Temple vs. Wyoming: What You Need to Know About the 2011 New Mexico Bowl

This year's bowl season kicks off with the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 17. The game will feature two eight-win non-AQ teams, Temple and Wyoming, battling it out in Albuquerque.

Usually, early bowl games are pretty hit-or-miss, and often times they're more miss than hit, but this one is actually shaping up to be a game that's worth watching.

Both of these teams competed fairly well against some of the better competition that they went up against this year, and not only did Temple destroy Maryland earlier in the season, the Owls also put a big scare into in-state big brother Penn State before giving up a lead late in the game.

This is definitely the type of matchup that should start off the bowl season in strong fashion.

Here's a look at what you need to know about this year's New Mexico Bowl.

The Basic Details

Date: Dec. 17, 2011

Time: 2:00 pm ET

Channel: ESPN

The Spread: Temple (-6.5)

Sponsor: Gildan

Conferences Represented: Temple—MAC, Wyoming—Mountain West

Stadium: University Stadium

City: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Last Year's Result: BYU 52, UTEP 24

Temple’s 2011 Resume

Overall Record: 8-4

Conference Record: 5-3

Sagarin Schedule Rank: 121

Who They Beat: Villanova (42-7), Akron (41-3), Maryland (38-7), Ball State (42-0), Buffalo (34-0), Miami of Ohio (24-21), Army (42-14), Kent State (34-16)

Who Beat Them: Penn State (14-10), Toledo (36-13), Bowling Green (13-10), Ohio (35-31)

Wyoming's 2011 Resume

Overall Record: 8-4

Conference Record: 5-2

Sagarin Schedule Rank: 88

Who They Beat: Weber State (35-32), Texas State (45-10), Bowling Green (28-27), UNLV (41-14), San Diego State (30-27), Air Force (25-17), New Mexico (31-10), Colorado State (22-19)

Who Beat Them: Nebraska (38-14), Utah State (63-19), TCU (31-20), Boise State (36-14)

Temple by the Numbers

Offense

Points Per Game: 30.1

Yards Per Game: 380

Passing Yards Per Game: 123

Rushing Yards Per Game: 257

Yards Per Play: 5.91

Defense

Points Per Game: 13.8

Yards Per Game: 315

Passing Yards Per Game: 193

Rushing Yards Per Game: 122

Yards Per Play: 4.94

Special Teams

Field Goal Percentage: 13-for-19 (68.4 percent)

Yards Per Punt: 44.8

Yards Per Kick Return: 26.6

Yards Per Punt Return: 11.3

Key Numbers

Turnovers (Gained vs. Lost): 18-12

Third-Down Conversions: 45 percent

Red-Zone Percentage: 84 percent

Wyoming by the Numbers

Offense

Points Per Game: 27

Yards Per Game: 398

Passing Yards Per Game: 213

Rushing Yards Per Game: 185

Yards Per Play: 5.61

Defense

Points Per Game: 27

Yards Per Game: 432

Passing Yards Per Game: 202

Rushing Yards Per Game: 230

Yards Per Play: 6.04

Special Teams

Field Goal Percentage: 7-for-10 (70 percent)

Yards Per Punt: 40.3

Yards Per Kick Return: 20.4

Yards Per Punt Return: 13

Key Numbers

Turnovers (Gained vs. Lost): 31-16

Third-Down Conversions: 43 percent

Red-Zone Percentage: 79 percent

Temple's Key Player: RB Bernard Pierce

There's a reason that the NFL scouts will be tuning into this game, and his name is Bernard Pierce.

Only just a junior, Pierce has already established himself as a legitimate NFL running back prospect, and the scouts had to have liked what they saw from him in 2011.

The powerful 6'1'', 215-pound back finished sixth in the country with 125 rushing yards per game, and he finished the year with 1,381 yards on the ground and 25 touchdowns.

Pierce was the premier player in the MAC this year, and he's the key to Temple's offensive success.

The Owls rely heavily on their ground game, and when Pierce is in the zone, it's extremely difficult to try to slow down Temple's rushing attack.

Wyoming's Key Player: QB Brett Smith

Many wondered how Wyoming’s offense would fare without QB Austyn Carta-Samuels, who transferred in the offseason, but those questions were quickly answered by his successor, Brett Smith, who stepped in as a true freshman and played better than anyone could have hoped.

Smith turned out to be just what the Cowboys’ offense needed, as he played like a seasoned veteran, instead of an inexperienced freshman, all season long.

The young signal-caller completed 60 percent of his passes, threw for 2,495 yards and tossed 18 touchdown strikes, as he led Wyoming to one of the best seasons in school history.

Smith may not possess world-class physical ability, but he’s a smart and cerebral quarterback, who has all the intangibles and traits you’re looking for in a true offensive leader.

The Breakdown

Early bowl games aren't usually all that enticing and worth tuning in for, but this one's definitely got some juice, as these are two of the most underrated non-AQ teams in the country.

Temple and Wyoming both have their fare share of athletes and playmakers on both sides of the ball, and you can tell that these are two well-coached, fundamentally-sound squads.

I think this game is going to ultimately come down to two things—can Temple run the ball with consistency, and can the Owls get pressure on Wyoming QB Brett Smith?

If Temple gets its ground game going with RB Bernard Pierce, head coach Steve Addazio won't be afraid to keep handing it to Pierce all game long until the Cowboys prove that they can stop him.

Pierce is an absolute beastly back, who has shown that he can pound it inside the tackles and wear down a defense, and Wyoming's defensive front seven players are definitely going to have to buckle up their chin straps and come prepared for a physical four-quarter battle.

Even if Pierce does his usual damage, the Cowboys do have a saving grace in QB Brett Smith, who knows how to create crucial plays through the air.

Smith has played like a savvy veteran all season long, but this is going to be one of the best defenses that he's had to go up against this year.

Temple's Adrian Robinson and Tahir Whitehead are both top-notch defenders, and they both know how to find their way to the quarterback, so Smith better know where they are on the field at all times.

As I said before, the performance of Bernard Pierce and Brett Smith will be the two big keys to the game.

Whichever defense can limit the opposing offense's linchpin player will be the most likely to control the game.

On paper, this is a fairly even matchup, but I think Temple has the overall athletic advantage on both sides of the ball because of the type of talent that former coach Al Golden brought in over the past few years.

There's a great equalizer, though, and that's the fact that this game will be played in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is Mountain West country. Wyoming fans will only have to travel about 550 miles while Temple fans will have to make a 2,000-mile trek, so the crowd should definitely favor the Cowboys.

It will be interesting to see how first-year head coach Steve Addazio handles his first bowl game preparation, but Addazio knows all about game-planning for a bowl since he had plenty of experience as an assistant at Florida.

All in all, this one should be an interesting battle, and it's definitely worth tuning in for.

Prediction: Temple 31, Wyoming 26