New Mexico

Minnesota tops New Mexico in overtime of Rate Bowl to extend bowl streak

Published

3 weeks ago

December 27, 2025

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Minnesota tops New Mexico in overtime of Rate Bowl to extend bowl streak

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

Santa Fe seeks to swap land with state to benefit midtown campus

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10 hours ago

January 14, 2026

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Actor Timothy Busfield turns himself in following child sex abuse allegations in New Mexico

Published

22 hours ago

January 13, 2026

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Actor Timothy Busfield turns himself in following child sex abuse allegations in New Mexico

Timothy Busfield turned himself into police on Tuesday after authorities in New Mexico issued an arrest warrant for the director and Emmy Award-winning actor accused of child sex abuse.

A spokesperson for the Albuquerque Police Department confirmed to CBS News that Busfield had surrendered. He was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center in Bernalillo County on a child sex abuse charge. The arrest warrant, which was signed by a judge, said the charge was for two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor.

An investigator with the Albuquerque Police Department on Friday filed a criminal complaint which alleged a child reported that Busfield touched him inappropriately. The acts allegedly occurred on the set of “The Cleaning Lady,” a TV series that Busfield directed and acted in.

In a video provided to TMZ, Busfield said the allegations “are all lies.”

“I did not do anything to those little boys,” the 68-year-old actor said in the video appearing to show him in Albuquerque. He said he arrived in the city after driving 2,000 miles. Busfield’s attorney did not immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday.

Actor Timothy Busfield after being booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Jan. 13, 2026.

Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center

The criminal complaint filed by an investigator with Albuquerque police says the boy reported that he was 7 years old when Busfield touched him three or four times on private areas over his clothing. Busfield allegedly touched him five or six times on another occasion when he was 8, the complaint said.

The child was reportedly afraid to tell anyone because Busfield was the director and he feared he would get mad at him, the complaint said.

The boy’s twin brother told authorities he was touched by Busfield but did not specify where. He said he didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to get in trouble.

When interviewed by authorities, Busfield suggested that the boys’ mother was seeking revenge for her children being replaced on the series. He also said he likely would have picked up and tickled the boys, saying the set was a playful environment.

The mother of the twins — who are identified only by their initials in court records — reported to Child Protective Services that the abuse occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024, the complaint said.

“The Cleaning Lady” aired for four seasons on Fox, ending in 2025. It was produced by Warner Bros., which according to the complaint conducted its own investigation into the abuse allegations but was unable to corroborate them.

Busfield is known for appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams” and “Thirtysomething,” the latter of which won him an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series in 1991. He is married to actor Melissa Gilbert, who deactivated her Instagram account amid the allegations.

Gilbert indicated through a publicist that she won’t speak publicly at the request of attorneys for Busfield while the legal process unfolds.

“Her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family,” publicist Ame Van Iden said in a statement. “Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time.”

The investigation began in November 2024, when the investigator responded to a call from a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. The boys’ parents had gone there at the recommendation of a law firm, the complaint said.

According to the complaint, one of the boys has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. A social worker documented him saying he has had nightmares about Busfield touching him.