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New Mexico Bowl Notes - Week 13
WEEK 13 NEW MEXICO BOWL NOTES
Week 13 New Mexico Bowl Notes in PDF Format
BOWL PREDICTIONS: This is it for most teams but there are a few that conclude their seasons next weekend. The picture is almost painted and some college football experts are weighing in on how the postseason should play out. From the WAC, Fresno State was almost the unanimous choice, selected 9-out-of-10 times, and is bowl-eligible with a 6-4 record. For the MWC selection, the prediction is Utah or Wyoming but there are also those, three to be exact, who think an at large bid will be necessary to fill the MWC spot in the bowl. Here is the complete breakdown of what is selected for the 2009 New Mexico Bowl:
CollegeBowlProjections.com: Fresno State (WAC) vs. Utah (MWC)
College Football News/Fox Sports: Fresno State (WAC) vs. UCLA (at large bid)
CBS Sportsline: Nevada (WAC) vs. Northern Illinois (at large bid)
ESPN (Mark Schlabach’s pick): Fresno State (WAC) vs. Wyoming (MWC)
ESPN (Bruce Feldman’s pick): Fresno State (WAC) vs. Wyoming (MWC)
Football-Bowl.com: Fresno State (WAC) vs. Bowling Green (at large bid)
MSNBC/College Football Talk: Fresno State (WAC) vs. Wyoming (MWC)
Phil Steele (Operation Sports): Fresno State (WAC) vs. Utah (MWC)
Rivals.com/Yahoo! Sports: Fresno State (WAC) vs. Wyoming (MWC)
Sports Illustrated: Fresno State (WAC) vs. Wyoming (MWC)
Boise State, Fresno State, Idaho and Nevada are bowl eligible out of the WAC and Hawai`i is still in the hunt, needing to win its final two games. The top two WAC teams, based upon regular season finish, shall receive guaranteed bowl berths. If the University of Hawaii is bowl eligible, and if the WAC has at least three bowl slots, it shall receive a berth in the Hawaii Bowl, regardless of its place in the Conference regular season standings. Once bowl representatives have been determined, a committee consisting of the Commissioner and Athletics Directors not involved in the pool of eligible teams, in consultation with the Conference’s bowl partners, shall select and place team(s) according to the “right team, right place” principle. The Committee shall seek to balance the best interest of the bowls versus the best interest of the Conference and involved team(s).
Air Force, BYU, TCU and Utah are eligible from the MWC and Wyoming is still in the picture, needing to win its final game this weekend at MWC-winless Colorado State. The Mountain West Conference currently has agreements to send five teams to bowl games in 2009. Unless an MWC team qualifies for a BCS bowl game, the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas has the first selection of MWC teams, followed by the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettita Bowl with the second selection. The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl and New Mexico Bowls have the third and fourth selections, but in no particular order.
BOWL ELIGIBLE: There are 69 FBS teams that are already bowl-eligible, including four from the MWC and four from the WAC. Nine teams could still get bowl eligible, including Hawai`i from the WAC and Wyoming from the MWC. 42 teams cannot get bowl eligible. There are 67 slots to be filled now that Navy has accepted a bid to the Texas Bowl. Ohio State is not officially going to the Rose Bowl but it has automatically qualified for a BCS game.
Utah (9-2) is bowl-eligible for the seventh consecutive season, including all five seasons under head coach Kyle Whittingham. The Utes currently own the nation’s longest postseason win streak (eight games), which dates back to 1999. BYU (9-2 overall) and TCU (11-0 overall) have each earned bowl eligibility for the fifth straight year. BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall is the only coach in school history to qualify the Cougars for bowl games in each of his first five seasons. TCU has earned bowl eligibility in eight of the last nine seasons under the direction of head coach Gary Patterson. Air Force (7-5) is bowl eligible for the third straight season under head coach Troy Calhoun. Calhoun is only the second coach in Academy history to have his team bowl-eligible in his first three years.
Boise State (11-0), is also eligible for the 12th consecutive year and have been eligible every year since head coach Chris Petersen took over in 2006. Idaho, at 7-4, is bowl eligible for the first time since 1999. Nevada (8-3) is bowl-eligible for the fifth straight season despite starting 0-3 this year. Fresno State (7-4) is bowl-eligible for the third straight year and ninth time out of the last 10 seasons.
In the WAC, Hawai`i is not out of contention yet but it must win out (2-of-2) to be in the running for a postseason game. The Warriors are at home to take on Texas Bowl-bound Navy and Wisconsin. In the MWC, Wyoming needs its final game this weekend at Colorado State.
UNDEFEATED NOW AND THEN: Boise State (WAC) and TCU (MWC) are two of six teams in the nation without a loss. The Broncos and Frogs are 11-0. It’s the fourth time since the 2004 season that Boise State has started a season 10-0. The previous three times, the Broncos went on to finish the regular season undefeated (2004, 2006 and 2008). The Horned Frogs are 11-0 for the second time in their history and the first time since their 1938 national championship team finished with that mark. TCU has won 11 games for the fifth time in the last seven seasons. It’s the first time since 2003 the Horned Frogs have won 11 games in the regular season. A win would give TCU the first 12-0 record in program history and just its second 12-win season. The 1935 national championship team was 12-1 after a 3-2 victory over LSU in the Sugar Bowl. No TCU team has ever won 12 games in a regular season. Boise State and TCU are the only two non-automatic qualifying BCS teams that are undefeated.
BCS RANKINGS UPDATED: The Bowl Championship Series Standings were updated on Sunday, Nov. 22 and the Mountain West has three teams in the Top 25 while the Western Athletic Conference has one. The Mountain West Conference has had at least two teams ranked in the BCS Standings for 14 consecutive weeks dating back to last year. TCU leads all non-automatic qualifying teams, placing fourth. Boise State, of the WAC, is sixth. BYU and Utah, both from the MWC, are 19th and 21st, respectively. For any of these teams to play in one of the BCS bowls, it must be the highest ranked non-BCS team in the top 12 of the BCS poll at the end of the regular season or rank in the top 16 and are higher than a conference champion that has an annual automatic berth. TCU is currently ranked ahead of four BCS automatic-qualifying conference leaders.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: Three Mountain West teams are currently ranked in the national polls. TCU is the MWC’s highest-ranked team at No. 4 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls. BYU and Utah slid up a spot or two in both polls, with BYU coming in 15th in the coaches and 18th in the AP polls. Utah sits 19th in the USA Today and 22nd in the AP rankings. TCU has appeared in the polls for 23 straight weeks, including seven consecutive weeks in the top 10. TCU’s No. 4 position for the fourth straight week in the USA Today Coaches’ Top 25 poll equals the highest ranking ever by a MWC team in that poll, matching Utah’s No. 4 position in the final 2008 Coaches’ poll. It’s also the Frogs’ highest ranking since being fourth in the Oct. 15, 1956 Associated Press poll. TCU hasn’t been ranked this high in November since its 1938 national championship season, when it was No. 1 in the AP poll in the first week of Nov.
Boise State, the WAC’s lone representative, is sixth in the Associated Press Top-25 and USA Today Coaches Poll. Boise State has been ranked in the top 25 at least once in each of the last eight seasons. At least one team from the WAC has been in the polls every week since Sept. 17, 2006 (59 consecutive polls). Nevada received votes in both polls for the second straight week.
The Mountain West and Western Athletic Conferences are receiving more respect each year from the national media. The Associated Press and USA Today preseason polls put four non-BCS teams (Boise State, BYU, TCU and Utah) in the top 25 for the first time. Boise State’s No. 14 AP poll ranking was also the highest preseason nod for a non-BCS team since the Bowl Championship Series was formed. Since 2003, at least one non-BCS team has placed in the top 15 of the final Associated Press poll or USA Today coaches’ poll in every season. On three occasions -- No. 4 Utah in 2004, No. 5 Boise State in 2006 and No. 2 Utah in 2008 -- a non-BCS team has cracked the final poll top five. On average, the highest-ranked non-BCS team at season’s end has been ranked 12 spots better than the highest-ranked non-BCS team in either preseason poll.
ON THE SAME PLAYING FIELD: Many critics claim that it is unfair to consider making the Mountain West Conference or the Western Athletic Conference automatic qualifiers for BCS Bowl Games because the level of competition in their leagues is weak, providing them an easier schedule week-in and week-out. Say what you want, but both conference’s members have gone above and beyond scheduling current automatic qualifiers from the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC. For the season, there are 29 games slated with 27 already in the books. Boise State opened its season Thursday, Sept. 3 with the Pac-10’s Oregon, handing the Ducks a 19-8 loss in front of the nation on ESPN. Two days later, BYU stunned Oklahoma (14-13), last year’s runner-up in the BCS Championship Game. Colorado State wrapped up the weekend on Sunday, knocking off the Big 12’s Colorado Buffaloes on their home turf, 23-17. In week three, two more victories were recorded over the automatics as TCU went into Virginia and came away with a 30-14 win and Hawai`i cruised past Washington State in Seattle, 38-20. This past weekend, TCU did it again, going into another ACC stadium (Clemson) and pulling out a 14-10 win. Utah also added a win, topping the Big East’s Louisville in Utah, 30-14.
So far, the BCS automatics do hold the advantage this season with a record of 20-7 and have outscored the MWC and WAC 823-486. Fresno State and Hawai`i conclude the regular season at Illinois and vs. Wisconsin, respectively.
TALE OF THE TURNSTILES: The heads have been counted and in the 12th week of collegiate football just over 225,000 fans supported the Mountain West and Western Athletic Conferences. In MWC action, BYU maintained its streak of 18 straight home games with over 64,000 fans as 64,071 watched the Cougars run down the Air Force Falcons, 38-21. The last time BYU had under 64,000 fans was Nov. 09, 2006 vs. Wyoming when they admitted 59,901. For the WAC, 31,769 people poured into Bulldog Stadium to watch Fresno State top Louisiana Tech, 30-28, bringing them back above the 30,000 mark. The Bulldogs’ previous home game against Utah State drew only 27,721, marking the only time this decade that fewer than 30,000 watched a Fresno State home game. A complete breakdown of each team’s attendance figures is in the attached PDF.
CONFERENCE TITLES TO BE DECIDED THIS WEEKEND: Three teams will battle for the Mountain West title during the last weekend of regular season play. TCU has clinched at least a share of the Mountain West Conference title, its first since 2005, which was the Horned Frogs’ first season in the MWC. TCU can win the crown outright with a victory over New Mexico on Saturday. The Frogs currently lead the league race with a 7-0 Conference record, followed by BYU and Utah at 6-1 apiece. The Cougars and Utes face off this Saturday in Provo. The winner could earn a share of the title if TCU loses. If two or more teams finish on top of the standings with identical records, they will be considered co- or tri-champions.
Boise State hosts Nevada on Friday night in a game between two teams undefeated in WAC play. Nevada at 7-0 would clinch the outright WAC title with a victory, while Boise State would earn at least a share of the title as it still has a game against New Mexico State on Dec. 5. Boise State has won or shared six WAC titles since joining the conference in 2001. The only shared title for the Broncos was in 2005 when both Boise State and Nevada finished 7-1. It is Nevada’s only WAC title since joining the conference in 2000.
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS ANNOUNCED: Three Mountain West Conference and two Western Athletic Conference football student-athletes have been named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). BYU’s Scott Johnson was a first-team honoree, while Cougar teammate Matthew Bauman and Utah’s Zane Beadles received second-team accolades. Fresno State junior offensive lineman Andrew Jackson was named to the first-team while senior punter Robert Malone was named to the second team. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at their current institution and be nominated by the school’s sports information director.
WAC TEAM, ATHLETES LEADING THE NATION: Fresno State junior running back Ryan Mathews missed last week due to an injury but continues to lead the nation in rushing with 149.1 yards per game. Mathews leads UTEP’s Donald Buckram, who is averaging 142.6 yards per contest. Boise State sophomore quarterback Kellen Moore leads the nation in passing efficiency with a 168.8 rating. Finally, Hawai’i junior wide receiver Greg Salas is second in the nation with 128.4 receiving yards per game. As a team, Nevada leads the nation in rushing with 373.2 yards per game, 59 yards better than the next best team, Georgia Tech (314.1).
MWC TEAMS, ATHLETES LEADING THE NATION: BYU senior quarterback Max Hall is vying with Boise State’s Kellen Moore for the best passing efficiency in the nation. Moore currently leads but Hall is nipping at his heals with a 167.2 rating. On the other side of the ball, New Mexico sophomore linebacker Carmen Messina leads the nation in tackles, with 146 for a 13.27 per game average. The next closest is Michigan State’s Greg Jones (141, 11.75 per game). As a team, TCU has the fewest opponents first downs (129) and kickoff return yards (30.2 per return average) while BYU leads in third down conversion percentage at 58.4 (80-for-137).
WIN STREAKS FROM THE MWC: TCU has won 13 games in a row dating back to last season and has the third-longest win streak in the country (Florida 21, Texas 15). The Frogs have their longest win streak since a 13-game run over the final 10 contests in 2005 and the opening three games in 2006.
Utah has won 17 consecutive home games, while TCU has won 13 straight. The Utes’ 17-game streak ranks second in league history, while the Frogs’ 13-game streak is third.
IDAHO ONE OF THE NATION’S MOST IMPROVED: With seven victories this season, Idaho currently is tied for the nation’s best turnaround. The Vandals were 2-10 last year and have recorded five more wins this year. SMU also has five more wins this year, which leaves them tied with the Vandals. Idaho was picked last in the WAC preseason coaches’ poll and is currently fourth with a 4-2 record in conference play.
THIS WEEK’S PREVIEWS: Action this week kicks off Friday in both conferences as Wyoming plays at Colorado State at noon and on The Mtn. while sixth-ranked Boise State hosts Nevada at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. On Saturday two MWC games are airing on The Mtn. while the Utah-BYU game shows on CBS College Sports. The WAC has two conference games that day and one non-conference game as Hawai`i plays Navy at 8:30 p.m. on ESPNU. Air Force (MWC) has completed its regular season while Frenso State and Louisiana Tech sit out with a bye. Don’t forget links to all the games audio and stats are available at www.NewMexicoBowl.com. Some games are even available to view online. Brief breakdowns of each game slated for this week are available in the attached PDF.
--New Mexico Bowl--
MWC Headings
WAC Headings
