Oct. 20, 2007
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SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Rodney Ferguson's six yard touchdown run with 15 seconds left in the game lifted New Mexico to a 20-17 victory over San Diego State Saturday in a Mountain West Conference game at Qualcomm Stadium.
New Mexico (5-2, 2-1) has beaten the Aztecs (2-5, 1-2) seven straight times, including the last six in San Diego.
The Aztecs appeared to have the game in hand when quarterback Kevin O'Connell, who had rushed for two touchdowns, scrambled for an apparent first down on a 3rd and 11 play from the Lobos 40 yard line. However, New Mexico linebacker Herbert Felder knocked the ball out of O'Connell's hand and O.J. Swift recovered for New Mexico at the Lobos 35 yard line.
From there, quarterback Donovan Porterie directed an 8-play, 65 yard drive capped off by Ferguson's six-yard run up the middle.
Porterie finished the game completing 18-of-35 passes for 239 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown pass to Travis Brown with just 11 seconds left in the first half, tying the game at 10-10. Porterie also rushed for 16 yards including nine on the last drive.
Brown caught seven passes for 119 yards. He also drew a pass interference call on San Diego State's Aaron Moore that set up the Lobos at the six yard line on their game-winning drive.
O'Connell, who rushed for 82 yards and completed 18-of-26 for 133 yards, tied a San Diego State school record for rushing TDs by a quarterback (14) when he rambled 23 yards -- breaking a 10-10 tie with 9:17 left in the third quarter. He also had a one-yard TD run early in the second quarter after Aztecs defensive back Mantrell Fantroy picked off Porterie's pass at midfield and returned it 45 yards to the New Mexico five yard line.
New Mexico's John Sullivan kicked a 39-yard field goal with 13:04 left in the fourth quarter to put the Lobos to within four points at 17-13. The teams had traded field goals in the first half with Sullivan booting a 31-yard field goal for New Mexico midway through the first quarter and Garrett Palmer kicking a 29-yard field goal for San Diego State early in the second quarter.
After San Diego State took the lead on O'Connell's second rushing TD New Mexico came back and tied the game when Porterie directed a 7-play, 59-yard drive with his 25-yard scoring strike to Brown with 11 seconds left in the first half.