ALBUQUERQUE, N.M – Eric Morris guided North Texas to a host of milestones in what turned out to be his final season at North Texas.
Showing posts with label new mexico bowl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new mexico bowl. Show all posts
TCU: 2024 New Mexico Bowl Champions
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- — Josh Hoover passed for four touchdowns to help TCU beat Louisiana-Lafayette 34-3 on Saturday in the New Mexico Bowl.
Hoover was 20 for 32 for 252 yards with an interception. Eric McAlister had eight catches for 87 yards and a TD for the Horned Frogs (9-4).
TCU’s defense also had a solid day, holding Louisiana-Lafayette (10-4) to 209 yards, including 61 on the game’s final possession.
“These guys were ready to play,” Horned Frogs coach Sonny Dykes said of his defense. “They had a beat on what they were doing. I think we came in with a lot of confidence. I think they have started to really gel as a defense. I think we’re really starting to figure it out defensively. And guys are playing faster and playing more confident, and so couldn’t be more excited about the direction we’re going in defensively.”
Ben Wooldridge was 7-for-20 passing for 61 yards for the Ragin’ Cajuns. He also threw an interception.
“I think they’ve got a great scheme,” Cajuns coach Michael Desormeaux said. “I think they do a great job getting extra hats to the ball. They’re safeties don’t miss a whole lot of tackles, either.”
The Horned Frogs put together a fast start. Hoover found DJ Rogers for a 3-yard TD pass, capping an 11-play, 75-yard drive on the game’s opening possession.
“We’ve gotten off to a fast start pretty much every single week (since the Utah game),” Dykes said. “And I think that has a lot to do with Josh’s preparation.”
After Lou Groza Award winner Kenneth Almendares missed a 54-yard field goal for Louisiana-Lafayette, TCU went right back to work.
McAlister’s 1-yard touchdown reception finished a 10-play, 63-yard drive and gave the Horned Frogs a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
Kyle Lemmermann kicked two field goals and JP Richardson added a 20-yard touchdown reception as TCU opened a 27-0 halftime lead.
Record-setting season
Hoover finished with a TCU-record 3,949 yards passing for the season.
“There’s been a lot of really good quarterbacks who have come through here and so it means a lot to kind of have your name in that conversation,” he said. “And, obviously, it’s a testament to the guys around me. I can’t run the ball once they catch it. I can’t run and catch it, right? And our offensive line they did a great job pass protecting all year, giving me opportunities to make plays and find guys."
Takeaways
TCU: Two years removed from an appearance in the national championship game, the Horned Frogs turned in a strong performance after going 5-7 last season. They scored on their first four possessions against the Cajuns.
Louisiana-Lafayette: It was a rough afternoon for the Cajuns. Almendares made a 24-yarder in the fourth quarter to account for their only points.
Rough ending
Louisiana-Lafayette lost 31-3 in the Sun Belt championship, leaving the Cajuns without a touchdown in consecutive games.
Up next
TCU opens the 2025 season Aug. 30 at North Carolina in coach Bill Belichick’s debut with the Tar Heels.
Louisiana-Lafayette opens at home against Rice on Aug. 30.
Fresno State: 2023 New Mexico Bowl Champions
Mikey Keene threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns Saturday as Fresno State walloped New Mexico State 37-10 to win the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque.
Keene completed 31 of 39 passes with an interception. He also contributed a rushing touchdown for the Bulldogs (9-4), who looked more like the team that was ranked in the top 25 earlier in the season instead of the one that limped into the bowl with a three-game losing streak.
Fresno State won despite the absence of head coach Jeff Tedford, who took a leave of absence on Dec. 1 to address a medical condition. Assistant coach Tim Skipper ran the program and extracted one of its top performances of the season.
The Bulldogs outgained the Aggies 500-200, nearly doubling them in first downs (23-12) and converting 8 of 13 third downs. Malik Sherrod was a workhorse for Fresno State, rushing for 90 yards on 20 carries and catching eight passes for 81 yards.
New Mexico State (10-5) won 10 games for just the second time in school history but couldn’t cope with its Mountain West Conference foe. Diego Pavia completed only 11 of 25 passes for just 58 yards, although he did rush for 74 yards and the team’s only touchdown.
The Bulldogs carved out a 17-3 halftime lead. Dylan Lynch hit a 32-yard field goal with 6:17 left in the first quarter and Keene connected with Josiah Freeman for a 28-yard touchdown pass less than three minutes later.
Ethan Albertson got the Aggies on the board with a 45-yard field goal in the second quarter but Keene and Jaelen Gill hooked up for a 23-yard scoring strike at the 7:02 mark to up the margin to 14 points.
After Lynch converted a 25-yard field goal just over three minutes into the third quarter, Pavia got New Mexico State within 20-10, spinning off tacklers on a 14-yard scoring run.
But Keene’s 4-yard touchdown run with 13:20 left in the game fueled a 17-point fourth quarter that put the game away.
–Field Level Media
BYU: 2022 New Mexico Bowl Champions
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SMU scored a touchdown with 8 seconds left, but Jakob Robinson made an open field tackle on the ensuing two-point conversion as BYU held on in a 24-23 win in the New Mexico Bowl.
Sol-Jay Maiava started at QB in place for an injured Jaren Hall and led a steady ground attack for the Cougars. Maiava finished 7/12 for 47 yards passing, but led the BYU ground attack with 96 rushing on 14 carries and 1 TD. Senior Christopher Brooks complemented Sol-Jay with 88 rushing yards on 1 TD.
BYU had just 256 yards of total offense, and the defense stepped up to win the game. Ben Bywater had a pick six in the third quarter and BYU held SMU star QB Tanner Mordecai to just 218 passing yards.
BYU’s 8-5 season may have been overall disappointing, but BYU heads into a vital offseason with some momentum. BYU will be active in the transfer portal and have an offseason with a new defensive staff to retool the roster ahead of BYU’s Big 12 debut. BYU’s next game will be Saturday, September 2 at home versus new C-USA member Sam Houston.
Fresno State: 2021 New Mexico Bowl Champions
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- — Jordan Mims ran for 165 yards and two touchdown and caught five passes for 71 yards and another score to help Fresno State beat UTEP 31-24 on Saturday in the New Mexico Bowl.
Fresno State (10-3) won the bowl game for the first time in three tries.
Jake Haener was 26 of 41 for 286 yards and a touchdown. His status had been somewhat in doubt when he briefly entered the transfer portal after coach Kalen DeBoer took the job at Washington.
Mims' 22-yard catch and run late in third quarter gave the Bulldogs a 26-17 lead. But it was setting the tone with the ground game that was important, he said.
"The offensive line, we preached running the ball hard all this week," Mims said. "Even though they have a good defense, it's all about us and what we do and I think we showed that (Saturday) by running the ball."
Taking advantage of Mims was a key part of the game plan, said Bulldogs interim head coach Lee Marks.
"We knew we were going to be able to rely on Jordan," he said. "To be honest, he's such a good player. One cut, get vertical, just downhill. He told me coach, 'I'm not going to get tired. And he did not. That's tremendous for him."
The Miners (7-6) pulled to 26-24 early in the fourth quarter on Calvin Brownholtz's 51-yard touchdown pass to Trent Thompson.
But Fresno State got a field goal, followed by a UTEP safety, before the Bulldogs ran out the clock.
UTEP's Gavin Hardison threw for 252 yards and a touchdown. But one play after completing a 27-yard pass on fourth and five, Hardison fumbled at the end of a 10-yard scramble and the Miners never saw the ball again.
"Fresno has a really good defense and Gavin did a lot of positive things," UTEP coach Dana Dimel. "He threw for 200 yards in their first half alone. He did so many positive things. He just keeps getting better and better and better."
UTEP has lost the New Mexico Bowl in all three of its appearances and has a seven-game bowl losing streak dating to 1967.
It is the third time in the past five years that Fresno State has reached he 10-win mark.
"For any program, getting 10 wins is a big deal," Marks said. "It hasn't happened a lot in our program."
MILESTONE
With his second completion of the game, a 53-yarder to Reynaldo Flores, UTEP quarterback Gavin Hardison surpassed the 3,000-yard mark on the season, the first Miners quarterback to do so since 2009.
TURNOVERS
For only the second time this season, the Bulldogs did not commit a turnover.
TAKEAWAY
Fresno State: The Bulldogs will be spending the offseason readjusting to new/old coach Jeff Tedford, who returns following a two-year, health-related absence after coaching the team from 2017-19.
UTEP: With Hardison having at least two seasons of eligibility remaining, as well top running back Ronald Awatt and top receiver Jacob Cowing, also scheduled to return, UTEP is well positioned for next season.
Hawaii: 2020 New Mexico Bowl Champions
FRISCO, Texas >> Calvin Turner knew he’d just been given a gift.
Hawaii’s 21-point halftime lead had suddenly shrunk to seven as Houston captured the momentum late in the third quarter of Thursday’s New Mexico Bowl. As he moved up to field a kickoff short of the goal line, Turner’s memory flashed back to the week of film study in preparation for Hawaii’s third appearance in a mainland bowl.
“They just scored a touchdown so I was thinking that we needed a big play,” Turner said. “Their kicker has a leg and he’s been kicking touchback after touchback. There was one time on film where he kicked the ball in the middle of the field on a miss-kick to Cincinnati and had a big return. Coach said, ‘if it’s in the middle of the field, it’s going to be a big return.’
“So when I saw the ball coming in the middle, I kind of knew in my head that this was going to go to the crib.”
After securing the catch, Turner turned his vision into reality, picking his way through the first wave of coverage, breaking to the sideline, then cutting across the field for a game-record 92-yard touchdown return that helped propel the Warriors to a 28-14 Christmas Eve victory at Toyota Stadium.
Turner was named the game’s outstanding offensive player after finishing with 252 total yards — 60 yards rushing, 88 receiving and 104 on kick returns — in Hawaii’s second straight postseason win and the second in a mainland bowl game in the program’s history.
Hawaii quarterback Chevan Cordeiro threw three touchdown passes, including a 75-yarder to Turner, and the Warriors — a 101⁄2-point underdog entering the game — held off a Cougar rally in the second half to cap Todd Graham’s first season as head coach at 5-4.
“We really talk a lot about bringing the energy and the intensity and I thought our energy level and our passion to win was at a very, very high level. Probably played the best game we’ve played all year just top to bottom,” said Graham, who also celebrated the 100th win of his coaching career.
“I can’t give our players enough credit. They really played well, they executed well and we were the most disciplined, physical team on the field and that was the difference in the game.”
The game was moved to Frisco from its usual location in Albuquerque because of COVID-19 restrictions in New Mexico.
Houston quarterback Clayton Tune was without three starting receivers and finished 20-for-38 for 216 yards and two touchdowns for the Cougars. But the Hawaii defense came down with three interceptions and finished with five sacks.
Hawaii shed its tendency for slow starts this season by jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter as the Warriors pressured Tune into two early interceptions that the Hawaii offense converted into scores.
Hawaii defensive lineman DJuan Mathews batted Tune’s second throw of the day, and linebacker Penei Pavihi snagged the loose ball to set up the UH offense at the Cougars’ 8. Two plays later, Cordeiro found freshman running back Dae Dae Hunter flaring out of the backfield for a 3-yard touchdown pass.
“Our whole deal was to push their quarterback off his spot and to pressure and to mix it up and try to confuse him,” Graham said.
“We talked about batting the ball, we brought pressure on that third down, we knew what they were going to run, we knew they were going to throw the slant route, it gets batted and Penei makes a big interception.”
Pressure from cornerback Cortez Davis led to an interception by Michael Washington later in the opening period. On the next play, Cordeiro fired a dart over the middle to Turner, who broke loose from a defender then burst away from the rest of the Cougars secondary for a 75-yard touchdown.
The quick strike matched the Warriors’ longest play of the season, also a Cordeiro-to-Turner connection against San Diego State. Turner finished the season with a team-high 11 touchdowns and said last week he would wait until after the bowl game to decide whether to return to the Warriors next season.
“That man, he’s a beast,” Hawaii linebacker Darius Muasau said. “He does it every week. Day in, day out he proves that he’s the best at what he does.”
Muasau was named the game’s outstanding defensive player after finishing with nine tackles, raising his season total to 104, including a sack, and an interception. Linebacker/safety Khoury Bethley finished with 14 tackles (including nine solo and three for losses) and tipped a pass leading to Muasau’s interception. Linebacker Jeremiah Pritchard also had nine stops with two sacks.
The Rainbow Warriors had a winning record for the third season in a row, the first time they’ve done that since 2001-04. Houston (3-5) has consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 2000-02.
Hawaii raced to a 21-0 lead in the first half with Cordeiro’s third TD pass going to Jonah Laulu, a defensive tackle who lined up at tight end, for a 4-yard score in the second quarter.
An energized Houston offense rallied with two touchdowns in the third quarter, with Tune throwing a 7-yard scoring pass to Nathaniel Dell and a 26-yarder to Christian Trahan.
After Trahan’s score, Turner returned the kickoff 92 yards to cap the scoring.
“We just came off of a big play and that was almost like a dagger,” Trahan said. “We tried to fight back, but that was definitely a big play in the game.”
Said Houston coach Dana Holgorsen: “I was sick to my stomach. We played spurts of good football, but that’s not going to get it done. I’m glad 2020’s over.”
———
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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San Diego State: 2019 New Mexico Bowl Champions
San Diego State earned its first bowl victory since 2016 with a 48-11 win over Central Michigan in the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday.
Ryan Agnew threw two touchdowns to help the Aztecs build an early 20-3 advantage, while the country's No. 4 scoring defense took care of the rest in an easy win at Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Jordan Byrd led a rushing attack that totaled 223 yards on the ground as San Diego State finished 10-3 for its fourth 10-win season in five years.
Central Michigan (8-6) couldn't end on a high note, but Jim McElwain still performed one of the best coaching jobs in the country after taking over a squad that went 1-11 last season.
Notable Stats
Ryan Agnew, QB, SDSU: 18-of-31, 287 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Jordan Byrd, RB, SDSU: 17 carries, 139 rushing yards, 1 TD
Jesse Matthews, WR, SDSU: 3 catches, 111 receiving yards, 2 TDs
Quinten Dormady, QB, CMU: 11-of-26, 164 passing yards, 3 INTs
Kobe Lewis, RB, CMU: 5 carries, 97 rushing yards, 1 TD
Kalil Pimpleton, WR, CMU: 3 catches, 71 receiving yards
San Diego State Surprises with Offensive Explosion
The Aztecs entered the game averaging just 19 points scored per game, going four straight without even scoring 20.
The offense wasn't a problem in this one.
Jesse Matthews was the star early on, scoring two first-half touchdowns including one for 74 yards.
The big plays continued in the second half as SDSU scored three third-quarter touchdowns on drives of four plays, five plays and two plays.
The points were easily a season-high, Byrd rushed for a season high and Agnew was as effective as we have seen him all year. Freshman TJ Sullivan also scored an impressive touchdown on his first career catch.
San Diego State will lose some key players to graduation, including Agnew, but a loaded defense and playmakers such as Matthews and Byrd could help the squad in 2020.
Central Michigan Unable to Solve SDSU Defense
We knew going in San Diego State had an elite defense, and this game proved it even more.
Central Michigan was able to sneak in a few big plays to keep things close, including 66-yard rushing touchdown by Kobe Lewis and a 61-yard reception by Kalil Pimpleton. However, these were few and far between.
Otherwise, Quinten Dormady was under pressure all day long with defenders in the backfield within a few seconds.
It led to a number of sacks and three interceptions, including a historic one by Luq Barcoo.
Dormady was held to 11-of-26 passing in what was arguably his worst game of the season, with only the Wisconsin loss coming close. Jonathan Ward had over 1,000 yards on the year but was held to 26 yards on 2.9 per carry Saturday.
With five total turnovers, it was a game to forget for this team.
Central Michigan should be happy to make it this far, but the offense will need to show more in big games if the program is going to take the next step.
Utah State: 2018 New Mexico Bowl Champions
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Utah State walked into the New Mexico Bowl with one of its best records in school history but uncertainty. Its head coach, Matt Wells, left to take the Texas Tech job. Interim coach Frank Maile had to prepare the Aggies with an army of graduate assistants and an announcement a new coach was coming next month.
North Texas, meanwhile, was coming into Albuquerque with experienced coach Seth Littrell and highly touted quarterback Mason Fine.
The Aggies pushed those distractions aside Saturday.
Jordan Love threw for 359 yards and four touchdowns and Jalen Greene had six catches for 151 yards and a score to help Utah State rout North Texas 52-13.
Maile directed the Aggies (11-2) even after Utah State announced former head coach Gary Andersen would return. However, Andersen opted not to attend the bowl game and let Maile finish what he started.
Love completed 21 of 43 passes with one interception. D.J. William had two interceptions, helping Utah State ground high-flying North Texas (9-4).
Aaren Vaughns caught two passes for 109 yards and two scores for the Aggies, Gerold Bright ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, and Darwin Thompson added 93 yards on 21 carries.
Maile said he did his best to get the offense ready. The rest was up the players, he said.
"The guys have lot of efforts to doing their jobs," Maile said. The defense is set up for everybody to make plays."
Love said receivers were able to get open, find space and get yards after the catch. "We've been doing that all season," he said.
Fine was injured in the first quarter, and the Mean Green ended up using four quarterbacks. Jalen Guyton had four catches for 103 yards a score.
Littrell said Utah State was the best team the Mean Green faced all season. "We didn't have enough in us today to make more plays to have success," Littrell said.
When Fine came up limping following a nine-yard run in the first quarter, the whole complexion of game changed. "I don't ever want to put him in harm's way and he is so tough," Littrell said. "He wants to do everything he can for his teammates. But as the head coach, sometimes enough is enough."
After the game, North Texas officials announced that Fine had a severe left strained hamstring. This is the second time in three years that Fine most of or all of the Mean Green's bowl game after a shoulder injury kept him out of the 2016 Heart of Dallas Bowl.
Littrell said Fine left with a "pretty bad" hamstring injury but couldn't give more details.
Cornerback Kemon Hall said it was painful to see his teammates injured but players are trained to always be on standby. "You've always got to stay ready," he said. "You hate to see guys do bad or people get hurt."
THE TAKEAWAY
UTAH STATE: Maile was tasked with preparing the Aggies with a staff of graduate assistants in coordinator spots. Players had to handle the distractions and constant questions over the future leadership of the Aggies and how it would affect their chances in the bowl game.
NORTH TEXAS: Coach Seth Littrell announced this week he would stay with the Mean Green to build on what he started when he took over a team that was 1-11 in 2015. Since then, he has a 23-17 but has yet to win a bowl game in three straight appearances.
UP NEXT
UTAH STATE: Andersen returns as head coach and takes over a program that is rising. Sophomore quarterback Love and junior running back Bright are returning to build on an offense that broke a school record in touchdowns.
NORTH TEXAS: Fine is expected to return next season as quarterback for his senior year. Many of his favorite receiving targets also are expected to return and they won't have to adjust to a new head coach after all.
Marshall: 2017 New Mexico Bowl Champions
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Leading up to the New Mexico Bowl, Marshall wide receiver Tyre Brady kept hearing about Colorado State's explosive offense. Doubters were overlooking the Thundering Herd's own weapons, he thought.
So when Brady's chance came in the second quarter, the junior separated himself from Rams coverages and sprinted to a 76-yard touchdown reception for the first of three big scoring plays that allowed Thundering Herd hold off the Rams 31-28 on Saturday in the New Mexico Bowl.
"Every time when you play for yourself, you force things, you press things," said Brady, who had 165 yards receiving. "But when you play for your teammates, things just fall into place the right way."
He was joined by Keion Davis, who rushed for 141 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown run . Tyler King added a 90-yard rushing touchdown for the Herd (8-5).
Chase Litton threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns, overshadowing the much-hyped Colorado State quarterback Nick Stevens, who was sacked five times.
"I think it's the entire defense played tremendous," Marshall coach Doc Holliday said. "That's an excellent offensive football team".
The Thundering Herd are 11-2 in bowl games -- 5-0 under Holliday.
For Colorado State (7-6), it was another disappointing postseason. The Rams have lost four straight bowl games, and lost four of their last five this season after a 6-2 start.
"Yeah, it's pretty much a microcosm of our season," Colorado State head coach Mike Bobo said. "Played pretty good at times, then giving up big plays, explosive plays for touchdowns. Those kill you defensively."
Stevens threw for 320 yards and ran for two touchdowns for the Rams, but was sacked five times. Olabisi Johnson had 119 yards receiving, but Stevens was unable to connect consistently with standout Michael Gallup.
"I got to hit Gallup in those shots. I think it's a different ballgame," Stevens said. "There were a number of them that he was open, and protection was solid."
Colorado State's offense began to surge in the fourth quarter with 14 points, but Marshall's defense was able to hold the Rams.
Colorado State is 6-11 in bowl games.
THE TAKEAWAY
Colorado State: The Rams continued to struggle despite having being ranked 10th in the FBS in yards per game with 501.1. Stevens and Gallup failed to challenge Marshall's stingy defense and couldn't respond to Marshall's big plays despite a late game scoring surge.
"This hurts but we'll regroup and get ready for next year," Bobo said.
Marshall: Marshall's defense also kept constant pressure on Colorado State's high-octane offense preventing the Rams from threatening with an air attack most of the game.
UP NEXT
Colorado State: Bobo has led the Rams to three bowl games in each of his first three seasons. He recently signed a contract extension where he will earn $2 million by 2020. But at the same time, he's only won seven games each season and lost all his bowl games so 2018 may be key season for him.
Marshall The Herd are losing 13 seniors, including key tight end Ryan Yurachek. The four-year players in that group won 34 games and a conference championship and went to three bowl games. But many key players are set to return.
New Mexico: 2016 New Mexico Bowl Champions
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Coach Bob Davie waited a long time for this moment. It had been quite a while for his New Mexico Lobos, too.
Davie earned his first career bowl victory when the Lobos, boosted by a pair of short touchdown runs from Richard McQuarley, beat Texas-San Antonio 23-20 Saturday in the New Mexico Bowl.
Davie had been 0-4 in bowls -- three when he coached at Notre Dame, then last year with the Lobos in this event.
"There wasn't a whole of jumping up and down and whole lot of screaming and a whole lot of carrying on afterward in the locker room," Davie said.
"But after the season that we had, it's more feeling. You don't experience this a whole lot of times," he said.
The Lobos' previous postseason win came in the 2007 New Mexico Bowl over Nevada. Before that, it was a victory in the 1961 Aviation Bowl.
In his fifth season at New Mexico, Davie completed the turnaround of a program that won three total games in the three seasons before his arrival.
The Lobos lost last year's New Mexico Bowl to Arizona.
"These players, I've talked to them in depth about enjoying the moment and definitely this afternoon was a great moment that doesn't come along very often," Davie said.
"It's another building block," he said. "That's what a college program is. You keep taking steps and you keep building and building and building. ... So there is no question that winning the last game is big."
Jarveon Williams ran for 125 yards for the Roadrunners (6-7), who lost in their first bowl appearance in the program's six-year history.
Despite the hype around New Mexico's triple-option threat and the Lobos leading the nation in rushing, the Roadrunners ran for more yards than the Lobos.
"We didn't make enough plays today," Williams said after his eighth game of running for at least 100 yards.
New Mexico quarterback Lamar Jordan rushed for 81 yards and threw a 34-yard pass to Dameon Gamblin that set up McQuarley's 1-yard burst for a 23-13 lead with 2:22 left.
Dalton Sturm threw two TD passes for Texas-San Antonio, including a 4-yard toss to JaBryce Taylor with 25 seconds remaining. The Roadrunners failed to recover an onside kick.
Six Lobos combined for 219 yards rushing. New Mexico was able to keep UTSA's big-play receivers mostly in check amid windy conditions.
Although the wind may have played a factor in some passes, Roadrunners coach Frank Wilson said there were other passes receivers dropped that they normally catch.
"We finished second. Period," Wilson said. "The weather didn't determine the outcome of the game."
THE TURNING POINT
The Lobos' fourth-quarter drive to a touchdown took more than seven minutes off the clock in a game that saw few passes.
"We didn't have a lot of offense," Davie said. "But when we needed it there in the fourth quarter after UTSA scored to make it a 3-point game, we had enough offense."
UP NEXT
New Mexico: The Lobos will try to capture their first Mountain West championship next year. Davie said a bowl win was key for Lobos recruiting to the next level. The Lobos open next season against Abilene Christian.
UTSA: Athletic officials from UTSA say they came to win the New Mexico Bowl but felt the bowl appearance would help get on potential recruits' radars, especially in Texas where some powerhouses are currently struggling. The Roadrunners will open next season against Houston.
Arizona Wildcats: 2015 New Mexico Bowl Champions
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Anu Solomon threw two touchdown\ passes and ran for another score to help Arizona hold off pesky New Mexico 45-37 on Saturday in a wild New Mexico Bowl. Arizona (7-6) and its quick offense overwhelmed the Lobos (7-6) in a game that saw New Mexico surge late after being down as many of 18 points.
Jared Baker ran for 107 yards and
three touchdowns, and Cayleb Jones had 182 yards receiving and a
touchdown. Linebacker Scooby Wright III, who battled injures all season,
came back for the bowl game and made two sacks.
New Mexico quarterback Lamar
Jordan ran for three touchdowns and passed for another before leaving
the game in the third quarter with an injury. The Lobos then turned to a
committee of running backs to get back in the game.
Utah State: 2014 New Mexico Bowl Champions
The New Mexico Bowl may have seen some crazy endings the past few years, but this year’s game went against that script. Instead, Utah State (10-4, 6-2 Mountain West Conference) recorded just the second 10-win season in program history with its third straight bowl victory with a 21-6 victory over UTEP (7-6, 5-3 Conference USA).
UTEP opened the scoring in the first quarter with a field goal on the game’s opening possession, but Utah State later scored a touchdown in the first quarter when quarterback Kent Myers broke off a 48-yard touchdown run down the left sideline for the lead. The Aggies punched in a second touchdown in the third quarter withNick Vigil pushing one in from three yards out to cap a 75-yard drive. UTEP would add a late field goal.
UTEP’s chances to get the ball back for one last chance to tie things up took a critical blow when a kickoff following the second field goal by Jay Mattox went out-of-bounds, setting Utah State up in good field position. UTEP burned a timeout before the field goal try, which meant the decision not to go for the onside kick was a little extra confusing with under three minutes to play remaining. Utah State simply let running back Joe Hill carry the team the rest of the way with some big runs to run clock, including a touchdown run with 1:33 to play for the knockout blow.
Heading into 2015 the first big question for Utah State will be how does quarterbackChuckie Keeton look? Keeton’s return to the field in 2014 did not go according to plan, as he never seemed to be playing at full speed after a knee injury ended the 2013 season for him. The knee acted up again early in 2014, but he has one more year of eligibility to play. It would be wise to have Utah State proceed with extreme caution with Keeton in order to make sure he is ready for the rigors of the 2015 season.
Enough cannot be said about the coaching job Utah State head coach Matt Wellsdid this season. The Aggies won 10 games using four different starting quarterbacks along the way. That included a bowl game victory that even saw Myers receive some brief medical attention.
UTEP will look to find a way to build on the momentum the second half of the season saw on the field. The Miners win five of their final seven games of the regular season, although they fell a couple of games shy of the division title. The start to the 2015 season could be rough with three consecutive road games against Arkansas, Texas Tech and New Mexico State. UTEP will look to replace some key position players like quarterback Jameil Showers and receivers Jarred Shaw and Ian Hamilton, but the bulk of the offense should be in place. The defensive secondary will be hit hard as well, but the front of the defense should largely in good shape.
Colorado State: 2013 New Mexico Bowl Champions
ALBUQUERQUE — Perhaps for added motivation prior to kickoff, coaches like to tell seniors that they will they always remember their last football game.
Still shaking his head long after Colorado State's improbable 48-45 come-from-behind victory Saturday over Washington State in the New Mexico Bowl, CSU's senior cornerback Shaq Bell said he now knows what the coaches meant.
"I'm telling you, this means everything," Bell said. "I will never forget this game, never forget it — for the rest of my life."
How could he forget it? How could anyone on the Colorado State roster forget it? Or the announced crowd of 27,104 at University Stadium? Or the national ESPN audience, for that matter?
Holder Joe Hansley gets the ball ready as Jared Roberts approaches for a field goal that gave CSU an improbable victory over Washington State in the New Mexico Bowl. (Matt York, The Associated Press)
Down 45-30 with less than three minutes remaining, underdog Colorado State forced two fumbles, scored two touchdowns, made a two-point conversion and watched a 41-yard field goal by junior Jared Roberts complete an amazing comeback.
"How do you duplicate something like that?" CSU coach Jim McElwain said. "It's pretty amazing how it worked out. It's about being resilient. It's about understanding that every play has a history and a life of its own."
Colorado State (8-6, 5-3 Mountain West) got another monster rushing game of 169 yards and three touchdowns from sophomore Kapri Bibbs. But the Rams trailed by as many as 23 points in the second quarter and appeared willing to help Washington State junior quarterback Connor Halliday shatter every passing record for bowl games.
Halliday, named the offensive player of the game, threw for six touchdowns, including five in the first half. West Virginia's Geno Smith (2012 Orange Bowl) and Iowa's Chuck Long (1984 Freedom Bowl) also recorded a half-dozen passing touchdowns. Halliday is the first to be on the losing side.
"Congrats to (Halliday). He put up some crazy numbers," CSU quarterback Garrett Grayson said. "But I'm happy we got the win."
Washington State (6-7, 4-5 Pac-12) appeared to gain enough cushion with a 45-30 lead when Halliday hit Isiah Myers for a 22-yard touchdown with 9:35 remaining in the fourth quarter.
That score held until the Rams moved 72 yards in nine plays, with Grayson connecting with Jordon Vaden for a 12-yard score to cut the deficit to eight points with 2:52 to go.
Then all the craziness took over. CSU senior linebacker Shaquil Barrett, named the game's outstanding defensive player, separated the ball from Halliday and Rams linebacker Max Morgan recovered. That turnover was overturned, however, when an officials' replay ruled that Halliday's knee had been down before the fumble.
Barrett then showed the tenacity that earned him 2013 Mountain West defensive player of the year. On the next play, he stripped the ball from Cougars running back Jeremiah Laufasa. Barrett fell on the ball at the WSU 33, and this time there was no disputing it.
That led to a 1-yard Bibbs touchdown run with 33 seconds left, but CSU still needed a two-point conversion. On a CSU version of the playground Statue of Liberty play, Grayson faked a pass and handed the ball from behind his back to Donnell Alexander, who dived to the left pylon and just made it — following another officials' review.
The game appeared headed to overtime, but Washington State returner Teondray Caldwell fumbled the ensuing kickoff on a hit by Steven Michel that was recovered by Jake Schlager, a true freshman.
Three plays later, CSU's Roberts booted his game-winner as time expired.
The last play of the game marked the only time CSU had the lead.
"Our coaches tell us to never give up," CSU senior tight end Crockett Gillmore said. "They say it's never over. Even when we were playing bad, it never felt like it was over."
The teams combined for 995 yards of offense, with CSU racking up 595.
Grayson finished with 369 yards passing and two touchdowns; Halliday finished with 410 yards to go with his six TDs.
"We had a pretty good shot at it; we just needed to hang onto the ball," Washington State coach Mike Leach said. "But I thought Colorado State's defense played really hard. They didn't lose intensity when things weren't going their way."
Tom Kensler: tkensler@denverpost.com or twitter.com/tomkensler
The biggest of the big plays in CSU's wild win
• Trailing 45-37 with two minutes left and no timeouts, Colorado State linebacker Shaquil Barrett strips the ball from running back Jeremiah Laufasa and recovers the ball at Washington State's 33-yard line.
• After Kapri Bibbs scores from the 1 with 33 seconds left to make it 45-43, CSU's Donnell Alexander takes a handoff on a Statue of Liberty play. He appears to score, but the call on the field is he is out of bounds. Upon review, it's ruled he reached and hit the pylon with the ball. ... Two points. Game is tied 45-45.
• On the ensuing kickoff, Washington State's Teondray Caldwell gets hit, fumbles, and CSU recovers at the 24.
• After a running play and a spike to kill the clock, Rams kicker Jared Roberts boots a 41-yard field goal as time expires. CSU wins 48-45.
Key play
All hope for CSU appeared lost when, after a replay, officials overturned a lost fumble by Washington State. That fumble was caused by Shaquil Barrett with just over two minutes left — and then Barrett did it again. This time, Barrett stripped the ball from Jeremiah Laufasa. That led to a game-tying drive, including a two-point conversion.
Key stat
Somehow Colorado State was able to overcome six touchdowns passes thrown by Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday, who tied an all-time bowl record shared by West Virginia's Geno Smith (2012 Orange Bowl) and Iowa's Chuck Long (1984 Freedom Bowl).
Tom Kensler, The Denver Post
Arizona: 2012 New Mexico Bowl Champions
Last-Minute Touchdowns Lift Arizona to Win
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The bowl season started with a wild game Saturday as Matt Scott threw two short touchdown passes in the final 46 seconds, helping Arizona rally past Nevada, 49-48, in the New Mexico Bowl.
Overcoming a slow start and three turnovers, Arizona (8-5) recovered an onside kick in the last minute, setting up Scott’s 2-yard pass to Tyler Slavin with 19 seconds left for the winning score in Albuquerque.
The Wildcats trailed by 21-0 in the first quarter and were behind by 45-28 entering the fourth. But Scott, who threw for 382 yards and 3 touchdowns with two interceptions, led his team back. The nation’s rushing leader, Ka’Deem Carey, gained 172 yards for the Wildcats but fell short of becoming the 16th running back in N.C.A.A. history to reach 2,000 yards in a season.
The teams combined for 1,237 yards, the second most of any bowl game.
“It was an unbelievable game,” said Nevada tight end Zach Sudfeld, who had two touchdown catches. “Just the momentum swings back and forth. Just big swings on both sides. It was a crazy game to play in.”
Cody Fajardo threw for three touchdowns and ran for another score to lead the Wolf Pack (7-6). He completed 22 of 31 passes for 256 yards and rushed for 140 yards. Nevada’s Stefphon Jefferson, the nation’s second-leading rusher, carried 34 times for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns.
After a field goal with 1 minute 48 seconds left gave Nevada a 48-35 lead, Arizona mounted a 75-yard drive capped by Scott’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Austin Hill. The Wildcats then recovered the onside kick and reached the end zone again after 3 plays and 51 yards.
Rich Rodriguez, in his first season as Arizona’s coach, improved to 3-5 in bowl games.
SAM HOUSTON IN F.C.S. FINAL Quarterback Brian Bell ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as Sam Houston State built a 35-0 halftime lead and hung on to beat host Eastern Washington, 45-42, earning a trip to the Football Championship Subdivision championship game.
The Bearkats (11-3) set up a rematch with top-seeded North Dakota State, which won last season’s title game, 17-6.
The win over second-seeded Eastern Washington (11-3) was the Bearkats’ third straight over a Big Sky Conference team in the playoffs this year.
After Sam Houston State dominated the first half, the backup quarterback Vernon Adams tied an Eastern Washington record with six touchdown passes to pull the Eagles within a field goal with 3:02 left.
However, behind Tim Flanders, who ran for 231 yards, Sam Houston State ran out the clock.
VALDOSTA ST. WINS DIV. II TITLE The freshman Cedric O’Neal ran for 140 yards and a touchdown, leading Valdosta State to a 35-7 victory over Winston-Salem State in the Division II championship game in Florence, Ala.
Matt Pierce returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown for the No. 17 Blazers (12-2), the lowest-ranked team to win the title. They took a 21-0 halftime lead en route to their 10th straight victory and their first national title since 2007, Coach David Dean’s first season with the team.
Second-ranked Winston-Salem State (14-1) was trying to become the first historically black university to win the Division II title. But the Rams, who had lost in the semifinals last season, could not overcome six turnovers.
In the first five minutes, Valdosta State built a 14-0 lead against a team that had not trailed by more than a touchdown all season. Winston-Salem State had been averaging 42.6 points a game.
“They hadn’t been in that situation before and I didn’t know if they knew how to react to that, because they’d been blowing everybody out week after week,” Dean said.
PURDUE APPROVES COACH’S PAY Purdue’s new coach, Darrell Hazell, will earn at least twice the salary of his predecessor, Danny Hope. The university announced that its board of trustees had approved the hiring of Hazell at a base annual salary of $2 million including radio, television and marketing appearances plus as much as $1 million in bonuses.
Hope earned $950,000, the lowest salary in the Big Ten.
2010 New Mexico Bowl: Brigham Young 52, Texas El-Paso 24
BYU football: Bowl-winning Cougars excited about future
Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune BYU quarterback Jake Heaps (9) as BYU defeats UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl, college football Saturday, December 18, 2010 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Provo • Brigham Young’s easy 52-24 win over UTEP in Saturday’s New Mexico Bowl showed that the Cougars could recover quite nicely from their devastating regular-season ending loss to Utah, and could win a bowl game outside the state of Nevada.
It also showed they could execute crisply on offense in the postseason, having scored the most points in a bowl game in program history.
But most of all, the dominating performance showed the future appears bright for coach Bronco Mendenhall’s program, as freshmen — some in their first year, some who redshirted in 2009 — shined both on offense and defense.
“If you look at our team, I am not sure if anyone would study the roster and look at the production, how they wouldn’t be smiling for the future,” Mendenhall said.
Quarterback Jake Heaps gets the most notoriety, and his phenomenal game earned him plenty of airtime on ESPN’s Saturday evening highlight shows, but he wasn’t the only freshman who shined against the Miners.
From the time redshirt freshman JD Falslev returned a punt 43 yards to set up the Cougars’ first touchdown, to the time redshirt freshman Cody Hoffman caught his third touchdown pass of the day, to the time true freshman Josh Quezada capped BYU’s scoring with an 8-yard TD run, the young Cougars made followers forget that 1-4 start.
“I am excited for our schedule next year, and I am excited for the future, mostly because now the younger players on this particular team have seen how difficult it is to win games at the college level,” Mendenhall said. “This particular season now does a nice job of setting a baseline for what it is really going to take to even reach the level of success we did this year. … This now just becomes a starting point.”
Freshman defenders also got into the act: linebacker Zac Stout made three tackles, linebacker Kyle Van Noy had a sack, a pass breakup and a solo tackle, and safety Jray Galea’i and defensive end Graham Rowley also saw meaningful action.
“The future is bright,” said senior safety Andrew Rich. “There are athletes everywhere you look.”
Rich said starting 1-4 might be the best thing that has happened to the program since he’s been there because it taught valuable lessons to the freshmen about having to earn every win with hard work.
“I couldn’t be more proud of those guys. They kind of got thrown into the fire at the very beginning,” he said.
None of the freshmen who played Saturday has announced plans to go on a church mission. Several other newcomers who redshirted this year — running backs Algernon Brown, A.J. Moore and Drew Phillips, receiver Ross Apo (if he’s granted a medical redshirt), offensive tackle Jordan Black, tight end/defensive end Alani Fua and safety Kory Gaines are expected to compete for starting spots next year. So far, the only big miss for the coaching staff from the class of 2010 signees is defensive tackle Tayo Fabuluje, who has asked for his release and will transfer.
“We have a great opportunity to have a really bright future, going independent and having the schedule that we have,” Heaps said. “We have a lot of potential, and it would be a shame not to reach it.”
—
Key freshman contributors for BYU in 2010
Player Position
Jake Heaps Quarterback
Showed he’s the real deal in last five games
Joshua Quezada Running Back
Had 405 rushing yards in last six games
Cody Hoffman Receiver
Finished second on team in receiving yards
JD Falslev Kick returner
Special teams ace could see bigger role
Devin Mahina Tight end
Six catches for 76 yards in last three games
Richard Wilson Tight end
Got chance and played well in first and last games
Austin Holt Tight end
Probably best blocking TE, although catches were few
Graham Rowley Defensive end
Pressed into duty by injuries, responded well
Thomas Bryson Defensive end
Versatile player also used some at linebacker
Kyle Van Noy Linebacker
Should be a defensive mainstay for years
Note • Hoffman, Falslev, Wilson and Bryson redshirted in 2009
© 2010 The Salt Lake Tribune
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