Bowl Info:
- Game will be held at Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque. New Mexico
- Game will start at 2:00 PM ET on December 15th
- Utah State is 4-8 in their bowl games
- North Texas is 2-7 in their bowl games
- Utah State leads series 4-3
Offensive Players to Watch:
Utah State: Darwin Thompson has been getting the hand-offs from the Utah State backfield this season. And his presence on this team has been one of the most notable among the leaders. Thompson has rushed along this year as he sits at 951 yards and 14 touchdowns. And for a team that averages 203.7 rushing yards a game, Thompson will be needed this Saturday against a tough North Texas defense. It’ll be important to see how Thompson reacts to a defense that has had its way with rushing teams this year.
North Texas: Its known that Mason Fine is the heart and soul of the Mean Green offense as he sets up at quarterback. Fine has shown an ability to sling over opponents at will and to do so without fault. With the starting position on offense, Fine has racked up 3,734 passing yards and 27 passing touchdowns. And also, with Utah State giving up around 240.1 passing yards a game, Fine’s performance will be under more importance than normal. The narrative essentially reads that if Mason Fine can go have a great game, then North Texas will win.
Defensive Players to Watch:
Utah State: Sitting in the secondary for the Aggies is Gaje Ferguson. Especially in being in the Mountain West, many of these talented players are overlooked. However, this isn’t the case with Ferguson who has caused absolute disasters for opposing offense in terms of passing. Gaje Ferguson has totaled up 68 total tackles, 2 interceptions, and 3.0 tackles-for-loss. The safety net that is gained form Gaje Ferguson helps with a North Texas team that likes to air it out with Mason Fine. If Ferguson can keep up the solid secondary and cause some turnovers, then North Texas might be in some trouble.
North Texas: It is known that these seniors that have worked so hard to bring this program up want a win. However, not one can overtake the ambition of Roderick Young as he aims to take the New Mexico Bowl crown. Young runs the defensive end spot for the Mean Green defense and has been a handful. Young has 5.5 tackles-for-loss, 3.0 sacks, and 26 total tackles for this season. And with the trouble that will come from Darwin Thompson and the Utah State rush, it is vital with Young comes to play. North Texas will look to lock down this impressive Utah State rush attack on the outside with Young. Watch for Roderick Young to give this Utah State team all they can handle come Saturday.
The Basics
Utah State has looked their usual as of recently, but for North Texas there are some games they want to forget. The Mean Green also put all of their fate into their passing scheme. Unfortunately for North Texas, they are facing an extremely prepared team. Utah State has one of the top scoring offenses and a stellar defense that gets turnovers. And to make things even worse, Utah State is coming off a tough loss, which should motivate them to perform at an impressive rate. Give me the Aggies.
Score Prediction
45-27 Utah State
Photo Credits: https://newmexicobowl.com/
