The2009New Mexico Bowl was a post-season Americancollege footballbowl game, held on December 19,2009, atUniversity Stadium on the campus of theUniversity of New Mexico inAlbuquerque, New Mexico, as part of the2009–10 NCAA bowl season. The game, telecast onESPN, featured theWyoming Cowboys from theMountain West Conference and theFresno State Bulldogs from theWAC. This was the first trip to the New Mexico Bowl for Wyoming. It was also their first trip to a post season bowl game since the 2004 season when the Cowboys defeated theUCLA Bruins 24–21 in the Pioneer PureVisonLas Vegas Bowl. This marked Fresno State's second straight trip to the New Mexico Bowl; they were defeated 40–35 byColorado State in the 2008 contest. Before the 2009 New Mexico Bowl, Wyoming and Fresno State had played each other a total of six times, playing in consecutive years from 1992–1997 as rivals in theWestern Athletic Conference; the teams have split their match-ups with each squad winning three games. The last meeting in 1997 was won by Fresno State, 24–7.

Behind freshman quarterbackAustyn Carta-Samuels, Wyoming upset Fresno State 35–28 in the game, which went intodouble overtime after a late field goal by Cowboy kicker Ian Watts. Carta-Samuels threw three touchdowns in the win including the game-winner in overtime, a 13-yard strike to David Leonard.

Wyoming wore their home Brown uniforms, and Fresno wore white visitor uniforms. Wyoming freshman Austyn Carta-Samuels, the offensive MVP, threw for 201 yards and three touchdowns including the game-winning 13-yard touchdown pass to David Leonard. Defensive MVP Mitch Unrein tallied six tackles and two sacks for the Wyoming defense including a forced fumble midway through the 4th quarter which led to the game-tying field goal. Wyoming stopped the nation's leading rusher, Fresno State'sRyan Mathews, on three rushing attempts in the first overtime. The Bulldogs tried a quarterback sneak on third down, and Mathews came up short again on fourth down.

• Matthews led the nation in rushing for the 2009 season.
• Wyoming was playing in its first bowl since 2004.
• Carta-Samuels was the Mountain West Freshman of the Year.
• Fresno State made its second straight appearance - and loss - in the New Mexico Bowl.

• Box Score - ESPN

• 2009–10 NCAA football bowl games
• New Mexico Bowl
• Fresno State Bulldogs football bowl games
• Wyoming Cowboys football bowl games
• 2009 in sports in New Mexico
• December 2009 sports events in the United States

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