NEW ORLEANS - If Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson gets his wish, the New Orleans Bowl will become a regular postseason stop for the league.
Thompson said prior to Tuesday night's game matching Colorado State University and North Texas that the MWC is negotiating a three-year contract with the bowl. If all goes well, the deal will be signed in the coming weeks.
"I can't tell you how many Colorado State fans have told me that this is where they wanted to come," Thompson said. "I knew our fans would be happy because I used to live here. If this city knows anything, it's how to throw a big event."
New Orleans Bowl executive director Ron Maestri said he is excited to extend the contract, which calls for the Sun Belt Conference champion to play the No. 3 selection from the MWC.
"We'll sit down when we get done with this game," he said. "I have been very pleased with everything. The fans seemed to be excited and, locally, enthusiasm the last three weeks leading up the game has been good."
Maestri said the bowl committee will continue its search for a title sponsor, which could bring an additional $200,000 to $600,000 to the game. That money could be used to bump the bowl's payout to participating teams from the NCAA minimum of $750,000.
That would be a huge boon to CSU and future participating teams. Although ticket sales were stronger than expected - officials were hoping the total would climb to 5,000 - CSU is expected to lose more than $100,000 by playing in the game.
"We're excited about the potential for an extension with the New Orleans Bowl because they've run it first-class from Day One," CSU athletic director Jeff Hathaway said. "Whether it's us or another Mountain West team, we're assured of a first-class experience."
A crowd of 18,989 attended the game at the Superdome, while 27,004 tickets were sold. Meanwhile, ticket sales are very slow for the MWC's other bowls. League champion Brigham Young, Thompson said, has sold fewer than 4,000 tickets for the Liberty Bowl, while Utah has sold fewer than 1,000 tickets for the Las Vegas Bowl.
UNIFORMITY - UNT was supposed to be in green pants and green jerseys, but the players voted to play in white pants. Also, the jerseys did not have the normal NORTH TEXAS across the front because of a manufacturing snafu.
FOR OPENERS - CSU's 17-point quarter was its most prolific of the season and the biggest in its eight-game bowl history.
LONG DISTANCE - CSU kicker Kent Naugton's 46-yard field goal was the longest of his career, easily surpassing his 38-yarder against Wyoming earlier this season. Also, Bradlee Van Pelt's 56-yard pass to Pete Rebstock on the game's first play was his longest completion of the year.
IN THE BOWLS - CSU is 4-4 all-time in bowl games and has won two straight for the first time. Rams coach Sonny Lubick evened his bowl record at 3-3.
REVERSAL OF FORTUNE - Senior Brad Svoboda notched his first career touchdown on the game's third play, a 2-yard reverse following a handoff from Duan Ruff. Interestingly, a wide receiver has scored on a reverse in CSU's past four bowl games. Darren Hall did it in the 1997 Holiday Bowl vs. Missouri, and Frank Rice did in the past two Liberty Bowls, vs. Southern Mississippi in 1999 and vs. Louisville last year.
ON THE BLOCK - Justin Gallimore's block of Jason Ball's punt in the third quarter, which he fell on for a touchdown, was CSU's fourth this year. Justin had two of them (one vs. Air Force), twin brother Jason had one (vs. UNLV) and Andre Sommersell (vs. Louisville) had one. All of the blocks were turned into points - three for touchdowns and Sommersell's for a safety.
Just for good measure, Rhett Nelson blocked a field goal vs. UNLV.
THIS AND THAT - CSU is 2-3 in games played in Louisiana. ... The Rams improved to 8-9 on artificial turf under coach Sonny Lubick. ... The Rams are now 1-1 in domes. ... Lubick now has seven straight seasons with seven or more wins. Prior to his arrival in 1993, CSU had 10 seasons with seven or more wins in 100 years of football. ... Chad Dixon, a senior walk-on fullback who played with the Gallimores at Wheat Ridge High School, made his first career appearance early in the fourth quarter with the Rams facing a first-and-goal from the 1. He lost a yard, then scored on the following play. ... Backup quarterback D.J. Busch, who started the first three games before losing the job to Van Pelt, made his first appearance since the Sept. 29 game at Wyoming. ... The 45 points scored was a CSU record for a bowl, while the 20 tied for the second lowest behind the 17 scored by Louisville last year in the Liberty Bowl.
NEXT UP - First comes spring practice, then the 2002 season. The Rams' scheduled opener is against the University of Colorado.
