Reider: 3 final takeaways from New Mexico's win over North Dakota State

Three final takeaways from New Mexico’s 21-16 win over North Dakota State on Saturday:1. In the face of a major injury, a once-off-the-rader player has helped make sure UNM’s defense hasn’t missed a beatThe next time you watch Mercury Swaim, thank Tony Gibson.Last spring, Marshall’s second-year coach knew UNM’s Jason Eck was looking for another linebacker in the transfer portal. And like any other acquaintance in any other business, he reached out to vouch for Swaim as a player and a student.Why? Gibson explained that he had played at Glenville State (West Virginia) with Swaim's father, Wes. And with Swaim's undergraduate degree in engineering already completed at FCS Saint Francis (Pennylvania), Wes called Gibson and asked if he knew anybody at UNM, home to a master's program in nuclear engineering regularly ranked among the country's best.One the younger Swaim, of course, was interested in attending.Eck looked at the tape for Swaim, who had spent the spring at Colorado School of Mines before re-entering the portal. He liked what he saw, even if UNM had already added another linebacker in former Lobo Ky’Won McCray.“So I said, ‘You know what? Let's take another one,’” Eck said.That’s a good enough story as is. It got even better when Swaim emerged as a key starter in the second half of last season, a once-extra linebacker that UNM couldn’t afford to take off the field.It’s no longer just a good story.With linebacker Jaxton Eck out for the second straight game, Swaim filled the reigning Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year’s shoes beautifully to steer UNM to its biggest win of the season, and one of the better nights in recent program history.The box score tells part of the story.After all, the 5-foot-11, 216-pound fifth-year player finished with a team-high 11 total tackles, 2 1/2 for a loss. Off the eye test, he consistently seemed to get the Lobos into the right calls and played the run hard on a night where UNM held North Dakota State to just 53 yards on the ground.Now, is Swaim the only thing holding this defense together in Jaxton’s absence? Far from it. This defensive line has been a chore for opposing offensive lines to block. And the Lobos’ secondary is about as good as it's been in a long time — over the last two weeks, safeties Austin Brawley and Drew Speech have made two legitimately game-changing plays.But losing a player like Eck would be a catastrophe for most teams. That it hasn’t been is a major credit to Swaim, a player that’s made the most of his time at UNM.So, again: If you like what you’ve seen, thank Gibson. And the next time you turn on the TV and see Marshall playing, don’t be afraid to root for them either.2. It’s time to consider this offense for what it is, not what it can beTo Eck, UNM’s offense, defense and special teams don’t exist in separate buckets. They’re all part of the equation and all part of the winning formula.And they all have to match.“I try to fit everything in our program together,” the coach said on Sept. 28, “where how we play on defense complements how we play on offense, and how we play on offense complements how we play on defense.”Offensively, UNM did just that against NDSU. Quite well, actually. The Lobos ran the ball for 187 yards to the Bison’s 53, eked out a win in the time of possession battle and limited turnovers, only giving up one on an interception thrown by Toa Fa’avae (8-for-14 passing and 92 yards) in the first quarter.If Eck wants to keep seeing improvement from his offense, he didn’t think there was anything worth being overly concerned about. Not against a NDSU defense that’s slowed down and chewed up more high-octane offenses.And not when it mostly did what it was supposed to.“If we had four senior receivers and a fifth-year senior quarterback who was first-team all-conference, maybe the recipe would be a little different,” Eck said. “But I think we’re executing a pretty good winning formula — so far.”If it’s hard to shake that thought — the recipe could be a little different — that’s understandable. After all, the Lobos do have fifth-year quarterback in Jack Layne — but he’s out for the season. As is Troy Omeire, a seventh-year player who was brought in to be UNM’s WR1.But in those players’ absence — and with a lot of young players stepping up — UNM has found a way to win by complementing its defense with an offense that’s more effective than explosive.How well it keeps doing that is it how it should be graded and discussed until further notice.3. If a little coaching was needed, UNM’s fans met the momentSomewhere on the home sideline in University Stadium, Marcus Stevens heard the chant at the start of the first quarter and immediately ran up to the home stands.LET’S GO LOBOS!LET’S GO LOBOS!LET’S GO LOBOS!With his palms facing the ground, the 6-foot-2, 238-pound Albuquerque native walked in front of the stands, lifting his arms up and down. He didn’t stop until the chant was over.Why? The offense was on the field.“I was happy (the fans were) there,” Eck said. “We’ll coach them up (on) when to be loud and when to be quiet.”Jason Eck. Postgame press conference. Enjoy.Apologies for the noisy typing and a camera that slowly slid on the Pepsi it was balanced on. pic.twitter.com/lj0ihskte2— Sean Reider (@lenaweereider) October 25, 2026Beyond that moment? UNM’s fans met every other one in one of the more electric nights University Stadium has seen in some time, even after a large chunk of the announced crowd of 34,794 fans had to leave the stadium before kickoff due to inclement weather.“I was touched,” Eck said. “It meant a lot to me to have such a great crowd tonight.”Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at @lenaweereider.More UNM football coverage*Dues paid: Lobo football's most devoted fans are enjoying the rideLouis Trujillo and the North End Zone Howlers are celebrating UNM football's success after years of unwavering support*Lobos beat NDSU, remain undefeated in Mountain West playSafety Austin Brawley's 56-yard pick-six lifts UNM to major conference win*Viral soccer fan ‘Freddy’ to attend New Mexico's game against North Dakota StateGerman X user gained huge online following while traveling during 2026 World Cup*Football-loving Olen, Lobos put final touches on preseason prep; Rytis Petraitis still injuredUNM hosts Arizona St. in key preseason test while forward Petraitis remains sidelined with an ankle sprain*Three things to watch for in New Mexico and North Dakota State's blockbuster matchupQB Toa Fa'avae needs a bounceback game as Lobos continue adjusting to life without LB Jaxton Eck*Who's starting for the Lobos against North Dakota State?*Former USC TE could make season debut for Lobos against North Dakota StateLeft tackle Cole Millward listed as questionable for Saturday's game*No love lost? Multiple Lobo coaches, staffers go way back with the BisonNine New Mexico staff members have faced North Dakota State before Saturday’s first meeting, including three who played and coached against the Bison*Laubstein will miss rest of Lobos' season after suffering knee injury at HawaiiRun-first QB had 5 rushing TDs, the second-best mark for UNM*Biggest game of the year? Everything you need to know about New Mexico's game against North Dakota StateSaturday's game will pit the first- and second-best FBS scoring defenses against each other