New Mexico Bowl Preview: Fresno State, Wyoming Renewing Old Rivalry

The Fresno State Bulldogs won't have any distractions hanging over there head in the days leading up to their showdown against the Wyoming Cowboys in the New Mexico Bowl.

Head coach Pat Hill, with several rumors floating around of his inevitable departure, learned on Sunday night that his contract would be extended by the university. Though the terms and years are not yet known, it does mean that Hill will be pacing the sidelines for at least another few years.

These teams have faced each other six times, the last coming in 1997, each winning three games on their respective home fields. The two teams will meet in Albuquerque, NM this weekend to face each other once again in what could be a one-sided affair.

The Bulldogs (8-4, 6-2) are coming off a hard fought victory over the University of Illinois on a miraculous, almost improbable, two point conversion that lifted Fresno State to a 53-52 victory as time expired.

They've hung tough with teams like Wisconsin, conference rival Boise State, and Cincinnati, all of whom are ranked in the Top 20. The Bulldogs could have pulled out victories in two of those games but couldn't find a way to win either of them.

As for the Wyoming Cowboys (6-6, 4-4), they will return to the postseason for the first time since 2004 when they defeated UCLA 24-21 in the Las Vegas Bowl.

They're coming off a tough season that saw them score 10 points or less in six of their twelve games, including getting shut out in three of those.

The Bulldogs tout All American running back Ryan Mathews, a guy who led the nation in rushing for most of the season until he suffered a concussion against Nevada. With Wyoming's defense giving up 170.5 rushing yards per game, it could be just what Mathews needs to show off his ability once more before possibly declaring for the NFL draft after the season is over.

The Bulldogs come into this game averaging 34.3 points per game to Wyoming's 16.9 points per game. Looking at numbers alone makes it look like a blowout for the Bulldogs before the game is even played.

But before we get too ahead of ourselves, take a look at the two teams defensively and you might see them more evenly matched than at first glance.

The Bulldog defense is giving up 27.8 points per game where Wyoming is giving up 27.6 points per game, a 0.2 point per game difference. Though looking at those numbers can fool you because Wyoming's offense is so anemic.

The Bulldogs have something to prove, especially after losing last year's New Mexico Bowl 40-35 to Colorado State and losing two of their last three bowl games dating back to 2005.

This should be a huge day for the Fresno State offense and possibly a going away party for running back Ryan Mathews. One more chance for him to showcase his talents to NFL scouts.

The Bulldogs might be so far ahead to allow freshman quarterback Derek Carr to give Fresno State fans a glimpse of what's to come next season.

Prediction: Fresno State 41  Wyoming 17