Gophers open as favorites over New Mexico in Rate Bowl matchup

Minnesota will have its hands full against one of the best Group of Five teams in the country.

Nov 22, 2025; Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA; New Mexico Lobos players celebrate after the game against the Air Force Falcons at Falcon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Gophers and Lobos don't face off in this year's Rate Bowl until December 26, but early betting odds from FanDuel Sportsbook view Minnesota as a 3.5-point betting favorite for this year's showdown.

The Gophers open as early (-3.5) point betting favorites in the Rate Bowl against New Mexico.

The Lobos had two road games against B1G opponents this season, a 34-17 loss at Michigan and a 35-10 win at UCLA.

Let's hear some early predictions. 👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/YgJ9XZu9nW

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) December 8, 2025

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Jason Eck

The Lobos are led by first-year head coach Jason Eck, who's one of the fastest-rising names in the profession. The former Wisconsin offensive lineman in the 1990s has plenty of Midwest ties. He coached at Minnesota Division-II programs Winona State in 2007-08 and Minnesota State in 2013-14. His first head coach job came in 2022 at Idaho, and he built the Vandals into a 10-win program by 2024. He delivered New Mexico its first nine-win campaign since 2016 in his first season with the program.

New Mexico players to know

There are always going to be opt-outs in the modern edition of bowl games, but these two teams could wind up having some of the fewest in the country. The Lobos are littered with former Idaho transfers, mainly quarterback Jack Layne, who has completed 65.9% of his passes for 2,398 yards, 17 total touchdowns and nine interceptions this season.

Nov 22, 2025; Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA; New Mexico Lobos quarterback Jack Layne (2) pitches the ball as Air Force Falcons linebacker Jaylin Reese (45) pressures in the second quarter at Falcon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Their top offensive playmakers are Weber State transfer running back Damon Bankston, who has 952 yards from scrimmage, along with Kansas State transfer wide receiver Keagan Johnson, who leads the team with 57 catches for 730 yards and three touchdowns. The head coach's son, Jaxton Eck, leads the team with 126 total tackles.

More Big Ten road wins than Minnesota

The Lobos opened the season with a hard-fought 34-17 loss at No. 14 Michigan to open the season. They proceeded to have one of their best regular seasons in program history, which was highlighted by a 35-10 blowout win at UCLA. They were surprisingly left out of the Mountain West conference title game, despite finishing in a four-way tie for first place.

According to ESPN writer Bill Connely's latest SP+ ranking, New Mexico is No. 65 in the country, which is higher than Minnesota at No. 71. The Lobos are one spot below Northwestern, and ahead of other notable Gophers' regular-season opponents, such as Rutgers, California, Michigan State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Buffalo and Northwestern State. Don't let the Lobos' conference affiliation fool you; they will provide Minnesota with a real test.

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