The 2010 New Mexico Bowl will pit the 6-6 UTEP Miners from Conference USA West against the 6-6 BYU Cougars of the Mountain West Conference. New Mexico Bowl tickets should be sold out for this game between evenly matched college football teams from the region. Both UTEP and BYU will not have to travel far to play at University Stadium in Albuquerque on December 18, 2010.
UTEP has to be happy to be extended to any bowl game. They began the season by jumping out to a 5-1 record with impressive wins over New Mexico on the road and division foe Rice at home at the Sun Bowl Stadium before dropping five of the last six. Still UTEP tickets will be sold, for the team has already visited University Stadium once this season and came away 38-20 winners.
The Miners have a balanced attack, passing for an average of 221.5 yards a game and running for 149.5 yards a game. Obviously, any team that scores 26.2 points a game in any conference has a decent shot at winning a bowl game, but the team has been vexed by the ineffectual defense that has allowed 25.4 points a game. This is a team that has allowed two teams to come out and score more than 50 points in a single game, so QB Trevor Vittatoe (206/378 for 2,511 yards, 19 TD, and 10 Int), running backs Joseph Banyard (107 carries for 612 yards and 8 TD) and Donald Buckram (75 carries for 325 yards and 1 TD), and wide receiver Kris Adams (44 receptions for 917 yards and 11 TD) will need to perform optimally to end the 2010 college football season on a positive note.
BYU comes in as the hot team of the two. The Cougars won four straight and five of six before their regular season-ending loss to #22 Utah. That loss, 17-16, should only encourage the BYU football faithful, since BYU tickets to this road game despite the football team's struggle away from Lvell Edwards Stadium (1-5 on the road).<>/p>
Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall runs the spread on offense and plays a 3-4 based defense. The offense has flourished as a running team, amassing 163.8 yards a game o the ground and just 190.3 through the air. They only score 24 points a game though. JJ Di Luigi (158 carries for 819 yards and 7 touchdowns), Bryan Kariya (131 carries for 519 yards and 5 touchdowns), and Joshua Quezada (84 carries for 404 yards and 4 touchdowns) are the three-headed monster fueling the run attack. Quarter back Jake Heaps (194/349, 2,052 yards, 11 TD, and 8 Int) keeps the defense on their toes, though he is hardly a prolific passer with a meager 5.88 yards per attempt average.
It may be best for the Cougars to keep the ball on the ground anyway, considering the Miners explosive offense. BYU has been able to hold opponents to 21.4 points thanks to a decent defense and an offense that helps limit the time the opposition has to even the score.
