Monday, Dec. 26 -- 2:30 p.m. ET -- ESPN
Bowling Green is a slight favorite, but NMSU has been a hot team since mid-October. Like BGSU, the Aggies are 6-6. Five of those losses came over their first six games. New Mexico State reversed that trend with five wins in its final six outings. The lone loss was a 45-14 setback at Missouri.
Although the football Aggies have recently been competing as an independence, they will compete in Conference USA beginning with the 2023 season.
Here is more on the two teams . . .
~~ The Aggies are 3-0-1 all-time in bowl action. The tie was in 1914 (Sun Bowl), while the three wins came in 1959 (Sun Bowl), 1960 (Sun Bowl), 2017 (Arizona Bowl).
~~ NMSU reached bowl eligiblility in Jerry Kill's first year as head coach. Kill had a successful run as head coach at Northern Illinois from 2008-2010. During that time, NIU went to three straight bowl games. The 2010 team hammered Fresno State 40-17 in the Humanitarian Bowl, giving NIU 10 wins for the first time since 2003. Kill took over Minnesota in 2011 and led UM to three straight bowl appearances (2012, 2013, 2014) during his five years with the Gophers. Health issues eventually led him to leave coaching and he acepted an athletis administration job at Kansas State. Less than a year later, however, he returned to coaching. After several stops, he took over New Mexico State in 2022.
~~ The Aggies average 23.8 ppg and have allowed an average of 33.3 ppg.
~~ NMSU scored at least 49 points in each of its last three wins. It also limited opponents in those three victories to 14 or less points.
~~ New Mexico State's last outing was a 65-3 win over Valparaiso. The Aggies outgained Valparaiso 621-188 overall.
~~ Diego Pavia completed 9-of-13 pass attempts, good for 323 yards with four touchdowns. Gavin Frakes connected on 5-of-10 (58 yards).
~~ Pavia, a junior, has completed 52.2 percent of his passes this year, totaling 1,283 yards with 11 TDs and five picks.
~~ SDSU receivers averaged 25.9 ypc and scored five TDs.
~~ Senior Aaron Dawson (5-11, 220) is the Aggies top rusher. He has averaged 5.4 ypc while totaling 1,204 rushing yards with 10 touchdowns.
~~ Junior Solomon Davis tops Aggie receivers with 43 catches, 748 yards, 4 TDs.
~~ Senior kicker Brian Batholomew has hit 9-of-15 field goals, including succesful attempts from 48, 49 and 50 yards. He had 28-of-31 PAT attempts.
~~ Linebacker Ben Hines leads the Aggies with 91 tackles. Kohlton Sherman has registered four interceptions, returning them for a total of 175 yards.
BOWLING GREEN FALCONS (6-6)
~~ After going 4-8 in 2021, BGSU rebounded to 6-6 this season. The Falcons earned bowl eligibility by defeating arch-rival Toledo 42-35 on the road Nov. 15. The Rockets went on to win the MAC Championship.
~~ Bowling Green still had a shot at the MAC East title when it visited Ohio in the regular season finale Nov. 22. However, the Bobcats posted a 38-14 victory.
~~ Among the Falcons six win this season was a 34-31 overtime win over Marshall one week after the Thundering Herd defeated No. 8 Notre Dame.
~~ Quarterback Matt McDonald ranked third among MAC passers, averaging 239.9 ypg through the air. He completed 61.3 percent of his passes, tossing 22 TDs with eight interceptions.
~~ BGSU topped all MAC teams with 37 sacks.
~~ Defensive lineman Karl Brooks earned First Team All-MAC honors. Second Team All-MAC honors went to TD Christian Sims, WR Odieu Hiliare and kick returner Ta'ron Keith.
~~ Jaison Patterson led Falcon rushers with 129 carries for a total of 560 yards and one TD.
~~ Bowling Green registered eight rushing touchdowns on the season. Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. had four of them.
~~ Hiliare paced Falcon receiving with 54 catches totaling 704 yards and six TDs. Tyrone Broden also tallied six touchdowns among his 30 catches for a total of 473 yards.