Wyoming Cowboys Enjoy Dominating Victory
in 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Cowboy Football Classics Re-Broadcast
Saturday at 1 p.m. on Cowboy Sports Network Affiliates
gowyo.com
in 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Cowboy Football Classics Re-Broadcast
Saturday at 1 p.m. on Cowboy Sports Network Affiliates
Cowboy Football Classics - Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Video: Cowboy Football Classics - Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Football
gowyo.com
Laramie, Wyo. (Oct. 2, 2020) – The 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl saw the Wyoming Cowboys record their most dominating bowl victory in school history, winning by 23 points over Central Michigan University. The win was fueled by an electrifying performance from junior quarterback Josh Allen, who threw three touchdown passes in his last game as a Cowboy, and a Wyoming defense that forced a school record eight turnovers, including a 58-yard fumble return for a touchdown by junior defensive end Carl Granderson.
Cowboy football fans can re-live the 2017 win in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl this Saturday, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m., M.T. when the radio call of the game will be re-broadcast on Cowboy Sports Network affiliate stations. Fans unable to access the radio re-broadcasts on a Cowboy Sports Network affiliate may listen to the broadcast by clicking on the link that accompanies this story on the Wyoming Football page at GoWyo.com.
Two days before the game, it was announced that Allen would return to the Wyoming lineup after missing the final two and a half games of the 2017 regular season due to a shoulder injury he suffered to his throwing arm in a win over Air Force. The anouncement was made at Wyoming’s Wednesday press conference after Allen and head coach Craig Bohl had discussed Allen’s options, including the fact that he was already rated as a first round NFL Draft prospect. The big question entering the game was would Allen be his normal dynamic self coming back from that injury. When the game kicked off on Friday, it didn’t take long to answer that question.
At the 7:55 mark of the first quarter, Allen threw a 23-yard bullet to wide receiver Jared Scott for the Cowboys first touchdown of the day. The velocity on the throw showed everyone in attendance, including several NFL scouts, that Allen’s arm was just fine. The Cowboy defense would force the first CMU turnover on the very next possession when senior defensive end Nela Lolohea sacked Chippewa quarterback Shane Morris and knocked the ball loose. Cowboy junior nose tackle Sidney Malauulu recovered the football at the Central Michigan 24-yard line. Six plays later, Allen would hit sophomore wide receiver Austin Conway on an 11-yard TD to give the Pokes a 14-0 lead. The Chippewas would respond with a 74-yard TD pass from Morris to running back Jonathan Ward on their next possession to cut the lead to 14-7. It would only take four plays for Allen and his offensive unit to extend their lead capped off by a beautiful 45-yard deep ball from Allen to sophomore wide receiver C.J. Johnson to build the lead to 21-7. It was Allen’s third TD pass in the first quarter and would give the Pokes a lead they would never relinquish.
The second quarter belonged to the Cowboy defense and sophomore place-kicker Cooper Rothe. Wyoming’s defense shutout the Chippewas in the second quarter and held them to only 18 yards of total offense, while Rothe would convert two field goals from 27 and 28 yards to stretch Wyoming’s lead at halftime to 27-7. Both of Rothe’s second quarter field goals were set up by forced turnnovers by the Cowboy defense. Sophomore linebacker Logan Wilson forced a fumble late in the first quarter that was recovered by junior free safety Marcus Epps to set up Rothe’s first field goal early in the second quarter. His second field goal came after an interception by Cowboy junior strong safety Andrew Wingard, who returned it 20 yards to the CMU 28-yard line. Wilson added a second interception for the Wyoming defense in the second quarter, but that turnover didn’t result in any points for UW.
Rothe would once again add to the Wyoming lead in the third quarter with a 20-yard field goal to put the Pokes up 30-7. That field goal was also set up by an interception from sophomore cornerback Tyler Hall. Central Michigan would score its second touchdown of the game on a three-yard TD run by running back Ward on his second touchdown of the day. That made the score 30-14 heading into the fourth quarter.
The final score of the game would be a spectacular fumble recovery and return by Wyoming’s Granderson on CMU’s first possession of the fourth quarter. Granderson picked up the fumble by Chippewa quarterback Morris at the Wyoming 42-yard line and would sprint 58 yards to the end zone to put the Cowboys up 37-14. Epps would later intercept Morris for Wyoming’s seventh forced turnover vs. CMU, and Wingard would force a fumble that was recovered by senior nickel back Jalen Ortiz for Wyoming’s school record eighth forced turnover.
The Cowboy defense would end the game with 10.0 tackles for losses, 5.0 sacks, four interceptions and four fumble recoveries while limiting Central Michigan to only 18 yards rushing and 346 passing for 364 yards of total offense and only 14 points.
Wyoming’s offense featured a balanced attack of 121 yards rushing and 154 passing for 275 yards of total offense. The Cowboy offense did not commit any turnovers, while converting four turnovers forced by their defense into points, and defensive end Granderson turned a fifth turnover into points all by himself.
Allen’s final game as a Cowboy saw him complete 11 of 19 passes for 154 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. During the postgame trophy presentation, he would announce he was entering the NFL Draft as his teammates and fans cheered him on.
Each Saturday re-broadcast will feature a pre-game segment with the Cowboy Sports Network’s radio broadcast team of Dave Walsh and Kevin McKinney reminiscing about the game followed by the original broadcast of the game and the original postgame interviews conducted the day of the game. Walsh and McKinney will also have some closing comments at the end of each broadcast.
Cowboy Football Classics Schedule on the Cowboy Sports Network
Oct. 3 2017 win over Central Michigan in Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, 37-14
Oct. 10 2019 win over Missouri, 37-31
Oct. 17 2019 win over Georgia State in Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl, 38-17
All games to be broadcast at 1 p.m., Mountain Time TJH
