Temple Owls vs. Wyoming Cowboys: Breaking Down the 2011 New Mexico Bowl

Early bowl games aren't usually all that enticing, but the New Mexico Bowl, which will pit Temple against Wyoming, definitely has some juice, as these are two of the most underrated non-AQ teams in the country.

This game should be a great start to what is shaping up to be a very entertaining bowl season, and this matchup is definitely one that will be worth tuning in to on Saturday afternoon.

Here's a breakdown of how both of these teams stack up in the key areas of the game.

Offense

Both Temple and Wyoming have productive offenses, full of experienced veterans, and each has a true linchpin-type of player that can be counted on to lead the offense to success.

For Temple, it’s junior running back Bernard Pierce, who finished sixth in the country with 125 rushing yards per game. And for Wyoming, it’s quarterback Brett Smith, who played more like a savvy veteran this year instead of an inexperienced true freshman.

Temple averaged 30 points and 380 yards per game this season, while Wyoming managed 27 points and 398 yards per contest. However, it was the Cowboys who had the more-balanced attack, as the Owls were primarily a run-first, run-often type of team, averaging 257 yards on the ground per game.

It was that ground game, led by Pierce, which helped the team move the ball so efficiently, though.

If Temple’s running game gets going, it’s certainly the type of attack that can be hard to contain, and you can bet that the Owls are going to be looking to establish the run early on in the game and feed Pierce with some early touches.

If Temple can establish a consistent rushing attack, that will be a major edge in the Owls' favor.

Edge: Temple

Defense

When you look back at the type of performances that these two defenses had this season, it’s not hard to see which team holds the edge on the defensive side of the ball.

This year, Temple ranked third in the country in scoring defense and 15th in total defense, as the Owls gave up an average of just 13.8 points and 315 yards per game.

By comparison, Wyoming ranked 66th nationally in scoring defense and 98th in total defense, as the Cowboys gave up an average of 27 points and 432 yards per game.

Wyoming does have some talented defensive difference-makers like DE Josh Biezuns, LB Luke Ruff and S Tashaun Gipson, but as an overall unit, the Cowboys just can't compare to the type of defense that Temple puts out on the field.

The Owls have two front-seven players—DE Adrian Robinson and LB Tahir Whitehead—who will likely draw considerable interest from NFL scouts, and the secondary is loaded with experienced veterans.

Temple’s got the type of fast-flowing defense that can really cause problems for a team that can’t match up athletically in the trenches, and that speed advantage should definitely be on display out in Albuquerque.

Edge: Temple

Special Teams

Here are the key special teams' numbers for both teams.

Wyoming

Field Goal Percentage: 7-for-10 (70 percent)
Yards Per Punt: 40.3
Yards Per Kick Return: 20.4
Yards Per Punt Return: 13

Temple

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

Edge: Temple

Coaching

Both of these coaches deserve a good deal of recognition for the jobs they've done with their teams this year, but as far as experience goes, you have to give the edge to Wyoming's Dave Christensen, who is in his third year at the helm at Wyoming.

Christensen has experience coaching in the New Mexico Bowl, as he guided the Cowboys there in his first year on the job in 2009.

This will be the Owls' first-year head coach Steve Addazio's first time preparing a team for a bowl game, but he does have plenty of experience with bowl preparation from his time as an assistant at Florida.

Still, Christensen has been to the New Mexico Bowl before, and he's already had the chance to learn how to prepare a team for success in a bowl game; that's why he gets the coaching edge.

Edge: Wyoming

Intangibles

These two teams are both well-coached and fundamentally sound squads, and neither of them has had a tendency to make killer mistakes this year.

Temple and Wyoming are both veteran-laden teams that know what it takes to win games, but when you look at key numbers such as third down conversion percentage (45 percent) and red-zone efficiency (84 percent), the Owls hold the advantage in both, and that's why they have the slight edge.

Edge: Temple

Prediction

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