The Emerald Bowl will be a battle of strengths as the strikingly similar Naval Academy and UNM Lobos meet for the first time on Dec. 30.
The Lobos finished the season 7-4, earning second place in the Mountain West Conference. Navy, which has no conference affiliation, ended its season 9-2.
According to Collegesportsnews.com, this matchup is going to be one of the best bowl games.
"Physically, the teams match up really well," Lobo head coach Rocky Long said. "The two teams are very equal, talent-wise. We have the same strengths - running the ball on offense and defensively stopping the run."
Emerald Bowl officials say they hope this is a pivotal year for the bowl. They changed the name and date of the game and said they also hope to sell out the tickets and generate profit for the first time.
The Lobos have also made changes in preparation for this bowl game and are looking for their first post-season win since 1961. The last two years they have been blown out in the Las Vegas Bowl by UCLA and Oregon State.
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Long said the team has taken different approaches in anticipation of a new bowl experience.
"We have done some different things to try to prevent what happened to us last time," Long said. "There is nothing in football that you can assure. Maybe we will play really well, and hopefully that is the case."
Receiver Hank Baskett said the team's feel is much different than before as it prepares for this game.
"We are treating the last two bowl games as learning experiences," Baskett said. "There is a different drive and intensity at practice and throughout the team."
The versatility of both teams will undoubtedly be challenged in this contest. Like UNM, Navy gains a vast majority of its offensive yards on the ground, embracing an effective running game and efficient triple option.
"They don't have to block everybody," Long said. "They read an option off of players so they can double-team them. They read people, because when you are optioning people, you eliminate them with the play."
The Lobos excel in defending rush offensive schemes, as they lead the Mountain West in rushing, scoring and total defense, as well as sacks.
Offensive leader DonTrell Moore said he experiences the strong Lobo rush defense in practice. Despite the different scheme of the Navy offense, Moore said he is confident in the Lobo defensive ability.
"Our defense is notorious for their run-stopping ability," Moore said. "They stop us a lot in practice."
While many Lobo fans may make the trip to SBC Park, Long said he anticipates Navy supporters will outnumber Lobo fans.
"This bowl is a good matchup and Navy is involved," he said. "I think we will sell 5,000 to 6,000 tickets, and Navy will probably sell the other 30,000."
