LARAMIE — The Wyoming Cowboys are making history in Craig Bohl’s final bowl game as Wyoming’s head coach as they secure their third consecutive bowl game appearance, a milestone unprecedented in Cowboy football. The 2023 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl marks the Pokes’ second successive year playing in Tucson, and the third time in the past five seasons. The Cowboys square off against the University of Toledo Rockets in this year’s Arizona Bowl.
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The Arizona Bowl has Wyoming with an 8-4 overall record and a 5-3 Mountain West Conference standing. Toledo has an impressive 11-2 overall record, concluding their season with an 8-0 record in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
The Cowboys face Toledo with eight All-Mountain West Conference players. You can see who made it for the Pokes here.
The Cowboys stand at 9-9 all-time in bowl games, with three victories in the last four dating back to 2017. Under head coach Craig Bohl, Wyoming sits at 3-2 in Bowl Games. The upcoming Arizona Bowl marks the fourth occasion in the last five bowl appearances that Wyoming faces a MAC team.
Against the MAC, Wyoming holds an 11-6 all-time record. Since 1996, the Cowboys are 11-5 against current MAC teams. Notably, Wyoming faced Toledo twice previously, resulting in a win for each team.
Wyoming enters the bowl game ranked seventh in the nation and second in the Mountain West in turnover margin. Their defense was solid against the run in November allowing only 76 yards rushing per game. Safety Wyett Ekeler earned Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week honors twice this season.
The Cowboy offense was great in the last two regular-season games, averaging 440.5 yards of total offense, with a balanced attack of rushing and passing.
Head coach Craig Bohl announced his retirement, culminating his 10-year tenure as the longest-serving head football coach in school history. Defensive coordinator Jay Sawvel is set to succeed Bohl as the head coach following the Arizona Bowl.
Sawvel and Toledo head coach Jason Candle share a football alma mater, both graduating from the University of Mount Union in Ohio.
The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 30, and will be broadcast on TRN Media 104.9 FM and 1490 AM KUGR in Sweetwater County. In Sublette County, the game can be heard on 104.3 KFZE.
