SAN JOSE, CA — The San Jose State University Spartans (2-3) defeated the University of New Mexico Lobos (3-1) in a Mountain West college football showdown at CEFCU Stadium in Week 6, 35-28. Let’s dive into this recap of San Jose State vs. New Mexico in our latest 2025 breakdown.
College Football: San Jose State Spartans vs. New Mexico Lobos 2025 Recap
After the contest, San Jose State head coach Ken Niumatalolo was proud of his players, while giving respect to New Mexico head coach Jason Eck.
“I’m super proud of our guys. That’s a really good football team. Coach Eck, that guy is a ball coach,” SJSU football head coach Ken Niumatalolo said after the contest.
For Eck and the Lobos, disappointment was the first thing on their mind after this tough loss.
“They outplayed us today. They executed better. I got to do a better job of getting the team to start faster,” UNM football head coach Jason Eck said.
We Are Sparta(ns)!
Last week against Stanford, San Jose quarterback Walker Eget threw for nearly 500 passing yards, and three touchdowns. Eget’s dominance carried through against the Lobos, and he had a near-perfect game. The quarterback threw for 334 yards with three touchdowns. He had zero turnovers, and only missed on four throws (out of 30).
“I don’t think it’s just me, a lot of guys stepped up when they needed to,” Eget said in a post game presser.
One of Eget’s biggest weapons of the night was receiver Danny Scudero whose blazing speed and quickness caused headaches for the Lobos. On the night, Scudero logged seven catches, 151 yards, and one touchdown.
The night began with two straight Spartan touchdowns. The first one was a redzone four-yard punch from running Steve Chavez-Soto, and the second touchdown came from receiver Matthew Coleman who caught an 11-yard pass from Eget.
Meanwhile, the Lobos got off to a slow start. Quarterback Jack Layne was intercepted on the first possession by Spartan safety Larry Turner-Gooden. The San Jose defense was on ball-hawk mode, and logged three interceptions in the contest; two came from defensive back Jalen Bainer.
The Lobos would punch back with a nice nine-play, 67-yard drive that ended with a four-yard Damon Bankston score. Bankston is part of a lethal rushing attack that includes Scottre Humphrey and D.J. McKinney.
Then, Scudero happened.
In the middle of the second quarter, Spartans’ speedster Scudero got behind the Lobo defense, and Eget was able to hit him over the top for a 70-yard score.
“Our goal was to limit explosives, make them drive the field on us, and then win the redzone. We obviously didn’t make enough plays tonight, we have got to be better, and help out the offense,” UNM linebacker Jaxton Eck said.
The Lobos would generate a nice drive of their own that included a Layne pass that went for a 42-yard gain. Making the big catch for the Lobos was receiver Shawn Miller, and finding the endzone for six was Humphrey (a one-yard rushing touchdown).
Yet heading into the half, the Spartans were up 21-17.
Game of Attrition, And a No-Quit Mentality
The Lobos suffered many injuries throughout the game including safety/linebacker David Murphy, linebacker Dimitri Johnson, defensive back Abraham Williams, and receiver Michael Buckley. And all those defensive injuries led to success for the San Jose offense.
The third quarter was dominated by the right arm of Eget, who led the Spartans into the redzone. From there, Chavez-Soto was able to score on a 10-yard rush. On the ensuing possession, the quarterback would deliver the dagger by throwing his third touchdown of the night. This time, he connected with receiver Leland Smith on an eight-yard dart. Another big weapon for Eget was receiver Kyri Shoels who caught all seven of his targets for 81 yards.
After it seemed like the Spartans put the game away with a three-possession lead, the Lobos refused to call it a night.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Layne led the Lobos on a nine-play drive that resulted in him scoring from three yards out. The Lobos also had a successful two-point conversion courtesy of a Shawn Miller pass.
After a seven-play possession by San Jose, the Lobos offense moved the ball again. This time, it was a 12-play drive where receiver Keagan Johnson had four catches and 53 yards. On the night, Johnson finished with 11 catches and 145 yards. However, the Spartan defense, led by linebacker Taniela Latu, held rank in the redzone and forced the Lobos to settle for a field goal.
After that, Chavez-Soto would seal the win with his legs, and would close the door shut on any Lobo comeback. Chavez-Soto had a nice game finishing with 71 rushing yards, and two scores.
What’s Next?
San Jose will hop on the road for a date in Laremy, to face off against the Wyoming Cowboys (2-2). Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Lobos will be on the road again in Week 7. This time, they will play against the Boise State Broncos (3-1) in the blue field of Albertsons Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m.
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