(Editor's note: UW Athletics release)
LARAMIE, Wyo. - The Wyoming Cowboys will once again be part of the college bowl season as they were invited to the 2021 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Sunday. The game will be played on Tuesday, Dec. 21 at Alberstons Stadium in Boise, Idaho, and is scheduled to kick off at 1:30 p.m., Mountain Time. Wyoming’s opponent will be Kent State of the Mid-American Conference. The game will be televised on ESPN.
Ticket information will be available online at GoWyo.com/tickets, by calling (307) 766-7220 or by visiting the UW Athletics Ticket Office on the west side of the Arena-Auditorium.
The Cowboys will bring a 6-6 overall record into bowl season. Kent State will bring a 7-6 record into the game.
Wyoming and Kent State will be playing against each other for the first time in history. The two teams did play one common opponent this season in Northern Illinois. The Cowboys defeated NIU in DeKalb, Ill., on Sept. 11 by a score of 50-43. Kent State played Northern Illinois twice, losing a home game to the Huskies, 52-47, in the regular season and losing to them in the MAC Championship Game on Dec. 4 by a score of 41-23 in Detroit.
“We are very excited for another outstanding matchup at this year’s Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and we are thrilled to put on a great event in front of fans once again,” said Kevin McDonald, Executive Director of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. “We really enjoyed hosting Coach (Craig) Bohl and Wyoming in 2017 and can’t wait to have the Cowboys and their fans back this year. Welcoming a team for the first time is always a unique experience, and we look forward to showing Kent State and their supporters the very best of Boise.”
“On behalf of Cowboy Football, we are elated to be invited to play in this year’s Famous Idaho Potato Bowl,” said Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl. “Our team had a great experience in 2017 when we played in Boise. The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl staff and the Boise community do a great job of hosting the game and the events surrounding it. Our coaching staff and players are looking forward to the opportunity of playing together again this season.
“I know our fans remember the great experience they had back in 2017 at the bowl game, and we look forward to seeing them in Boise later this month.
“We know we will be playing a very good football team in Kent State, and we’re excited for the challenge.”
“We’re excited for our players, coaches and fans that we have the opportunity to be playing in a bowl game again this year,” said University of Wyoming Athletics Director Tom Burman. “We want to thank the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl committee for inviting us back after we enjoyed such a fantastic experience there in 2017.
“This is the fourth time that Coach Bohl and his staff has taken us to a bowl game, and for some of our players this will be the fourth bowl team they have been a part of, so we are happy our players get to cap off their careers in postseason play.
“In order to get the best tickets available, we encourage our fans to purchase their tickets through our University of Wyoming Athletics Ticket Office, and we’ll see you in Boise on Dec. 21.”
A First in Wyoming History
This year’s bowl invitation marks the fourth time in six seasons that Wyoming has earned a bowl bid. That is a first in the 125-year history of Cowboy Football. The previous best for the Wyoming Football program was four bowl game appearances in seven seasons from 1987 to 1993.
A Coaching First
Head coach Craig Bohl becomes the first head coach in Wyoming Football history to take four Cowboy teams to bowl games. Bohl was previously tied with UW Athletics Hall of Fame Coach Paul Roach, with both coaches having taken three Wyoming teams to bowl games.
Bohl will be seeking his third bowl victory as Wyoming’s head coach. He already holds the Wyoming record for bowl wins as a head coach, with two bowl victories in the 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and the 2019 NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl.
Pokes Seeking a Third Consecutive Bowl Win
UW is seeking its third consecutive bowl victory. The Pokes won the 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl over Central Michigan by a score of 37-14, and captured a 38-17 victory over Georgia State in the 2019 NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl.
This year’s appearance will be Wyoming’s 17th bowl appearance in history. The Cowboys are 8-8 overall in bowl games.
2021 Wyoming Cowboys Played a Schedule That Included Eight Teams Who Have Earned Postseason Berths, Cowboys Defeated Two Conference Champions
Wyoming’s 12-game regular-season schedule this season featured eight teams who will be participating in postseason play this year and seven teams who will be participating in bowl games. UW posted a 4-4 record against those eight teams, including wins over: Mountain West Conference Champion Utah State, Mid-Amercian Conference Champion Northern Illinois, Ball State of the Mid-American Conference and Montana State, who is the No. 8 seed in this year’s FCS National Playoffs. The four postseason teams that Wyoming lost to this season were: Air Force, Boise State, Fresno State and Hawai’i.
Wyoming Defensive Highlights
The Cowboys feature one of the top defenses in the country. UW’s defense ranks No. 7 in the nation in pass defense and No. 36 out of 130 FBS teams in both scoring defense and total defense. That defense is led by All-America candidate at linebacker Chad Muma and All-Conference performers C.J. Coldon (cornerback), Garrett Crall (defensive end), Easton Gibbs (linebacker), Cole Godbout (nose tackle) and Azizi Hearn (cornerback).
Wyoming Offensive Highlights
On offense, Wyoming’s rushing attack was once again at the forefront, ranking 30th in the nation (195.1 yards per game). The offense features All-Conference players: Xazavian Valladay and Titus Swen both at running back, offensive linemen Keegan Cryder, Logan Harris and Frank Crum and wide receiver Isaiah Neyor.
Complimentary Admission to Cowboy Joe Club Pregame Event
The Cowboy Joe Club will be offering all Wyoming fans attending the bowl game complimentary admission to a pregame tailgate event. Fans wishing to attend the pregame tailgate event are asked to RSVP so that the Cowboy Joe Club can plan for food and beverage quantities at the event. Fans may RSVP through the UW Athletics online ticketing site (GoWyo.com/tickets), by emailing cowboyjoe@uwyo.edu or by calling the Cowboy Joe Club at (307) 766-6242.
