The 2010 college bowl season gets underway today with a matchup between the Moutain West's BYU Cougars and Conference USA's UTEP Miners. The game, which will take place at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is scheduled to kickoff at 2:00pm ET; it will be televised live on ESPN. 2010 New Mexico Bowl Odds have the Cougars listed as a -11.5 against the spread favorite and the Over/Under set at 50.
BYU's last season in the Mountain West 
Conference did not get off to a good start with the Cougars going just 1-4 in their first five games. However, Bronco Mendenhall, who has guided BYU to a 3-2 bowl record, and his troops weathered the early storm, which included losses to Air Force, Florida State, and Nevada, and finished strong, despite a 17-16 regular season finale loss at Utah.
The Cougars won five of their last seven games to close out their regular season schedule with a 6-6 record. BYU's 5-3 conference record was good enough for a fifth place finish in the nine team Mountain West.
Mendenhalls's offense struggled in the early going with quarterback Jake Heaps taking some freshman lumps, but as Heaps progressed so did the Cougars. Over the final five games the Issaquah, Washington native threw 10 touchdowns to two interceptions, and, not coincidentally, BYU averaged 37 points per game during that stretch (averaged 15.2 points per game during 1-4 start, Heaps tossed one touchdown and three interceptions in those games).
UTEP, which also comes into this contest with a 6-6 record, saw its season follow a pattern almost completely opposite of the Cougars. The Miners jumped out to a 5-1 start, feasting on such opponents as Arkansas-Pine Bluff, New Mexico, and New Mexico State, but closing out its schedule on a 1-5 run.
UTEP, which is led by senior quarterback Trevor Vittatoe (19 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 2511 yards), lost its last two games, falling at Arkansas 58-21 and at Tulsa 31-28.
The Miners biggest win did come in the season's second half, though, when they upset Conference USA West winner SMU 28-14 in El Paso. UTEP finished fourth in the CUSA West standings this season with a 3-5 league record.
2010 New Mexico Bowl Betting Trend: BYU is 7-3 against the spread and 8-2 straight up in its last 10 games playing as a favorite with a total between 47.5 and 51.
2010 New Mexico Bowl BYU vs UTEP Odds:
BYU Cougars -11.5 (-110), Over 50 (-110)
UTEP Miners +11.5 (-110), Under 50 (-110)
