's Next?

The Cougars are now 8-2 to start the season, snapping their four-game win streak. With the loss, Washington State also will likely move down in the College Football Playoff rankings (or exit altogether), which will be released Tuesday evening.

WSU play their penultimate regular season game on November 23 at Pac-12 conference mate Oregon State. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 PM PT in Corvallis

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Joe Londergan
JOE LONDERGAN

Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.

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