College football bowl season kicks off Saturday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. ET with the 2016 Gildan New Mexico Bowl, which features a matchup between the 6-6 Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners and the 8-4 New Mexico Lobos.
The New Mexico Bowl dates back to 2006, when San Jose State won the inaugural bowl game 20-12 over New Mexico.
Related: NFL Draft Prospects in the New Mexico Bowl
2016 will mark New Mexico's fourth appearance in the New Mexico Bowl and the second straight trip for the Lobos following a 45-37 loss to Arizona last season. New Mexico is 1-2 all-time in the New Mexico Bowl, its lone win coming in 2007 after a 23-0 shutout over Nevada.
This will be the first bowl game in UTSA's short history as an FBS team. The Roadrunners played their first season in 2011.
The Lobos feature the No. 1 rushing attack in the entire country, averaging 360.9 rushing yards per game. New Mexico has a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in senior Teriyon Gibson and sophomore Tyrone Owens, and has two 500-plus yard rushers in junior quarterback Lamar Jordan and junior running back Richard McQuarley.
New Mexico averages just 14.4 pass attempts per game and the Lobos' quarterbacks (Jordan and Austin Apodaca) combined to throw for just 1,312 yards this season — averaging only 109.3 yards per game between them.
The Roadrunners' offense is much more balanced, averaging 221.6 passing yards and 154.6 rushing yards per game. Junior quarterback Dalton Sturm has thrown for 2,052 yards and 18 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Senior running back Jarveon Williams and sophomore running back Jalen Rhodes have rushed for 775 and 756 yards, respectively, combining for 17 touchdowns.
The Lobos are the favorites in the New Mexico Bowl, which shouldn't come as a surprise for a team playing on its own turf. New Mexico is an eight-point favorite to win, with an over/under of 59 set on the game.
Related: Complete 2016 Bowl Game Schedule
Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners vs. New Mexico Lobos
Location: University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Date/time: Saturday, Dec. 17, 2 p.m. ET
TV Channel: ESPN
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
Twitter: UTSA: @UTSAFTBL
New Mexico: @NewMexicoFB
@GildanNMbowl
@HEROSportsNews
