UTSA Will Travel to Albuquerque for Their First Ever Bowl Game

Just six years after starting up a football program from scratch, the UTSA Roadrunners will be playing in a bowl game. UTSA tied the NCAA record for fastest start up to reach a bowl game after finishing in second place in Conference USA western division. Led by first year head coach Frank Wilson, the Roadrunners were a surprise contender this year despite employing a very young roster full of first-time starters.

The Roadrunners will be traveling to Albuquerque for the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. Kickoff is set for 1 pm CST on Saturday, December 17th. Advanced weather forecast current predict a high of 49° and a low of 31° with zero chance of precipitation.

UTSA will square up with a familiar foe in the bowl game as the New Mexico Lobos have been selected to fill the Mountain West Conference’s tie-in with the bowl. The Lobos have impressed this season, racing out to an 8-4 record behind an intimidating rushing attack. The Lobos do share a common opponent with UTSA this year as they also lost to Colorado State by a score of 31-49.

The Lobos and Roadrunners have met twice before. UTSA pulled out some late game heroics to upset the Lobos in their 2013 home opener 21-13. New Mexico would roar back for revenge in 2014 with a 21-9 victory that wasn’t as close as the score would indicate.

Last year the bowl paid out $456,250 to Conference USA and the Mountain West. I would expect this year’s pay out to be in the same ballpark. In 2015 each player in the New Mexico Bowl received Oakley Holbrook sunglasses, Blade Wet/Dry 30 backpack and fine knit beanie; cap; Sound Pop portable speaker; Ogio toiletry kit; Gildan stadium blanket.

Here is the list of bowl week activities, per the official bowl website.