LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) -- Earlier this season, the Wyoming defense was scoring nearly as often as the offense.

On Saturday against New Mexico, it was the offense's turn to provide a lift. The result was a 42-28 victory which kept Wyoming's Mountain West Conference championship and postseason hopes alive.

Cowboy center Dan Delcorio said the offense was ashamed of some of its early-season performances.

"I hated facing defensive players, I felt so bad," he said. "It definitely feels good to do something for them."

Quarterback Jay Stoner completed 17-of-27 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns for Wyoming (7-3, 4-2 MWC), which won its third straight. New Mexico (3-7, 2-4) lost its third in a row.

Stoner said the Cowboys are confident they can score on every possession.

"It's like, 'Hey defense. Just get off the field and give us the ball back because we want to go out and put more points up,"' said Stoner, who also scored on a 16-yard run.

"We were missing just a little bit of the offense, like a missed assignment, a missed block or a dropped ball (early in the season)," said Wendell Montgomery, who had five catches for 105 yards for the Cowboys. "But we knew what we were capable of and we all believed in each other."

"It is difficult to play a team who really has nothing to lose," said Wyoming coach Dana Dimel. "If we wouldn't have allowed them to get such a great start it could have been a real lopsided game."

Cliff Brye rushed for a career-high 155 yards on six carries and scored on runs of 41 and 78 yards for the Cowboys.

Wyoming rushed for 244 yards and passed for 249 for a total of 493. New Mexico compiled 392 yards, including 235 through the air.

"We need to find a way to get over the edge," said Lobos quarterback Sean Stein, who completed 18-of-37 for 228 yards and three touchdowns but was intercepted three times.

"This was pretty even," he said. "I don't think anybody outplayed anybody. They had a couple big runs at the right time."

New Mexico coach Rocky Long said a key was an interception by Wyoming's Al Rich on Stein's first pass of the second half, combined with a Cowboy offense that kept the Lobos off-balance.

"When you play against this offense, you can stone it the whole day and you're going to give up a big play or two because they either make a good play or you're in the wrong position at the wrong time," Long said.

Brye's 41-yard run lifted Wyoming to a 28-14 lead at the 7:25 mark of the third quarter. It came after teammate Robbie Duncan broke up a fourth-down pass intended for New Mexico safety-wide receiver Brian Urlacher, who caught two scores to keep the Lobos close.

Urlacher, who also returns kicks, scored his sixth touchdown of the season on a 4-yard pass from Stein with 1:07 remaining in the third quarter, pulling the Lobos to 28-21.

After a Wyoming punt, New Mexico drove to the Cowboys 5, but Trent Gamble knocked away a fourth-down pass in the end zone. On Wyoming's next possession, Brye broke free for a 78-yard score that put the Cowboys ahead 35-21.

Tim Beasley's leaping dive into the end zone after taking a shovel pass from Stoner gave Wyoming its first lead, 47 seconds into the second half. The 11-yard play was set up by Rich's interception.

Montgomery's 60-yard TD had tied the game at 14 with 6:26 remaining in the second quarter. The score followed Urlacher's first touchdown, a jumping 3-yard catch over two defenders that put New Mexico up 14-7.

Wyoming's Matt Lehning snuffed New Mexico's bid to take the lead at halftime by intercepting Stein at the Cowboys 10 with 30 seconds left in the half.

Jarrod Baxter led the Lobos in rushing with 102 yards on 17 carries. Wyoming has beaten New Mexico nine of the last 10 games.