Bo Nix pointed out on Friday that this is his first New Year’s Six bowl game.

The FBS record holder for career starts, Nix will lead the Oregon Ducks against Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl on Monday. The Ducks fell to Washington in the Pac-12 Championship Game, squashing their hopes for a College Football Playoff berth and sending them to a bowl game against a Group of Five team. Some wondered if Nix’s career was done, as it has become common for players to opt out of non-CFP bowls to prepare for the NFL.

Nix didn’t do that.

“It wasn’t really a decision, to be honest,” Nix said with a grin.

The Ducks will be without Troy Franklin in the game, but Nix will still have most of his weapons. The Ducks have fared mostly well when it comes to opt-outs.

Other schools — Florida State, namely — have been hammered with players deciding not to play in the bowl game. When USC played in the Holiday Bowl, it was missing a third of its two-deep because of transfers or opt-outs.

For Nix and the Ducks, this game offered them an opportunity to finish what they started.

“It’s really important,” Nix said. “That’s why I’m playing in the game. You get a full season and you’re not promised games. So, to be able to play in a game like this with this magnitude, I’m gonna make the most of it.

“… We didn’t end in the Pac-12 championship like we would like to, so this one’s gonna mean a lot. There’s something about winning and something about competing that we enjoy doing together. We want to go out there and put it out there for one more time and hopefully go out with a win.”

Kickoff from Glendale on Monday is set for 10 a.m. PT on ESPN.