The 2011 New Mexico Bowl kicks off the college bowl season on Dec. 17 when the Temple Owls and the Wyoming Cowboys travel to Albuquerque to be the first bowl winners of the season. Whoever comes out on top will be the sixth winner of the contest, as it only began in 2006.
The Owls went 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the MAC. One of those losses was a 14-10 decision to the Penn St. Nittany Lions. And one of their big wins was a 38-7 demolishing of the Maryland Terrapins on the road. The Temple rushing game is No. 7 in the nation with 256.7 yards per game.
The Cowboys rebounded from last year's 3-9 record by going 8-4 and finishing third in the Mountain West. Freshman quarterback Brett Smith has thrown for nearly 2,500 yards and rushed for 645 yards on the ground. He's thrown 18 touchdowns and rushed for 10. The Cowboys' signature win came on the road against the San Diego St. Aztecs, 30-27. Smith ran for two touchdowns and threw two in that game.
Game date, time: 12:00 pm MT, Saturday, December 17
Location: University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico
TV channel: ESPN
2010 winner and loser: BYU def. UTEP, 52-24
For more on this game, visit MAC blog The Hustle Belt, Mountain West blog Mountain West Connection and Wyoming blog Cowboy Altitude. Head over to SB Nation NCAA Football for more on the bowl season.