ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Jalen Mayden threw two touchdown passes to Mekhi Shaw, Kenan Christon scored on a 49-yard run and San Diego State shut New Mexico down in the second half in a 34-10 Friday night win at University Stadium.
Mayden finished 15-of-25 passing for 280 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown strike to Shaw in the first quarter and a 30-yard TD pass late in the second quarter. Mayden became the first Aztec (7-4, 5-2 MW) quarterback with multiple touchdown passes in four straight games since Christian Chapman in 2016.
It was the ninth consecutive win for SDSU against the Lobos (2-9, 0-7 MW) and ninth straight win for San Diego State in the state of New Mexico. The victory also guaranteed the Aztecs their 12th winning season since 2010 with the lone exception being a 4-4 record in the COVID shortened 2020 campaign. Prior to this stretch, SDSU managed just one winning season its previous 13 years (1997-2009).
Shaw finished with career highs of six catches, 120 yards and two touchdowns, while Mark Redman added career bests of five receptions and 66 yards.
Christon, meanwhile, ran for 102 yards on just 10 carries (10.2 avg.) with his first 100-yard rushing game since his collegiate debut at USC against Arizona on Oct. 19, 2019. His 49-yard touchdown was also his first since the Arizona game.
San Diego State struck first just over five minutes in when Mayden hit Shaw for a 51-yard touchdown right up the middle of the field.
Nate Jones ripped off a 51-yard run on UNM's ensuing drive, setting up a 6-yard scoring run by quarterback CJ Montes to tie the game up at 7-7.
The Aztecs started off the second quarter with a 91-yard march on nine plays, capped with a 1-yard touchdown run by Jaylon Armstead. The big play of the drive came on a third-and-8 situation when Mayden found Tyrell Shavers with a quick slant. Shavers juked a few New Mexico defenders and raced 61 yards to get to the Lobo 3-yard line. Two plays later, Armstead put SDSU back on top.
Dallas Branch picked off Montes on UNM's next drive, his third straight game with a pick, but San Diego State was stuffed on a fourth-and-1 on the New Mexico 30.
The Lobos bungled a punt on fourth down, giving the Aztecs great field position on the UNM 26. On third-and-14, Mayden found Shaw for a 30-yard touchdown with 1:48 left in the first half.
Luke Drzewiecki stopped the bleeding for New Mexico with a 39-yard field goal as time expired, making it 21-10 SDSU at the half.
Starting with the ball in the third quarter and quickly facing a fourth-and-1 on the Lobo 49, Christon took a sweep right down the sideline for the score and putting San Diego State up, 28-10.
The Aztecs shut UNM down the rest of the game, allowing just 26 yards in the second half on 16 plays (1.6 yards per play).
Jack Browning made a 30-yard field goal with 3:50 left in the third quarter and a 46-yarder with 8:21 remaining in the fourth for the final points of the game.
Patrick McMorris had a season-high nine tackles and Cedarious Barfield chipped in with a career-high eight stops. Justus Tavai, meanwhile, had five tackles, including a 11-yard sack and 2.5 tackles for loss.
San Diego State held a team without a third-down conversion for the first time since Sept. 3, 2016 against New Hampshire and for the first time against a FBS opponent since Oct. 3, 2015 vs. Fresno State.
The Aztecs outgained the Lobos by 250 yards, their largest margin since outgaining Utah State by 355 on Oct. 21, 2020.