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New Mexico and Oregon State to Square Off
Las Vegas Bowl slated to start at 4:30 pm (PT) December 24.
Dec. 11, 2003 LAS VEGAS - At a media conference today at the ESPN Zone located inside the New York-New York Hotel & Casino on the famed Las Vegas "Strip," the Las Vegas Bowl officially welcomed the University of New Mexico (8-4/5-2) and Oregon State (7-5/4-4). The event marked the official start of activities for the Christmas Eve showdown between the Lobos and Beavers at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. Representatives from the Las Vegas Bowl and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority gathered on the Strip to welcome the head coaches and athletic directors from the University of New Mexico and Oregon State in true Las Vegas fashion. The press conference also featured appearances by a pair of all-conference rushers - DonTrell Moore of New Mexico and Steven Jackson of Oregon State. Moore, a senior, led the Mountain West Conference (MWC) in rushing and finished the regular season ranked 11th nationally with 1,438 yards, an average of 119.8 yards a game. Jackson, who attended Eldorado High School in Las Vegas, finished 12th nationally and led the Pac-10 Conference in rushing with 1,396 yards, an average of 116.3 yards per game. "We're honored today to welcome these two fine institutions to Las Vegas for the start of preparations for Bowl Week," said Tina Kunzer-Murphy, Las Vegas Bowl executive director. "These two teams have outstanding players, and this game offers one of the best match-ups we've ever had in Las Vegas. We look forward to hosting the coaches, administrators, players and fans from the University of New Mexico and Oregon State for the exciting activities that make this such a unique bowl experience." The 12th edition of the Las Vegas Bowl features only the third-ever meeting between the Lobos and Beavers. The teams last met on the gridiron during the 2000 campaign when the Beavers edged the Lobos 28-20 in Albuquerque. The Lobos, led by Rocky Long, finished the year with seven victories in their last eight games. New Mexico culminated the season with a convincing 26-3 victory over Wyoming. The Lobos will make their eighth bowl appearance, including their third in the last seven seasons. In its previous seven bowl games, New Mexico has a record of 2-4-1. "The bowl experience was pretty new to most of us last year," said New Mexico Head Coach Rocky Long. "While we certainly wanted to win the game, I expect our focus and preparation to be a little different this year. We are going to Las Vegas to enjoy the wonderful experience provided, but we are also going to end this special season on a positive note. We have 24 seniors that want to see this through. I know we are facing a very good Oregon State team, so the challenge will be a formidable one. It should be a tremendous game in Las Vegas on Christmas Eve." Oregon State will look to rebound after dropping its final two games to Oregon and USC. Oregon State will make its tenth bowl appearance, including its fourth in the last five seasons. In its previous nine bowl games, Oregon State has compiled a record of 5-4. "It's great to be in a bowl game, and I've heard a lot of great things about the Las Vegas Bowl and how teams are treated down there," said Oregon State Head Coach Mike Riley. "I think it's really good for the program. We're going to play a very good opponent in New Mexico, we're going to get a number of extra practices for our program and opportunities for young guys to work as we go through this deal, so I'm very excited about it and we'll be looking forward to that." Players, coaches, administrators and fans from New Mexico and Oregon State will enjoy a complete bowl experience combined with the unmatched entertainment and attractions of Las Vegas, a world-renowned event and resort destination that attracted more than 35 million visitors in 2002. As part of Bowl Week, the Las Vegas Bowl will host events at some of the city's most exciting venues. The event line-up includes a Welcome Reception at the ESPN Zone; Show Night in Las Vegas at Blue Man Group at Luxor Las Vegas; the Pep Rally and Outback Buffet Bowl at the Golden Nugget/Fremont Street Experience; and the Kickoff Luncheon at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Las Vegas Bowl will be televised live on ESPN, beginning at 4:30 p.m. (PT) on Dec. 24.
The 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium will serve as the host venue for the Las Vegas Bowl.
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