Quarterback Devon Dampier rushed for a 1-yard touchdown with 21 seconds left Saturday night and New Mexico rallied from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to upset No. 18 Washington State 38-35 in Albuquerque. Dampier gained 193 yards on 28 carries and scored three times as the Lobos improved to 5-6 and stayed alive for a bowl bid.
He also completed 11 of 25 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown as New Mexico finished with 534 total yards. John Mateer hit 25 of 36 passes for 375 yards and four touchdowns for the Cougars (8-2). His 37-yard strike to Kyle Williams, the wide receiver's third touchdown catch of the night, gave Washington State a 35-31 edge with 3:12 left.
Williams finished with nine catches for 181 yards. But the Lobos responded with the game-winning drive, which was keyed by Eli Sanders' 33-yard run to the Cougars' 34. He finished with 108 yards on 13 attempts as the Lobos piled up 360 yards on the ground.
The Cougars saw their four-game winning streak come to an end, as well as their long-shot chances of earning a bid to the College Football Playoff. Mateer and Washington State's offense controlled the first half. The Cougars rolled to a 28-14 lead and carved up New Mexico for 357 total yards, averaging more than nine yards per snap.
After Dampier initiated scoring with a 7-yard touchdown run on the game's first drive, the Cougars rattled off 21 straight points. Mateer found Carlos Hernandez for a 28-yard strike and then ran for a 5-yard touchdown that made.