New Mexico Beats UTEP 61-7 in Mountain West Opener on Oct. 3

Toa Fa’avae Drives Lobos Past Miners in Conference Opener

The conference opener quickly unraveled for the Miners after a promising defensive start. UTEP’s defense initially stopped New Mexico on fourth down at the Miner 35-yard line, and the offense appeared to strike first when a touchdown was called back due to an illegal touch pass on the opening series. New Mexico seized control immediately after that sequence, generating touchdowns on three consecutive drives.

Backup quarterback James Laubstein opened the scoring with a 14-yard rushing touchdown. Fa’avae then connected with Cade Keith for a 12-yard score and hit Bailen George for a 52-yard touchdown pass. Fa’avae finished the afternoon completing 15-of-19 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns, posting a 230.6 rating. The Lobos accumulated 262 passing yards and 231 rushing yards, capitalizing on five Miner turnovers that translated into 31 points.

Austin Brawley Interceptions Fuel New Mexico Defense

Defensive execution compounded UTEP’s struggles on the field. Lobo safety Austin Brawley intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown early in the third quarter, stretching the New Mexico advantage to 28-0. Brawley impacted the game again later in the same period by blocking a punt by Brady Braun, resulting in a New Mexico safety.

The New Mexico defense totaled four sacks, 10 tackles for losses, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles. UTEP managed 271 total yards of offense before backup quarterback EJ Colson exited the game early in the third quarter following a 6-of-12 passing performance for 45 yards and 24 rushing yards.

Scotty Walden Takes Full Responsibility for 61-7 Defeat

Raymond Moore III provided a bright spot for the Miners early in the fourth quarter with an 86-yard touchdown run. The play marked the sixth-longest rushing play in school history and the longest ever recorded by a UTEP quarterback. Moore finished with 135 yards on 11 carries, becoming the first UTEP quarterback to rush for 100 or more yards since 2020.

I’m embarrassed and sorry to the fans that made the trip. El Paso deserves better and we have to fight to give it to them, Walden stated after the game. I told the team at the end there will be no excuses, no deflection; it’s going to be all ownership. We got beat in every phase. It was a total team loss. We knew New Mexico is a really good team, but we gave them a lot. At the end of the day we have to be ready to play.

Nevada Awaits UTEP in Inaugural Mountain West Home Game

The Miners return to action next Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, hosting Nevada at 5 p.m. for their first Mountain West conference home game. The first 20,000 fans arriving at the stadium will receive a commemorative coin for the UTEP versus Nevada matchup. Paydirt Pete’s Pregame Party Zone will open on Glory Field at 2 p.m., while nationally televised coverage will air on FS1 alongside radio broadcasts on 600 AM ESPN.