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NEW MEXICO BOWL
12/22
NEVADA at NEW MEXICO
Another Bowl Game where you have to take a good look at the motivation. The purpose of a Bowl Game is to reward a college football team for a good year. Historically this has meant traveling as a team to a warm weather location surrounded by a party type atmosphere with lots of pomp and circumstance. In this situation, you have New Mexico hosting a home Game against a 6-6 Nevada team. Where’s the motivation?? Al this does is extend their season while most would probably rather be home for the holidays. It’s hardly a reward……..Nevada, on the other hand, is lucky to be here. Why not take advantage of the situation and knock of a team with a better record, on their home field?
While Nevada weighs in with a 6-6 mark, that record is deceiving. Only Nebraska was able to stick it to Nevada this year, 52-10 and that was back on September 1st. Every other Game they have been in has either come down to the wire, or was a blow out win for Nevada. Their losses were by 5, 8, 2, 2, and 3. New Mexico on the other hand has losses of 37-0 and 28-10 on their resume.
There is no question Nevada will scoresome points here. New Mexico has given up 30+ points to BYU, New Mexico State, and Air Force, as well as, 28 to Utah, 27 to Arizona and so on. No reason to think this Nevada team that rarely scores less than 30 (averages 36) won’t hang some points on the board. The question is, will New Mexico be able to keep pace? We doubt it. If you take Sacramento State out of the picture, New Mexico topped 30 points only twice this year. We know Nevada can trade with anyone until the final gun. Just look at their 69-67 shoot out with Boise. We don’t know that New Mexico can match that.
So when you add in the questionable motivation of this New Mexico team simply playing another home Game, against a Nevada team looking to prove they are much better than their 6-6 record shows, and then you consider the offensive fire power of Nevada, the +3 looks to good to pass up in a Game they can surely win straight up.
Remember also that New Mexico hosted this Game last year as well. The result? A loss. Bowl Games aren’t meant to be played at home…..we’ll take a very live dog here that should simply outScoreNew Mexico.
3* NEVADA +3