Oct. 30, 1999

Game Stats

By PETE HERRERA
AP Sports Writer

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Martinez Williams caught a career-high 11 passes and New Mexico scored in the third quarter for the first time in over a year in a 27-6 win Saturday night over UNLV.

New Mexico (3-4, 2-1 Mountain West) scored on its first three possessions of the second half. Holman Wiggins scored on a 2-yard run, David McKinney kicked a career-best 44-yard field goal and Jarrod Baxter scored on a 5-yard run.

Wiggins' TD was the Lobos' first points in the third quarter since Oct. 24, 1998, at Hawaii. UNM had been outscored 101-0 during that 10-game span, including 65-0 this season.

UNLV (3-5, 1-3 MWC) scored on a 7-yard pass from Jason Vaughan to Nate Turner on the Rebels' first possession of the second half. The 52-yard, 8-play drive was kept alive by Peter Tramontanas' recovery of a fumble by UNLV halfback Len Ware at the New Mexico 16.

That got the Rebels within 7-6 after Tim O'Reilly missed the PAT and New Mexico then broke it open with 17 straight points.

UNM snapped a scoreless tie with its longest drive of the season - 87 yards, 15 plays - with quarterback Sean Stein stretching the ball across the goal line with 10:02 left in the second quarter. That was the Lobos' first rushing touchdown since the third game of the season.

New Mexico safety Brian Urlacher led a New Mexico defense that kept Vaughan on the run most of the night and repeatedly forced him to hurry his passes. Urlacher had 15 tackles, broke up 3 passes and had a sack. The Lobos' all-purpose senior also returned a punt 16 yards that helped set up Baxter's touchdown early in the third quarter.

Stein was 24 for 40 for 217 yards. Martinez had 115 yards in receptions.