{{short description|Postseason college football bowl game}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Use American English|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox NCAA football yearly game | game_name = New Mexico Bowl | subheader = 15th New Mexico Bowl | title_sponsor = | image = | caption = | date_game_played = December 24 | year_game_played = 2020 | football_season = 2020 | stadium = Toyota Stadium | city = Frisco, Texas | visitor_school = University of Hawaii | visitor_name_short = Hawaii | visitor_nickname = Rainbow Warriors | visitor_record = 4–4 | visitor_conference = Mountain West | visitor_rank_AP = | visitor_rank_coaches = | visitor_rank_CFP = | visitor_coach = Todd Graham | visitor_1q = 14 | visitor_2q = 7 | visitor_3q = 7 | visitor_4q = 0 | home_school = University of Houston | home_name_short = Houston | home_nickname = Cougars | home_record = 3–4 | home_conference = The American | home_rank_AP = | home_rank_coaches = | home_rank_CFP = | home_coach = Dana Holgorsen | home_1q = 0 | home_2q = 0 | home_3q = 14 | home_4q = 0 | MVP = Offense: Calvin Turner (WR, Hawaii)<ref>{{cite tweet |user=NMBowl |number=1342264690282438657 |title=@HawaiiFootball's Calvin Turner was selected as the 2020 New Mexico Bowl Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the game |date=December 24, 2020 |accessdate=December 24, 2020}}</ref><br>Defense: Darius Muasau (LB, Hawaii)<ref>{{cite tweet |user=NMBowl |number=1342265141983756288 |title=@HawaiiFootball's Darius Muasau was selected as the 2020 New Mexico Bowl Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the game |date=December 24, 2020 |accessdate=December 24, 2020}}</ref> | odds = Houston by 7<ref>{{cite web |title=ESPN Game Summary - Hawaii vs. Houston - December 24, 2020 |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401256140 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=December 24, 2020}}</ref> | anthem = | halftime = | referee = Chris Bynum (C-USA)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.footballzebras.com/2020/12/2020-21-bowl-officiating-assignments/ |title=2020-21 bowl officiating assignments |first=Ben |last=Austro |website=footballzebras.com |date=December 23, 2020 |accessdate=December 25, 2020}}</ref> | attendance = 2,060<!--per http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=324097--> | payout = | us_network = ESPN & ESPN Radio | us_announcers = ESPN: John Schriffen, Rene Ingoglia and Kris Budden<br>ESPN Radio: Kevin Winter and Craig Haubert | ratings = | intl_network = ESPN Deportes | intl_announcers = Javier Trejo Garay and Jose Mondragon }} 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=College Football Bowl Schedule {{!}} 2020 |url=https://fbschedules.com/college-football-bowl-schedule/ |website=FBSchedules.com |accessdate=October 30, 2020}}</ref> 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.
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.<ref name=Webber>{{cite news |url=https://www.santafenewmexican.com/sports/new-mexico-bowl-could-be-moved-to-texas/article_bca05efc-1afe-11eb-86be-734aeebac382.html |title=New Mexico Bowl could be moved — to Texas? |first=Will |last=Webber |website=santafenewmexican.com |date=October 30, 2020 |accessdate=October 31, 2020}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://fbschedules.com/2020-new-mexico-bowl-to-be-played-in-frisco-texas/ |title=2020 New Mexico Bowl to be played in Frisco, Texas |first=Kevin |last=Kelley |website=fbschedules.com |date=November 24, 2020 |accessdate=November 24, 2020}}</ref>
==Teams== Based on conference tie-ins, the bowl was expected to feature teams from Conference USA (C-USA) and the Mountain West Conference.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.collegefootballpoll.com/bowl-schedule/2020/ |title=2020 Bowl Schedule |website=collegefootballpoll.com |accessdate=December 6, 2020}}</ref> 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.<ref name=krupp/> This was their second meeting,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.winsipedia.com/houston/vs/hawaii |title=Houston Cougars vs. Hawaii Warriors football series history |website=winsipedia.com |accessdate=December 24, 2020}}</ref> coming almost exactly 17 years after the 2003 Hawaii Bowl, a triple-overtime 54–48 win by Hawaii.<ref name=krupp>{{cite news |url=https://www.kitv.com/story/43049843/uh-football-new-mexico-bowl-bound-in-texas-vs-houston |title=UH football New Mexico Bowl bound, in Texas vs. Houston |first=Cody |last=Krupp |website=KITV |date=December 13, 2020 |accessdate=December 13, 2020}}</ref> That game ended with fighting between the teams, as players got into shouting matches and punches were thrown.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65922333/hawaii-rumbles-to-triple-ot-win/ |title=Hawaii rumbles to triple OT win |agency=AP |newspaper=Tampa Bay Times |page=2C |date=December 26, 2003 |accessdate=December 24, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>
===Hawaii=== {{main|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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2020/12/23/hawaii-vs-houston-rematch-in-relocated-new-mexico-bowl/115211490/ |title=Hawaii vs. Houston rematch in relocated New Mexico Bowl |agency=AP |website=USA Today |date=December 23, 2020 |accessdate=December 24, 2020}}</ref> From 2008 through 2019, the program played in five editions of the Hawaii Bowl.
===Houston=== {{main|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== {{Americanfootballbox |titlestyle= background:#E21B22; color:#FFFFFF; {{box-shadow border|a|#1766A9|2px}}; text-align:center; |state=autocollapse |bg=#fff |bg2=#eee |title=2020 New Mexico Bowl |date=Thursday, December 24, 2020 |time=3:30 p.m. EST (2:30 p.m. CST) |road=Hawaii |R1=14|R2=7|R3=7|R4=0 |home=Houston |H1=0|H2=0|H3=14|H4=0 |stadium= Toyota Stadium • Frisco, Texas |attendance= |weather=Sunny • '''Temperature''': {{convert|52|F|C}} • '''Wind''': NW 16 mph |referee=Chris Bynum (Conference USA) |TV=ESPN |TVAnnouncers=John Schriffen (play-by-play), Rene Ingoglia (analyst) and Kris Budden (sideline) |reference=[https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401256140 ESPN game summary] |scoring= ;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=== {{AmFootballGameStatistics | Float = left | Visitor = Hawaii Rainbow Warriors | VisitorDisplay = HAW | Home = Houston Cougars | HomeDisplay = HOU | VisFirsts = 11 | VisPlaysYds = 57–267 | VisRushing = 34–131 | VisPassYds = 136 | VisPassing = 15–23–0 | VisTOP = 26:56 | HomeFirsts = 20 | HomePlaysYds = 81–307 | HomeRushing = 38–58 | HomePassYds = 249 | HomePassing = 21–43–3 | HomeTOP = 33:04 }} {{AmFootballGameTopPlayers | Float = right | Visitor = Hawaii Rainbow Warriors | VisitorDisplay = Hawaii | Home = Houston Cougars | HomeDisplay = Houston | VisPasser = Chevan Cordeiro | VisPassStats = 15-for-23 for 136 yards, 3 TD | VisRusher = Calvin Turner | VisRushStats = 60 yards on 12 carriers | VisReceiver = Calvin Turner | VisReceivingStats = 88 yards on 4 receptions, 1 TD | HomePasser = Clayton Tune | HomePassStats = 20-for-38 for 216 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT | HomeRusher = Mulbah Car | HomeRushStats = 47 yards on 15 carries | HomeReceiver = Nathaniel Dell | HomeReceivingStats = 112 yards on 6 receptions, 1 TD }} {{clear}}
==See also== * 2020 Frisco Bowl, held at the same venue
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{official website|https://newmexicobowl.com/}} *[http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=324097 Game statistics] at statbroadcast.com
{{2020 bowl game navbox}} {{New Mexico Bowl navbox}} {{Houston Cougars bowl game navbox}} {{Hawaii Warriors bowl game navbox}}
New Mexico Bowl Category:New Mexico Bowl Category:Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football bowl games Category:Houston Cougars football bowl games New Mexico Bowl New Mexico Bowl Category:2020s in Albuquerque, New Mexico