UTEP Miners at BYU Cougars 2010 New Mexico Bowl Odds, Preview, and Predictions: The University of Texas – El Paso Miners will travel to University Stadium to take on the Brigham Young University Cougars in the 2010 New Mexico Bowl on Saturday at 2:00 PM ET in Albuquerque, NM on ESPN to kick off the FBS Bowl season. UTEP comes into the game 6-6 4th in the Conference USA West while BYU is also 6-6 good for 3rd in the Mountain West. The Cougars lead the overall matchups 28-7-1 and have won 25 of 27 but not met since UTEP left the Mountain west in 1998. “(We’re) really motivated. I think having controlled the Utah game from beginning to end and not winning is playing into it,” said head football coach Bronco Mendenhall, who is the first Cougars coach to lead them to a bowl appearance in each of his first six seasons. “This particular team, from about the fifth or sixth game on, started to find themselves and I think we are going to run out of time before they reach their potential. So with that clock ticking, in addition to wanting to win the last game, I think we’ll end up having a very motivated football team.” Vegas odds makers have the BYU Cougars a -11 1/2 point favorite at University Stadium against the UTEP Miners.
The Cougars are coming off a 17-16 loss to a ranked Utah Utes team that moved them to 7-5 ATS for the season. Quarterback Jake Heaps completed 22 of 37 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown with one pick connecting with McKay Jacobson 7 times for 92 yards and a score. Heaps will become the first freshman to start a bowl game for BYU and has thrown 9 touchdowns to just one pick in his last for games while BYU is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games and the total has gone UNDER in 9 of BYU’s last 12 games.
The Miners are also coming off a defeat 31-28 on the road against Tulsa moving to 5-6 ATS for the season. Quarterback Trevor Vittatoe completed 8 of 22 passes for 100 yards and an interception while rushing 4 times for 9 yards. Running back Joe Banyard carried 20 times for 155 yards and 3 touchdowns. The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas El Paso’s last 6 games and Texas El Paso is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games. Odds makers at BetUS have the over/under for the total score at 50 points combined of the UTEP Miners at BYU Cougars.
I predict a BYU victory. Go Cougars!
Note: Rich Fritz is a Blog Writer on NSAwins.com and not a pro handicapper. For expert NFL Football Predictions against the Vegas spreads please visit the NSAwins.com homepage for top predictions today from the National Sports Advisors.