New Mexico Bowl

New Mexico Bowl

Teams: UTEP (6-6) vs. BYU (6-6)
Date: Dec. 18, 2010, 2 p.m. ET
Location: University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Analysis: Two former WAC rivals renew acquaintances in a bowl that will draw attention from Miners, Mormons and gamblers. UTEP returns to a bowl for the first time since 2005, but did so by navigating an exceedingly easy schedule that required them to beat just one team ranked in Sagarin’s top 125 in order to get to 6-6. The bowl-clinching victory was a 28-14 win over SMU in early November, the Miners’ one semi-respectable win. Coach Mike Price has been flirting with bowl eligibility the last few years – winning five, four, five and four prior to this season, so the New Mexico Bowl does represent a sort of breakthrough for fourth-place finishers in the Conference USA East Division.

BYU played its final season in the Mountain West Conference to a disappointing 6-6 mark, its worst record since Bronco Mendenhall’s first season in 2005. The Cougars are venturing out as an independent starting in 2011, which means they will lose their MWC bowl tie-ins. As long as bowls such as the New Mexico Bowl survive, however, a .500 record should still get the Cougars to the postseason without a conference. BYU is coming off a heart-breaking 17-16 loss to Utah in the season-finale when BYU’s 42-yard field goal was blocked on the last play of the game. Playing in a bowl other than the Las Vegas Bowl for the first time in five years, BYU is eager to kick off the bowl season with a win that give them momentum to take into their first season as an independent.

When BYU Has The Ball: The Cougars will try to lean on junior running back JJ Di Luigi, who earned second-team All-MWC honors in his first season as a starter. Di Luigi rushed for 819 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry in front of an offensive line that had one first-team All-MWC performer (Matt Reynolds) and  three MWC honorable mention players (Jason Speredon, Terence Brown, Braden Hansen). Freshman quarterback Jake Heaps has set several school freshman passing records, but his 11-to-8 TD-to-INT ratio and 56 percent completion percentage are not ideal. Heaps played well in the final month of the season, but Mendenhall said the QB job will be up for grabs in the spring. With UTEP giving up 181 yards per game on the ground, look for BYU to run the ball before opening up Heaps and the passing game.

When UTEP Has The Ball: The Miners struggled with injuries on the offensive side of the ball this season. Top back Donald Buckram set UTEP's single-season rushing record in 2009, but a knee injury limited him to just 325 yards in seven games this year. Quarterback Trevor Vittatoe, a four-year starter, battled shoulder and ankle injuries and had his least productive year in El Paso, though he still threw for 2,511 yards and 19 touchdowns. Price expects both Buckram and Vittatoe to be healthy. The Miners should be in attack mode and try to pass first, taking advantage of leading receiver Kris Adams, who has four 100-yard games this season. The BYU pass defense has been strong, however, allowing just 188 yards through the air per game and picking off 13 passes.

Special Teams: UTEP kick returner Marlon McClure has returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the Miners’ last two games, so BYU must be attentive on kick coverage. UTEP kicker Dakota Warren appears to have range of about 40 yards – he was 8 for-10 on field goals of 40 yards or less and 3-for-9 beyond 40, though he did nail a 57-yarder against Memphis. BYU kicker Mitch Payne was dependable, making 80 percent of his field goals (16-for-20), but had his biggest of the season blocked in the final seconds against Utah.

BYU NCAA Rankings


Rush Offense: 46 (163.8 ypg)
Pass Offense: 86 (190.3 ypg)
Scoring Offense: 84 (24 ppg)
Rush Defense: 61 (151.2 ypg)
Pass Defense: 21 (187.8 ypg)
Scoring Defense: 32 (21.4 ppg)
Turnover Margin: T-48 (+.08)

UTEP NCAA Rankings

Rush Offense: 69 (149.5 ypg)
Pass Offense: 60 (221.5 ypg)
Scoring Offense: 70 (26.2 ppg)
Rush Defense: 90 (181.2 ypg)
Pass Defense: 73 (223 ypg)
Scoring Defense: 58 (25.4 ppg)
Turnover Margin: 80 (-.33)

Prediction: The Cougars generally rolled through overmatched opponents, and UTEP qualifies as such. BYU comes into the game winning four of its last five, while the Miners have lost five of six. UTEP has the geographical edge, but the Cougars have the personnel edge.



BYU by 28