New Mexico Bowl Preview: Arizona Versus Nevada

The Bowl season is officially underway and one of the more exciting bowl games will be kicking off on Saturday.  The New Mexico bowl will pit Arizona against Nevada.

Arizona is a clear favorite to go over Nevada based on pure talent.  However, Arizona has a history of choking in bowl games.  They have lost in their last two bowl appearances including a shameful upset loss to Oklahoma State in 2010 36-10. In fact, Arizona has only won six out of 16 bowl game appearances.

If Arizona can get the victory, though, it will cap off a very good season for Arizona.  With a bowl game win, it will put a period at the end of a season that is Arizona’s best since going 12-1 in 1998.

Arizona cannot start celebrating just yet.  Nevada has dual threat offensive weapons that could easily led the team to an upset victory over Arizona.

Stefphon Jefferson is a running machine that is going to keep the Arizona defense up at night trying to configure a strategy to stop this guy.   Though it is not likely they will have an answer considering Arizona is ranked next to last in run defense. If Jefferson can establish the Nevada run game it is going to open things up for quarterback Cody Fajardo.

Fajardo can act as both a running back and is a passing threat.  Fajardo also simply does not turn over the ball.  This will especially be true considering he is playing a team that is dead last in the Pac-12 defending the pass.

Arizona’s defense is going to have to step up and try and shut down one or both these Nevada players to avoid an upset.  Arizona’s offense has a

similar set up to Nevada’s.  They have a solid run game led by Ka’Deem Carey and a dual passing/run attack from quarterback Matt Scott.  Scott however has a history of turning over the ball.  That is something he is going to have to control to break their two bowl game losing streak.

The point spread favors Arizona at -9 points.  The New Mexico Bowl starts at noon and you can catch it on ESPN.