NEW MEXICO BOWL PREVIEW

December 19th, 4:30 ESPN

Robert Guliano on Why Wyoming will win: The Cowboys travel from their irrelevant home of Wyoming to the equivocally irrelevant state of New Mexico for this thrilling slugfest. They come in finishing a reprehensible fifth in the Mountain West. Yes, the Mountain West. You know that conference that can’t produce a BCS National Champion. With a slew of narrow wins over dreadful opponents combined with Fresno State coach Pat Hill’s freshly signed contract extension the deck is stacked against Wyoming. Don’t sleep on these Cowboys, however. They play balanced, mistake-free football and will muster a few big plays on their way to lassoing the Bulldogs.

Notable Wyoming alum Dick Cheney with one of his most trustworthy weapons.

Wyoming Players to Watch:

3. RB Alvester Alexander- It will be important to watch just how bad Alexander plays in this one. As the team’s leading rusher, he hasn’t gone anywhere near 100 yards this season, even in a 7-point win over Division I-AA Weber State.

2. Buffalo Bill Cody- Perhaps a trip back to the Wild, Wild West would serve as inspiration to Wyoming. Its state’s most famous figure has kept popping up in productions around the nation ever since his death, so why wouldn’t he show up at the New Mexico Bowl?

1. A Waywardly Grazing Bison- There is bound to be one near, next to, or on campus at the University of Wyoming on December 19^th. And it might prove to be a more entertaining sight than the game itself.

Brandon Hickey on Why Fresno State will win: Fresno State, located in scenic Fresno, California, has been a frontrunner in the Western Athletic Conference for the past decade. The Bulldogs, led by steady coach Pat Hill, stride into Albuquerque off a “big” win over Illinois (because every win over a Ron Zook-coached team is a big win). Fresno was sitting pretty with an 8-4 record until they got shipped to the middle of the Navajo Reservation. Fresno is sort of the forgotten city in California, with Los Angeles and the Bay Area getting all the glitz and the glamour.

Fresno State Players to Watch:

3. RB Ryan Mathews-Carried the ball an astounding 245 times for 1664 yards over the course of the season. May be considered a “workhorse” if he were an actual mammal.

2. Jerry Tarkanian-The old Fresno State basketball coach will sure to be on the sidelines since he has nothing else going on in his life right now. The Cowboys will be frightened for their lives when seeing the Shark pace up and down the sidelines biting a towel.

1. QB Ryan Colburn-Fresno always seems to find itself a good white quarterback. From David “Gloves” Carr to Paul Pinegar and eventually Tom Brandstater, white QBs have been the norm. Wyoming better watch out, because Colburn is indeed white.

David Carr grimaces in pain.

THE COMPROMISE: Wyoming was 6-6 in the Mountain West. Let's face it, this could be ugly. Bulldogs roll 45-14.