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2022 New Mexico Bowl

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2022 New Mexico Bowl
17th New Mexico Bowl
SMU Mustangs BYU Cougars
(7–5) (7–5)
The American Independent
23 24
Head coach: 
Rhett Lashlee		 Head coach: 
Kalani Sitake
1234 Total
SMU 100013 23
BYU 73140 24
DateDecember 17, 2022
Season2022
StadiumUniversity Stadium
LocationAlbuquerque, New Mexico
MVPOffense: Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters (QB, BYU)[1]
Defense: Ben Bywater (LB, BYU)[2]
FavoriteSMU by 4.5[3]
RefereeTed Pitts (Sun Belt)[4]
Attendance22,209
PayoutUS$1,050,000[5]
United States TV coverage
NetworkABC
AnnouncersTom Hart (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst), and Taylor McGregor (sideline)
International TV coverage
NetworkESPN Deportes and ESPN Brazil
AnnouncersESPN Deportes: Kenneth Garay (play-by-play) and Pablo Viruega (analyst)
ESPN Brazil: Matheus Pinheiro (play-by-play) and Weinny Eirado (analyst)
New Mexico Bowl
 < 2021  2023 > 

The 2022 New Mexico Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 17, 2022, at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The 17th annual New Mexico Bowl, the game featured the SMU Mustangs from the American Athletic Conference (The American) and the BYU Cougars, an FBS independent. The game began at 5:37 p.m. MST[6] and aired on ABC;[7] this time was switched with that of the Las Vegas Bowl due to an NFL scheduling decision. It was one of the 2022–23 bowl games concluding the 2022 FBS football season.

Both teams entered the game with momentum, as SMU concluded the regular season having won four of their final five games, and BYU finished with three consecutive victories of their own. Both teams entered with identical records, with seven wins and five losses. Both teams were missing several players due to injuries, draft opt-outs, and the NCAA transfer portal; these included SMU wide receiver Rashee Rice, who was nursing a toe injury and decided to begin draft preparations, and BYU linebacker Keenan Pili, who entered the transfer portal after the Cougars' regular season concluded.

Teams

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The game will feature the SMU Mustangs from the American Athletic Conference and the FBS independent BYU Cougars. This will be the fourth meeting between BYU and SMU; the Cougars have won all three previous meetings.[8] The teams first met in the 1980 Holiday Bowl and thereafter met in 1996 and 1997 as members of the Western Athletic Conference.[8]

The game will be BYU's 40th bowl game appearance; they will enter with an all-time bowl record of 16–22–1, dating back to the 1974 Fiesta Bowl.[9] They have one prior New Mexico Bowl appearance, as they defeated UTEP in the game's 2010 edition by a score of 52–24.[9] SMU will make their 18th bowl game appearance, with a prior record of 7–9–1 dating back to the 1925 Dixie Classic.[8] This game will be their first appearance in the New Mexico Bowl.[8]

SMU

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Main article: 2022 SMU Mustangs football team

The Mustangs, representing the American Athletic Conference, began Rhett Lashlee's first season as head coach with a rivalry game matchup at North Texas, which they won convincingly, 48–10.[10] Their home opener was against FCS Lamar, which also resulted in a solid win for the Mustangs.[11] Their final two non-conference games came against Power Five teams, with a road game at Maryland and a home game against TCU, both of which ended in losses for SMU.[12][13] They opened AAC conference play with a Wednesday night away game at UCF, delayed from the prior Saturday by Hurricane Ian.[14] The Mustangs fell to the Knights after allowing 31 unanswered points but recovered the next week for a home win against Navy to win the Gansz Trophy.[15] SMU dropped their homecoming game the next week to Cincinnati by a margin of two points,[16] but again rebounded well, with three straight conference victories to put them at 6–4 and eligible for a bowl game. The first was a road contest at Tulsa,[17] followed by a record-breaking game against Houston which SMU won, 77–63.[18] Their sixth win of the season and third in a row was an away game against South Florida.[19] The Mustangs' final two games resulted in one loss and one win: the loss came first, at No. 21 Tulane by five touchdowns,[20] and a three-point win against Memphis concluded the regular season.[21] SMU accepted their bowl bid on December 4 and will enter the game with an overall record of 7–5 with a conference mark of 5–3.[22]

The Mustangs will be without wide receiver Rashee Rice and offensive lineman Jaylon Thomas, who are out with toe and shoulder injuries, respectively, and began NFL draft preparations following the conclusion of the regular season.[23]

BYU

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Main article: 2022 BYU Cougars football team

The seventh season of the Kalani Sitake era at BYU began with a road matchup across the country, as the No. 25 Cougars traveled to face South Florida, and won by 29 points.[24] They vaulted into the top 15 following an double overtime upset win over No. 9 Baylor in their home opener,[25] but fell the following week in a road game at No. 25 Oregon by three touchdowns.[26] They finished September with a pair of home contests against Mountain West Conference opponents, as the Cougars topped Wyoming by 13 points[27] before taking down rivals Utah State by 12 points.[28] Ranked sixteenth, BYU's next game was a neutral-site contest played at Allegiant Stadium against Notre Dame as part of their Shamrock Series, which BYU lost by eight points.[29] This marked the start of a four-game losing streak for BYU as the Cougars dropped each of their next three games. First was their homecoming game against Arkansas,[30] followed by a road game at Liberty,[31] and finally a home game against East Carolina.[32] Now 4–5, the Cougars turned the tides and finished the regular season with three consecutive victories, first against Boise State on the road by a field goal.[33] After a bye week, the Cougars defeated FCS Utah Tech[34] before rounding out their regular season with a nine-point win over Stanford.[35] The Cougars accepted their bowl bid on December 4, and will enter the game with a 7–5 record.[22]

This will be BYU's final game as an FBS independent, as the Cougars are set to join the Big 12 Conference in 2023.[36]

After suffering an ankle injury against Stanford, quarterback Jaren Hall had limited participation in practices leading up to the game but his participation in the bowl has not been ruled out.[37] The Cougars will be without linebacker Keenan Pili, who entered the NCAA transfer portal prior to the game, in addition to other players.[37]

Game summary

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The game was originally scheduled for 12:30 p.m. MST on ESPN, but was moved back to allow the Las Vegas Bowl to begin at an earlier time. This was done because the NFL flexed the New England Patriots–Las Vegas Raiders game out of NBC Sunday Night Football, meaning the Raiders would have had less time to prepare Allegiant Stadium, which also hosts the Las Vegas Bowl, before their game the following afternoon.[38] The game's new time and network was originally scheduled for the Las Vegas Bowl, and vice versa.[39]

The game was officiated by a crew from the Sun Belt Conference, led by referee Ted Pitts and umpire Trenton Crawford.[4]

2022 New Mexico Bowl
Quarter 1 2 34Total
SMU 10 0 01323
BYU 7 3 14024

at University Stadium • Albuquerque, New Mexico

  • Date: Saturday, December 17, 2022
  • Game time: 5:30 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 34 °F (1 °C) • Wind: 5 mph (8.0 km/h) southeast
  • Game attendance: 22,209
  • Referee: Ted Pitts
  • TV announcers (ABC): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst), and Taylor McGregor (sideline)
  • Box score
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP SMU BYU
1 12:01 11 57 2:59 SMU 35-yard field goal by Collin Rogers 3 0
1 6:09 11 73 5:52 BYU Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters 1-yard touchdown run, Jake Oldroyd kick good 3 7
1 2:16 12 75 3:53 SMU Roderick Daniels Jr. 19-yard touchdown reception from Tanner Mordecai, Collin Rogers kick good 10 7
2 3:34 14 66 7:11 BYU 31-yard field goal by Jake Oldroyd 10 10
3 8:17 BYU Interception returned 76 yards for touchdown by Ben Bywater, Jake Oldroyd kick good 10 17
3 1:21 9 82 5:43 BYU Christopher Brooks 22-yard touchdown run, Jake Oldroyd kick good 10 24
4 12:39 11 75 3:42 SMU Tyler Lavine 3-yard touchdown run, Collin Rogers kick good 17 24
4 0:08 14 88 2:53 SMU Jordan Kerley 12-yard touchdown reception from Tanner Mordecai, 2-point run failed 23 24
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 23 24

Statistics

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References

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  1. ^ "Termination of independence: BYU holds off SMU for 24–23 New Mexico Bowl victory". BYU.edu. December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  2. ^ @NMBowl (December 17, 2022). "Ben Bywater being presented his Defense MVP award" (Tweet). Retrieved December 22, 2022 – via Twitter.
  3. ^ Taddeo, Frankie (December 8, 2022). "Odds for every college football bowl game in 2022–23". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Austro, Ben (December 4, 2022). "2022–23 bowl officiating assignments". footballzebras.com. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  5. ^ "2022 Bowl Schedule". College Football Poll. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d "2022 New Mexico Bowl Final Statistics" (PDF). Statbroadcast. December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  7. ^ "2022 College Football Bowl Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d "2022 SMU Football Media Guide". SMU Football. SMU Mustangs Athletics. July 26, 2022. pp. 92, 139–147. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  9. ^ a b "2022 BYU Football Media Guide" (PDF). BYU Football. BYU Cougars Athletics. June 22, 2022. p. 126. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  10. ^ "Mordecai throws 4 TD passes, SMU routs North Texas 48–10". CBS Sports. September 4, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  11. ^ Hoyt, Joseph (September 11, 2022). "SMU closes out 'preseason' with learning lessons in victory over FCS-level Lamar". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  12. ^ "Terps top SMU to remain unbeaten with 34–27 win". Maryland Terrapins Athletics. September 17, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  13. ^ Cook, Madeleine (September 24, 2022). "Photos from TCU's win over SMU for the first time since 2018". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  14. ^ "UCF versus SMU football game moved to Wednesday at 7 p.m." UCF Knights Athletics (Press release). September 30, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  15. ^ "SMU scores 20 unanswered in 3rd quarter, beats Navy 40–34". CBS Sports. October 14, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  16. ^ "No. 21 Cincinnati holds on to edge SMU, 29–27". CBS Sports. October 22, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  17. ^ "SMU starts fast, breezes to 45–34 victory over Tulsa". CBS Sports. October 29, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  18. ^ Neumann, Thomas (November 6, 2022). "SMU, Houston break FBS scoring record in game for the ages". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  19. ^ Hoyt, Joseph (November 12, 2022). "SMU takes step toward changing November narrative with win over South Florida". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  20. ^ "No. 21 Tulane, SMU clash with AAC title hopes in the balance". San Diego Union-Tribune. November 17, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  21. ^ "Crossley's late pick preserves SMU's 34–31 win over Memphis". CBS Sports. November 26, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  22. ^ a b Drew, Jay (December 4, 2022). "BYU football: Cougars will face SMU in New Mexico Bowl". Deseret News. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  23. ^ Drew, Jay (December 11, 2022). "BYU and SMU will be missing key football players in New Mexico Bowl". Deseret News. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  24. ^ Graff, Dallen; Harper, Mitch (September 4, 2022). "Lightning strikes early as BYU weathers delay for big win over USF". KSL Sports. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  25. ^ Toll, Drake (September 11, 2022). "No. 21 BYU holds on to beat No. 9 Baylor in double-overtime". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  26. ^ Crepea, James (September 17, 2022). "Rewinding Oregon Ducks' 41–20 victory against BYU Cougars". The Oregonian. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  27. ^ "Hall throws 4 TDs, No. 19 BYU beats Wyoming 38–24". ESPN. September 25, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  28. ^ Judd, Brandon (September 30, 2022). "3 takeaways from No. 19 BYU's 38–26 win over Utah State". Deseret News. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  29. ^ "Notre Dame takes down No. 16 BYU 28–20 in Las Vegas". CBS Sports. October 8, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  30. ^ Walker, Sean (October 15, 2022). "Track meet: BYU can't keep up in loss to Arkansas". KSL. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  31. ^ "Liberty scores final 38 points in 41–14 win over BYU". AP News. October 22, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  32. ^ Judd, Brandon (October 29, 2022). "Highlights, key plays and photos from BYU's 27–24 loss to East Carolina". Deseret News. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  33. ^ "Boise State falls to BYU 31–28 at home". KTVB. November 5, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  34. ^ Judd, Brandon (November 20, 2022). "3 takeaways from BYU's win over Utah Tech". Deseret News. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  35. ^ "Shaw resigns as coach after Stanford's 35–26 loss to BYU". CBS Sports. November 27, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  36. ^ McBride, Jon (September 10, 2021). "BYU to join Big 12 Conference" (Press release). BYU Cougars Athletics. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  37. ^ a b Walker, Sean (December 12, 2022). "Who will and won't be playing when BYU faces SMU in the New Mexico Bowl?". KSL. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  38. ^ "ESPN Events flexes times and networks for SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl and New Mexico Bowl games on Dec. 17". espnpressroom.com. December 5, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  39. ^ Parks, James (December 13, 2022). "College football bowl schedule: TV, time changed for two games". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
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