New Mexico
Washington State Football: Keys to Victory at New Mexico
Off to their best start since 2018, the Cougars check in at #19 in the AP poll and have the chance to pick up their ninth win this weekend. In order to do that, Washington State will need to get by a New Mexico team that started its season slowly but has gotten hot, winning four of their last six contests. Here’s what the Cougs will need to do this weekend in Albuquerque to avoid the upset and extend their win streak.
Contain Dampier
New Mexico’s offense will go as it’s dynamic quarterback does. Sophomore Devon Dampier is a threat in the both the running and passing game and is a huge reason why the Lobos have won the four games they have. Dampier currently leads the team with 902 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground all while also throwing for 2,418 yards and another 11 scores. The fact that he’s responsible for well over 3,000 yards of offense and 24 touchdowns means that he, obviously, should be Washington State’s main focal point on defense here.
Linebackers Kyle Thornton and Buddah Al-Uqdah will have their hands full and then some trying to corral Dampier. Both of WSU’s stud linebackers will need to have eyes and position on the speedy signal caller and be able to move in on him in a hurry. The defensive line, likewise, will have to get to him in the backfield to slow him down, if nothing else. Andrew Edson will lead the charge here. And, of course, the secondary will serve as the last line of defense if Dampier is able to get through. It will take a team effort on all three levels to bottle up #4.
Red Zone Effeciency
In order to give themselves the best possible chance in this one, Washington State needs to capitalize on what New Mexico struggles with and one thing the Lobos have had a particularly rough time with is their red zone defense. Opponents have scored 38 of the 39 times they’ve been inside the 20 on UNM and 31 of those have been touchdowns. It has been an almost total inability to make defensive stands for the New Mexico defense on that end of the field.
The Cougars, meanwhile, have scored on 34 of their 39 red zone trips this year with 29 TDs. There isn’t any reason they shouldn’t be able to keep those percentages high this Saturday and, if John Mateer and company are able to close out drives the way they have all year, Washington State’s chances go way up.
Avoid Post-Halftime Lull
The Lobos have been at their best coming right out of halftime this year. In the third quarter, New Mexico outscores its opponents 67 to 62 and has done a lot of its damage over the last few weeks in this frame. They are also pretty solid right off bat in the first quarter as well. This means that the Cougars can’t get caught napping when they come out of the locker room.
Washington State could do itself a big favor in this department by simply deferring their initial offensive possession until the second half, if possible. Keeping the ball out of Dampier’s hands in the third quarter might go a long way in bucking the trend that UNM’s opponents have established this fall. Coming out of the break with urgency is important here and it’s something the Cougs have struggled with. Since the start of October WSU has managed a total of just 24 third quarter points. That will need to improve this weekend.
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A successful University of New Mexico Lobo athletics season and the athletics director’s departure has culminated in players and coaches making moves.
The moves follow a successful 2025 season and the departure of athletics director Fernando Lovo.
Running back coach John Johnson, special teams coordinator Daniel Da Prato and wide receiver coach Colin Lockett are all leaving the Lobos after just one season. Johnson is headed to Iowa State while Da Prato is expected to join Minnesota and Lockett is headed to UCLA, all for the same jobs.
Johnson’s Lobo running backs ran for more than 1,400 yards. Da Prato’s special teams finished top-five nationally in kickoff returns.
Running back D.J. McKinney entered the portal, he confirmed on social media the day the portal officially opened. McKinney rushed for 464 yards and seven touchdowns with the Lobos.
Two players who received all-Mountain West Conference recognition also made moves. All-Mountain West tight-end Dorian Thomas, who caught for touchdowns for the Lobos, entered the portal. Meanwhile, all-Mountain West honorable mention punter Daniel Hughes is set to leave.
Others set to leave include:
- Cole Welliver, backup quarterback who played in one game
- Landon Williams, defensive end who graduated from La Cueva High School
- Randolph Kpai, senior linebacker who is at the end of his college football career without a waiver
After Lance St. Louis served as the starting long snapper for the Texas Longhorns for four seasons, special teams coordinator Jeff Banks landed an experienced replacement when New Mexico Lobos transfer Trey Dubuc pledged while on a visit to the Forty Acres.
The pledge from Dubuc ensures that Texas has experienced replacements for three specialists despite signing high school prospects at each position — with the SEC expanding to 105 scholarships in 2026, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian can afford to develop high school recruits at those positions behind experienced transfers like Dubuc.
The Fort Lauderdale product started his career at USF after playing on two state championship teams at Cardinal Gibbons. A 6’1, 209-pounder, Dubuc redshirted during his freshman season in 2023 before appearing in one game as the backup long snapper the following year.
After transferring to New Mexico, Dubuc served as the starting long snapper while making two tackles for the Lobos.
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