Temple, Ohio, & UL-Lafayette open bowl season with wins

Bernard Pierce ran for two early touchdowns and Chris Coyer threw for 169 yards and the touchdown to help the Temple Owls overwhelm the Wyoming Cowboys, 37-15 in the New Mexico Bowl — the first bowl game of the season.

The Owls (9-4) had three interceptions—tying a New Mexico Bowl record—en route to the second bowl victory in school history. The New Mexico Bowl was Temple’s second bowl game in three years, but that 2009 game—a 30-21 loss to UCLA in the EagleBank Bowl in Washington—was the Owls’ first bowl in 30 years.




Th3 streak of five-straight narrow wins by Utah State ended when Ohio quarterback Tyler Tettleton scored on a 1-yard run with 13 seconds remaining to give the Bobcats a 24-23 victory over the Aggies in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

The loss hurt the Aggies, who were making their first bowl appearance since 1997 and seeking their first postseason win since 1993. Behind a rushing attack that accounted for 345 yards, the Aggies had led the whole game—at least until Tettleton and the Bobcats offense rallied in the final 2 minutes to spoil Utah State’s best season in 14 years.




Blaine Gautier passed for 470 yards & three scores and Brett Baer kicked a 50-yard field goal as time ran out to give the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns a 32-30 victory over the San Diego State Aztecs in the New Orleans Bowl.

Playing in their first bowl game as a Division I FBS team, the Ragin' Cajuns (9-4) led most of the way but fell behind 30-29 when Aztecs quarterback Ryan Lindley connected with Colin Lockett on a 12-yard touchdown strike with 35 seconds to go.