New Mexico vs. San José State Game Preview

photo courtesy of sr sportsreport

New Mexico vs. San José State — Game Preview

Friday, Oct. 3 • 10:00 p.m. ET • FS1 • CEFCU Stadium

New Mexico Lobos vs. San José State Spartans matchup information, time, and how to watch.

 Date: Friday, October 3, 2025

 Time: 10 p.m. ET.

 Location: San José, California.

Stadium: CEFCU Stadium.

Television: Fox Sports 1.

Live Stream: Fubo! 

Live Stream: Sling! FOXSports.com.

Series Record: San Jose State leads 15-5-1

Broadcast Information:

TV: FS1
Play-by-Play …………………………………………….. Trent Rush
Analyst……………………………………………….. Mark Helfrich

RADIO: Lobo Radio Network
(770 KKOB-AM flagship in Albuquerque)
(Sirius/XM Channel 380 or https://sxm.app.link/SXM970)
Play-by-Play ……………………………………….Robert Portnoy
Analyst…………………………………………….. DonTrell Moore

The New Mexico Lobos (3–1, 0–0 MW) travel Friday night to start Mountain West play against the San José State Spartans (1–3, 0–0 MW).

New Mexico enters with confidence after a solid rivalry victory against New Mexico State (38-20) last week, while the Spartans are trying to refocus after a gut-wrenching loss to Stanford (30-29).

The New Mexico Lobos aim to secure another win in Week 6 of the college football season against the San José Spartans.

New Mexico lost its season opener to Michigan; however, it had previously defeated Idaho State, UCLA, and New Mexico State.

What’s at Stake

For the Lobos, an opportunity to extend their strong September start with a significant conference road victory.

Historically, San José State has held the advantage, winning 11 of the last 13 games. However, New Mexico approaches the game well-balanced and disciplined on both sides of the ball.

In contrast, the Spartans will focus on maintaining consistency, as they have sufficient offensive talent but have made crucial mistakes in close games.

New Mexico Preview

Quarterback Jack Layne has stabilized the offense, completing 818 yards with seven touchdowns, three interceptions, and about 70 percent accuracy.

 Layne was nearly flawless in the game against New Mexico State, completing 23–30 for 303 yards and four touchdowns.

photo courtesy of UNM Athletics

Currently, Layne goes to big play Lobo, featuring tight end Dorian Thomas (24 catches, 247 yards, three touchdowns) and wide receiver Keagan Johnson (163 yards, one touchdown).

In the backfield, Scottre Humphrey (263 yards, three touchdowns) and Damon Bankston (238 yards, two touchdowns) are leading a rushing attack ranked in the top 60 nationally (174 yards per game).

Lobo Offensive Coordinator Luke Schleusner has clearly found his rhythm and is identifying the team’s strengths, focusing on improving their running game.

New Mexico’s defense has demonstrated strength at the line of scrimmage, allowing just 111.5 rushing yards per game.

Linebacker Jaxton Eck has made 41 tackles, and edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby has recorded 2.5 sacks and 17 tackles.

Last week, it was all hands on deck in a team defensive effort against interstate rival New Mexico State Aggies. Keyshawn James-Newby set the tone up front, recording 2.5 sacks to anchor the pass rush.

He wasn’t alone, as Jaxton Eck, Gabriel Lopez, Elijah Brody, Brett Karhu, Clint Stephens, and Ky’won McCray all made their way into the backfield to pressure the quarterback.

photo courtesy of UNM Athletics

Xavier Slayton made a crucial interception late in the first half, halting a promising Aggie drive. Overall, the Lobos’ secondary was disruptive—breaking up 11 passes and holding NMSU quarterback Logan Fife to 20 completions on 37 attempts with one interception.

 The defense allows an average of 21.5 points per game under Defensive Coordinator Spence Nowinsky. It appears to be improving with each game. 

Key rushers who can pressure San José State on New Mexico’s four-person front include Keyshawn James-Newby and Xavier Slayton, who have a team-high 3.5 sacks, along with Ky’won McCray and Darren Agu.

 New Mexico’s four transfers were recruited by new head coach Jason Eck, who assembles tough, defensive-minded teams.

 Even on the ground, Scottre Humphrey (263 yards, 3 TDs) and Damon Bankston (238 yards, 2 TDs) have carried the load over two games. New Mexico hasn’t been consistent with the run.

Key Stats: New Mexico has 16 total offensive touchdowns (9 passing, seven rushing) and scored, on average, 30.5 points per game in four games.

San José State Preview

The Spartans possess a potent passing offense compared to other teams in the Mountain West, led by quarterback Walker Eget, who has thrown for 1,187 yards and six touchdowns.

 photo courtesy of msn.com

Danny Scudero has been his top target with 33 catches for 514 yards and three touchdowns. Kyri Shoels (269 yards, 2 TDs) is also a deep threat.

 If San José State wants its second win of the season, Walker Eget must maintain his performance.

 Eget is leading the Mountain West with 1,187 passing yards, along with six touchdowns and three interceptions.

 However, he is completing only 57.3 percent, which allows the Lobos’ defense more opportunities to make a play.

San José State has recently struggled with turnovers (9 of 9), coupled with a defense that allows 277 yards passing, which is near the bottom of FBS. Jordan Pollard leads with 32 tackles among active players for San José, but there is also no resource to counterbalance offenses.

photo courtesy of UNM Athletics

Key Matchups

Lobos’ passing attack vs. Spartans’ secondary: Layne’s accuracy and Thomas’ presence in the middle could be the difference in a defense that ranks 126th against the pass nationally.

San José State’s pass protection: Eget has decent numbers, but the offensive line has struggled, and New Mexico will have an advantage outdoors.

Turnover: New Mexico (8) and San José State (9) are prone to turnovers. Giving up the ball could determine the game.

photo courtesy of thechurchnews.com

Offensive and defensive stats

• San José State:
  • Offense: Ranks 120th in points scored per game and 123rd in rushing yards per game. Quarterback Walker Eget leads the Mountain West in passing yards.
  • Defense: Ranks 100th in points allowed per game.
• New Mexico:
  • Offense: Ranks 71st in the FBS in yards per game. Quarterback Jack Layne passed for 303 yards and four touchdowns in his last outing.
  • Defense: Ranks 53rd in the country against the run.

photo courtesy of the Wolverine Wire/UNM Athletics

Prediction

This matchup pits the Lobos’ balanced and disciplined approach against San José State’s explosive yet erratic passing attack.

New Mexico holds clear advantages at the line of scrimmage, in both the passing and rushing phases, and has consistently shown resilience against tough opponents and rivalry pressure.

 While the Lobos’ ground game ranks 53rd in EPA per rush and averages just 3.9 yards per carry, they’ll need to steer clear of leaning too heavily on it.

Instead, they should capitalize on a vulnerable Spartan defense that surrenders 422 yards per game.

If New Mexico protects the football and forces key stops, they’re poised to secure their first conference win of 2025—and send an early message in the Mountain West

.New Mexico 38, San José State 21