New Mexico College Football: Week 3 Lobos Shock UCLA, Cowboys Rise in Las Vegas
College football in New Mexico is all sick right now. From UNM’s Jason Eck making national noise with a historic Rose Bowl win, to NMHU’s Kurt Taufa’asau turning Las Vegas, New Mexico, into the hottest D2 town in America behind record-breaker Jeffery Jones, the Land of Enchantment is flexing at every level, something we’ve never been able to say here in New Mexico. And we’re just getting started.
UNM: Lobos Hammer UCLA in the Rose Bowl: Jason Eck Keeps Rising
By Joshua Grine | NMPreps.com College Football
Arriba Nuevo México! The Lobos went into the Rose Bowl and straight thumped UCLA, 35-10, in what has to be considered one of the greatest moments in program history. Think Holly Holm shocking the world when she knocked out Ronda Rousey — that’s how this felt for Lobo fans watching the red and silver run wild on the West Coast.
Head coach Jason Eck is now officially on every college football coaching board. One month into his tenure, he has New Mexico doing things the program hasn’t seen in decades: dominating a Power 4 opponent, running the ball with purpose, and closing out with a defense that looks Christmas combo hot (red and green chile blended together), burning every opponent who tries to test it.
Behind Damon Bankston’s 154 yards rushing and a defense that forced two turnovers, the Lobos looked physical, disciplined, and flat-out confident. They slammed the door in the fourth quarter with 21 unanswered points, sending UCLA fans out of the Rose Bowl in silence while the Lobo faithful in attendance turned it into a fiesta.
This is the kind of win that changes the conversation. Just like the Griegos once sang about the Land of Enchantment, “Arriba Nuevo México” is exactly the chant echoing from Albuquerque to Las Vegas and beyond today.
Jason Eck is rising fast,and the rest of the college football world better start paying attention.
NMHU: Jason Eck Is Not the Only New Mexico College Football Coach on the Rise
By Joshua Grine | NMPreps.com College Football
Jason Eck and the University of New Mexico Lobos are generating national attention for the program’s turnaround, but he isn’t the only college football coach in the state making waves. Just two hours up I-25, in the proud northern New Mexico town of Las Vegas, another coach is building something special. And the state better take notice.
For the first time since 2018, the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys are 2-0. Even more, they’re 2-0 against in-state opponents, knocking off both Eastern New Mexico and Western New Mexico in back-to-back weeks, something Highlands hasn’t done since 2012.
Las Vegas, New Mexico (yes, the original Las Vegas) is known for its culture, its history, and yes, some of the best New Mexican food anywhere. Now, it’s home to the best Division II football team in the state, at least for this season.
At the center of it all is head coach Kurt Taufa’asau, who is quickly becoming a name to know if you don’t already. Taufa’asau was officially hired at Highlands on May 29, 2024, and picked up his first win on October 11, 2024, when the Cowboys beat Chadron State 33-30. Less than a year later, he’s got the program out of the gates undefeated and playing inspired football.
This isn’t some flash-in-the-pan start either. Taufa’asau already has championship credentials. In 2021, he guided New Mexico Military Institute to a 12-1 record and the NJCAA Division I national championship, defeating Iowa Western 31-13 to put New Mexico junior college football on the map in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The Samoan-born coach has seen football from every level. A former standout defensive lineman at NMMI and later at Wyoming, he earned a shot with the Raiders, Titans, and Colts before turning to coaching. His rise from defensive line coach at Westlake High in Utah, to assistant head coach at NMMI, to national champion head coach, and now leader of Highlands, is a trajectory that screams bigger things are coming — sooner rather than later.
And it helps to have a star leading the way on the field. Jeffery Jones, the freshman sensation, has already rushed for 608 yards in just two games. His 385-yard performance against Western New Mexico shattered the NCAA Division II freshman single-game rushing record, putting Highlands in headlines across the country. On the call for that game with Scott Galetti, I said it then and I’ll repeat it now: Jones is “Barry Sanders-like” with his shiftiness and ability to make defenders miss. However, could this mean that he is on every list of every D-1 team and the transfer portal?. Grine: NMHU’s Jones Wins RMAC Player of the Week for the Second Time.
So while Jason Eck’s Lobos are making noise in Albuquerque, Taufa’asau’s Cowboys are building something just as important for New Mexico football up north. Two programs, two coaches, and a state finally flexing its muscles on the college football stage.
The message is simple: New Mexico, take notice.
More Week 3 New Mexico College Football
New Mexico college football doesn’t stop with the Lobos and Cowboys. The rest of the state’s programs are right in the thick of Week 3 action, and there are plenty of storylines to follow.
New Mexico Military Institute heads into Saturday sitting at 1-1 on the season. The Broncos opened with a blowout 86-12 win over Community Christian before running into the buzzsaw that is No. 1 Hutchinson, falling 76-8. Now they’ll get another test at home in Roswell when they welcome No. 12 Kilgore College on Saturday, September 13.
In Silver City, Western New Mexico is set for a big one as they host West Texas A&M, led by none other than New Mexican head coach Josh Lynn. The Mustangs are 1-1 so far, opening the year with a 35-21 victory over Adams State before falling in last week’s shootout against New Mexico Highlands, 69-55. Expect another high-scoring affair when Lynn brings his Buffaloes back to his home state.
Meanwhile, Eastern New Mexico is still searching for its first win of 2025. The Greyhounds came up just short in their opener, losing 34-28 to Highlands, and then fell on the road to Colorado Mesa, 28-7. This week they return to Portales for Military Appreciation Day, hosting Angelo State in what will be a key measuring-stick game for ENMU as they try to find their footing.
Three more games. Three more storylines. And three more chances for New Mexico college football to make noise in Week 3.