McGwire Passes for 530 Yards in Victory : San Diego State: Aztecs beat New Mexico, 40-34, and keep their slim bowl hopes flickering.

San Diego State quarterback Dan McGwire completed 33 passes for a career-high 530 yards, six short of the school record set by Todd Santos against Stanford in 1987, and led the Aztecs to a 40-34 victory over New Mexico before 7,868 at University Stadium Saturday.

Fred Miller, Aztec athletic director, said San Diego State, 5-4 overall and 4-2 in the Western Athletic Conference, is still one of the teams under consideration for a berth in the Dec. 29 Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La.

San Diego State is apparently in the running with North Carolina, Temple and Louisiana Tech for a berth against a Southwest Conference opponent, probably Baylor.

Against New Mexico (2-10, 1-6), McGwire spread around his 49 pass attempts, with three Aztec receivers getting at least 100 yards. He threw two touchdown passes to Jimmy Raye, and Patrick Rowe caught six passes for 131 yards. Rowe tied a school record with seven consecutive games of 100 or more receiving yards. The NCAA record is eight, set by Tulsa’s Howard Twilley in 1965 and tied by Fresno State’s Henry Ellard in 1982.

Rowe now has 1,129 yards this season, seventh on the Aztecs’ all-time single season list.

He also became the 10th receiver in SDSU history to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in a season with his first catch of the game, a 34-yard reception on the last play of the first quarter.

Dennis Arey caught eight passes for 150 yards, and Raye had eight receptions for 110 yards.

The Aztecs rushed for 158 yards and finished with 688 total yards, third-highest in school history.

“It didn’t seem like it . . . we were so inconsistent,” McGwire said. “We were inconsistent throughout the whole game. We had an off day. To overcome that and post a victory like this . . .”

It was the Aztecs’ first road victory of the season.

Trailing, 10-7, the Aztecs scored touchdowns on three possessions in a row and led at the half, 31-21.

The Lobos pulled to 31-28 when Marcus Goodloe passed 43 yards to Eric Morgan for a touchdown to cap a 67-yard, four-play drive.

The Aztecs answered with a 23-yard field goal by Andy Trakas. With 11:08 to play, Tommy Booker capped a 67-yard, nine-play drive with a five-yard touchdown that put the Aztecs ahead, 40-28.

Nate Morris intercepted McGwire’s pass with 4:13 to play and returned it to the Aztec 35 and, three plays later, Goodloe passed 18 yards to Morgan for a touchdown. A two-point conversion attempt failed.