2020 New Mexico Bowl

The 2020 New Mexico Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 24, 2020, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, with kickoff at 3:30 p.m. EST (2:30 p.m. local CST) on ESPN.[5] It was the 15th edition of the New Mexico Bowl, and was one of the 2020–21 bowl games concluding the 2020 FBS football season.

2020 New Mexico Bowl
15th New Mexico Bowl
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Houston Cougars
(4–4) (3–4)
Mountain West The American
28 14
Head coach: 
Todd Graham		 Head coach: 
Dana Holgorsen
1234 Total
Hawaii 14770 28
Houston 00140 14
DateDecember 24, 2020
Season2020
StadiumToyota Stadium
LocationFrisco, Texas
MVPOffense: Calvin Turner (WR, Hawaii)[1]
Defense: Darius Muasau (LB, Hawaii)[2]
FavoriteHouston by 7[3]
RefereeChris Bynum (C-USA)[4]
Attendance2,060
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPN & ESPN Radio
AnnouncersESPN: John Schriffen, Rene Ingoglia and Kris Budden
ESPN Radio: Kevin Winter and Craig Haubert
International TV coverage
NetworkESPN Deportes
AnnouncersJavier Trejo Garay and Jose Mondragon

When the schedule for 2020–21 bowl games was announced in late October, a site for the New Mexico Bowl was not specified, due to health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic; it was also reported that contingency plans could result in the bowl being played in Texas.[6] All prior editions of the bowl were played at Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On November 24, ESPN Events announced that the bowl would be played at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.[7]

Teams

Based on conference tie-ins, the bowl was expected to feature teams from Conference USA (C-USA) and the Mountain West Conference.[8] The matchup was announced on December 13, with the Houston Cougars from the American Athletic Conference (AAC or "The American") facing the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors from Mountain West.[9] This was their second meeting,[10] coming almost exactly 17 years after the 2003 Hawaii Bowl, a triple-overtime 54–48 win by Hawaii.[9] That game ended with fighting between the teams, as players got into shouting matches and punches were thrown.[11]

Hawaii
Main article: 2020 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team

Hawaii entered the bowl with a record of 4–4, having only played conference games. Hawaii's most recent bowl game appearance in the contiguous United States had been the 2008 Sugar Bowl.[12] From 2008 through 2019, the program played in five editions of the Hawaii Bowl.

Houston
Main article: 2020 Houston Cougars football team

Houston entered the bowl with an overall record of 3–4 (3–3 in conference games). They became one of a limited number of teams to enter a bowl game with a losing record.

Game summary
2020 New Mexico Bowl
Period 1 2 34Total
Hawaii 14 7 7028
Houston 0 0 14014

at Toyota Stadium • Frisco, Texas

Game information
First quarter
  • (10:43) HAW – Dae Dae Hunter 3 yard pass from Chevan Cordeiro, Matthew Shipley kick (Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:35; Hawaii 7–0)
  • (3:35) HAW – Calvin Turner 75 yard pass from Chevan Cordeiro, Matthew Shipley kick (Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:12; Hawaii 14–0)
Second quarter
  • (8:05) HAW – Jonah Laulu 4 yard pass from Chevan Cordeiro, Matthew Shipley kick (Drive: 7 play, 80 yards, 3:17; Hawaii 21–0)
Third quarter
  • (7:39) HOU – Nathaniel Dell 7 yard pass from Clayton Tune, Dalton Witherspoon kick (Drive: 17 plays, 75 yards, 7:21; Hawaii 21–7)
  • (3:45) HOU – Christian Trahan 26 yard pass from Clayton Tune, Dalton Witherspoon kick (Drive: 5 plays, 83 yards, 2:03; Hawaii 21–14)
  • (3:29) HAW – Calvin Turner 92 yard kickoff return, Matthew Shipley kick (Hawaii 28–14)
Fourth quarter
no scoring

Statistics
Statistics HAW HOU
First downs1120
Plays–yards57–26781–307
Rushes–yards34–13138–58
Passing yards136249
Passing: comp–att–int15–23–021–43–3
Time of possession26:5633:04
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Hawaii PassingChevan Cordeiro15-for-23 for 136 yards, 3 TD
RushingCalvin Turner60 yards on 12 carriers
ReceivingCalvin Turner88 yards on 4 receptions, 1 TD
Houston PassingClayton Tune20-for-38 for 216 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
RushingMulbah Car47 yards on 15 carries
ReceivingNathaniel Dell112 yards on 6 receptions, 1 TD

See also

References
  1. @NMBowl (December 24, 2020). "@HawaiiFootball's Calvin Turner was selected as the 2020 New Mexico Bowl Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the game" (Tweet). Retrieved December 24, 2020 – via Twitter.
  2. @NMBowl (December 24, 2020). "@HawaiiFootball's Darius Muasau was selected as the 2020 New Mexico Bowl Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the game" (Tweet). Retrieved December 24, 2020 – via Twitter.
  3. "ESPN Game Summary - Hawaii vs. Houston - December 24, 2020". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  4. Austro, Ben (December 23, 2020). "2020-21 bowl officiating assignments". footballzebras.com. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  5. "College Football Bowl Schedule | 2020". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  6. Webber, Will (October 30, 2020). "New Mexico Bowl could be moved — to Texas?". santafenewmexican.com. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  7. Kelley, Kevin (November 24, 2020). "2020 New Mexico Bowl to be played in Frisco, Texas". fbschedules.com. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  8. "2020 Bowl Schedule". collegefootballpoll.com. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  9. Krupp, Cody (December 13, 2020). "UH football New Mexico Bowl bound, in Texas vs. Houston". KITV. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  10. "Houston Cougars vs. Hawaii Warriors football series history". winsipedia.com. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  11. "Hawaii rumbles to triple OT win". Tampa Bay Times. AP. December 26, 2003. p. 2C. Retrieved December 24, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  12. "Hawaii vs. Houston rematch in relocated New Mexico Bowl". USA Today. AP. December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
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