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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Southeastern New Mexico will see some snow while other places will generally see cooler, more winter-like temperatures. See the latest conditions at KOB.com/Weather.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Some notable cities in New Mexico could see multiple inches of snow, along with possible wind and cooler temperatures Sunday into Monday.
There is going to be snow across the southeast. A winter storm advisory is in effect all throughout areas like Ruidoso and out toward the Texas state line. A winter storm warning for Carlsbad and even a blizzard warning for the Guadalupe Mountains. These advisories and warnings indicate it’s going to continue until Monday at 6 p.m.
How much snow might there be? Ruidoso could see a few inches, along with other higher-elevation areas. Carlsbad might even see as much as two inches and Roswell has a very good chance of snow.
Wind gusts ranged from 23 mph for Hobbs and Clovis, 25 in Santa Rosa and similar readings in other places. Temperatures could hit sub-freezing temperatures in places like Ruidoso, Roswell, Carlsbad and Hobbs. Meanwhile, Gallup and Grants could get into the single-digits. Plus, places like Albuquerque and Santa Fe will be in the 20s but the big “winner” is Alamosa, Colorado, with 2 degrees.
Chief Meteorologist Eddie Garcia shares all the details in his full forecast in the video above.
MORE:
The New Mexico Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 27, 2025, results for each game:
Powerball
05-20-34-39-62, Powerball: 01, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Day: 4-1-4
Evening: 3-8-4
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Lotto America
08-10-20-47-50, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 05
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Evening: 6-9-5-0
Day: 4-9-4-3
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Roadrunner Cash
03-21-24-33-37
Check Roadrunner Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Powerball Double Play
13-22-33-61-62, Powerball: 20
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Las Cruces Sun-News editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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