San Diego State football opponent preview: New Mexico

Aztecs end regular season with a farewell to the Lobos

Jason Eck, pictured here during his time as Idaho Vandals head coach, is now leading New Mexico football. | Troy Babbitt-Imagn Images

The San Diego State Aztecs will get another chance at revenge, even as they say farewell to the New Mexico Lobos, who will stay behind in the Mountain West as SDSU and four others head off to the new-look Pac-12.

The Aztecs had won nine straight in this series, which dates to the 1970s and the Western Athletic Conference — once known as the “Wacky WAC” — before a dismal 21-16 home defeat during a six-game, season-ending losing streak last fall.

The Aztecs finished 3-9 overall and 2-5 in the MW in Sean Lewis’ first season on Montezuma Mesa, while the Lobos finished 5-7 and 3-4.

Jason Eck is the third head coach in as many years at New Mexico, taking over after turning around FCS Idaho. He has a total offensive rebuild on his hands after exciting two-way quarterback Devon Dampier and offensive coordinator Jason Beck left for Utah of the Big 12. 

The Lobos were picked to finish 11th in the preseason MW media poll, one point ahead of Nevada. SDSU was picked to finish eighth. 

Game 12: San Diego State at New Mexico

Date: Friday, Nov. 28

Kickoff time: 12:30 p.m. PT

Location: Albuquerque, N.M. 

TV/Streaming: CBS Sports Network

New Mexico offense preview

Idaho Vandals quarterback Jack Layne (2). | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

While rebuilding the offense, the Lobos will be facing a brutal schedule that has them playing at Michigan and UCLA in the season’s first three weeks, and on the road against Boise State and UNLV, picked to finish 1-2 in the Mountain West. 

The loss of Dampier is huge. He threw for 2,768 yards and 12 touchdowns while running for 1,166 yards and 19 touchdowns. 

Eck brought quarterback Jack Layne with him from Idaho, and reached into the transfer portal to sign running back Scottre Humphrey from Big Sky champion Montana State. 

Layne was hurt half of last season, when Idaho reached the FCS quarterfinals, and had an elbow injury in the spring. 

Humphrey came in so highly regarded that he was named to the preseason All-Mountain West Team. He is expected to be the workhorse after rushing for 1,386 yards and 16 touchdowns, which earned him First Team All-Big Sky honors. He gained at least 100 yards in eight of 12 regular-season games, including 140 at New Mexico in the season opener, when he scored the game-winning TD with 10 seconds to play. 

Montana State made it all the way to the FCS national championship game before losing a thriller to North Dakota State.

The Lobos also brought in receiver Keagan Johnson from Kansas State. 

They’ll be hard pressed to match last year’s remarkable feat of allowing only five sacks, which was largely a byproduct of Dampier’s dual-threat skills.

New Mexico defense preview

Dec 2, 2023; Moscow, ID, USA; Southern Illinois Salukis quarterback Nic Baker (8) avoids the sack of Idaho Vandals defensive lineman Keyshawn James-Newby (44) in the second half at Kibble Dome. Idaho won 20-17 in OT. | James Snook-Imagn Images

The Lobos’ weak link last year was defense, which finished last in the MW by allowing 38 points and 492 yards per game. 

Only three starters return on defense, although Eck brought some playmakers with him from Idaho, including his son, linebacker Jaxton Eck. 

The big transfer is another former Vandal, edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby. He was a First Team All-Big Sky pick and an AFCA FCS All-American after a huge season that included 10 ½ sacks, 65 tackles — including 36 solo and 14 ½ for loss — and two forced fumbles.