“This is a tremendous opportunity for our program," Aggies interim head coach Frank Maile said in a news release. "It is a fantastic reward for all of the hard work and dedication that our players have put in, from all the offseason workouts, to watching film to the practice field. I am so happy for them. We are excited to represent Utah State University, Cache Valley and Aggie Nation at the New Mexico Bowl.”
Utah State finished the 2018 regular season 10-2, including a 7-1 record in the Mountain West Conference. It lost to Boise State on the Mountain Division championship game, knocking it out of a chance at the Las Vegas Bowl, where the MW champion traditionally plays.