SB Nation - Wyoming Cowboys

Contrary to Popular Belief the New Mexico Bowl Did Go On... It was Just Sparsely Attended

Jeremy Mauss — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:47:24 -0000

The New Mexico Bowl is one of the newer bowls in FBS and Wyoming won the most recent matchup against Fresno State. This is not a huge bowl that makes a lot of money, but they do make money since schools are required to sale their allotment of tickets or pay for the tickets they do not sell. However, the game did take place and it could end up being one of the more exciting bowls of the season. That goal line stand on four downs will go down as one of the best defensive series in Wyoming football history. Not only did the game take place but an awesome trophy was given out.

This is highlights from the game and it starts with the amazing goal line stand.

Wyoming pulls out Double OT thriller in New Mexico Bowl

The Road — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:01:30 -0000

Final - 12.19.2009	1	2	3	4	2OT	Total
Fresno St. Bulldogs	0	14	7	7	0	28
Wyoming Cowboys	7	7	3	11	7	35

Complete Coverage >

Did you really expect anything less from the Wyoming Cowboys after this season? After coming back from 11 down in the fourth quarter to force the game into over time. David Leonard caught a touchdown pass to give the Cowboys the lead, then the defense stepped up and stopped Fresno State on downs to give the Cowboys (7-6) the New Mexico Bowl title in a 35-28 2OT victory over the Fresno State Bulldogs (8-5).

This is an underrated bowl that always has close games and the fourth edition was certainly the best. The Cardiac Cowboys certainly lived up to their nickname with this game.

The finish was amazing but the journey to get there was just as good. Full recap after the jump.

Quarter 1

On their second drive Alvester Alexander busted through the right side untouched and took it 68 yards to give Wyoming a 7-0 lead.

Quarter 2

Ryan Mathews busted out a 29 yard run on a fourth and four from the Wyoming 33. One the next play he picks a 6 yard TD run. Tied at 7's.

Austyn Carta-Samuels finds Senior Greg Bolling for a jump ball 21 yard TD catch. Wyoming up 14-7.

Ryan Colbrun shoots a laser and Jamel Hamler makes a great catch to tie things up at 14.

Wyoming drives down the field with time winding down in the half. Ian Watts has his 50 yard field attempt blocked to end the half.

Quarter 3

Fresno does a reverse that turns into a pass by WR Chastin West to find a wide open Jamel Hamler for a 43 yard touchdown. Fresno up 21-14.

Watts kicks a 40 yard field goal on the follow drive. Fresno up 21-17.

Here is where we'll pick up the action in the fourth quarter. Chris Lewis picks off a tipped pass by Austyn Carta-Samuels and returns it to the Wyoming 6. Two plays later Ryan Mathews grabs his second touchdown of the game and the Bulldogs now lead 28-17.

Wyoming drives downs the field and Austyn Carta-Samuels hits Dave Leonard a short pass then Leonard takes it 12 yards up the middle for the score. Down 28-23 Coach Christensen decides to go for two and make it a three point game. ACS hits Greg Bolling for the conversion and now
Fresno is up just 28-25.

On the ensuing kickoff Marlon Moore has a big return and gets the ball inside the Wyoming 50. Fresno looks to be rolling until Mitch Unrein strips the ball from Ryan Mathews. The ball never hit the ground and no one seemed to notice including the referees. Unrein came up with the ball and pleaded his case but the refs said that Fresno had the ball and the first down. Right before the ball was snapped the played was finally reviewed. Without that review the game would have been over for the Cowboys. The review comes back and it's Wyoming ball at their own 26. What makes the strip by Unrein even more impressive is the fact this is first time EVER that Ryan Mathews has fumbled in his collegiate career. With over 500 rushes over three seasons Mathews had never fumbled until now. Humongous play by Senior Mitch Unrein in his final game as a Cowboy.

"The Drive"

With 8:08 left on the clock Wyoming is down by three and struggling to move the ball. On 4th and 2 from their own 34 Wyoming lines up to punt. P Austin McCoy rolls out to the right for rugby style punt but instead finds David Leonard on a short pass, Leonard then fights for a yard and grabs the first down. On the next set of downs Wyoming faces itself in another 4th and 2 situation, this time at their own 45. ACS finds a gap and scrambles to the left and picks up 8 yards and first down. Three plays later Wyoming finds itself with 4th and 4 and time starting to tick off the clock. David Leonard is on the ground but is able to maintain control and grab a 6 yard pass for another first down. On 3rd and 15th from the Fresno State 40 ACS is under pressure and rolls out to the right and hits Zach Bolger at the 27 and Bolger winds his way through traffic to get the ball to the 20. The Pokes have no luck in moving the ball and in comes Ian Watts. Watts the true freshman walk on lines up and hooks a 37 yard field goal just inside the right upright to tie the game at 28. Fresno just kneels the ball after the kickoff and we are headed to over time. Wyoming used 19 plays and took 7:48 off the clock to raise the blood pressure of everyone watching the dramatic drive.

"The Stop"

Wyoming wins the coin toss and wants the ball second. Fresno slowly works their way down towards the end zone and are looking good. Ryan Colburns busts out a 9 yard run and is stopped at the Wyoming 1. Ryan Matthews is stopped twice and then Colburn is stuffed on a QB sneak and Fresno comes up empty. Pat Hill decides to go for it instead of hitting a chip shot field goal and the move backfired. Ryan Mathews is stoned on 4th and Goal from the 1. Kudos to Wyoming's goal line D for keeping the dangerous Bulldog offense out of the end zone.

The Pokes get the ball and try a couple of runs with ACS but basically just try and lineup Watts for the game winning field goal. Watts aka "Mr. Clutch" has come big for the Cowboys all season long and helped win the Bronze Boot which let the Cowboys become bowl eligible. Making 10/11 for the season Watts seemed like a sure thing. Watts ends up pulling a 40 yards field goal waaaay to the left and it looks like disaster for the Pokes. It would be the easiest thing in the world for the Cowboys to crumble and become defeated. Fans, players and coaches had started to rush the field in anticipation of the victory. Everyone had to go back to their spots and the fans to get back in the stands.

2OT

Wyoming gets the ball to start the second half. On second and 10 from the 25 ACS runs to the right then scrambles all the way back to the left with two Bulldog defenders about to drop him for a loss but attempts a forward pitch to David Leonard that is too far. On 3rd and 10 ACS is hit while looking for Greg Bolling near the endzone. Phillip Thomas is called for interference and Wyoming gets a fresh set of downs and the ball at the Fresno 10 yard line.

Brandon Stewart gains three yards on first down but Wyoming is called for holding on the next play to move the ball back to the 18. Samuels find Bolling for a 5 yard pickup. On 3rd and 12 ACS is nearly sacked but sneaks out to his left and puts up a floating pass that finds David Leonard in the endzone. Watts makes the extra point and Wyoming leads 35-28.

Fresno gets the ball and on 3rd and 5 Ryan Colburn can't hang onto a bad snap that goes back 15 yards. He picks up the ball at the 35 and escapes the Wyoming pressure but makes bad throw misses a wide open receiver. On 4th and 5 Colburn scrambles and is tackled but the ball comes out and a linemen recovers for the Bulldogs. Two Cowboys tackle him before and get any yards and the game is finally over.

Wyoming wins an amazing game in which they were 10 point underdogs and nearly everyone in the nation predicted a Fresno State blowout. On the year the Cowboys know have five fourth quarter come backs and finish the season at 7-6. This is the first winning season for the Cowboys since 2004 when they also finished 7-6 and won the Las Vegas Bowl over UCLA.

Austyn Carta-Samuels was named New Mexico Bowl MVP. For the game he finished with 201 yards passing and 3 touchdowns plus 71 more yards on the ground. Cowboy RB Alvester Alexander had 137 yards rushing on just 12 attempts. David Leonard hauled seven catches for 60 yards and two touchdowns. Leonard led the team in receptions and recieving yards this season but only had one touchdown coming into tonight's game. The Pokes put up 438 total yards with 204 passing and 234 on the ground.

Fresno State came into the game averaging 435 yards a game this season but were held to just 366 yards by a Wyoming defense that many thought would be over matched. Ryan Mathews finished with 144 yards (7 below his average) and two touchdowns. Ryab Colburn was 13 of 19 for just 126 yards. Jamel Hamler grabbed 7 catches for 85 yards and two scores.

The big problem for Fresno was their inability to convert on key third and fourth down situations. On 3rd downs the Bulldogs were just 2 for 10 compared to the Cowboys who were 9 of 20. Fresno converted 2 of 4 fourth downs while Wyoming was a perfect 4 for 4. The Cowboys had over a six minute advantage in time of possession.

Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs	19	26
Total Yards	366	438
Passing	169	204
Rushing	197	234
Penalties	5-61	3-19
3rd Down Conversions	2-10	9-20
4th Down Conversions	2-4	4-4
Turnovers	2	1
Possession	26:47	33:13

New Mexico Bowl Open Thread: Wyoming Cowboys vs. Fresno State Bulldogs

Jeremy Mauss — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:00:24 -0000

More photos » by Colin E. Braley - AP

about 1 month ago: Wyoming quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels reacts after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Saturday Oct. 31, 2009, in Salt Lake City, Utah. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Browse more photos »

This is not the most prestigious bowl, but it is first game of the bowl season so people will tune in, lets not disappoint the college starved audience. This is the best place to discuss the game and a win for either school will propel them with confidence for 200.

Wyoming (6-6) vs. Fresno State (8-4) 4:30PM ET

Break out of your football slump and watch this game. First off Wyoming has the freshman of the year in QB Austyn Carta-Samuels from the Mountain West.

While Fresno State has RB Ryan Matthews who has rushed for more than 100 yards in 10 games this season. The only two games he didn’t were the ones he missed due to a concussion.

Let's hear what you think. Register for a free account here on the site and leave your comments, predictions and other game day chatter below in the comments section.

I have now integrated twitter to the open thread. So, within your message you need to put #mwc in the tweet and it will show up and send it to @mwcconnection. Also, if your not following me my twitter name is @mwcconnection

Bowl Games Gameday Thread: Saturday, December 19th, 2009

Drew K — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:30:15 -0000

Let me begin by introducing myself and just give a brief history of my interest in college football. I began watching football in general at a very young age and my passion for the sport has just increased more and more as the years have gone by. I did not start paying very close attention to college football, religiously like I do now, until I was a freshman in college, but had always watched games here and there since I was a teenager. I went to school at a private University in Oklahoma not too far from Norman and naturally found myself rooting for the OU Sooners being that my school did not have a football team of it's own. I still have a lot to learn about the sport as the game is constantly evolving. I believe that one can never know enough about something and there is always something new to learn. My role on this site will be to continue posting the offseason discussions for Niners Nation and to help carry us through the bowl season in looking at some of the key players that will be playing in these games. The main objective I think is to provide more insight for those that don't follow as regularly and give a more clear picture as to who we should be looking at for now and for the future. This will help in the process of scouting and preparing for the 2010 NFL Draft.

Bowl Season for college football has approached us as quickly as the year has passed us by. The first set of Bowl Games kick off with two games beginning today. The first of the two begin with The New Mexico Bowl which will be played at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The second of the two will be The St. Petersburg Bowl, which will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The two teams that will match-up in the New Mexico Bowl are going to be the Fresno State Bulldogs (8-4, 6-2 WAC) vs the Wyoming Cowboys (6-6, 4-4 MWC). The two teams facing off in the St. Petersburg Bowl will be the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-4, 3-4 Big East) vs the UCF Golden Knights (8-4, 6-2 C-USA). Both of these games will be broadcast on ESPN. Further down I will be analyzing the games in a little more depth with some of the key players in each game to watch, as well as some of the key stats on both sides.

FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS VS. WYOMING COWBOYS

UCF GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS

Now that we have that out of the way we can focus in on the games.

NEW MEXICO BOWL GAME PREVIEW:

The Bulldogs finished in third place of the WAC with an overall record of 8-4 and were 6-2 in the conference. In their second appearance of The New Mexico Bowl, the Bulldogs look to be favored in this one against the Cowboys. This will be Fresno State's third straight bowl game and the eighth postseason game in the last decade.

Key players to watch for the Bulldogs:

Ryan Mathews RB (Junior):

Mathews led the nation in rushing yards per game, topping Heisman Trophy finalists Toby Gerhart (Stanford) and Mark Ingram (Alabama) with 151.3 yards per game. Mathews averaged 6.8 yards per carry and scored 17 touchdowns on the season. Before a mid season concussion Mathews led the nation in rushing yards as well.

Ryan Colburn QB (Junior):

Ryan Colburn has the skill-set to be an amazing QB. Colburn’s size will be a positive attribute as he can sit in the pocket and take a hit. If pressured, Colburn has the ability to take off and scramble; he has no problem lowering the shoulder to plow into a defender.

Seyi Aijirotutu WR (Senior):

Has emerged as a big-play threat and will contend for All-WAC honors as a senior. Seyiis a great athlete with range and ability to stretch a defense. He can go up and get the deep passes and is coming off his best season as a Bulldog averaging 16.9 yards per reception in his career.

Ben Jacobs LB (Junior):

7.7 Tackles a game Jacobs leads the defense coming in to this one. Jacobs flies to the ball on every snap and should be fun to watch today.

Chris Carter DL (Junior):

One of the top returning defensive players in the WAC ... coming off a season in which he split time at linebacker and finished the year as a defensive end ... earned Second-Team All-WAC honors at end ... an explosive player who puts great pressure on offensive tackles

Kevin Goessling K (Sophomore):

Probably one of the single most accurate kickers in college football right now. I would not be surprised at all if I saw Goessling playing on Sundays someday soon.

Led by Coach:

Pat Hill (76-51-0 11th year)

The Wyoming Cowboy's finished the season the same way they started it...at .500. They went 6-6 overall and 4-4 in the MWC which placed them 5th overall. This will mark the first time since 2004 that the Cowboys have been involved in a bowl game.

Key players to watch for the Cowboys:

Austyn Carta-Samuels QB (Freshman):

Carta-Samuels led the Wyoming offense to three fourth-quarter touchdowns and a total of 24 fourth-quarter points as the Cowboys came back from a 21-point deficit to win on the road at San Diego State. He is mobile out of the pocket and make plays when he is forced to.

David Leonard WR (Junior):

A tall possession receiver, Leonard can go above the defensive secondaries to get the ball. He made the 2009 All-Mountain West Team and I look for him to be the primary target for Carta-Samuels in this match-up.

Fred Givens DL (Senior):

Givens lost his starting job before the season started, but has won that job back for good reason. He will be the guy in the middle that will be key in shutting down Mathews and the Bulldogs rush game. Short and stout he should be able to create some push in the middle.

Mitch Unrein DE (Senior):

Unrein is perhaps the one player in the league who is flying under the radar and will have a chance to become a household name for those watching this weekend if he can play the way he has all year.

Led by Coach:

Dave Christensen (1st year HC)

Kickoff time and networks:

Time: 4:30 PM ET/ 1:30 PM PST

Television:ESPN & ESPN-HD

Radio: ESPN Radio

Satellite: Sirius

Past Winners:

December 20th, 2008-- Colorado State- 40, Fresno State 35

December 21st, 2007-- New Mexico- 23, Nevada 0

December 23rd, 2006-- San Jose State 20, New Mexico 12

ST. PETERSBURG BOWL GAME PREVIEW:

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights finished the reglarseason with an (8-4, 3-4 Big East) record. Rutgers had been regarded as one of the worst teams in Division I-A in the last couple decades, posting several losing seasons in a row and raising discussion of possibly reducing the team to Division I-AA competition up until now. This will be a good opportunity for the Scarlet Knights to prove that they belong still in Division I-A.

Key players to watch for the Scarlet Knights:

Tim Brown WR (Senior):

You have to appreciate the name although I don't think there is any relation to thee Tim Brown. Brown happened to be the best friend of UConn's Jasper Howard (the player who was murdered earlier in the season on campus). Brown is a bit small but an explosive quick player. Brown is only the 4th player in Rutgers history to record 1000+ yards receiving. Kenny Britt the only other notable player to accomplish this out of the other three.

Joe Martinek RB (Junior):

Besides Brown, Martinek is probably the next best thing the Scarlet Knights have going for them on offense. The 6'0 215 LB. Junior RB has 1300+ career rushing yards and 13 career TD's. He will need to be a big contributor in this game to give Rutgers a chance in this one.

Anthony Davis OT (Junior):

Davis is a big mobile Tackle and as far as the Niners are concerned, we should all be keeping an eye on this one. On my original list before some of the others climbed the board for me, Davis was in my top five. He has fallen off the radar a bit, but it will be interesting to see how well he does against the Golden Knights. He is projected by some to now go in the 2nd round of the 2010 NFL Draft. 6'6" 325 Lbs.

Kevin Haslam OG (Senior):

Great at run blocking Haslam stands 6'7" and weighs 300 Lbs. Get's off the snap fast and pulls really well. Again, another interesting possibility we should keep an eye out for in this matchup.

Ryan D’Imperio, Rutgers ILB (Senior):

D'Imperio will be the anchor of this defense in this one serving as one of the team captain's. Earlier in his career, the now Senior, had to have several surgeries to repair a severe leg injury. As a junior last season, the veteran middle linebacker started all 13 games and ranked fifth in the BIG EAST with more than seven tackles for game and 10thin the league with nearly a tackle for loss per contest. He has a lot of football knowledge and plays the game very smart. I am not sure if he will be drafted and if he is not, I think he should work out with some team and try and make it as an undrated free agent. We will see how he performs this evening.

Led by Coach:

Greg Schiano (54-55 9th year)

The UCF Golden Knights have the same record as their opponent with exception to conference record at (8-4, 6-2 C-USA). Although UCF has never won a bowl game and are in fact 0-2 in their postseason bowl record, it would not surprise me if the Golden Knights manage to get their 1st bowl win against Rutgers. Rutgers are favored but it is college football and anything can happen as the polls have been drawing closer in this one.

Key players to watch for the Golden Knights:

Brynn Harvey RB (Sophomore):

Harvey rushed for nearly 1100 yards with 14 TD's this year. He has been their bell cow this year and they have made it to a bowl game on large part to this young and very talented athlete.

Josh Robinson CB (Freshman):

Give this kid a few years and you are going to be looking at one dynamite CB. If he continues to get better, he could be at the top of the list as an NFL prospect. Robinson has 6 INT's with 84 return yards. He could make it difficult on the opposing QB today.

Since UCF's players play so well as a team, the statistics are pretty spread out and there is not many players besides Harvey and Robinson that really stand out as a possible recruits in to the NFL in the future. But it should be fun to watch the offensive line and Harvey have success against the Scarlet Knights this evening. And someone else may make showcase themselves to the nation tonight and jump their way on to some teams board.

Kickoff time and networks:

Time: 8:00 PM ET/ 5:00 PM PST

Television: ESPN Mark Jones- Play-by-Play, Bob Davie- Color Analyst, Rob Stone - Sideline Reporter
Internet: ESPN360.com
Radio: Rutgers Football Radio Network
Affiliates: WOR 710-AM (New York City); WCTC 1450-AM (Central Jersey); 97.5 FM "The Fanatic" (Philadelphia and South Jersey)
Student Radio: WRSU 88.7 FM
Satellite Radio: Sirius/XM
National Radio: ESPN Radio

Past Winners:

December 20th, 2008-- South Florida 41, Memphis 14

This will mark the 2nd year for this specific Bowl Game.

Weekend Bowl Previews: New Mexico, St. Petersburg and New Orleans

cocknfire — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:00:31 -0000

by Seth Perlman - AP

We're going to New Mexico!

View full size photo »

If there are bowl games named after cities and small states being played by mediocre mid-major teams, it must be mid-December. And here we have the first three contests of the post season, played in beautiful Albuquerque, scenic St. Petersburg and almost sorta kinda rebuilt New Orleans.

These will get longer as we get to bowl games played by teams that you actually, you know, want to see play as opposed to teams you'll watch because it's college football and it's on television.

SATURDAY

New Mexico Bowl, 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Fresno State vs. Wyoming

Yes, Wyoming is in a bowl game this year. No, Tennessee fans, that doesn't make it look any better that you lost to them last year.

WHY YOU CARE / Football is back. You know good and well that if they put this game on television on a Tuesday night in the middle of the season, you wouldn't watch it. But you and I both will flock to it like moths to a flame, because football has returned to our lives for a few short weeks.

WYOMING (6-6) / Clinched bowl eligibility in the final game by defeating Colorado State by one point after also winning against such luminaries as San Diego State, UNLV and Weber State. Losses include one at Colorado, which really ought to eliminate anyone from the postseason.

FRESNO STATE (8-4) / Twin shellackings by Boise State and Nevada meant the Bulldogs ended the season third in the WAC. This is a team that defeated Illinois only because of one of the luckiest plays in the history of organized football. Otherwise, the only nonconference win would have been against UC Davis, which really should be offered membership in the WAC at this point.

WHO WILL WIN / FRESNO STATE, because they are okay as compared to bad.

- - -

St. Petersburg Bowl presented by Beef 'O' Brady's, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
UCF vs. Rutgers

After beginning the season with a 32-point loss to Cincinnati, Rutgers is just happy to be in a bowl. The game will show up as the Orange Bowl on George O'Leary's resume.

WHY YOU CARE / Because Beef 'O' Brady's commercials are terrible, but might be better if they get some new revenue after the sponsorship deal.

UCF (8-4) / Aside from defeating the weak teams in Conference USA, the Golden Knights also won against Houston and -- well, that's really their only impressive win this season.

RUTGERS (8-4) / The Scarlet Knights never lost two games in a row this year. Sure, one of those losses was to Syracuse ... by 18 ... but there was never a losing streak in 2009 for Rutgers. And consider the four-game winning streak against Howard, FIU, at Maryland and vs. Texas Southern. A win against South Florida might have been the highlight.

WHO WILL WIN / RUTGERS, because the Big East is marginally a stronger league than C-USA. Marginally.

SUNDAY

R+L Carriers New Orleans, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee

The purpose for this game is basically to make sure that the Superdome is in working order for the important bowl game to be played there in a couple of weeks. And to make sure that the presence of Saints football in the stadium hasn't made it uninhabitable.

WHY YOU CARE / Because it will give you an early preview of what the stadium will look like during the Sugar Bowl.

SOUTHERN MISS (7-5) / Rebounded from a three-game losing streak at Kansas, UAB and Louisville to get a winning record and prove that there are too many bowls when you can write "Rebounded from a three-game losing streak at Kansas, UAB and Louisville" about a bowl team. Basically UCF without the Houston win.

MIDDLE TENNESSEE (9-3) / The Blue Raiders defeated a BCS team (I guess) when they won at Maryland, 32-31, in September. They were the second best team in the Sun Belt, but again, we're talking about the Sun Belt. QB Dwight Dasher is actually a pretty good player.

WHO WILL WIN / MIDDLE TENNESSEE, because I refuse to believe that we live in a world where a team that lost to Kansas, UAB and Lousville can win a bowl game.

Preview: 2009 New Mexico Bowl

The Road — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:53:44 -0000

Next Game

Fresno St. Bulldogs
@ Wyoming Cowboys

Saturday, Dec 19, 2009, 1:30 PM PST
New Mexico Bowl - University Stadium, Albuquerque, NM

TV: ESPN

Complete Coverage >

College Bowl season kicks off on Saturday and it all begins in Albuquerque with the New Mexico Bowl. This is the fifth edition of this bowl that features a WAC-MWC match up. This year the Fresno State Bulldogs take on the Wyoming Cowboys. This will be the second consecutive appearance for the Bulldogs (8-4) in the Land of Enchantment. Meanwhile the Cowboys (6-6) have exceeded expectations all year long under new head coach Dave Christensen and a youthful roster.

The media has written this bowl off but there are several reasons to tune in on Saturday.

- Ryan Mathews of the Bulldogs leads the nation with 151 yards rushing per game. This could be your final chance to see him as he may bolt for the NFL after Saturday.

- Wyoming is led by true freshman and dual threat qB Austyn Carta-Samuels. ACS has led the Pokes to four fourth quarter comebacks this year including a 24 point comeback over San Diego State.

- Fresno features the nations 14th rated offense averaging 34 points a game. Their defense has struggled this year and this could turn into a high scoring affair. Wyoming averages just 17 points a game but has averaged nearly 29 points in their victories. The Cowboys have not lost when scoring more than 11 points this year.

These two teams have met six times before with the home team winning each time. This time they face off on a neutral site but the bowl is hosted at a Mountain West school - The University of New Mexico. The Bulldogs are favored by 10-13 points but are 0-4 versus Mountain West teams in bowl games including a loss to 6-6 Colorado State in last years New Mexico Bowl.

Fresno Coach Pat Hill was rumored to be on his way out but just had contract extended this week. Coach Christensen is making his appearance in a bowl game as a head coach but has a 5-2 record as an assistant and has this will be his fifth straight year with a bowl game.

Players to watch:

Fresno State

QB Ryan Colburn - 2333 yards passing and 18 touchdowns.

RB Ryan Mathews -1664 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns.

WR Seyi Ajirotutu - 671 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Wyoming

QB Austyn Carta-Samuels -1752 yards passing and 295 rushing yards plus 10 total touchdowns.

WR David Leonard - 70 receptions for 645 yards.

RB Alvester Alexander - 503 yards rushing and six touchdowns.

Poll

Who will win the New Mexico Bowl?

Wyoming

27 votes

Fresno State

71 votes

98 votes | Poll has closed

Fortune Teller: 2009 Bowl Predictions (Part 1)

Brian @ BCI — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:16:14 -0000

For the third straight year, we preview the upcoming college football postseason. Here are our picks for bowls 1-17, which takes you from the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque to El Paso, Texas for the Sun Bowl.

Leave your thoughts on any of the first 17 matchups below.

New Mexico (December 19)

Matchup: Fresno State (8-4) vs. Wyoming (6-6)
The Line: Fresno State -11.5

The Lead: Wyoming makes only its second trip to a bowl this decade while Fresno State makes its 9th bowl appearance in the last 10 years. Fresno State returns to New Mexico for the second straight year (losing to Colorado State 40-35 last year).

Brian Pick: Fresno State -11.5
Jeff Pick: Wyoming +11.5

St. Petersburg presented by Beef ‘O’ Brady’s (December 19)

Matchup: UCF (8-4) vs. Rutgers (8-4)
The Line: Rutgers -2.5

The Lead: Rutgers just making a bowl game game is no longer exciting for their players and fans who had higher hopes coming into this season than to finish 3-4 in the Big East. UCF meanwhile will be playing less than three hours from their campus and should be thrilled to be there.

Jeff Pick: UCF +2.5
Brian Pick: Rutgers -2.5

R + L Carrier New Orleans (December 20)

Matchup: Southern Miss (7-5) vs. Middle Tennessee (9-3)
The Line: Southern Miss -3.5

The Lead: Southern Miss returns to the New Orleans Bowl for the second straight year. Last year, Southern Miss blocked a field goal in overtime to defeat Troy 30-27 in one of the more entertaining 2008 bowl games. Middle Tennessee State is one of the hottest teams in the country, having won 6 straight and reaching the 9 win plateau for the first time since joining Division I-A in 1999. Southern Miss has a perfect 3-0 record in the New Orleans Bowl.

Brian Pick: Southern Miss -3.5
Jeff Pick: Southern Miss -3.5

MAACO Las Vegas (December 22)

Matchup: Oregon State (8-4) vs. BYU (10-2)
The Line: Oregon State -2.5

The Lead: BYU was on top of the world after beating Oklahoma to start the season. Oregon State was on top of the college football world in the final Thursday night of the season when playing Oregon for the Pac-10 title. Things didn't work out as either team had hoped from those points on though and they both fell to the pre-Christmas Las Vegas Bowl. Oregon State has plenty to prove though as they attempt to beat BYU, TCU and Boise State in the next 11 months and serve as the non-BCS school killer.

Jeff Pick: Oregon State -2.5
Brian Pick: Oregon State -2.5

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia (December 23)

Matchup: Utah (9-3) vs. California (8-4)
The Line: California -3

The Lead: With BC losing to Vanderbilt last season, Utah now owns the longest active winning streak in bowl games, having won their last 8 games including last year’s Sugar Bowl over Alabama. Cal is riding a seven game streak for bowl apperances, the longest in school history.

Brian Pick: Utah +3
Jeff Pick: Utah +3

Sheraton Hawaii (December 24)

Matchup: Nevada (8-4) vs. SMU (7-5)
The Line: Nevada -15

The Lead: This game features a very good WAC team against a very good C-USA team but does that mean that they are actually good teams? It's tough to say. Neither team has a very impressive win this season and both seemed to lose all their games when they had opportunities to prove themselves. Will anyone watch the Christmas Eve game in Hawaii? Other than Brian?

Jeff Pick: SMU +15
Brian Pick: Nevada -15

Little Caesars (December 26)

Matchup: Marshall (6-6) vs. Ohio (9-4)
The Line: Ohio -2.5

The Lead: This game renews a rivalry game between the two schools located only 80 miles apart. Ohio and Marshall used to compete in the Battle for the Bell which is set to be renewed in 2010. Ohio leads the all-time series 29-17-6, however Marshall has won 8 of the last 10 matchups between the two geographic neighbors.

Brian Pick: Ohio -2.5
Jeff Pick: Ohio -2.5

Meineke Car Care (December 26)

Matchup: Pittsburgh (9-3) vs. North Carolina (8-4)
The Line: Pittsburgh -3

The Lead: What a disappointing finish to the season for Pittsburgh. Pitt lost to their backyard brawl rival West Virginia before losing to Cincinnati in a de-facto Big East Championship game. The Panthers led the entire game against Cincinnati but could not finish so now instead of the Orange Bowl they get a trip to Charlotte to play North Carolina in a "road" bowl game. Good luck getting your team fired up for this one, Dave!

Jeff Pick: North Carolina +3
Brian Pick: Pittsburgh -3

Emerald (December 26)

Matchup: Boston College (8-4) vs. USC (8-4)
The Line: USC -9

The Lead: The 8-4 Eagles travel to San Francisco for the second time this decade to take on the 8-4 USC Trojans. This is the first time in seven years that USC hasn’t played in a BCS bowl game (5 Rose Bowls, 2 Orange Bowls). Good news for the Eagles is the last time Pete Carroll found himself in a non-BCS bowl game, the Trojans lost 10-6 to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. You don't think we would pick against BC now, do you?

Brian Pick: Boston College +9
Jeff Pick: Boston College +9

Gaylor Hotels Music City (December 27)

Matchup: Kentucky (7-5) vs. Clemson (8-5)
The Line: Clemson -7.5

The Lead: If Boston College's 2008 performance in the Music City Bowl is any indication of how Clemson might play this year after the disappointing ACC Championship Game, it's is going to be tough to watch for Tiger fans. But after losing to South Carolina, the ACC really doesn't need Clemson, or any of its top programs, to lose to mediocre SEC teams. Clemson ticket sales for the bowl have been soft but hopefully Dabo can rally this team to victory.

Jeff Pick: Kentucky +7.5
Brian Pick: Clemson -7.5

AdvoCare V100 Independence (December 28)

Matchup: Texas A&M (6-6) vs. Georgia (7-5)
The Line: Georgia -7

The Lead: Georgia wraps up an otherwise disappointing, up-and-down season in Shreveport, Louisiana. For every quality win for UGA, there seemed to be an equally puzzling loss this year. Defeat Arkansas, get crushed at Tennessee. Defeat Auburn, lose to Kentucky at home, come back and defeat in-state rival Georgia Tech. Texas A&M has had a similar up-and-down season, but seemingly backed into the postseason having lost 3 of their last 4 games.

Brian Pick: Georgia -7
Jeff Pick: Georgia -7

EagleBank (December 29)

Matchup: UCLA (6-6) vs. Temple (9-3)
The Line: UCLA -4

The Lead: UCLA had to wait to see the result of the Army-Navy game before getting officially invited to this bowl game. In the bowl's second season, I don't imagine that their will be much hype this year compared to last year's geographically favorable matchup of Wake Forest vs. Navy. Look for Temple to surprise some people and possibly knock off a BCS school in this one.

Jeff Pick: Temple +4
Brian Pick: Temple +4

Champs Sports (December 29)

Matchup: Miami (Fla.) (9-3) vs. Wisconsin (9-3)
The Line: Miami -3

The Lead: This year’s Champs Sports Bowl is a matchup of 9-3 ranked teams. Both teams are coming off strong finishes, each winning 4 of their final 5 games. Wisconsin finished the season with a 51-10 drubbing of Hawaii on the road, while Miami took care of USF 31-10. Miami is 2-0 all-time in the Champs Sports Bowl. Wisconsin played in Orlando last season, losing to Florida State 42-13. This is the last year the Big 10 will be represented in this bowl as the Big East will send a team to face an ACC opponent starting next season.

Brian Pick: Miami -3
Jeff Pick: Miami -3

Roady’s Humanitarian (December 30)

Matchup: Bowling Green (8-5) vs. Idaho (7-5)
The Line: Idaho +1.5

The Lead: Another game that might set an attendance record this season but not the kind of record that you want to be setting if you are putting this bowl together. Boise fans might already be on their way to the Fiesta Bowl so even getting a few locals to come out for this game will be difficult. Bowling Green has a pretty good WR, and Idaho plays home games in a dome. That's all I have for this one.

Jeff Pick: Bowling Green -1.5
Brian Pick: Idaho +1.5

Pacific Life Holiday (December 30)

Matchup: Arizona (8-4) vs. Nebraska (9-4)
The Line: Arizona -1.5

The Lead: Arizona - having defeated the Trojans 21-17 to move to 6-3 in conference - will represent the Pac-10 as its #2 team in the Holiday Bowl. Nebraska won the Big 12 North, finishing the season at 9-4, 6-2 in conference. The Cornhuskers are coming off a heartbreaking 13-12 loss to Texas in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Brian Pick: Arizona -1.5
Jeff Pick: Nebraska +1.5

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces (December 31)

Matchup: Houston (10-3) vs. Air Force (7-5)
The Line: Houston -4.5

The Lead: The mighty Houston Cougars who knocked off Oklahoma State at home are only 4.5 point favorites against Air Force? Oh right, we later found out that Oklahoma State was not nearly as good as anyone thought the would be and failed to make a push for a BCS bowl by nearly losing to Colorado and then getting destroyed by Oklahoma to end the season. Air Force had another nice season but only managed a 1-5 record against bowl bound teams this season.

Jeff Pick: Air Force +4.5
Brian Pick: Houston -4.5

Brut Sun (December 31)

Matchup: Oklahoma (7-5) vs. Stanford (8-4)
The Line: Oklahoma -8

The Lead: This should be an intriguing matchup between the unstoppable force (Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart and the 15th ranked Stanford Cardinal offense) and the immovable object (Oklahoma's 7th ranked defense). Oklahoma has had an otherwise disappointing season, that is, up until they put a 27-0 hurtin' on in-state rival Oklahoma State in Bedlam. Stanford may or may not be playing without the services of starting freshman quarterback Andrew Luck.

Brian Pick: Stanford +8
Jeff Pick: Oklahoma -8

Making the Rounds: Mountain West Bowling Edition

Jeremy Mauss — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:00:22 -0000

New Mexico Bowl

Fresno State extends Coach Pat Hill's contract past 2010, but no details are released. Listen to a preview of this game by The Fresno Bee

Wyoming is excited to be the first bowl game of the season, because people will watch. Dave Christenson's motivation has paid off in the weight room.

Poinsettia Bowl

The Andy Ludwig bowl is really happening Ute fans. Utes will continue to use the momentum killer known as the Wild - whatever you want to call it on offense. A graph depicting the Cal 2009 football season.

Andy Ludwig interview:

Las Vegas Bowl

Oregon State was so close to going to the Rose Bowl. Las Vegas Bowl is 7th best among all bowl games. Building the Dam gives a first look of BYU. The Cougars are taking this game seriously.

Armed Forces Bowl

Houston will not have the distraction of having their head coach decline to take an interview Kevin Sumlin with Cincinatti for their head coaching job. This bowl game is the 12th rated bowl game by ESPN.

Fiesta Bowl

Boise State is one of the most injured teams in the country, and are looking for revenge after last years lost to TCU on the Poinsettia Bowl. Tickets to the Fiesta Bowl are a really hot item. DE Jerry Hughes wins another All-American award.

Ranking The 2009-2010 Bowls: Part 1

Mark Kieffer — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:10:59 -0000

Everyone and their grandma has been ranking the bowls......Except for me. So I figured that I should jump in on all the fun, and talk about the 2nd season of College Football: "Bowl Season".

Now, I am in the camp of those who think there are just way too many bowl games. I'm not going to lie. It takes quite a bit to get me hyped up for a bowl game. To be honest, almost every year I set out to try and watch every bowl game, and every year I end up watching a handful of bowls, but mostly college basketball.

This year, I'm not making any promises like that, especially when it's quite possible I'll be going down to Tempe for the bowl game. At the same time, I will make the effort of watching a handful of games, and I figured I would share my process of elimination with you, by doing a countdown of bowl games that I am looking forward to most.

In Part 1 of this three part series, I'm going to countdown the 14 bowls that I find the least exciting. I'd characterize this group by saying that I could watch some of these games, but I'm certainly not rearranging my life to watch them. I can safely say that if I somehow did not watch a single game from this group, I wouldn't be too disappointed.

#34: New Orleans Bowl (Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee State), 12/20/2009, 7:30pm CST, ESPN

I have absolutley no reason to get excited about this game at all. I thought Southern Miss would be a better team than they were, but they ended up being just another 7-5 midmajor. If you're hardcore, on paper these teams look pretty even in regards to scoring. It could be a close game. Accuscore has Southern Miss as a 54% favorite. Whatifsports.com has Southern Miss, just edging the victory as well. Fortunatley for me, the Vikings play the Panthers on that Sunday night, so I will be watching that as well.

#33: New Mexico Bowl (Fresno State vs. Wyoming), 12/19/2009, 3:30pm CST, ESPN

There have been years in the past, when I've flicked on the game, because it's the 1st one in the season, and it's been a bit of a novelty. Usually, I can't watch past the 1st quarter. This year, I will probably try and attempt the same thing, but will end up doing something else. Not a knock on Fresno State which is a decent team, but moreso on Wyoming. On paper, this has the makings of a blowout. With Fresno State, you have one of the best offenses in the nation, averaging 436 yards/game and about 34 points scored. With Wyoming, you have one of the worst offenses, averaging 298 yards/game, and about 17 points scored.

#32: Little Caesar's Bowl (Marshall vs. Ohio), 12/26/2009, Noon CST, ESPN

What ranks this game here as opposed to last, is probably the fact that Marshall has a new head coach from the regular season now. Since there is a "craziness" possibility to this game, I may watch the first few series.

#31: Hawaii Bowl (Nevada vs. SMU), 12/24/2009, 7pm CST, ESPN

The biggest thing this game has going for it, is that there is no College Basketball at all that night, no other College Football that night, and no NBA either. There is a Chargers vs. Titans game on the NFL Network, but that's it as far as sports go. People wanting their sports fix might be tuning into this one. Or maybe they will do something with their families on Christmas Eve (for those that celebrate it).

#30: GMAC Bowl (Central Michigan vs. Troy), 1/6/2010, 6pm CST, ESPN

This actually is a decent matchup among mid-majors. It really is. The biggest problem with this bowl is that it's sandwiched right between the Orange Bowl and the BCS Championship Game. I might watch some of it, as I wait for the Iowa State vs. Duke game, but that's about it.

#29: St. Petersburg Bowl (UCF vs. Rutgers), 12/19/2009, 7pm CST, ESPN

I know Rutgers is 8-4, but they went 3-4 in the Big East. Also, this is practically a homegame for UCF. Just not a lot about this game to sell me on.

#28: EagleBank Bowl (UCLA vs. Temple), 12/29/2009, 3:30pm CST, ESPN

Can't say much about this one, other than I'm probably not going to watch it.

#27: International Bowl (South Florida vs. Northern Illinois), 1/2/2010, 11am CST, ESPN2

I don't think I've ever watched the International Bowl and this matchup isn't really changing the chances of that happening for me.

#26: Armed Forces Bowl (Houston vs. Air Force), 12/31/2009, 11am CST, ESPN

The thick of the CUSA schedule exposed Houston as a paper tiger, it could be a close game. It is an interesting matchup in Houston has the best pass offense in the nation, while Air Force has the best pass defense in the nation. There's not enough there for me to take an interest, especially if I'm in Tempe getting ready for the Insight Bowl.

#25: Alamo Bowl (Michigan State vs. Texas Tech), 1/2/2010, 8pm CST, ESPN

Michigan State is a disappointment this year. I think many thought they had an outside shot to compete for the Big 10, and instead they finish 6-6. To add insult to injury, they also suspended 8 guys and kicked 2 off the team for some off the field drama. There's no reason why Texas Tech shouldn't roll this team by 21.

#24: Meineke Car Care Bowl (Pitt vs. UNC), 12/26/2009, 3:30pm CST, ESPN

On paper, Pitt should roll UNC. I just wonder how they will play coming off that disappointing loss to Cincy. It seems like when a team gets snubbed or loses a tough championship game like that, they don't come in ready to play.

UNC is just manic with their play. Some weeks they look great and beat Virginia Tech, while others they are losing to NC-State. Overall, I see the makings of a potentially sloppy game

#23: Humanitarian Bowl (Bowling Green vs. Idaho), 12/30/2009, 3:30pm CST, ESPN

Watch the weather forecast for this one. If it's a clear, calm day, it's going to be a shootout with my man Freddie Barnes tearing it up, and I'm going to want to watch it! If it's blizzard conditions, or just a day condusive to running the ball a lot, this bowl belongs in the #34-30 range.

#22: Music City Bowl (Kentucky vs. Clemson), 12/27/2009, 7:30pm CST, ESPN

C.J. Spiller is the reason to watch this game. If you haven't seen him play before this would be a good spot to see him as I have a feeling he'll have a big game in this one. Kentucky has a bad rush defense. That said, I see this as a Clemson romp, so I'm not exactly expecting a good game from this one.

#21: Papajohns.com Bowl (South Carolina vs. UConn), 1/2/2010, 1pm CST, ESPN

South Carolina really perplexes me. Spurrier is supposed to be this offensive genius, but South Carolina seems to have had sucky offenses since he took over. I'm rooting for UConn in this one. With everything they've gone through this season, how nice would it be to see the Huskies get a bowl victory?

In Part 2 of this series, I will count down the next tier of bowl games in terms of what I'm looking forward to. Look for that on Tuesday. In the meantime, feel free to join in on the conversation.

Don't Bet On It!: College Football Bowl Edition (Part I)

T Kyle King — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 01:53:51 -0000

The outcome of this afternoon’s Army-Navy game finalized the Division I-A postseason lineup, so now we are able to begin (albeit not end; there are a lot of these games, you know) taking a look at this year’s bowl pairings. My 4-3 record in last weekend’s predictions brought me to 69-16 (.812) in SEC forecasts, 35-33 (.515) in non-conference prognostications, and 104-49 (.680) in overall picks for 2009. Perhaps now would be a good time to remind you . . . Don’t Bet On It!

Here are the first four games of the 2009 bowl season, the earliest of which will occur only one week from today (which hopefully will keep tankertoad’s Saturday from sucking):

New Mexico Bowl: Fresno St. Bulldogs v. Wyoming Cowboys (Dec. 19): All right, seriously, this isn’t a rematch of a conference game? I genuinely find that hard to believe. The Cowboys will arrive in Albuquerque fresh from a 6-6 season that included losses to the Texas Longhorns, Colorado Buffaloes, Brigham Young Cougars, and TCU Horned Frogs by margins of 31, 24, 52, and 35 points, respectively. Wyoming simply hasn’t so much as shown up against anyone even passably good. The West Coast Bulldogs are passably good.

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl: Central Florida Golden Knights v. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Dec. 19): On a day we all spent watching the Army Black Knights put forth a pretty good first-half effort in an attempt to earn a bowl bid, we now find ourselves confronting the prospect of two more groups of color-coded paladins squaring off in the postseason. It’s almost as though the Nike guys in charge of the Oregon Ducks’ uniforms were digitally enhancing the costumes in "Excalibur." I don’t know whether this one will begin with a coin toss or a jousting tournament, but I’m confident it will end with a Rutgers victory.

New Orleans Bowl: Middle Tenn. St. Blue Raiders v. Southern Miss. Golden Eagles (Dec. 20): Really, now, you can’t be telling me this isn’t a rematch of a conference game, can you? I mean, I’ve been in Sanford Stadium to see the Georgia Bulldogs up the integer in the left-hand side of their ledger against both of these teams. Then again, I’ve also been in the Classic City to see the Red and Black come up short against one of these teams, so that’s the one I’m picking to win. Southern Miss annually opens the season as the No. 25 team on my BlogPoll ballot in a nod to Matt Hinton and the Golden Eagles will end this season with a win.

Las Vegas Bowl: BYU Cougars v. Oregon St. Beavers (Dec. 22): Two things about this game continue to baffle me. First of all, if the bowl in Nashville is the Music City Bowl and the bowl in Detroit used to be the Motor City Bowl, shouldn’t the bowl in Las Vegas be the Sin City Bowl? Secondly, how strange is it that this bowl keeps playing host to Brigham Young, a school whose student-athletes consider caffeine morally objectionable? I’m not sure whether Oregon State’s presence in this game attests more to the depth of the Pac-10 as a conference or the crummy quality of the league’s postseason tie-ins, but, either way, if what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, then what’s staying in Vegas is a Beaver beatdown of the overrated Cougars.

You know, I know, and the American people know that I’m flying blind on these early predictions, so, even if you find that my forecasts make sense to you in the later games, that should not cause you to place faith in my initial set of prognostications. Simply stated, whatever you do . . . Don’t Bet On It!

Go ‘Dawgs!

SB Nation - Wyoming Cowboys

Contrary to Popular Belief the New Mexico Bowl Did Go On... It was Just Sparsely Attended

Wyoming pulls out Double OT thriller in New Mexico Bowl

New Mexico Bowl Open Thread: Wyoming Cowboys vs. Fresno State Bulldogs

Twitter #mwc

Bowl Games Gameday Thread: Saturday, December 19th, 2009

Weekend Bowl Previews: New Mexico, St. Petersburg and New Orleans

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Preview: 2009 New Mexico Bowl

Next Game

Who will win the New Mexico Bowl?

Wyoming

Fresno State

Fortune Teller: 2009 Bowl Predictions (Part 1)

New Mexico (December 19)

St. Petersburg presented by Beef ‘O’ Brady’s (December 19)

R + L Carrier New Orleans (December 20)

MAACO Las Vegas (December 22)

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia (December 23)

Sheraton Hawaii (December 24)

Little Caesars (December 26)

Meineke Car Care (December 26)

Emerald (December 26)

Gaylor Hotels Music City (December 27)

AdvoCare V100 Independence (December 28)

EagleBank (December 29)

Champs Sports (December 29)

Roady’s Humanitarian (December 30)

Pacific Life Holiday (December 30)

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces (December 31)

Brut Sun (December 31)

Making the Rounds: Mountain West Bowling Edition

Ranking The 2009-2010 Bowls: Part 1

Don't Bet On It!: College Football Bowl Edition (Part I)