New Mexico State broke a 57-year bowl drought in 2017. They head to the Arizona Bowl to face Utah State, the same team they beat in the 1960 Sun Bowl.
For most of its history, New Mexico State football has been an afterthought in the world of college football. The Aggies went more than a half-century between bowl appearances, a drought that spanned a dozen presidencies from Eisenhower to Trump. They will face a familiar foe in the Arizona Bowl this year.
Back on New Year’s Even 1960, New Mexico State’s last bowl game came against Utah State in the Sun Bowl. This year, the setting is Tucson for the battle of Aggies. The former conference rivals in the Big West and WAC face one another for the first time since the dissolution of the WAC after the 2012 season.
What lies in store for Doug Martin’s team as they try to get to seven wins for the first time since 2002? Can they take down a Utah State team that finished with an identical 6-6 record in the regular season? Here’s how to watch the Friday showdown between New Mexico State and Utah State in the Arizona Bowl:
Date: Friday, Dec. 29
Time: 5:15 p.m. ET
Location: Tucson, Ariz.
Venue: Arizona Stadium
TV: CBS Sports Network
Live Stream: CBS Sports Online
Keys to Victory
For New Mexico State to win a third bowl game in school history, the Aggies will need to get another huge day through the air from Tyler Rogers. The NMSU passer threw for over 3800 yards this year despite missing the Idaho game. Rogers threw for over 400 yards on three occasions this year, and topped 300 yards in five other appearances. He will need another big day without any interceptions to put New Mexico State on track for the win.
New Mexico State will also need to limit its penalties. NMSU ranked 104th nationally in penalties per game in 2017, seeing over seven flags per outing. They cannot afford to give up cheap yards to Utah State on Friday if they hope to finish with a winning season for the first time in a decade and a half.
Utah State will need a solid secondary to come up big and prevent Rogers from finding open targets. In 2017, USU allowed just 180 yards per game through the air. They are likely going to give up more than that on Friday, but they will need to hold Rogers under the 350-yard mark to stay in the contest.
If they can do that, Utah State will still need to score points. Freshman quarterback Jordan Love will need to do his best Rogers impression airing out the ball to outduel his veteran counterpart. Even if Utah State starts slowly, they should be able to put points on the board as the game progresses.
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of Sportsbook Review
Point Spread: Utah State -4
Over/Under: 61
Prediction
Defense is going to fly out the window early in Tucson. We are going to see a classic duel between Rogers and Love through the Arizona air, as both quarterbacks top the 300-yard mark with ease. Look for at least eight passing touchdowns in this contest.
Utah State will feature a slightly more balanced offense, as Lajuan Hunt gets somewhere between 15 and 20 carries and puts up between 80 and 100 yards. But big plays will define this contest, with a half-dozen touchdown plays of 30 or more yards.
Next: SMQ: Are we really seeing more bowl blowouts in 2017?
One of the most high-flying bowl games of the 2017 postseason will be lurking among bigger contests on Friday afternoon. Don’t sleep on the Arizona Bowl as you get ready for the long New Year’s weekend.
Final Score: New Mexico State 45, Utah State 41