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Day 3 of the Long March: PapaJohn's, New Mexico, Las Vegas Bowl open chats
2007-12-22 09:31
by Bob Timmermann

A tripleheader of bowl games that you will neither remember or forget!

It kicks off at 10 am PT with the PapaJohn's.com Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama. Why is this game played in Birmingham named after a pizza company headquartered in Louisville? It's best not to think about such things.

Anyway, Southern Mississippi (7-5) and fired its longtime coach, Jeff Bower (he still gets to coach this game), takes on Cincinnati (9-3). Southern Miss has played in 15 bowl games in its history and is 8-7. The Golden Eagles also have played in four other postseason exhibitions including the 1946 Cigar Bowl against Havana University. Southern Miss won that one, 55-0.

Cincinnati has played in eight bowls if you don't count the 1949 Glass Bowl against Toledo, which apparently was just a fancy name for a regular season game. The Bearcats are 4-4 in bowl games. Southern Miss and Cincy used to be in the same conference and have played each other 14 times and split those games. This one should settle the score!

At 1:30 PT comes the New Mexico Bowl. It's played in Albuquerque, which the last time I was there, was in New Mexico! Brilliant idea! And one of the teams playing in it is New Mexico. The Lobos will be playing the Nevada Wolf Pack. Bring your own lycanthrope! New Mexico was 8-4 and Nevada was 6-6 this season.

New Mexico has played in ten bowl games and is 2-7-1 and last won in the 1961 Aviation Bowl (in Dayton, Ohio, at treat for anyone) against Western Michigan. They also won the 1946 Sun Bowl against Denver.

Nevada is 3-4 in bowl games and lost won one in 2005 when they squeeked by Central Florida 49-48 in the Hawai'i Bowl.

Surprisingly, the two schools haven't played each other since 1942 (a scoreless tie). New Mexico beat Nevada in 1941. But for over 60 years, these two teams have seen neither hide nor hair of each other.

And to put the cherry on the sundae, at 5 pm, it's the Las Vegas Bowl, from well, Las Vegas. Brigham Young (10-2) and ranked 19th takes on one of the two teams that beat them this year, UCLA (6-6). Toward the end of this game, you may wonder how UCLA actually beat BYU. (Tulsa handed BYU its other loss.)

BYU will be playing in its 26th bowl game and is 8-16-1. The Cougars lost to UCLA in the 1986 Freedom Bowl in Anaheim.

UCLA will be in its 28th bowl game and is 13-14-1. UCLA has played BYU eight times and won seven of the matchups. And the two teams will play again on September 13, 2008 in Provo.

If you watch all three games in their entirety today, you will receive a special commendation from Congress. Or possibly a subpoena. I know a guy.

Comments (57)
Show/Hide Comments 1-50
2007-12-22 10:13:52
1.   Linkmeister
Said subpoena will be issued demanding you testify how it was that you were not shopping rather than sitting your fat backside down on a couch and watching mediocre teams (the 6-6 ones) play slightly better ones (the ones whose records are over .500).
2007-12-22 10:46:09
2.   110phil
"Lycanthropy is the ability or power of a human being to undergo transformation into a wolf."

Now I know.

2007-12-22 10:56:19
3.   Bob Timmermann
Southern Miss has a punter with the name Barefoot.
2007-12-22 12:12:16
4.   oshea2002
i love how some of the espn guys were making a big deal about NM playing at home in their bowl and what an advantage that was; didn't they lose to San Jose St in this same bowl last year.
2007-12-22 12:15:29
5.   Bob Timmermann
UNM has not won a bowl game in 46 years.
2007-12-22 14:08:18
6.   oshea2002
I remember UNM had that girl kicker, and they put her in against ucla, where she promptly nailed one of her own O linemen in the head with a kick.
2007-12-22 14:17:42
7.   Eric Stephen
Will today's Las Vegas Bowl count on the coaching record of Karl Dorrell, or will it count for DeWayne Walker?
2007-12-22 14:19:39
8.   Bob Timmermann
The latter.
2007-12-22 16:56:36
9.   trainwreck
Alright. Time to hope the seniors can get out in style.
2007-12-22 16:58:59
10.   Eric Stephen
I just heard on ESPN that New Mexico became the 89th different I-A (or whatever it's called now) team to win a bowl game since Notre Dame won it's last bowl game.
2007-12-22 17:11:02
11.   trainwreck
UCLA offensive strategy:

Run, run, run.

If we can, run some more.

2007-12-22 17:17:15
12.   trainwreck
Nice sack by Davis. Let's get some points on the board.
2007-12-22 17:24:32
13.   Bob Timmermann
10
College football bowl subdivision.
2007-12-22 17:28:37
14.   Bob Timmermann
It's not just any coach who can get UCLA to settle for a short field goal.
2007-12-22 17:28:40
15.   trainwreck
Well, at least no shut out.
2007-12-22 17:49:33
16.   trainwreck
Law Firm time.
2007-12-22 17:58:49
17.   Bob Timmermann
Hey, he could become the next David Corral!
2007-12-22 18:01:20
18.   trainwreck
Or Rick Neuheisel.
2007-12-22 18:06:35
19.   trainwreck
Memo to Rick Neuheisel:

Do not have Terrance Austin return punts.

2007-12-22 18:29:24
20.   Daniel Zappala
Good game for UCLA so far. They're playing better than I expected, especially on defense.
2007-12-22 18:33:35
21.   Bob Timmermann
If UCLA scores a touchdown in this game, then God does indeed work in mysterious ways.
2007-12-22 18:38:36
22.   Bob Timmermann
I was listening to the backup guy doing the play-by-play for UCLA on radio. I believe it was his first game.

It showed. He tried.

The scary thing was when it was said that UCLA was in trouble because Dominique Johnson was the leading touchdown receiver on the year for the Bruins.

He had 4!

2007-12-22 18:39:59
23.   Bob Timmermann
God works in mysterious ways.
2007-12-22 18:40:30
24.   trainwreck
Yes!

A touchdown!!!

2007-12-22 18:46:12
25.   Daniel Zappala
This will be a very good second half.
2007-12-22 18:46:31
26.   Daniel Zappala
God gets mad when BYU fumbles.
2007-12-22 19:08:24
27.   Bob Timmermann
God should be angry when BYU punts from the opponents 36.
2007-12-22 19:14:56
28.   Daniel Zappala
He's angry at that too. God is very angry today. He may let UCLA win.
2007-12-22 19:23:36
29.   Bob Timmermann
The thought of someone worrying about losing to this UCLA team is quite amusing.

I was at BYU's only win over UCLA.

There was a guy named Young playing quarterback for BYU. He was pretty good.

2007-12-22 19:26:00
30.   trainwreck
Yeah, I am amazed we are still in this game.
2007-12-22 19:27:36
31.   Daniel Zappala
If BYU loses to UCLA, it's very disheartening to them. They're missing two QBs, have tons of injuries, and BYU is trying to prove that they're not just good enough to play with Pac-10 teams, but good enough to easily beat one when they should.
2007-12-22 19:43:46
32.   Slipstream
God doesn't want UCLA to win. He just wants them to beat the spread.
2007-12-22 19:46:41
33.   Bob Timmermann
Do you want an angry God or a happy God?
2007-12-22 20:09:20
34.   oshea2002
Just got back from the SC hoops game, but judging by the QB and the score, this is a real indictment of the Mountain West.
2007-12-22 20:15:09
35.   Bob Timmermann
Interesting that UCLA's fourth string QB is a scared walk on and USC's fourth string QB (Aaron Corp?) was an all-state selection.
2007-12-22 20:22:22
36.   Bob Timmermann
I don't think I've ever seen a college team punt from the -32.

Worked out though.

2007-12-22 20:23:17
37.   oshea2002
Assuming we get Barkley, I'm wondering if/when Corp ever plays.
2007-12-22 20:26:23
38.   Bob Timmermann
I thought Mustain was the presumptive starter next year for USC.

Somehow I don't sense this being a big problem for USC.

2007-12-22 20:28:50
39.   oshea2002
I'd say Mustain / Sanchez is 50/50. It's really the WR play that needs to improve.
2007-12-22 20:30:57
40.   Bob Timmermann
Irony demands that Forbath miss this field goal.
2007-12-22 20:32:16
41.   Bob Timmermann
See.
2007-12-22 20:32:44
42.   oshea2002
classic ucla.
2007-12-22 20:32:53
43.   Daniel Zappala
I think BYU really blew it by playing too conservatively on those two fourth downs in UCLA territory.
2007-12-22 20:33:47
44.   Daniel Zappala
Shoot, I just realized I'm still on a Tivo 5-minute delay. I could have fast-forwarded through halftime.
2007-12-22 20:36:40
45.   oshea2002
Maybe Bruce Davis was crying before the kick b/c after 4 years he knew how it was going to turn out.

Not that 1 game matters, but Ucla really needs to hire Walker.

2007-12-22 20:39:04
46.   Bob Timmermann
The next BYU-UCLA game won't be nearly as close.

The Cougars will likely win by 20 next year.

2007-12-22 20:41:04
47.   Bob Timmermann
42
A classic UCLA game would have had the team losing by 30 points and failing to gain a first down in the second half.

UCLA has the annoying habit of usualy being just good enough to beat teams like BYU and then get slaughtered by Washington State.

2007-12-22 20:43:34
48.   Daniel Zappala
That was about the most unsatisfying bowl game win I've watched. BYU was playing far too conservatively, and blocked the kick only because it was very low. I'd really like to see BYU play better when they've got a QB like Hall and a rusher like Unga.

Bob, I bet you UCLA wins by 10 again next year.

2007-12-22 20:48:08
49.   oshea2002
bad bowl matchups for the Pac 10 this year; the Sun Bowl screwed us by taking Oregon over Oregon St. S. Florida will crush Oregon, and ASU is in trouble v. Texas. Cal can lose to anyone, including Air Force. SC and Oregon St should win; I think Cal needs to win for the conference to split.
2007-12-22 21:01:03
50.   Eric Stephen
48
Yeah, it seems like Horbath's leg was built for low trajectory, long range bombs. But even though it was tipped, the ball still almost made it through the uprights! I picked BYU in my bowl pool, so I'm happy.
Show/Hide Comments 51-100
2007-12-22 21:02:45
51.   Bob Timmermann
UCLA had not had a field goal blocked all season and they didn't have one blocked last year.

It will be interesting to hear from Forbath how he screwed up. It wasn't like BYU got a great rush on the kick and the kick almost made it through anyway.

But UCLA really looked like one of the worst teams to qualify for a bowl game.
And still almost won!

2007-12-22 21:04:29
52.   Eric Stephen
50
"Horbath" sounds dirtier. I'm sticking with that name.
2007-12-22 21:21:37
53.   Bob Timmermann
It's bad enough that the kid is named Kai.
2007-12-22 21:41:32
54.   Daniel Zappala
When a huge lineman jumps as high as he can (about a few inches off the ground) and manages to block the kick, you're probably kicking too low.

I refuse to celebrate this win. I'm going to be a real grinch in the office next week.

2007-12-22 21:57:22
55.   Bob Timmermann
Some people are still blaming this loss on Karl Dorrell.
2007-12-22 22:17:44
56.   overkill94
53 He doesn't look German...

...unlike this guy http://tinyurl.com/348f2t

2007-12-23 07:59:19
57.   godvls
Imagine where ASU would be today if Max Hall hadn't transferred.

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