Pokes, Flashes heading to Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
LARAMIE -- Balmy Boise, anyone?
Wyoming will face Kent State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Dec. 21 inside Albertsons Stadium. This is the Cowboys second postseason trip to the blue turf in the last five seasons.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. MT.
Wyoming forced eight turnovers and Josh Allen torched the Central Michigan secondary with three touchdown tosses in his final collegiate game in 2017. The Cowboys rolled to an easy 37-14 victory in Boise.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Cowboys and Golden Flashes.
Kent State, based in Ohio, was 7-6 this season and featured a 6-2 mark in MAC play. The Flashes feature one of the top offenses in the country, averaging 483 yards of total offense per outing. Quarterback Dustin Crum has thrown for 2,922 yards and 16 touchdowns to go along with just six interceptions this season.
Marquez Cooper, the Flashes' sophomore running back has gashed defenses for 1,080 yards on 217 carries (5-yard average). He has also scored 11 touchdowns.
Dante Cephas is Kent State's deep threat on the outside. The sophomore has hauled in 78 passes for 1,124 yards and eight touchdowns. Keshunn Abram and Nykeim Johnson have both eclipsed the 500-yard receiving mark this fall.
On the flip side, the Flashes are ranked No. 122 in the nation in total defense, allowing 466 yards per game. Nearly 200 of those come on the ground.
The Cowboys finished the season 6-6 overall and 2-6 in conference play. Road wins over the MAC and Mountain West champions, Northern Illinois and Utah State, respectively, highlight Wyoming's resume. Kent State also knocked off the Huskies this fall.
Bohl's team went 4-0 in non-conference play and added a 31-17 victory over Border War rival, Colorado State.
There were also the head-scratching moments.
Wyoming suffered a 10-quarter scoreless streak and fell at home to a three-win New Mexico squad, 14-3.The Pokes lost four straight to begin MW play, starting with a 24-14 setback at Air Force. They were also shutout in Laramie by Fresno State.
Wyoming is 8-8 all-time in postseason play and has won its last two bowl games, the 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (37-14 over Central Michigan) and the 2019 Arizona Bowl (38-17 over Georgia State). Craig Bohl is 2-1 overall, his lone loss coming in the 2016 Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego.
Kent State is playing in the fifth bowl game. In 2019, Sean Lewis and Flashes knocked off Utah State 51-41 in the Frisco Bowl. That was the first postseason victory in school history.
List of Wyoming bowl games:
1951: Wyoming 20, Washington & Lee 7 - Gator Bowl
1956: Wyoming 21, Texas Tech 14 - Sun Bowl
1958: Wyoming 14, Hardin Simmons 6 - Sun Bowl
1966: Wyoming 28, Florida State 20 - Sun Bowl
1968: LSU 20, Wyoming 13 - Sugar Bowl
1976: Oklahoma 41, Wyoming 7 - Fiesta Bowl
1987: Iowa 20, Wyoming 19 - Holiday Bowl
1988: Oklahoma State 62, Wyoming 14 - Holiday Bowl
1990: California 17, Wyoming 15 - Copper Bowl
1993: Kansas State 52, Wyoming 17 - Copper Bowl
2004: Wyoming 24, UCLA 21 - Las Vegas Bowl
2009: Wyoming 35, Fresno State 28 (OT) - New Mexico Bowl
2011: Temple 35, Wyoming 17 - New Mexico Bowl
2016: BYU 24, Wyoming 21 - Poinsettia Bowl
2017: Wyoming 37, Central Michigan 14 - Potato Bowl
2019: Wyoming 38, Georgia State 17 - Arizona Bowl
List of Kent State bowl games:
1954: Delaware 19, Kent State 7 - Refrigerator Bowl
1972: Tampa 21, Kent State 18 - Tangerine Bowl
2012: Arkansas State 17, Kent State 13 - GoDaddy.com Bowl
2019: Kent State 51, Utah State 41 - Frisco Bowl
University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
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