CHERRY BULLDOZE: UNM, Bankston run over UCLA
Running back leads UNM to historic road win with over 200 combined yards from scrimmage
UNM running back Damon Bankston runs down the sidelines against UCLA in the Rose Bowl on Friday. Banskton had 203 combined yards from scrimmage in the Lobos, 35-10, win over the Brunins. Photo courtesy of UNM Athletics
PASADENA, Calif. – Smells sweet.
Not the roses, but the most significant UNM football win in nearly two decades.
In its first visit to the historic stadium, the Lobos (2-1) rolled into the Rose Bowl and knocked off Big 10 opponent, the UCLA Bruins, 35-10.
“Heck of a win. A lot of fun,” UNM head football coach Jason Eck said.
Eck is familiar with wins in the Rose Bowl. He had won twice before, as a player with Wisconsin and as a graduate assistant under head coach Barry Alvarez, in 1999 and 2000.
“I’ve always enjoyed coming to the Rose Bowl,” Eck said. “Out of the three times I’ve been here, we’ve won, so every time I’ve come to the Rose Bowl, I’ve won a game, so a lot of good memories.”
Eck didn’t have the 1999 Heisman Trophy winner and former Wisconsin teammate Ron Dayne in the backfield tonight. But the first-year head coach Damon Bankston.
Bankston, a transfer from Weber State, stepped up when Scottre Humphrey left the game with an injury in the second quarter. Humphrey would not return.
“Electric,” Eck said. “We have four backs we think are good players. The trainer came over to me, all dejected, and said ‘I just don’t think I can get Scottre ready’ and I was like ‘That’s fine.’ (Bankston) stepped up, and we want Scottre to get healthy and get him back, but Damon stepped up and played huge.”
Bankston compiled a combined 203 yards from scrimmage against the Bruins. He had 15 carries for 154 yards with one score. He averaged 10.3. yards per rushing attempt. His longest was 54.
He also hauled in three receptions from quarterback Jack Layne for 49 yards.
None was bigger than a screen pass he nabbed from Layne with 7:06 left in the game. Bankston broke tackles and tip-toed down the sideline for a 43-yard touchdown reception.
It was the dagger in the UCLA (0-3) heart. It put the Lobos up 28-10.
“Coming into this week, we knew we could come in here and win this game,” Bankston said. “We came out here with relentless effort.”
UNM ran the ball 49 times with six different players and compiled 298 yards with an offensive line performance that pushed around a Big Ten defensive line in UCLA.
This was something UNM couldn’t do two weeks ago against Michigan. They rushed the ball 28 times for 50 yards.
Eck said he expected the Lobos to run for 200 yards against the Bruins.
“They probably exceeded my expectations running for 290 (yards),” Eck said. “We ran it really well early. I thought we may have to wear them down as the game went on, but we ran it well early, so credit to the O-line. I thought the O-line played very well.
The woes continue for UCLA and head coach DeShaun Foster.
The Bruins are winless in three attempts in 2025 and have lost back-to-back games against Mountain West Conference opponents.
UNLV defeated UCLA last week in Las Vegas, Nev., 30-23, and we were down 20-3 at halftime.
Foster said this was not the outcome UCLA wanted at all.
“It’s coming down to discipline and execution,” Foster said. Not executing at a high level and not making plays when we need to. We’re not at our best when our best is needed. We’ve got two weeks to fix this, and I'm just looking forward to this opportunity to get it fixed.”
UCLA had 13 penalties for 116 yards.
“We’ve got to find a way to stop shooting ourselves in the foot,” Foster said. “We’re not good enough to keep having the type of penalties that we’re having. We’ve got almost to be perfect out there.”
UNM senior Tavian Combs, who’s been with the program for six years and three head coaching changes, picked off UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava with 4:06 left in the 4th quarter.
“Just keeping the quarterback in the pocket like always and just making sure that we understand the route concepts that are coming at us,” Combs said. “Just going out there and playing fast and physical, man. That’s our brand of defense.”
UNM is on a bye week for Week 4, but will return home for a rivalry game against NMSU on Sept. 27.
“I definitely think we’ve got a lot of momentum, but we’ve got to focus on the task at hand,” Eck said.
