Cowboys to Face Toledo in 2023 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl
Kick set for 2:30 on Dec. 30 on The CW
Kick set for 2:30 on Dec. 30 on The CW
LARAMIE, Wyo. (Dec. 21, 2023) – For the third consecutive season the Wyoming Cowboys will be playing in a bowl game, which is the first time that has happened in Wyoming school history. The Cowboys have accepted an invitation to the 2023 Bartstool Sports Arizona Bowl, marking the second consecutive year the Pokes will play in Tucson and the third time in the past five seasons. Wyoming will face the University of Toledo Rockets in this year's Arizona Bowl.
The 2023 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl will kick off on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 2:30 p.m., Mountain Time in Tucson, Ariz. Wyoming will bring an 8-4 overall record and a 5-3 Mountain West Conference record into the game. Toledo finished its season with an 11-2 overall mark and an 8-0 record in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
Ticket Information
Wyoming’s Athletics Ticket Office has sold out of its allotment of tickets for the Arizona Bowl. Wyoming fans may still purchase tickets to the game through Seat Geek at the link here. The Cowboy Joe Club Tailgate still has tickets remaining, but hurry!
Where to Watch and Listen
The 2023 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl will be telecast live nationally on the CW and on Barstool TV.
The game will be broadcast on radio over the 26 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network, with Keith Kelley (play-by-play), Kevin McKinney (color analyst) and Randy Welniak (sideline analyst) describing the action.
All-MW Cowboys: The Mountain West Conference announced its 2023 All-Mountain West football teams on Nov. 28 and eight Wyoming Cowboys were honored. The team was selected in voting by the 12 Mountain West head coaches and media members covering the league.
For the fifth consecutive season, Wyoming has a linebacker on the All-Mountain West First Team. For the second straight season Wyoming middle linebacker Easton Gibbs was named to the First Team. Gibbs was joined on the First Team by Cowboy offensive tackle Frank Crum, who earned First Team honors for the first time in his career. Wyoming defensive tackle Jordan Bertagnole was voted to the Second Team. It was also Bertagnole’s first All-Conference honor.
Five Cowboys achieved Honorable Mention honors. Those five are: safety Wyett Ekeler, quarterback Andrew Peasley, running back Harrison Waylee, tight end Treyton Welch and wide receiver Wyatt Wieland. It marked the second consecutive season that Peasley and Welch earned Honorable Mention honors. Ekeler, Waylee and Wieland all received Honorable Mention recognition for the first time.
Cowboy Bowl History: The Cowboys are 9-9 all-time in Bowl games dating back to their first contest against Washington & Lee in the 1951 Gator Bowl. Wyoming has won three of their last four bowl games dating back to 2017 and are 3-2 in Bowl Games under head coach Craig Bohl. It marks the fourth time in the last five trips to a Bowl that Wyoming has played against a team from the MAC. Wyoming owns wins over Central Michigan (37-14 in 2017) and Kent State (52-38 in 2021) and fell last season against Ohio in overtime by a score of 30-27.
Against the MAC: The Cowboys are 11-6 all-time against teams from the Mid-American Conference. Since 1996 when the Wyoming Cowboys first played a Mid-American Conference team in Western Michigan, the Cowboys are 11-5 all-time against current teams from the MAC. UW is 5-3 against MAC foes in Laramie, 4-2 on the road and 2-1 at neutral sites. Wyoming fell in overtime last season against Ohio in the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl 30-27. Wyoming will meet Toledo for the third time, which is tied for the most games against a MAC team with Ohio and Central Michigan.
Forcing Turnovers: The Cowboys head into the bowl game ranked seventh in the nation and second in the mountain West in turnover margin at 0.83. The group also rank No 20 in the nation in turnovers gained with 21, as Wyoming ranks sixth in the nation in fumbles recovered with 11 on the season. Wyoming has 10 interceptions on the season.
Against The Run: The Cowboys have been solid against the run all season allowing 144.6 per game. The Pokes have allowed opponents to rush for under 100 yards in six games this season including three of the last four games. Nevada recorded only 18 rushing yards in the last contest. In the month of November, Wyoming allowed only 76 yards rushing per game.
November Opponent Rushing
Nevada- 18 | Hawai’i - 67 | UNLV - 165 | Colorado State - 54
Offense Over Last Two Games: The Cowboy offense has been solid to close out the regular season. The group has averaged 440.5 yards of total offense in those two games with 198.5 yards rushing and 242.0 yards passing. The group has also averaged 22 first downs per game and have scored 42 points per game. Wyoming has scored six rushing scores and had five passing scores in the last two contests.
Ekeler Named MW Defensive Player of the Week: Wyoming safety Wyett Ekeler racked up another Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week honor after Wyoming’s win over Nevada in the regular season finale on Saturday. He was also named MW Defensive Player of the Week following Wyoming’s win over New Mexico. Ekeler, a native of Windsor, Colo. finished the contest with five tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. He also added an interception and returned it 38-yards or a score breaking five tackles in the process for the first interception for a score since Cam Stone did so against New Mexico in 2022.
Head Coach Craig Bohl to Coach Last Game: University of Wyoming head football coach Craig Bohl announced on Dec. 6 that he is retiring as head coach of the Wyoming Cowboys. Bohl’s retirement will end his 10-year tenure leading the Cowboys, which is the longest of any head football coach in school history. He will coach the Cowboys through this year’s Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl on Dec. 30 in Tucson, Ariz. Bohl steps away from Wyoming Football after one of the most sustained periods of success in program history, including: more bowl victories (3) and more bowl appearances (6) than any coach in school history; six winning seasons -- second most of any Wyoming coach; and more NFL players developed than at any time in program history.
