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CFB New Mexico Bowl Preview: Texas-El Paso Miners at Fresno State Bulldogs

UTEP vs. Fresno State | 12:15 p.m. MT | Saturday, Dec. 18 | University Stadium (39,224) | Albuquerque, N.M.Ā 

Texas-El Paso Miners Notes

MINERS AT A GLANCE

UTEP TO FACE FRESNO STATE IN THE PUBG MOBILE NEW MEXICO BOWL SATURDAY AFTERNOON
UTEP (7-5, 4-4 Conference USA) will face Fresno State (9-3, 6-2 Mountain West) in the 16th annual PUBG MOBILE New Mexico Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 18 in Albuquerque. The Miners and Bulldogs will kick off at 12:15 p.m. MT and will be played at University Stadium (37,457 capacity). The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.

Ā» GOING BOWLING
The Miners are making their 15th postseason appearance, and their first since 2014. UTEP is appearing in the New Mexico Bowl for the third time in 12 years

Ā» ALL-CONFERENCE PERFORMERS0
Sophomore WR Jacob Cowing and redshirt sophomore DE Praise Amaewhule were named to the 2021 All-Conference USA first team, and redshirt junior LB Breon Hayward was named second team All-C-USA on Dec. 7.

Ā» FLYING HIGH
Jacob Cowing has tallied 1,330 receiving yards, the second best effort in program history. He needs 190 yards to break the schoolā€™s single-season record held by Chuck Hughes (1,519 yards in 1965).

Ā» 3,000 YARDS IN SIGHT
Gavin Hardison needs only 34 yards to hit 3,000 passing yards on the season. Hardison is looking to be the first Miner to throw for 3,000 yards or more since the 2009 season (Trevor Vittatoe – 3,308 yards).

Ā» STINGY DEFENSE
The UTEP defense ranks ninth nationally in third-down conversion percentage (32.0). The Miners also rank 19th in FBS in red zone defense. Overall, UTEPā€™s total defense ranks 31st in FBS and second in C-USA.

SERIES BREAKDOWN

SERIES INFORMATION vs. FRESNO STATE
Overall: Fresno State leads 8-3-1
El Paso: Fresno State leads 2-1-1
Fresno: Fresno State leads 6-2
Neutral: –
First Meeting: UTEP won 26-6 in Fresno (Dec. 3, 1938)
Last Meeting: UTEP won 24-21 in Fresno (Oct. 9, 2004)
Streak: UTEP, W1
THE VENUE
Stadium: University Stadium (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Capacity: 39,224
Surface: Field Turf

UTEP IN BRIEF
The Miners were one of the nationā€™s most improved teams this season, posting seven victories after finishing 3-5 in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. UTEP finished fourth in Conference USAā€™s Western Division. The Miners posted seven victories in a season for just the seventh time in 53 years, and for the 19th time in 104 years of football. UTEP also notched four C-USA victories for the fourth time since joining the league in 2005.

SERIES HISTORY
Fresno State leads the all-time series with UTEP 8-3-1, although the Miners have won two of the last three matchups. In the last meeting during the 2004 season, UTEP ā€“ under the direction of first-year head coach Mike Price ā€“ topped the Bulldogs in Fresno, 24-21. The last nine meetings between the teams came as joint members of the Western Athletic Conference. UTEP and Fresno State also squared off three times as non-conference foes from 1938-40.

COMMON OPPONENTS
UTEP and Fresno State have had two common opponents this season ā€“ Boise State and New Mexico. The Miners lost at Boise State, 54-13, on Sept. 10 and beat New Mexico in the Sun Bowl, 20-13, on Sept. 25. The Bulldogs lost to the Broncos at home, 40-14, on Nov. 6, and beat the Lobos in Fresno, 34-7, on Nov. 13.

BOWL HISTORY
The Miners are making their 15th postseason appearance, and their first since 2014. UTEP is appearing in the New Mexico Bowl for the third time in 12 years after facing BYU in 2010 and Utah State in 2014. UTEP is 5-9 all-time in bowl games (0-2 in the New Mexico Bowl). The Miners are seeking their first postseason victory since defeating Mississippi in the 1967 Sun Bowl, 14-7. UTEP has lost its last six bowl games.

DIMEL IN BOWLS
UTEP Coach Dana Dimel is leading a team into a bowl game for the first time as a head coach. He has coached in 13 bowl games overall, including 12 as an assistant at Kansas State (1993 Copper Bowl, 1994 Aloha Bowl, 1995 Holiday Bowl, 1997 Cotton Bowl, 2008 Las Vegas Bowl, 2010 Pinstripe Bowl, 2012 Cotton Bowl, 2013 Fiesta Bowl, 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2015 Alamo Bowl, 2016 Liberty Bowl, 2016 Texas Bowl, 2017 Cactus Bowl). Dimel also coached in the 1991 Japan Bowl, a college football all-star game.

DIMEL VERSUS FRESNO STATE
UTEPā€™s Dana Dimel is 0-1 as a head coach against Fresno State. His 1997 Wyoming Cowboys lost to the Bulldogs in Fresno, 24-7.

UTEP COACHES IN BOWLS
Dana Dimel becomes the 10th UTEP coach to lead the team to a bowl game, joining Mack Saxon (1937 Sun Bowl), Jack Curtice (1949 Sun Bowl), Mike Brumbelow (1950, 1954 & 1955 Sun Bowl), Ben Collins (1957 Sun Bowl), Bobby Dobbs (1965 & 1967 Sun Bowl), Bob Stull (1988 Independence Bowl), Gary Nord (2000 Humanitarian Bowl), Mike Price (2004 Houston Bowl, 2005 GMAC Bowl, 2010 New Mexico Bowl) and Sean Kugler (2014 New Mexico Bowl).

DECEMBER FOOTBALL
UTEP is 6-10 all-time in games played in December. UTEP played eight non-bowl games in December during the 1923, 1938, 1948, 1950, 1963, 1973, 1985 and 2020 seasons. The Miners havenā€™t won a game in December since Dec. 30, 1967, a 14-7 victory over Mississippi in the Sun Bowl. UTEP is 2-6 in December bowls.

BOWL EXPERIENCE
Only one player on UTEPā€™s 2021 roster has experience playing in a bowl game. CB Walter Neil, Jr. transferred in from Kansas State this season. He saw action in a reserve capacity in the 2019 Liberty Bowl versus Navy, where he was credited with one solo tackle.

COMING HOME
UTEP has three New Mexico natives on its 2021 roster. Starting QB Gavin Hardison hails from Hobbs. FB Forest McKee is from Las Cruces. LS Connor Villalpando, who is redshirting this season, is from Roswell.

MINERS VERSUS THE MWC
UTEP is 8-10 versus MWC schools since the WAC split following the 1998 season. The Miners are 1-3 against MWC opponents under coach Dana Dimel (52-24 loss at UNLV in 2018, 37-21 loss to Nevada in 2019, 54-13 loss at Boise State in 2021, 20-13 win over New Mexico in 2021).

GUNNING FOR EIGHT
With a victory in the New Mexico Bowl, UTEP would have eight wins in a season for the first time since 2005 and for only the 11th time in school history. The Miners tallied a school-record 10 victories in 1988. They posted nine wins in 1956 and eight on eight occasions (1948, 1949, 1953, 1954, 1965, 2000, 2004, 2005).

RACKING UP 300+ YARDS TOTAL OFFENSE
UTEP hit 300-plus yards of total offense in all 12 games in 2021. Itā€™s the first time since the 1987 season (11 games) that UTEP hit 300-plus in all regular season games. Dating back to Dec. 11 at North Texas, the Miners have hit 300-plus yards in 13 straight games. The Miners tallied 300-plus yards in 16 straight games from Nov. 8, 1986 thru Sept. 10, 1988.

400-PLUS YARDS TOTAL YARDS
UTEPā€™s 488 yards of total offense versus Rice was a season high. Itā€™s also the fourth time the Miners have gone over 400 yards of total offense this season. UTEP hit 452 at NM State, 472 against Bethune Cookman and 437 at Florida Atlantic. Itā€™s the most games with 400-plus yards since 2016 when UTEP did it five times.

MORE ON COWINGā€™S RECEPTIONS
Jacob Cowing has hauled in 67 receptions in 2021. His total ranks fourth best on the programā€™s single-season list. Chuck Hughes tallied 80 receptions in 1965, ranking second, while Lee Mays ranks third with 70 catches in 2000. Johnnie Lee Higgins Jr. leads the all-time list with 82 receptions in 2006.

FIRST 1,000-YARD SEASON SINCE 2010
With 1,330 receiving yards in 2021, Jacob Cowing is the seventh Miner to notch 1,000 yards receiving in a season, and the first since Kris Adams in 2010 (1,070). The other UTEP players to record a 1,000- yard receiving campaign are Chuck Hughes in 1965 (1,519 yards), Ed Puishes in 1970 (1,000 yards), Reggie Barrett in 1989 (1,042 yards), Lee Mays in 2000 (1,098 yards) and Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. in 2006 (1,319 yards).

SECOND-MOST RECEIVING YARDS
Jacob Cowing has registered 1,330 yards receiving, ranking second on the programā€™s single-season receiving yardsā€™ list. Chuck Hughes holds the school record with 1,519 yards set during the 1965 season. Cowing needs 190 receiving yards to set the schoolā€™s single-season record.

COWING TIES SCHOOL RECORD WITH 13
Jacob Cowing hauled in 11 receptions for 170 yards versus Rice, hitting the century mark for the 13th time in his career and tying the school record set by Chuck Hughes (1964-66).

ALL ABOUT THAT CONSISTENCY
Jacob Cowing has been Mr. Consistency since arriving on campus in 2019. He has caught a pass in 30 straight games, with at least two receptions in the last 24 contests of the streak. The only time of his UTEP career that Cowing failed to make a catch came in his second appearance, a 38-3 loss at Big 12 power Texas Tech on
Sept. 7, 2019.

COWINGā€™S 100-YARD GAMES IN ā€˜21
Jacob Cowing has recorded eight 100- yard receiving games, including seven in the last 10 contests in 2021. Itā€™s the most 100-yard games by a Miner since Chuck Hughesā€™s nine 100-yard games back in 1965.

COWING MOVING UP IN THE TOP 10
Jacob Cowing now has 2,571 receiving yards in his career and is ranked fifth on the Minersā€™ all-time receiving list. Kris Adams (2007-10) ranks fourth with 2,657 yards. Chuck Hughes (1964-66) ranks third (2,882 yards) and Lee Mays (1998- 01) fourth (2,908 yards). Johnnie Lee Higgins Jr. (2003-06) leads the list at 3,218 yards.

RARE WR RUSHING SCORE
Jacob Cowing registered a 53-yard rushing touchdown on a reverse at Southern Miss. Heā€™s the first UTEP wide receiver since Autrey Golden in 2015 to score on a rushing play. His 53-yard run was the longest by a UTEP WR since Eddie Sinegalā€™s 42-yard rush in 2016, while itā€™s the longest rush by a UTEP WR in the modern
era.

HARDISONā€™S AIR ATTACK
Gavin Hardison threw for a career-high 366 on 23-of-35 passing (65.7 percent) in UTEPā€™s win over Rice. He surpassed his previous high of 327 yards set at Florida Atlantic. Hardison tied his career high with 23 completions, matching that number from the FAU game.

A NOTE ON 366 YARD PASSING YARDS
Gavin Hardison is the only Miner to ever throw for 366 yards in program history. His performance is the 23rd best effort on the single-game list. It ranks in between Trevor Vittatoe (373 at Rice in 2007) and Nick Lamaison (365 vs. Stony Brook in 2011).

GAVINā€™S 300-YARD GAMES
Gavin Hardison recorded his third career 300-yard passing game after tossing for 366 against Rice. Hardison threw for 327 at FAU this season, and threw for 302 at ULM on Sept. 26, 2020. Hardison is tied with Bill Craigo (1969-71) and Pat Hegarty (1987-88) for seventh on the all-time list with a trio of 300-yard career
games.

GUNSLINGINā€™ GAVIN
Gavin Hardison has averaged 283.3 yards passing with nine TD tosses over the last six games. The 1,700 passing yards are the most by a Miner player in a six-game stretch since Trevor Vittatoe threw for a combined 2,073 yards over the final six games of the 2009 season.

HARDISONā€™S CAREER NUMBERS
Gavin Hardison has thrown for 4,719 yards on 321-of-622 passing and 23 touchdowns in 21 career games. Hardison now ranks sixth on the programā€™s all-time passing yardsā€™ list. Rocky Perez (1997-00) ranks fifth (5,108 yards.) Hardison is one touchdown pass away from cracking the programā€™s top-10 list. John Furman (1958-61) and Nick Lamaison (2011-12) are tied 10th on the all-time list with 24 TD passes each. Hardison ranks eighth on the career completionsā€™ list, and 10th on the career attemptsā€™ list.

GAVIN GOING DEEP
Gavin Hardison has averaged 8.9 yards per attempt in 2021. The effort ranks second in Conference USA and is 15th in the country. Hardison averages 15.9 yards per completion, ranking second in C-USA and third nationally.

FIRST 2,000-YARD PASSER IN 11 YEARS
Gavin Hardison became first Miner to hit over 2,000 yards passing in a single-season since 2010 when Trevor Vittatoe threw for 2,756 yards. Hardison has thrown for 2,966 yards in 2021.

LOOKING FOR 3,000
Gavin Hardison is 34 yards away from hitting 3,000 yards passing in 2021. Hardison would be the first 3,000-yard passer since 2009 when Trevor Vittatoe threw for 3,308 yards (third best in program history during a single-season). Jordan Palmer holds the school record with 3,595 yards in 2006. Prior to that season, Palmer threw for 3,503 yards ā€“ second best all-time in program history. Hardisonā€™s 2,966 yards in 2021 currently ranks eighth on the programā€™s all-time single-season passing yardsā€™ list. Hardison is looking to be the fifth Miner to toss for 3,000 or more yards. Sammy Garza threw for 3,140 yards in 1986, while Billy Stevens tossed for 3,032 yards in 1965.

THE RETURN OF QUARDRAIZ
Quardraiz Wadley, who had been hampered by injuries, made his first start since the first game of 2020 against Rice on ā€˜Senior Day.ā€™ Wadley rushed for 40 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown on a one-yard rush in the fourth quarter. He added another rushing score at UAB. Wadleyā€™s now has 11 career touchdowns.

THE EMERGENCE OF TYRIN SMITH
Tyrin Smith recently tallied a career-high five receptions against Rice and added five more at UAB. He ranks third on the team in receptions (30) and receiving yards (509). Smith also rates tied second on the squad with four receiving scores. Smith, in the last five games, has tallied 19 receptions for 310 yards (16.3 avg.) and three touchdowns. Smith recorded his first career 100-yard game at FAU (114 yards) and a score on Oct. 30. He followed with a career-high two touchdowns on three receptions for 91 yards against no. 16/18 UTSA.

GOING LONG
Both Jacob Cowing (72 yards, 57 yards, 51 yards, 57 yards, 76 yards) and transfer Tyrin Smith (55 yards, 52 yards) have multiple receptions for at least 50 years on the year. Last season, Cowing (82 yards) was the lone Miner to eclipse that distance over the eight contests of action.

AWATT LEADING THE WAY
Ronald Awatt picked up 119 yards against Rice as heā€™s leading UTEP with 805 yards rushing. Awatt is averaging 5.6 yards per carry on a team-most 145 rushing attempts. Awatt is on pace for around 875 yards rushing. Awatt also ranks seventh in Conference USA in rushing, while his five scores rank tied 16th in the league. Awatt has rushed for 1,008 yards in his career and eight touchdowns.

AWATT RUNNING WILD
Ronald Awatt recorded a career-high 184 all-purpose yards in UTEPā€™s victory against Rice. Awatt set career highs in receptions (two), receiving yards (65) and long reception (65) against the Owls. Awatt also racked up 119 yards rushing on only nine carries (13.2 avg.), including a career-long 74-yard run in the fourth quarter.

HANKINS HITTING 1,000+
Deion Hankins surpassed 1,000 career rushing yards at UAB. He now has 1,058 total. In 2021, Hankins has rushed for a team-high six touchdowns and ranks second on the squad with 425 yards on the ground. Hankins has scored 15 rushing touchdowns in his career. Hankins needs four to crack the programā€™s top-10 list.

A PAIR HITTING THE CENTURY MARK
UTEP starting linebackers Breon Hayward and Tyrice Knight have an opportunity to became the first pair of Miners to each tally 100 or more tackles in a single season since 2005. Hayward needs just three tackles to reach the century mark, while Knight needs 13. Jeremy Jones (130 tackles) and Troy Collavo (112) were the last pair of Miners to do so.

THE RETURN OF INYANG
Dyā€™vonne Inyang made his return to the lineup after being injured, staring at strong safety for the first time in two games against Rice, while also getting the nod at UAB. Inyang responded with 11 tackles, four pass breakups and an interception. Inyang leads the Miners with a trio of interceptions, and ranks fourth on the team with 49 tackles. Inyang is tied for the team lead with two other Miners with seven pass breakups.

MORE IN INYANGā€™S PICKS
Dyā€™vonne Inyangā€™s team-leading three interceptions is the most by a Miner in a season since Travaun Nixon had four in 2011. Inyang is ranked tied third in Conference USA with his three picks. MTā€™s Quincy Riley leads C-USA with five, while Riceā€™s Naeem Smith tallied four interceptions.

TYSON STEPPING UP
Tyson Wilson has started the last five games at the safety after an injury to Justin Prince. Wilson has responded with 33 total tackles, including a career-high 11 tackles at North Texas. Wilson added a career-high tying two pass breakups against no. 16/18 UTSA. Wilson ranks third on the team with five breakups, while heā€™s intercepted a pass and totaled 42 stops (ranked fifth on the team) in 11 games played this season.

CONTROLLING THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE
UTEP posted 14 tackles for loss at Southern Miss on Oct 9. Itā€™s the most since recording 15 against San Jose State (10/30/04). It was the third time ever in program history that the Miners had 14 or more tackles for loss. UTEP registered 14 against SMU (Nov. 16, 2002). Itā€™s also the 23rd time ever that the Miners racked up double-digit TFLā€™s.

HAYWARD HARRASSING OFFENSES
Breon Hayward tied his season best with 14 tackles at North Texas. Heā€™s totaled 50 tackles the last five games ā€“ 14 at FAU, nine vs. UTSA, 14 at UNT, nine vs. Rice and four at UAB. Hayward ranks tied fourth in Conference USA in total tackles (97) and tackles per game (8.1). Haywardā€™s on pace for over 100 tackles. Heā€™d be the first UTEP defensive player with 100 or tackles since 2018 (A.J. Hotchkins ā€“ 126 tackles).

PICKING OFF 3 PASSES
The UTEP defense picked off three passes against LA Tech on Oct. 16. It was the first three-interception game for the UTEP defense since 2012 at East Carolina. DB Tyson Wilson, LB Tyrice Knight and DB Torey Richardson each tallied their first career interceptions. All three clutch picks happened during the fourth quarter.

FIRST TIME EVER
Josh Ortega (at Southern Miss) tallied a UTEP safety for the first time since 2015. Jalen Ruldolph followed with one against LA Tech, making it the first time in program history the Miners recorded a safety in back-to-back games.

THE INCUMBENT KICKER
Gavin Baechle has handled field goals and PATā€™s for the Miners over the last three seasons. During that span, he has converted 35-of-47 field goals (long of 50) and 76-of-77 PATs for a total of 181 points. In 2021, he is 17-for-22 on FG, and 31-for-32 on PAT conversions.

BALL CONTROL
UTEP ranks second in Conference USA and 12th nationally in time of possession (32:25). Air Force leads the nation (36:41), while Rice leads C-USA (33:17).

MINERS EXPERIENCED IN THE TRENCHES
UTEPā€™s offensive line has taken on a veteran look as seven players have combined for 120 starts in the orange and blue. El Paso native Bobby Deharo leads the way with 44 starts, followed by Elijah Klein (30), Zuri Henry (23), Darta Lee (22), Andrew Meyer (19), and Jeremiah Byers (17).

FUN FACT ABOUT FRESNO STATE INTERIM HEAD COACH
Fresno State interim head coach Lee Marks faced UTEP twice during his career at Boise State. Marks rushed for 33 yards on seven carries with a TD on Nov. 15, 2003 in Boise, and ran for 65 yards on 17 attempts in the Sun Bowl on Sept. 18, 2004.

 

Fresno State Bulldogs Notes

THE BREAKDOWN
ā€¢ Fresno State and UTEP are set to meet in the 16th annual PUBG Mobile New Mexico Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021.

ā€¢ Fresno State leads the series record with its former WAC foe, 8-3-1.

ā€¢ Fresno State is playing in its first bowl game since 2018

THE BONES
ā€¢ Fresno State Athletics is celebrating its centennial year and the 2021 football season is the 100th season of competition in program history.

ā€¢ Team captains for this season are – QB Jake Haener, RB Ronnie Rivers, DE David Perales and LB Tyson Maeva.

ā€¢ With a win against Nevada on Oct. 23, Fresno State became bowl eligible for the first time since 2018.

ā€¢ With a bowl appearance this season, Fresno State will play in its 15th bowl game since 2000, and its 30th in program history. The Bulldogs are 14-15 in bowl games played, with the opportunity to even that mark this Saturday.

ā€¢ The Mountain West will be featured in eight bowl games this season, setting a league record. The MWā€™s eight bowl teams are tied for the fourth-most nationally among the 10 FBS conferences in 2021.

ā€¢ Fresno State looks towards its third appearance at the New Mexico Bowl, and first since 2009. Fresno State has not won in its two trips to the New Mexico Bowl.

ā€¢ With the departure of prior offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, Fresno State interim head coach Lee Marks promoted wide receivers coach Kirby Moore to acting-offensive coordinator with offensive play call duties for the bowl game.

ā€¢ The Mountain West announced its all-conference teams and recognitions on Nov. 30, and the Bulldogs saw 10 postseason honors by the league.

ā€¢ Fresno State freshman tight end Tre Watson and senior offensive lineman Jalen Guerrero will return to their home state as the Bulldogs travel to New Mexico for their bowl game.

ā€¢ Fresno State has five different Bulldogs who have registered at least one 100-yard receiving game this season. Wide receivers Jalen Cropper, Josh Kelly, Keric Wheatfall and Zane Pope each have 100-yard games. Running back Jordan Mims also has one.

ā€¢ The Bulldogs have made quick work on the offensive scoring drives, having 11 touchdown scoring drives this season that have been scored in less than 1:00. Fresno State has already had more scoring drives in under 60 seconds this season than they had since 2014.

ā€¢ Fresno State junior defensive back Evan Williams has had a breakout season this year, totaling a team-high 89 tackles (57 solo). He adds team-high numbers in interceptions (3), broken up passes (6) and fumble recoveries (2). He also records 4.5 tackles for loss and one forced fumble on the year.

ā€¢ The collective anticipation of the Red Wave came to an exciting end on Dec. 8 when Director of Athletics Terry Tumey announced the hiring of Jeff Tedford as head coach of the Bulldog football program. Tedford, who coached the Bulldogs for the 2017-19 seasons, makes a return to the helm of the program for his second stint as head coach of his alma mater.

SCOUTING THE MINERS UTEP (4-4 USA) is 7-5 this season, capped off the regular-season with a 42-25 loss to UAB. The Minersā€™ seven victories ties their most in a season since 2005. UTEP is in pursuit of an eight-win season for only the 11th time in school history.

The Miners will make their 15th postseason appearance on Saturday. UTEP will compete in the PUBG Mobile New Mexico Bowl for the third time in 12 years after facing BYU in 2010 and Utah State in 2014. UTEP is 5-9 all-time in bowl games (0-2 in the PUBG Mobile New Mexico Bowl). The Miners are seeking their first postseason victory since defeating Mississippi in the 1967 Sun Bowl, 14-7.

UTEP had 16 players receive All-Conference USA honors. Defensive end Praise Amaewhule and wide receiver Jacob Cowing were first team selections, and linebacker Breon Hayward received second team accolades. An additional 13 Miners made the honorable mention list.

Cowing ranks second in C-USA and sixth nationally with 1,330 yards receiving (67 receptions). The wide receiver scored a total of eight touchdowns – seven receiving, one rushing. He was second in C-USA with 110.8 receiving yards per game. Cowing tied a school record with 13 100-yard games during his career. The sophomoreā€™s yards in 2021 also ranks second-best all-time during a single season in school history.

Amaewhule leads the Minerā€™s defense with 13.0 tackles for loss (46 yards), while the sophomore defensive end is tied for team lead with seven breakups. The Katy, Texas, product recorded 39 tackles with 5.5 sacks (23 yards), which is tied fifth in C-USA and ranks second on the team. Heā€™s also posted a team-best 10 QB hurries, and is tied second in the league with three forced fumbles.

Hayward leads UTEP with 97 tackles. The Houston product ranks tied for fourth in C-USA in total tackles and fifth in tackles per game (8.1). Hayward ranks second in C-USA with 71 tackles in league only games, while also ranking second with 8.9 stops per game in league only contests. He added 6.5 TFL (20 yards), 1.5 sacks (nine yards), three breakups, four QB hurries and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

The Miners are led by fourth-year head coach Dana Dimel. Dimel has turned around the program, leading UTEP to its first winning season since 2014 and bowl appearance since 2014. UTEP and Fresno State have had two common opponents this season ā€“ Boise State and New Mexico. The Miners lost at Boise State, 54-13, on Sept. 10 and beat New Mexico in the Sun Bowl, 20-13, on Sept. 25.

SERIES HISTORY
Fresno State leads the all-time series with UTEP 8-3-1. The Miners have won the last two matchups between the teams. In the last meeting during the 2004 season, UTEP defeated the Bulldogs in Fresno, 24-21. The last time Fresno State defeated UTEP was on Nov. 29, 2003. The ā€˜Dogs defeated the Miners in El Paso 23-20. The last two games between the programs were decided by three points.

NOT THE NEW GUYS TO THIS BOWL
Fresno State looks towards its third appearance at the New Mexico Bowl, and first since 2009. Fresno State has not won in its two trips to the New Mexico Bowl. The ā€˜Dogs made back-to-back trips to the New Mexico Bowl in 2008 and 2009. The first appearance in the bowl game was against Colorado State as the ā€˜Dogs fell 40-35. A season later, the Bulldogs fell to Wyoming 35-28 in a game that was the first in New Mexico Bowl game history to go into double overtime. With those two bowl appearances, Fresno State had made 10 bowl games in the previous 11 seasons.

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