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LOGAN — Utah State is going on holiday this December.
That vacation will take them to Albuquerque for their fourth-straight bowl game for the first time in program history.
Utah State announced Sunday that it has accepted an invitation from the Gildan New Mexico Bowl, where the Aggies will play UTEP on Dec. 20 at 12:20 p.m. MST in a game televised by ESPN.
“We are really excited to have Utah State making their first appearance in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl,” bowl director Jeff Siembieda said in a statement. “They are a first-class program loaded with talent and have had a really nice season. We look forward to hosting the Aggies and their great fan base to Albuquerque for what should be a fun week.”
Utah State is 3-6 all-time in the postseason, including a two-game win streak after last year’s Poinsettia Bowl victory over Northern Illinois.
"We gladly accept the invitation to represent Utah State University and the Mountain West Conference in the 2014 Gildan New Mexico Bowl," Utah State coach Matt Wells said in a statement. "We are excited to prepare for a quality UTEP team that had an outstanding season. Our staff has great respect for UTEP head coach Sean Kugler and the Miners team with the turnaround they accomplished this season."
UTEP (7-5, 5-3 Conference USA) will make its second-ever appearance in the New Mexico Bowl, and the first since a loss to BYU in 2010. The Miners have lost five-straight bowl games overall.
Utah State is 2-0 all-time against the Miners and 13-15 against Conference USA teams.
The Aggies (9-4, 6-2 MWC) finished one loss behind Mountain West champ Boise State, which accepted an invitation to its third Fiesta Bowl in nine years against Arizona. Boise State is 2-0 all-time in the Fiesta Bowl, with wins over Oklahoma in 2007 and TCU in 2010.
“This is the game,” Boise State coach Brian Harsin said following the Broncos’ win over Fresno State in the Mountain West title game. “It’s an extreme accomplishment for these guys. I think what it says, it validates what these guys heard when coaches came and said when they recruited these players: you come to Boise State and you have a chance to play in championships. And if you go out there and play well in the season, you have a chance to play in a big bowl game. It’s exactly what they visualize when they come to Boise State. And to me, that’s the beauty of college football.”
Utah State finished tied with Colorado State for the second-best record in the conference, and the Rams accepted an invitation to the Las Vegas Bowl.
Tickets for the New Mexico Bowl range from $20 to $40 and can be purchased online at unmtickets.com.
