Misplaced Pages

#688311

77-811: Backed by the Detroit Lions of the National Football League , the game features a bowl-eligible team from the Big Ten Conference competing against an opponent from the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The bowl is played at Ford Field in Detroit and was created as a de facto replacement for the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (last played in 2013), and inherited its traditional December 26 scheduling. Unlike its predecessor, which featured

154-428: A "Lions" wordmark on the front. It is worn with the alternate Honolulu blue helmet featuring black stripes with silver accents and the leaping lion logo in black with silver accents. The black jersey is paired with solid black or solid Honolulu blue pants. The black jersey was a favorite of head coach Dan Campbell , who wore the original version during his playing days. According to Lions team president Rod Wood , it

231-700: A 1–5 start before a midseason turnaround saw them win five of their last six games to finish the regular season 6–6 and receive a bid to the Quick Lane Bowl where they defeated Bowling Green 24–19. On November 18, 2023, during Coach Kill's second season, the Aggies delivered a 31-10 beatdown to the Auburn University Tigers of the SEC, in an historic upset victory. The win marked head coach Jerry Kill's second consecutive victory over Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze, who

308-464: A 54–7 shellacking of archrival New Mexico . Despite some impressive single game wins and individual player stats, the Aggies have struggled as a team in the days since Warren Woodson. Since his departure Aggie football has spiraled into an abyss of perennial futility that some Aggie fans have begun to refer to as the " Woodson Curse ." In the 49 seasons between Woodson's firing and 2016, NMSU amassed just four winning seasons while failing to appear in

385-526: A 5–6–3 (.464) overall record with the team of 1930 . Wayne Fontes was the longest-tenured head coach in Lions history, serving from 1988 to 1996 . The current head coach of the Lions is Dan Campbell , who was hired on January 20, 2021. The Lions and Chicago Bears first met in 1930 when the Lions were known as the Portsmouth Spartans. The Bears and Lions have been division rivals since 1933. As of

462-494: A 6–5 campaign. Nebraska defensive ends coach Tony Samuel took over the Aggies football program in December 1996. Under Samuel's guidance, New Mexico State compiled a 34–57 record. The highlight of Samuel's tenure was on September 18, 1999, when the Aggies traveled to Tempe and upset No. 22 ranked Arizona State by a shocking 35–7 score, bringing much-needed attention to the football program. Running back Denvis Manns became

539-399: A Honolulu blue "Detroit" wordmark on the front. The road jersey is paired with solid Honolulu blue or solid white pants. The primary silver helmet with a Honolulu blue face mask and Honolulu blue stripes with white accents is worn with the home and road jerseys. The black alternate jersey, referred to as "Motor City Muscle", features Honolulu blue numbers and stripes trimmed in silver along with

616-518: A bowl game and/or winning six or more games. From 2010 to 2013, the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) underwent a major realignment , which would leave the conference with only two football-playing members as of the 2013 season (NMSU and Idaho ). As a result, the WAC could no longer sponsor football as a conference sport. On September 12, 2012, New Mexico State announced that it would stay in

693-421: A disappointing 47–2 loss to Utah State . The following Tuesday, December 2, Mumme was fired. The 15-year NFL veteran quarterback Charley Johnson , who an alumnus and was then a chemical engineering professor at New Mexico State, was appointed as interim head coach during the search for a replacement. UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker was named NMSU's head coach on December 31, 2008, signifying

770-406: A history of making critical comments about the Lions during his drivetime show, as a condition of any future renewal. A CBS Radio spokesperson stated that their refusal was meant to maintain the station's integrity. The Lions' flagship station returned to WXYT-FM starting with the 2021 season . In 2015, WJBK took over from WXYZ-TV as the flagship station for Lions preseason games. In 2024,

847-420: A loud partisan crowd for New Mexico State. It was the first winning season for the Aggies since 2002. On November 28, 2021, former Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill was officially named the next head coach for the Aggies. Kill, a successful former head coach who stepped away due to health issues, signed a five-year contract that pays $ 550,000 per year. In Kill's first season in 2022 the Aggies stumbled to

SECTION 10

#1732859216689

924-502: A member of Conference USA . New Mexico State spent the 2013 season as an independent and from 2014 to 2017 as a football–only member of the Sun Belt Conference , New Mexico State began playing as an independent again with the 2018 football season. On November 5, 2021, New Mexico State announced it would be joining Conference USA in all sports including football starting in 2023. One of New Mexico State's earliest football games

1001-500: A new direction for the pass offense-oriented squad. Under Walker's tutelage, NMSU compiled a 10–40 record, failing to win more than four games in a given season. Walker, facing mounting pressure from administration, alumni and fans, resigned as head coach and departed NMSU to serve as defensive backs coach for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars . NMSU hired Boston College offensive coordinator and former Kent State head coach Doug Martin as

1078-517: A playoff game until the 1991 season and did not win another until the 2023 season. They are the only franchise operational for the entirety of the Super Bowl era to not appear in the Super Bowl. Aside from a brief change to scarlet and black from 1948 to 1950 instituted by then head coach Bo McMillin , which was influenced by his years as coach at Indiana , the Lions' uniforms have basically remained

1155-688: A relatively lower-profile matchup—in jeopardy. Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand remarked that "very few" markets could adequately support hosting two major bowl games. Organizers were open to the possibility of moving the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl across the street to Comerica Park , home stadium of the Detroit Tigers , for 2014 as an outdoor game. Comerica Park, the Tigers, and game sponsor Little Caesars are all owned by Ilitch Holdings . However, these plans never came to fruition. In August 2014,

1232-520: A result. In 1978, Krueger and the Aggies went 6–5 and won the Missouri Valley Conference. In December 1985, Miami linebackers coach and former Aggies linebackers coach Mike Knoll was named NMSU's new head coach, replacing the fired Zechman. Under Knoll, the Aggies were abysmal, compiling a 4–40 record that included a 17-game losing streak at the end. In each of Knoll's four seasons, the Aggies were outscored by at least 200 points. Knoll

1309-453: A single bowl game until the 2017 Arizona Bowl . From 1968 to 1985, NMSU's football program declined, failing to reach a single bowl game and struggling to win football games. The Aggies' best season during this time period was a 5–5–1 mark in 1971 under head coach Jim Wood . Jim Bradley , Gil Krueger and Fred Zechman also led the Aggies football program during these years and they failed to produce any winning seasons as they were fired as

1386-430: Is WXYT-FM . Dan Miller does play-by-play , Lomas Brown does color commentary, and T. J. Lang is the sideline reporter. In 2015, the team announced that they were moving from WXYT-FM to WJR for the 2016 NFL season , ending a 20-year relationship with CBS Radio . The decision to part with WXYT was reportedly instigated by a demand by the team for the station to fire on-air personality Mike Valenti , who has had

1463-582: Is 73–35–5; however, the rivalry remains spirited. The September 26, 2009, game when the Aggies won 20–17 in Albuquerque was the 100th time the teams had played each other. Including that 100th meeting, the series is even at 7 wins each over the past 14 meetings. Most recently, the Aggies beat the Lobos 27–17 in Albuquerque in 2023. The Aggies also hold a rivalry with UTEP , known as the Battle of I-10. Although UTEP holds

1540-569: Is always televised nationally, alternating between Fox in odd years and CBS in even years. In 2011, the Lions became the last NFC team to play on NBC 's Sunday Night Football since the network began airing Sunday night games in 2006. The Lions' winless performance in 2008 and 2–14 season in 2009, coupled with the effects of the Great Recession in Michigan, led to several local broadcast blackouts, as local fans did not purchase enough tickets by

1617-534: Is no Pizza Bowl for 2014. We will have to see about the future", implying that the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl had been cancelled indefinitely; the December 2013 playing proved to be the final edition of the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. On October 21, 2014, bowl organizers announced a secondary tie-in with the MAC. The inaugural edition of the bowl was played on December 26, 2014, between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights of

SECTION 20

#1732859216689

1694-473: Is ranked the ninth worst college football team of all time by ESPN. The Aggies were also featured in the August 31, 1992, issue of Sports Illustrated in a piece that chronicles a tradition of losing games. Overall, the same subpar results remained under Hess, leading to his firing after seven seasons. Hess' record at NMSU was 22–55. However, Hess did lead the Aggies to their first winning season in 14 years in 1992,

1771-512: The Border Conference . Curfman's Aggies compiled an 8–11 record. He resigned in December 1947 to work in the sporting goods industry in Texas . From 1948 to 1957, NMSU compiled a dismal 21–74 record under four head coaches (Vaughn Corley, Joseph Coleman, James Patton and Anthony Cavallo) that were either fired or forced to resign in succession. Fan support and attendance declined, recruiting

1848-661: The Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and become an independent for 2013, while exploring potential conference affiliations for future seasons. In 2014, New Mexico State's football team returned to the Sun Belt Conference (of which the school was formerly a full member) as an "associate member" for that sport only, while keeping its other sports in the WAC. However, on March 1, 2016, the Sun Belt Conference announced via teleconference that New Mexico State's football-only associate membership would not be renewed following

1925-653: The Organ Mountains near Las Cruces and has been traded between the schools since 1955. A second trophy, officially titled the Mayor's Cup but commonly nicknamed the Brass Spittoon, was added in 1982. Due to the close proximity of the campuses it was natural for a rivalry to develop. The Texas College of Mines played its first ever game against a collegiate opponent versus New Mexico A&M on October 31, 1914, and with few exceptions, including during World War I and World War II,

2002-615: The Rams more than any other non-divisional team with 89 total matchups over the years dating back to 1937. In the 2023–24 playoffs , the Rams and Lions met for their first postseason matchup since 1952. The Lions won 24–23 in Matthew Stafford's first game back in Detroit since being traded to the Rams. As of the 2024 season, the Rams lead the all-time series 45–43–1. The Lions' flagship radio station

2079-504: The 1959 Sun Bowl . The following year, Woodson guided the Aggies to an 11–0 finish, the only perfect season in school history. That year, New Mexico State defeated Utah State , 20–13, in the 1960 Sun Bowl and attained a final AP Poll ranking of 17th. Quarterback Charley Johnson won the bowl MVP honors both years becoming the first and still only player in NCAA history to win the MVP award from

2156-585: The 1960s logo, was paired with the grey uniform. This was the first time the Lions wore a blue helmet since 1955. On April 18, 2024, the Lions unveiled a new jersey set. The home jersey, referred to as "One Pride", features a redefined Honolulu blue with white block numbers trimmed in silver and sleeves striped in silver with white accents. The home jersey is paired with silver pants with Honolulu blue stripes with white accents or solid Honolulu blue pants. The road white jersey, referred to as "the 313", features Honolulu blue block numbers, stripes trimmed in silver, and

2233-680: The 2017 FBS season because it, along with fellow football-only member Idaho, were too far from the Sun Belt's geographic "footprint" in the Southeastern United States. New Mexico State football then resumed its independent status at the start of the 2018 season. On November 5, 2021, New Mexico State announced it would be joining Conference USA in all sports including football starting in 2023. It will be joining alongside new members Sam Houston State , Jacksonville State , and Liberty . Also, it will be joining Battle of I-10 rival UTEP in

2310-563: The 2024 season, the Bears lead the series 105–79–5. The Lions and Green Bay Packers first met in 1929 when the Lions were known as the Portsmouth Spartans. The Lions and Packers have been division rivals since 1933. As of the 2024 season, the Packers lead the series 106–77–7. The Lions and Minnesota Vikings have played twice annually since the Vikings entered the NFL in 1961, excluding 1982 due to

2387-661: The 72-hour blackout deadline. The first blackout in the then seven-year history of Ford Field was on October 26, 2008, against the Washington Redskins . The previous 50 regular season home games had been sellouts. The second home game of the 2009 season in which the Lions broke the losing streak, also against the Redskins, was blacked out locally, as well as the comeback victory over the Cleveland Browns. The Lions had only one blackout in 2010, yet another Redskins game, which

GameAbove Sports Bowl - Misplaced Pages Continue

2464-782: The Aggies finished tied for 5th. The results included a loss to local rival UTEP in The Battle of I-10 by a score of 50–47 in OT, marking the 7th straight loss to the Miners in the series. On December 2, 2017, the Aggies defeated South Alabama 22–17 at Aggie Memorial Stadium to finish the regular season at 6–6 and advance to its first bowl game in 57 years, where they would play in the Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium in Tucson on December 29, 2017. New Mexico State defeated Utah State 26–20 in overtime in front of

2541-466: The Aggies football team after Hines's resignation, and led the Aggies for three seasons before departing to serve in World War II. In his absence, assistant coach Maurice Moulder led the team. Johnston's record was 6–21. The Aggies did not field a football team from 1944 to 1945 because of the events surrounding World War II. From 1946 to 1947, Ray Curfman was the head coach of the Aggies, then in

2618-423: The Aggies in 1929, and was also coach of the men's basketball team. Hines’ teams competed well in the new Border Conference. Between 1934 and 1938, the football record was 31–10–6, and the team was invited to the first Sun Bowl in 1936 where they tied the powerful Hardin–Simmons Cowboys 14–14. Hines's coaching career ended with his induction into military service during World War II. Julius H. Johnstontook over

2695-561: The Big Ten and North Carolina Tar Heels of the ACC. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic , the 2020 edition of the bowl was not played; although a specific reason was not given by organizers. In June 2024, Quick Lane sponsorship ended. For several months, the organizers used "Detroit Bowl" as a working title. On October 8, 2024, strategic investment company GameAbove, through its GameAbove Sports brand,

2772-633: The Browns won one. This was one of the NFL's best rivalries in the 1950s. Since the AFL–NFL merger of 1970, the teams have met much less frequently due to the Browns' move to the American Football Conference (AFC). From 2002 to 2014, the two teams played an annual preseason game known as the "Great Lakes Classic". As of the 2024 season, the Lions lead the all-time series 19–6, with three of those wins coming in postseason play. The Lions have played

2849-497: The Chemical Engineering school at NMSU. The Aggies continued to fare well under Woodson through the 1967 season. However at the end of that season, university administration, with whom Woodson had a contentious relationship throughout his career, invoked a clause requiring state employees to retire at age 65. Thus Woodson, who would turn 65 that offseason, was essentially forced out despite a 7–2–1 1967 campaign that ended with

2926-590: The December 2023 edition (9 games, 18 total appearances). The bowl has been televised by ESPN or ESPN2 since its inception. Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit . The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The team plays their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit . The franchise

3003-528: The Lions announced that the Ford Motor Company had acquired title sponsorship rights to the new Detroit bowl, making it the Quick Lane Bowl —named for its auto shop brand, Quick Lane . It was also confirmed that the inaugural edition of the bowl would inherit the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl's traditional date of December 26, and be televised by ESPN . In a statement to Crain's Detroit Business , Motor City Bowl co-founder Ken Hoffman confirmed that "there

3080-446: The Lions announced they would celebrate their 90th season in franchise history during the 2023 season with a commemorative logo and jersey patch. The inspiration for the patch is an homage to their logo from 1961 to 1969, which is also honored in the WCF memorial logo and the 60th commemorative season logo. On June 21, 2023, the Lions unveiled an alternate blue helmet. The helmet, which features

3157-588: The Lions honored the 75th Season All-Time Team during halftime against the Jacksonville Jaguars . The team was chosen via an online fan poll and selection committee. Bold indicates those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Note: On September 29, 2019, the Lions honored their All-Time Team in celebration of the NFL's centennial during halftime against the Kansas City Chiefs . The team

GameAbove Sports Bowl - Misplaced Pages Continue

3234-406: The Lions won 37–25. However, in 2015, the NFL suspended its blackout policies, meaning that all Lions games will be shown on local TV, regardless of tickets sold. Games were also often blacked out at the Lions' previous home, the 80,000-seat Pontiac Silverdome , despite winning seasons and the success and popularity of star players such as Barry Sanders . On June 13, 2016, the Lions announced

3311-615: The Miners 34–33 on September 20, 2008, at the Sun Bowl for their first win in El Paso since 1994. However, the most recent three games in the series have gone back to the Miners, with UTEP defeating NMSU at Aggie Memorial Stadium 38–12 on September 19, 2009 (only their second win in the Mesilla Valley since 1991), topping the Aggies 42–10 at the Sun Bowl on September 18, 2010, and again defeating

3388-433: The Miners exacted revenge for their blowout loss two years prior with a 45–0 pasting of the Aggies, the most lopsided result in the series in 55 years. The blowout marked the beginning of a three-game winning streak for UTEP in the rivalry. The tide of the series then seemingly turned back in the Aggies' favor, as NMSU defeated UTEP the next two years, their first back-to-back wins over UTEP since 1994 and 1995. The Aggies edged

3465-446: The NFL encouraged teams to wear throwback jerseys on Thanksgiving Day. In 2003, the team added black trim to their logo and jerseys. The facemasks on the helmet changed from blue to black with the introduction of the new color. In 2005, the team introduced an alternate black jersey. For 2008, the team dropped the black jersey in favor of a throwback uniform to commemorate the franchise's 75th anniversary. The throwback uniform became

3542-749: The addition of cheerleaders to the organization. The team also announced that Rebecca Girard-Smoker, formerly the director of the Detroit Pistons dance team, would be the coach of the cheerleading squad. It marked the first time in over 40 years the team had an official cheerleading squad. The cheerleading squad is a part of the entertainment during football games, and active at community events. Notes Bibliography New Mexico State Aggies football The New Mexico State Aggies football team represents New Mexico State University in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football as

3619-523: The announcers were Jason Ross Jr. with play-by-play, Golden Tate with color commentary, and Dannie Rogers with sideline reports. Games are produced by Bally Sports Detroit . Regular season games are broadcast regionally on Fox , except when the Lions play an AFC team in Detroit, in which case the game airs regionally on CBS ; however, since 2014, with the institution of the NFL's "cross flex" broadcast rules , any Lions game slated to air on Fox can be moved to CBS. The Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit

3696-458: The best, so Richards selected it. The blue used by the Lions is officially known as "Honolulu blue", which is inspired by the color of the waves off the coast of Hawaii. There have been minor changes to the uniform design throughout the years, such as changing the silver stripe patterns on the jersey sleeves, and changing the colors of the jersey numbers. "TV numbers", which are auxiliary uniform numbers to help TV broadcasters identify players from

3773-463: The conference and its championship game. The Aggies have a 4–1–1 record in their bowl games. The Aggies went 57 seasons between bowl appearances (December 31, 1960 – December 29, 2017), which had been the longest current drought by an FBS team. NMSU's biggest rival is in-state foe New Mexico . The series, known as the Rio Grande Rivalry, dates back to January 1, 1894 – eighteen years before

3850-614: The conference. In 2021, the New Mexico State Aggies were accepted to join Conference USA and would start by 2023. The Aggies, coming off a Quick Lane Bowl winning season, were hungry to join a conference, and after being independent for years, they finally had a chance. In 2023, the Aggies put together a 10–3 regular season and earned a spot in the 2023 CUSA Championship against the Liberty Flames , also making their debut in

3927-563: The eighth-place team in the Big Ten against the MAC champion, competing teams are selected by conference representatives and are not based on final rankings. Since 2002, Detroit's Ford Field had played host to the Motor City Bowl —later known as the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl for sponsorship reasons; a bowl game between the 8th placed team in the Big Ten Conference and the champion of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), which

SECTION 50

#1732859216689

4004-444: The line of scrimmage, were added to the jersey sleeves in 1956. White trim was added to the logo in 1970, with outlines (white on the blue jersey, silver on the white jersey) added to the numbers in 1972; the color arrangement on the numbers on the blue jerseys was reversed in 1982. The silver facemasks became blue in 1984. In 1998, the team wore blue pants with their white jerseys along with grey socks but dropped that combination after

4081-510: The new, then-unnamed game, tentatively scheduled for December 30, 2014. The team had reached six-year deals with the Big Ten and ACC to provide tie-ins for the game; the teams playing in the bowl are to be picked by representatives from each participating conference. The announcement of the Lions' bowl game, and the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl's loss of Ford Field as a venue, left the fate of the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl—which had

4158-503: The program's 34th head coach in February 2013. Martin had previously been offensive coordinator at NMSU during the 2011 season helping obtain the school's first victory over a Big Ten team ( Minnesota ) before being hired away by Boston College . In Martin's first season at the helm, the Aggies compiled a 2–10 record. The 2015 season saw the Aggies finish with a 3–9 win–loss record, with all three wins coming in Sun Belt Conference play, where

4235-507: The same bowl game in back-to-back years. Johnson went on to play in the National Football League for 15 years with the St. Louis Cardinals , Houston Oilers and Denver Broncos . During his NFL career he managed to complete a Doctorate in Chemical Engineering making him one of only a handful of NFL player to earn a Ph.D. Dr. Johnson subsequently retired as a professor and department head of

4312-512: The same since they moved to Detroit in 1934–silver helmets, silver pants, and either blue or white jerseys. Glenn Presnell , the then last surviving member of the 1934 Lions, recalled that after the Portsmouth Spartans relocated to Detroit, team owner George A. Richards asked him and his wife to pick the Lions' colors from combinations that included red and white, orange and black, and blue and silver. The Presnells liked blue and silver

4389-606: The season. In 1999, the "TV numbers" on the sleeves were moved to the shoulders. In 1994, every NFL team wore throwback jerseys, and the Lions' were similar to the jerseys wore during their 1935 championship season. The helmets and pants were solid silver, the jerseys Honolulu blue with silver numbers and the jersey did not have "TV numbers" on the sleeves. The team wore solid blue socks and black cleats. The helmets also did not have logos, as helmets were simple leather back then. The Lions also wore 1950s-style jerseys during their traditional Thanksgiving Day games from 2001 to 2004 as

4466-483: The series lead at 57–38–2, this is largely due to dominance in the series from the 1920s to the 1960s. From 1969 through 2000, each team acquired 16 victories each. However, UTEP's advantage is now 13–6 in the last 19 games. The winner of the annual matchup receives a pair of traveling trophies. The older of the two is known as the Silver Spade. It is a replica of an old prospector's shovel found in an abandoned mine in

4543-419: The state of New Mexico achieved statehood – when the schools met in a football contest in Albuquerque. While it is clear that New Mexico won that first game, school records seem to disagree on the score. According to New Mexico media guides the final score was 25–5 but according to New Mexico State media guides the score was 18–6. By the time New Mexico entered the union in 1912 UNM and New Mexico A&M (as NMSU

4620-674: The strike that occurred that season. As of the 2024 season, the Vikings lead the all-time series 80–44–2. The Lions and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were also division opponents in the NFL Central from 1977 to 2001. As of the 2024 season, the Lions lead the all-time series 33–30. The Lions also share a rivalry with the Cleveland Browns , which began in the 1950s when the Browns and Lions played each other in four NFL Championship Games. The Lions won three of those championships, while

4697-472: The team from 1963 until his death in 2014. The sleeve addition replaced the black "WCF" patch on the left breast that was added after Ford's death. On September 20, 2021, the Lions wore white pants with their road white uniforms against the Green Bay Packers . The white pants, which lacked striping, were previously worn during the "scarlet and black" era in the 1948 and 1949 seasons. On April 12, 2023,

SECTION 60

#1732859216689

4774-404: The team's permanent alternate jersey in 2009, replacing the former black alternate. The Lions officially unveiled a new logo and uniforms on April 20, 2009. The logo was given a flowing mane and fangs, while the typeface featured a modern font. On February 1, 2017, the Lions announced a new typeface, logo, and the complete removal of the color black from the team identity. While the previous logo

4851-470: The teams would meet again every year. Following World War II the series resumed on an annual basis from 1946 until 2001, when UTEP's administration made the controversial decision to cancel their scheduled trip to Las Cruces in favor of scheduling an additional home contest against a Division I-AA opponent. The schools agreed to meet again in 2002 (a 49–14 NMSU win, their biggest blowout of the Miners since 1922), but did not play again until 2004 in El Paso when

4928-425: The third college football player to rush for 1,000 yards each of his four seasons. At that time the only other backs that had accomplished the feat at that time were Tony Dorsett ( Pittsburgh ) and Amos Lawrence ( North Carolina ). Although Samuel would lead the Aggies to winning records in 1999 and 2002 , the Aggies failed to win a conference title or receive a bowl game bid under his leadership and his contract

5005-540: Was Campbell who lobbied for the black jersey to return, which happened after the Lions won the NFC North division title in 2023 . The throwback jersey was retained and updated with the refreshed Honolulu blue. The throwback jersey is paired with a silver helmet that is worn with a silver or a Honolulu blue face mask. The William Clay Ford (WCF) memorial decal has been placed on the back of the primary and alternate helmets. In 1934, then team owner George A. Richards, who also

5082-482: Was announced as the game's new title sponsor, making it the GameAbove Sports Bowl . Source: Updated through the December 2023 edition (9 games, 18 total appearances). Won (6): Boston College , Duke , New Mexico State , Pittsburgh , Rutgers , Western Michigan Lost (7): Central Michigan , Eastern Michigan , Georgia Tech , Maryland , Nevada , North Carolina , Northern Illinois Updated through

5159-556: Was becoming more difficult and alumni and administration support was drying up. This would be a sign of things to come for the Aggie football program. Future College Football Hall of Fame inductee Warren B. Woodson took over as head coach in 1958. He previously had success at the Conway Teachers College (now Central Arkansas) and Hardin–Simmons . In his second season at New Mexico State, Woodson's team defeated North Texas in

5236-476: Was chosen via fan voting, contributions from the Detroit Lions Legends Community, team executives, and select members of the media. Bold indicates those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Note: → Coaching staff → Front office → More NFL staffs The Lions have had 30 head coaches throughout their franchise history. Their first head coach was Hal Griffen , who compiled

5313-412: Was fired after a winless 1989 season. NMSU, hoping for a positive change in results, hired Jim Hess away from Stephen F. Austin in December 1989. In November 1990, the Aggies managed to snap their 27-game losing streak, the longest active losing streak at the time, when they defeated Cal State Fullerton 43–9. Fullerton dropped its football program following the 1992 season. The 1988–90 NMSU team

5390-479: Was first played in 1997 at the Pontiac Silverdome . In May 2013, ESPN reported that the Detroit Lions were planning to organize a new Big Ten bowl game at Ford Field against an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponent—Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany had expressed a desire to revamp the conference's lineup of bowl games for the 2014 season to keep them "fresh". In August 2013, the Lions officially confirmed

5467-421: Was founded in Portsmouth, Ohio as the Portsmouth Spartans and joined the NFL on July 12, 1930. Amid financial struggles, the franchise was relocated to Detroit in 1934 and renamed the Lions in reference to the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise, the Detroit Tigers . The Lions won four NFL Championship Games between 1935 and 1957 . Following the 1957 championship, the franchise did not win

5544-492: Was known prior to 1959) had already met on the gridiron six times. Beginning in 1993, the two universities played for the Maloof Trophy, but it was short-lived; the trophy was retired in 2000. Until 1937, the series was competitive with the Aggies holding a 15–12–4 lead over the Lobos. Since 1938 the Lobos have dominated the series 61–20–1 except during 1959–1968 when the Aggies won 7 of 10 meetings. The Lobos' all-time advantage

5621-404: Was not renewed following a 5–6 season in 2004 . NMSU turned to former Kentucky head coach Hal Mumme to turn around the moribund program in December 2004. Mumme brought his high-scoring, pass-oriented offense known as the "Air Raid" to NMSU. Under Mumme, the Aggies compiled an 11–38 record. At the end of the 2008 season the Aggies ended their fourth season under Mumme at 3–9 (1–7 WAC) with

5698-447: Was retained, the border was changed from black to silver. The Lions then unveiled the new uniforms on April 13, 2017, which included the white jersey and blue pants combo for the first time since 1998. They introduced an alternate all-grey uniform, an alternate all-Honolulu blue uniform, and a helmet with a silver face mask. The Lions also added the initials "WCF" to the left sleeve as a permanent tribute to William Clay Ford , who owned

5775-523: Was the first match-up against in-state rival New Mexico on January 1, 1894. From 1914 to 1916, Clarence Russell served as head football coach of the Aggies, compiling a 7–2–6 record. Dutch Bergman served as head coach from 1920 to 1922, compiling a record of 12–1–5. R. R. Brown served as the head football coach of the Aggies from 1923 to 1925. He led the 1923 team to an undefeated 9–0 record, including victories over Hardin–Simmons , and rival teams New Mexico , and UTEP . Jerry Hines began coaching

5852-494: Was the head coach of Liberty University when the Flames lost to the Aggies in 2022. On January 4, 2024, former UNLV head coach and New Mexico State player Tony Sanchez was officially named head coach for the Aggies, after coach Jerry Kill stepped down. He signed a five-year contract that will pay him $ 600,000 in his first year, but increases each year by $ 25,000 reaching $ 700,000 in 2028. Additional bonus will be added for reaching

5929-669: Was the owner of a major radio affiliate of the NBC Blue Network , WJR in Detroit, the forerunner to today's ABC , negotiated an agreement with NBC to carry his Thanksgiving game live across all of the network's stations. Excluding the years of 1939–1944, due to World War II , the Lions have played on Thanksgiving ever since. Running backs (RB) Wide receivers (WR) Tight ends (TE) Defensive linemen (DL) Defensive backs (DB) Special teams Reserve 53 active, 16 reserve, 14 practice squad Notes: Special cases On November 9, 2008,

#688311