WATCH LIVE STREAMING FOOTBALL Washington State vs Colorado State

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- When second-year Colorado State coach Jim McElwain got word his team was heading to the New Mexico Bowl, he gathered them in an auditorium to break the news. The ecstatic players broke out in cheers and began high-fiving each other. For Washington State, word spread about the Cougars' bowl invite on social media long before school officials could make a formal announcement. Mike Leach, Washington State's second-year coach, said fans were just too excited and had been waiting a long time for some good news. The matchup between Colorado State (7-6) and Washington State (6-6) in the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday in Albuquerque will mark the first meeting between the teams and comes as both are in the midst of turning around their long-struggling programs. The Rams haven't been to a bowl game since 2008 and the Cougars haven't seen the postseason in a decade. The bowl matchup, both coaches said, is a sign that things are changing.

WATCH LIVE STREAMING FOOTBALL Washington State vs Colorado State