Cole runs for 3 TDs as New Mexico beats Fresno St. 49-39

Dec 13, 2020, 07:37 am

LAS VEGAS -- — Bobby Cole ran for 138 yards and three touchdowns, Nathaniel Jones added two more rushing TDs, and New Mexico beat Fresno State 49-39 on Saturday night.

Freshman walk-on Isaiah Chavez made his first start and had 196 yards passing and a score as well as 95 yards rushing and a TD on 15 carries for New Mexico (2-5 Mountain West Conference).

The Lobos have won back-to-back games following a 14-game losing streak. New Mexico beat Wyoming 17-16 last Saturday, which also snapped a string of 20 consecutive conference losses.

Fresno State (3-3), which had won seven straight games against New Mexico dating to 1994, used a 16-play, 70-yard drive to open the second half and make it 31-21 when quarterback Jake Haener scrambled for a 3-yard touchdown with 6:53 left in the third quarter. Conner Kinslow had 49-yard touchdown catch — his first career reception — about two minutes later, and Jones and Cole had TD runs of 10 and 35 yards, respectively, on back-to-back offensive plays before Cole scored on a 9-yard run to make it 49-31 with 2:33 to play.

Haener was harassed throughout but passed for 350 yards and three TDs for the Bulldogs.

The Lobos defense, which went into the game with six sacks this season, finished with eight sacks and 11 tackles-for-loss.

New Mexico, which relocated to Las Vegas for the season due to restrictions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, became the first team in history to play a seven-game season all outside of its home state.

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