New Mexico Bowl
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The New Mexico Bowl made its debut in 2006. The game is held at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The game features a matchup between teams from the Mountain West and Western Athletic Conferences. The game has no official sponsor. The 2006 contest had a $750,000 payout to each school.
The inaugural game pitted the New Mexico Lobos against the San Jose State Spartans. It was the first ever bowl game to be played in the state of New Mexico. The key to the game was the ability of the San Jose State receivers to make big plays. San Jose State wide receivers James Jones and John Broussard both had over 100 yards receiving. Jones hauled in two touchdowns. Broussard caught a 76-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the game. The San Jose State defense did their part, forcing New Mexico into four turnovers. Matt Castelo led the defensive unit, compiling 18 tackles and forced two fumbles. Jones and Castelo were named offensive and defensive MVP’s respectively.
The loss didn’t come as to much of a surprise to the Lobos. New Mexico has not won a bowl game since it defeated Western Michigan in the 1961 Aviation Bowl. The team is 0-5 in bowl appearances since 1997. Despite playing on their home field, the Lobos were unable to break the losing streak.
San Jose State received a game trophy made of Zia Pueblo pottery. The Zia Pueblo are an Indian tribe that reside in New Mexico. The pottery was decorated with Pueblo symbols, football players and the New Mexico Bowl logo. Jones and Castelo both received most valuable player trophies that were crafted from traditional leather shields.
This year’s New Mexico Bowl will be played on December 22, 2007. The game will be televised on ESPN.
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