New Mexico Bowl Preview: Temple should rope Cowboys
Friday, December 16th, 2011
Expect a close contest where both the Temple Owls and the Wyoming Cowboys want to be in this bowl and both want to win and build momentum for 2012.
Temple RB Bernard Pierce tore up the 2009 Eagle Bowl, can he enchant the New Mexico Bowl 2011? (Icon SMI)
Somehow you have to figure that when the game is on the line, Temple’s Bernard Pierce will be the guy to pull them through.
Notes:
- Temple
- Temple posted a school-record three straight seasons of at least eight victories.
- RB Bernard Pierce finished third in the FBS with a single-season school record 25 TDs and 13th with 1,381 rushing yards.
- Pierce, who could be playing in his final game before going pro, seems likely to find plenty of running room against a Cowboys defense that’s surrendering 230.1 rushing yards per game – sixth worst in the nation.
- Temple’s defense ranks third in the nation with 13.8 points allowed per game.
- The Owls are participating in the fourth bowl game in school history.
- Wyoming
- The Cowboys rank fourth in the country in turnover margin at 1.25 and allowed only 11 sacks – tied for 11th.
- Wyoming is headed back to the New Mexico Bowl for the second time in three seasons behind Mountain West freshman of the year QB Brett Smith who finished third in the conference with a 126.2 rating after throwing for 2,495 yards along with 18 TDs and eight interceptions.
- Wyoming has split its 12 previous bowl appearances, winning two in a row following six consecutive defeats.
- The Cowboys won the only meeting in this series 38-23 in 1990.
The smart guys in the desert say Temple 27-20.
Nick’s Pick: Temple 26 – Wyoming 24
