 Nevada coach Chris Ault was one of three members of the College Football Hall of Fame to lead a team into a bowl game , along with Barry Alvarez ( Wisconsin interim coach ) and Steve Spurrier ( South Carolina ) . Nevada 's senior receiver Brandon Wimberly had caught a pass in all 39 games of his college career . This was the Wolf Pack 's second New Mexico Bowl ; they had previously played in the 2007 edition ( then as a member of the Western Athletic Conference ) , losing to the hometown New Mexico Lobos by a score of 23 @-@ 0 . 
