New Mexico
Storms after temperatures heat-up in New Mexico
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Monsoonal weather is likely to change ahead with the most active weather still in The Southeast because of Tropical Storm Debby and while back-to-school conditions will be pretty good for most in New Mexico, after the heat-up this afternoon, storms are more likely to form. Leftover rain has mostly dissipated this morning with only a few northwestward-moving showers around Lordsburg and with plenty of sunshine for a good portion of the day across the region, century-mark temperatures will be the most widespread this week with a Heat Advisory in Chaves County, but storms will likely roar on through across the northern mountains especially with a Flood Watch in effect.
Forecast Continues Below
It’s yet another morning of above-normal temperatures with most of the northern mountain communities starting off in the upper 40’s, 50’s, and low 60’s, while valley locations are mostly ranging from the upper 50’s to the 70’s. As temperatures across the region rise once again from the morning school commute into the high 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and at least above 100 degrees for more areas by the afternoon, more moisture in the air, along with the ample amount of daytime heating, will lead to the likelihood of rainfall for some. The north-central mountains once again have the best chance of rain for today with burn-scar flash flooding more likely in The Hermits Peak & Calf Canyon area with a higher chance for rain around Ruidoso this afternoon, but flooding will still mostly likely not occur. Parts of The San Juan Mountains, The Gila National Forest, and eventually the northern parts of The Rio Grande Valley will have the potential for some potent storms as well today that will drift to the southeast later on. Even later this afternoon, more pockets of heavy rain, some hail, erratic winds gusting from the eastern canyons eventually, and plenty of lightning strikes will ensue.
It’s a tug of war between two high pressure systems, one to the east, but a stronger one to west that will continue to recycle moisture from The Four Corners across a good swath of the region ahead with cooler and more moist air, some relief in the heat.
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New Mexico
Minnesota tops New Mexico in overtime of Rate Bowl to extend bowl streak
Minnesota football coach excited to face New Mexico in Rate Bowl
Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck said he and his players are looking forward to their Rate Bowl game vs. New Mexico, their first meeting in history.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers just win bowl games.
Drake Lindsey connected on a 12-yard pass to Jalen Smith in overtime to give Minnesota a thrilling 20-17 win over New Mexico in the Rate Bowl at Chase Field on Dec. 26.
It is Minnesota’s ninth straight bowl victory. It is 7-0 in bowl games under coach P.J. Fleck.
New Mexico took a 17-14 lead in overtime after Luke Drzewiecki hit a 36-yard field goal, but Minnesota was able to top that with a 4-play, 25-yard drive, culminating with the Smith touchdown reception, his second of the game.
“It was a concept we ran all year,” Jalen Smith, who was named the Offensive Player of the Game, said. “The offensive line held up. It was just me doing the easy part.”
It was the third overtime game in Rate Bowl history.
The game didn’t feature a lot of scoring through the first three quarters, with Minnesota taking a 7-6 lead into halftime, getting its first-half touchdown on a 10-yard pass from Lindsey to Smith late in the second quarter.
It remained that way until the fourth quarter, when Minnesota extended its lead to 14-6 on a 5-yard run from Darius Taylor with 13:30 left in the fourth.
But New Mexico got back into the game just 12 seconds later on a 100-yard kickoff return from Damon Bankston, the longest in Rate Bowl history. Jack Layne tied the game with a pass to Keagan Johnson on the two-point conversion.
Minnesota DL Anthony Smith was the defensive player of the game after recording six tackles, four of which were for a loss, and two sacks.
“I wouldn’t want to be on any other team,” Smith said. “And that is why I am coming back for my fifth year. I love these guys.”
Lindsey went 18-for-28 for 147 yards, with two touchdown passes.
Jalen Smith had six catches for 64 yards, with two touchdown receptions.
Darius Taylor rushed the ball 24 times for 116 yards and a touchdown.
Fleck lauded the Rate Bowl after his team’s win.
“What an elite experience,” the Minnesota head coach said after the game. “There are a lot of bowls out there, but they know how to do it first class.”
Jack Layne finished the game 14-for 25 passing for New Mexico, with 88 yards passing and one pass intercepted.
Bankston rushed 10 times for 57 yards for the Lobos.
Minnesota had 252 total yards, while New Mexico had 204.
It was New Mexico’s first bowl appearance since 2016. The Lobos finished the year 9-4 under first-year coach Jason Eck.
“I thought we fought our tail off today,” Eck said. “We just came up a little bit short. I thought we particularly played well on defense … We were struggling to move the ball, it really didn’t end up hurting up because our defense did a great job.”
The Golden Gophers ended the year with an 8-5 record.
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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New Mexico
New Mexico vs Minnesota Prediction, Picks & Odds for Today — Rate Bowl
Yonke’s prediction: Eck gets the better of Fleck in the Rate Bowl.
Photo By – Imagn Images. New Mexico Lobos Minnesota Golden Gophers NCAAF
Bowl season ramps up in a big way Friday with a three-game slate, highlighted by a compelling Power Conference vs. Group of 5 clash in the Rate Bowl between the New Mexico Lobos and Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Jason Eck has emerged as a popular name on the coaching carousel for good reason, and he’ll look to notch his 10th win in his first season with the Lobos against a very beatable Big Ten opponent.
See why my New Mexico vs. Minnesota predictions and college football picks for the Rate Bowl on Friday, December 26 are backing the Lobos.
New Mexico vs Minnesota predictions for the Rate Bowl
Who will win the Rate Bowl?
New Mexico will pull off the upset.
The Lobos have the better metrics overall and seem to have made a home run hire with Jason Eck. Finding a 10th win would be a massive victory for this program, and the momentum is heading in the right direction for a team that won six games and probably should’ve featured in the Mountain West championship game if we lived in a just society.
New Mexico vs Minnesota best bet: New Mexico +2.5 (-110)
Much has been made about the fact that the Minnesota Golden Gophers are 6-0 in bowl games under PJ Fleck. That’s all well and good — and it is of importance whether or not a coach has a reason to motivate his team in the wild era of current bowl games — but it’s not the only handicapping factor.
What stands out most to me is that Minnesota wasn’t a very good football team in 2025.
They had a young quarterback, injured running backs, uninspiring wide receivers, a terrible offensive line, and a bad defense that allowed far too many crippling big plays. Even though they finished 7-5, the Gophers ranked outside the Top 90 in EPA per play on both sides of the ball and needed great fortune to go bowling.
The Gophers were also dreadful away from Minneapolis, losing all five games by an average margin of 24.4 points. They weren’t even competitive.
The New Mexico Lobos finished the season with six consecutive wins, building significant momentum in Year 1 of the Jason Eck era. He’s truly revitalized this program, and they’d love nothing better than to put an exclamation point on the season by toppling a very beatable Power Conference opponent.
Now that is motivation.
The Lobos have better metrics on both sides of the ball and are stout in the trenches (12th in stuff rate offensively, 19th defensively) — a necessary component when stepping up in competition. Give me the underdog.
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New Mexico vs Minnesota same-game parlay
Minnesota’s defense has been bad enough that New Mexico should have very realistic expectations of finding the end zone several times.
If the Lobos fail in that mission, it’d be a massive disappointment against a Gophers defense that ranks 116th in success rate and 106th in PFF’s overall defensive grade.
On the other side of things, New Mexico is solid defensively, but not elite. The expectation is for Minnesota to feature star running back Darius Taylor in this matchup, and start Drake Lindsey will hope to build confidence heading into next season.
The Gophers cashed the Over in every game away from home this season, so here’s betting on another.
New Mexico vs Minnesota SGP
- New Mexico +1.5
- Over 43.5
New Mexico vs Minnesota game predictions
New Mexico vs Minnesota spread prediction
The Lobos will cover this spread, making it five times in their last six games that they’ve done so. Eck’s squad was an underdog in six games this season and covered the spread in four of those contests. Count them out at your own peril.
New Mexico vs Minnesota Over/Under prediction
This game will sneak over the total due to Minnesota’s overrated defense that frankly hasn’t done much of anything well this season. The Gophers have allowed at least 38 points in four of their five games away from Minneapolis, so you can’t trust them in the bowl game.
New Mexico vs Minnesota odds
- Spread: New Mexico +1.5 (-110) | Minnesota -1.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: New Mexico +110 | Minnesota -130
- Over/Under: Over 43.5 (-110) | Under 43.5 (-110)
New Mexico vs Minnesota trend to know
Minnesota is 0-5 ATS away from home. Find more college football betting trends for New Mexico vs Minnesota.
How to watch New Mexico vs Minnesota
| Location | Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ |
| Date | Friday, December 26, 2025 |
| Kickoff | 4:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
New Mexico vs Minnesota latest injuries
New Mexico vs Minnesota weather
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Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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