The Lobos riding a 6-game winning streak and the Gophers have never lost a bowl game under PJ Fleck. One of these streaks is going to have to end.
One fun fact about this game is that the New Mexico head coach, Jason Eck, is a Wisconsin native. He played for the Badgers, he began his coaching career in Madison and has had several stops around the midwest at Mankato, South Dakota State and Winona State. We can’t let this Badger beat us, can we? No. We cannot.
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How to Watch
TV: ESPN
Time: 3:30
Stream: ESPNWatch
New Mexico was a part of a 4-way tie for first place in the Mountain West but was left out of the conference championship game and then they earned the right to play the Gophers in the Rate Bowl.
This will be the third Big Ten team that New Mexico has faced this year. They played Michigan tough before a late touchdown pushed the final score to 34-17. Then the Lobos put a 35-10 beatdown on UCLA, prompting the Bruins to fire DeShaun Foster, ending his brief tenture as the head coach on Woodenville.
Can the Gophers make sure they don’t have a winning record against the Big Ten? Here’s how.
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KEYS TO A GOPHER WIN
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Win the offensive line of scrimmage – The Lobo defense is stout but the Gopher offensive line needs to find a way to lean on them, control things up front and this should allow them to move the ball. If the New Mexico defense is getting into the Gopher backfield, we might be in trouble.
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Win Special Teams – I know this is not a strength of the Gophers. They don’t have to be elite, they just have to be better than the Lobos. This feels like a great game for Koi Perich to have a monster return.
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Let Drake cook – While the Lobos have a good defense, they are better at run defense than they are against the pass. Give Drake some time and let him have some fun.
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OPPOSING PLAYERS TO WATCH
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#1 RB – Damon Bankston – the senior running back shares time with DJ McKinney, but Bankston was also first team All-Mountain West as a kick returner.
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#6 LB – Jaxton Eck – The Mountain West co-Defensive Player of the Year and son of the coach. Eck makes a ton of plays and needs to be neutralized.
PREDICTION
I enjoy how the Gophers prepare for bowl games. And they seem to be elite at executing and often someone unexpected steps up to have an outstanding game.
I’m expecting someone like Jalen Smith on offense and Jaxon Howard on defense to be a real problem for the Lobos. And then Darius Taylor always seems to have a huge bowl game. The Gopher offense will be unusually efficient and they will put up points.
Minnesota – 31
New Mexico – 17
