The most unlikely story in the Mountain West travels to Silicon Valley on Saturday. New Mexico, 6-1 and alone atop the conference at 3-0, visits San José State at CEFCU Stadium at 4:00 p.m. ET on MW+ and NBC Sports Bay Area, carrying the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense into a building where the Lobos have historically gone to suffer.

Start with the defense, because everything in Albuquerque starts there. New Mexico allows 11.3 points per game — the best mark in the FBS — along with just 261.0 total yards (fifth nationally) and 86.4 rushing yards per game, and it has surrendered only two rushing touchdowns all season. Defensive back Austin Brawley, a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist, headlines a unit that just dragged the Lobos to bowl eligibility with a 21-16 win over North Dakota State, sealed by Kiefer Sibley’s 91 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Lobos’ only loss this season came at Oklahoma, 14-6 — a game in which they held the Sooners to two touchdowns. The offense does its part on the ground, rushing for 210.6 yards per game with 23 rushing touchdowns, led by Scottre Humphrey’s 453 yards and nine scores.

San José State (4-4, 2-2) is searching for answers at exactly the wrong time. The Spartans are coming off a loss at Nevada in which the offense produced 10 three-and-outs, cycled through three quarterbacks and managed a season-low 65 rushing yards. Season starter Luke Weaver has thrown for 1,620 yards and 11 touchdowns, with Carson Clark (47 catches, 551 yards, five touchdowns) as his top target, and the Spartans’ defense has tightened up over the last seven games, allowing 19.7 points per contest.

And then there is the history. San José State has won four straight in this series, including 35-28 last season, and seven straight home games against the Lobos. Ken Niumatalolo’s teams live on takeaways — the Spartans are 9-5 under him when they win the turnover battle. New Mexico’s methodical, run-heavy offense protects the ball by design, but one or two short fields are how an upset like this starts. Win, and the Lobos take another firm step toward the Mountain West championship game. Lose, and the league’s best defense suddenly looks a lot more human.

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