Bowl glance: Fresno State vs. Wyoming

NEW MEXICO BOWL

Fresno State (8-4) vs. Wyoming (6-6)

WHEN: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EST

WHERE: University Stadium, Albuquerque.

TV: ESPN (Terry Gannon will do play-by-play, with David Norrie as the analyst).

THE LINE: Fresno State by 11.

RECORD VS. BOWL TEAMS: Fresno State 1-4, Wyoming 0-5.

NCAA SCHEDULE STRENGTH: Fresno State T-68th, Wyoming 48th.

BCS RANKINGS: Neither is ranked.

COACHES: Fresno State — Pat Hill (4-5 in bowls); Wyoming — Dave Christensen (0-0 in bowls).

WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH: Is Wyoming one of the worst bowl teams ever? Maybe.

KEY STATS: 298.7 that's how many yards Wyoming's offense averages per game, which ranks 112th in the nation. The only bowl team with a worse offense is Minnesota, whose attack ranks 113th (295.8 ypg). The Pokes' offense will be a stark contrast to Fresno State's, which is 19th in the nation (435.9 ypg) and paces the WAC in time of possession (32:19).

KEY STATS: Fresno State's Ryan Mathews leads the nation in rushing, averaging 151.3 yards per game. Matthews, whose top blocker is guard Andrew Jackson, has carried the ball 245 times for 1,664 yards (6.8 ypc) with 17 rushing touchdowns. Had he not missed almost two full games with a concussion, Mathews' numbers would be even better. Wyoming features four of the Mountain West's top five tacklers, but the unit has been soft against the rush. If the Cowboys can't slow down Mathews, this game could get out of hand quickly.

WHO GETS THE EDGE?

Fresno State rush offense vs. Wyoming rush defense: How will Wyoming slow a Fresno State ground attack that ranks seventh in the nation? Wyoming's rush defense allows 170.5 yards per game. If Wyoming wants to mute Mathews, DT John Fletcher and LB Brian Hendricks need to have big games. Edge: Fresno State

Fresno State pass offense vs. Wyoming pass defense: The Bulldogs do most of their damage on the ground, but QB Ryan Colburn has shown an ability to make some throws downfield in his first year as the starter. That could pose problems for a Wyoming secondary led by FS Chris Prosinski that lacks athletic ability. Edge: Fresno State