New Mexico State QB Diego Pavia expected to play in bowl game
New Mexico State football coach Jerry Kill and acting Fresno State coach Tim Skipper met with the media ahead of the Dec. 16 New Mexico Bowl at University Stadium in Albuquerque.
The game begins at 3:45 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN. Here are some takeaways from the press conference.
NMSU QB Pavia expected to play
New Mexico State starting quarterback Diego Pavia is expected to play after suffering a shoulder injury in the team's 49-35 loss to Liberty in the Conference USA title game.
Kill said Pavia could throw Sunday or Monday. Pavia was recently named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year.
NMSU's Eli Stowers expected to play
Stowers has become a key force at wide receiver for the Aggies and he appears to have recovered from a concussion suffered against Liberty.
Fresno State coach update
Skipper is filling for head coach Jeff Tedford, who stepped away from the team to deal with health issues.
Skipper said he's the acting coach for the New Mexico Bowl, and that a decision regarding the future will be made after the game.
Skipper played at Fresno State, has coached at Fresno State on multiple occasions and also has a stop at Western New Mexico in Silver City.
"I knew nothing about Silver City when I got there, but I learned a lot," he said. "I drove the bus and our pregame meal was Golden Corral. The New Mexico Bowl is a great bowl game and I've been a part of it before. It's a great matchup with New Mexico State, they have had a great season."
More: 11 New Mexico State football players awarded All-Conference USA honors
Team records
The Aggies have won eight of the last nine games and are 10-4; Fresno State has lost three straight and is 8-4.
"It was good to have some time off after the game against Liberty, we needed it with the 14 games we've played," Kill said. "This year has been fun. Any time you win, it's fun, lots of great moments. We're breaking records from 60-80 years, it's a miracle. Kids are learning how to win and have embraced it."
Said Skipper: "We found ways to win against Purdue and Eastern Washington early in the season. We have to find a way to win again. We got worn down, had some injuries and lost the last three. New Mexico State is very good and the New Mexico State quarterback runs the show. I'm excited about our team. We have to get our personality back and our focus is: how do we want to end? How do we want people to look at us?"
Aggies, Bulldogs meet in 2024
New Mexico State and Fresno State will meet next season on Sept. 21 in Fresno.
More: New Mexico State vs. Fresno State in New Mexico Bowl: Score prediction, scouting report
Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on X (Formerly Twitter)
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: New Mexico State vs. Fresno State bowl games notes
