Jerry Kill: New Mexico Tried to Deny NMSU Access to Facility; Police Watched Practice

New Mexico State head coach Jerry Kill accused the Aggies' in-state rival of effectively sabotaging their preparation ahead of a 37-10 loss to Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl.

Earlier in the year, New Mexico State quarterback Diego Pavia was disciplined internally after he appeared to urinate on the New Mexico logo on the Lobos' indoor practice facility. Kill referenced that incident after Saturday's game and said UNM athletic director Eddie Nuñez attempted to prevent the Aggies from accessing the facilities ahead of the bowl game (warning: video contains profanity).

The University of New Mexico has hosted the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque since 2006.

A school spokesman confirmed to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg that Kill and his team practiced indoors for each day they requested leading up to the game. However, Kill said the intervention of New Mexico Bowl executive director Jeff Siembieda was required to gain that ability. He added that Albuquerque police officers were on hand to watch the Aggies.

"The police officers kind of laughed," he said, per Rittenberg. "They said, 'There's a lot of stuff going on in Albuquerque, I don't know why we're here watching the logo.' It's a great bowl game, but here's the deal: They were going to make us practice on a high school field and let Fresno practice in the indoor, and that particular day, it snowed. But Jeff busted his butt and had to argue with their people to get us on the thing."

New Mexico State hosts New Mexico in Las Cruces next September for the next installment of their long-running rivalry, and the Aggies may now have some added motivation.