2008 New Mexico Bowl Profiles
Colorado State (6-6) vs. Fresno State (7-5)
Dec. 20, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
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History
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New Mexico Bowl History
2007 New Mexico 23 ... Nevada 0
2006 San Jose St 20, New Mexico 12 |
By
Richard Cirminiello
Best Bulldog
Bowl Moment:
In one of the more historic victories in school history, Fresno
State toyed with Pac-10 powerhouse USC in the 1992 Freedom Bowl. The
Bulldogs picked off three Rob Johnson passes and outgained the
favored Trojans 405-183 in a surprisingly easy 24-7 win.
Best Ram Bowl Moment: Colorado State’s first-ever bowl
victory came in a 32-31 thriller over Oregon in the 1990 Freedom
Bowl. The WAC co-champion took particular delight in breaking into
the win column against a member of the Pac-10. The teams played a
seesaw game that wasn’t decided until the final minute, when the
Rams stopped a potential game-winning two-point conversion just
inches from the goal line.
The Last Time You'll See ...
Fresno State:
TE Bear Pascoe. In an offense that has struggled to develop quality
wide receivers, Pascoe has been an ideal security blanket for QB Tom
Brandstater. At 6-5 and 260 pounds, he’s got soft hands and
absolutely no aversions to laying out defenders on running plays,
which has not been lost on NFL scouts. Pascoe is second on the
Bulldogs with 37 catches for 361 yards and four touchdowns.
Colorado State:
RB Gartrell Johnson. Kyle Bell was supposed to be the workhorse for
the Rams, but injuries got in the way the last two years. As Plan Bs
go, Johnson has been brilliant, rushing for more than 2,000 yards in
his final two seasons, including nine 100-yard games. A powerful
225-pound runner, he became the first Ram in three years to make the
All-Mountain West first team.
Breakout Player ...
Fresno State:
DE Chris Carter. Although he lines up at defensive end, the
versatile Carter plays with all of the agility and range of a
linebacker. At just 6-2 and 220 pounds, the sophomore will
eventually settle down at linebacker, but for now, he’s a handful
when not being locked up by opposing tackles. In his first full
season as a regular, Carter has parlayed 79 tackles, six tackles for
loss, and 3.5 sacks into a spot on the All-WAC second team.
Colorado State: LB Ricky Brewer. Any efforts to improve the
defense in the offseason will be done around Brewer and fellow
outside LB Mychal Sisson. The game has begun to slow down for
Brewer, who likes to fly around the field and play with reckless
abandon. In what’s been a table-setting year for the second half of
his career in Fort Collins, he’s second on the team to Sisson with
94 tackles.
Best Non-Game Event
The El Pinto Welcome Reception and Team Dinner stands out among the most
popular events each year. The event, held Dec. 17 this year, is hosted
annually by El Pinto, a local New Mexican restaurant. It’s unique and
exciting because each year there is a Chili Cook-off. Each school fields
a team of six cooks and is given 45 minutes to turn raw ingredients into
a delicious green chile stew, one of the state's favorite dishes. The
winner is decided by a panel of judges that usually includes El Pinto
owner Jim Thomas. An interesting note on the event, too, is the strange
coincidence that has occurred with the winners. The first year, New
Mexico won the cook-off but lost the bowl game, and last year, Nevada
won the cook-off and lost the bowl game.
Player Gift Package
This year’s player gift package includes an Oakley backpack, an Oakley
watch, an RCA video recorder/camera, an Oakley beanie, a personalized
commemorative football, a New Mexico Bowl pen by Quill, a New Era Cap,
and a one-year subscription to ESPN the magazine.
Charitable Component
The New Mexico Bowl works with many local charities, including Special
Olympics, New Mexico Boys and Girls Ranch, and the UNM Children's
Hospital.
How Success is Measured
Success is measured on a number of levels, but the biggest is by the
response of the participating teams and their fans. Of course,
attendance is a factor, as is how the bowl did financially; The
committee feels it’s doing well in both of those areas. The biggest
concern is whether the student-athletes and everyone involved have a
great time and walk away saying that they’d like to return to the New
Mexico Bowl in the future. If that’s achieved, as it has been in the
past, then success has been reached.
MVP of the Bowl
Linda Perkins and there’s no two ways about it. She sits at the front
desk and takes care of everything. While Jeff Siembieda may be called
the "executive director", she is the one who runs this operation. From
volunteers, to bills, to phones, to dealing with clients and board
members, she is the MVP of this bowl game.
Impact to the Community
It is the premier annual sports event in the state, and the only
annual nationally televised event in New Mexico, so it has got quite an
impact. New Mexico is growing and this is a key component to show that
this state can play on a national stage. The community is proud of this
event and wants to see it grow. Plus, on what is traditionally the
slowest tourism week of the year in New Mexico, hotels, restaurants and
attractions are being filled, so obviously, the economic impact is
substantial.
Role of Volunteers
For the most part, volunteers are a huge part of bowl week. They
staff events and help out at all of the events. Plus, they take pride in
being a part of the New Mexico Bowl and showing off the host state.
Fresno State Bowl History (10-7)
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2007 |
Humanitarian |
Fresno State 40, Georgia
Tech 28 |
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2005 |
Liberty |
Tulsa 31, Fresno State
24 |
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2004 |
MPC Computers |
Fresno State 37,
Virginia 34 (OT) |
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2003 |
Silicon Valley Classic |
Fresno State 17, UCLA 9 |
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2002 |
Silicon Valley Classic |
Fresno State 30, Georgia
Tech 21 |
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2001 |
Silicon Valley Classic |
Michigan State 44,
Fresno State 35 |
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2000 |
Silicon Valley Classic |
Air Force 37, Fresno
State 34 |
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1999 |
Las Vegas |
Utah 17, Fresno State 16 |
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1993 |
Aloha |
Colorado 41, Fresno
State 30 |
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1992 |
Freedom |
Fresno State 24,
Southern Cal 7 |
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1991 |
California |
Bowling Green 28, Fresno
State 21 |
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1989 |
California |
Fresno State 27, Ball
State 6 |
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1988 |
California |
Fresno State 35, Western
Michigan 30 |
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1985 |
California |
Fresno State 51, Bowling
Green 7 |
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1982 |
California |
Fresno State 29, Bowling
Green 28 |
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1961 |
Mercy |
Fresno State 36, Bowling
Green 6 |
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1945 |
Raisin |
Drake 13, Fresno State
12 |
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Colorado State Bowl History
(4-8)
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2005 |
Poinsettia |
Navy, 51, Colorado St 30 |
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2003 |
San Fran. |
BC 35, Colorado
St 21 |
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2002 |
Liberty |
TCU 17, Colorado State 3 |
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2001 |
New Orleans |
Colorado St 45, North
Texas 20 |
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2000 |
Liberty |
Colorado St 22,
Louisville 17 |
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1999 |
Liberty |
So Miss 23, Colorado St
17 |
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1999 |
Liberty |
So Miss 23, Colorado St
17 |
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1997 |
Holiday |
Colorado St 35, Missouri
24 |
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1995 |
Holiday |
Kansas St 54, Colorado
St 21 |
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1994 |
Holiday |
Michigan 24, Colorado St
14 |
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1990 |
Freedom |
Colorado State 32,
Oregon 31 |
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1948 |
Raisin |
Occidental 21, Colorado
St 20 |
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2008 CFN New Mexico Bowl Preview