Two Rushing Touchdowns Allowed in Eight Games: New Mexico Is in the AP Top 25 for the First Time in Program History

Two Rushing Touchdowns Allowed in Eight Games: New Mexico Is in the AP Top 25 for the First Time in Program History

New Mexico is No. 22 in the AP poll, its first ranking since the poll began in 1936. The 7-1 Lobos have forced 25 turnovers and allowed 81.6 rushing yards a game.

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Eight games into the season, New Mexico has allowed two rushing touchdowns. That defense is a big reason the Lobos are No. 22 in this week's AP Top 25, the first AP ranking in program history since the poll began in 1936, as KVIA and the Albuquerque Journal reported.

The New Mexico Lobos are 7-1 and 4-0 in the Mountain West in coach Jason Eck's second season. They got 179 points in the AP poll and are also No. 25 in the coaches poll, per ESPN's rankings feed. Before this week, New Mexico had been ranked only in the coaches poll, in 1964 and 1997, according to KVIA.

The Defense, by the Numbers

Statistics from CollegeFootballData.com show how the Lobos got here:

653 rushing yards allowed in eight games, 81.6 a game, and two rushing touchdowns.
25 takeaways (17 interceptions, 8 fumble recoveries) against eight giveaways.
23 sacks and 73 tackles for loss.

Darren Agu leads the team with six sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. Austin Brawley and Tavian Combs have four interceptions each, and Brawley has returned two for touchdowns.

Three Straight 21s

The offense has been steady, not flashy. New Mexico scored exactly 21 points in each of its last three wins: 21-10 at Hawai'i, 21-16 over North Dakota State and 21-16 at San José State on Oct. 31. KOB 4 and KVIA reported it was the Lobos' first win at San José State since 1969. Scottre Humphrey leads the team with 540 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, and the Lobos have 25 rushing touchdowns as a team.

The only loss was 14-6 at Oklahoma on Sept. 19. Eck said the ranking would be "great for our fans," per KVIA. KVIA also noted only Boise State, at No. 20, ranks higher among Group of Six teams.

New Mexico plays at Nevada on Saturday, Nov. 7, then hosts UNLV. More on BallerTube's college football page.