December 22, 2021 |
The Cowboys showed up in Boise and won Wyoming’s third consecutive bowl game, skinning Kent State 52-38. The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl turned into an offensive highlight reel featuring one explosive play after another. When the spuds settled, the Cowboys had put up 531 yards of offense, over 400 on the ground and 127 yards in the air. Kent State racked up even more yardage – 656.
The Cowboys got on the board first with a five yard touchdown run by Levi Williams at the 7:06 mark of the first quarter. Wyoming’s opening drive took 4:19. Then the Golden Flashes lived up to their name. Five seconds after Wyoming scored, on their first play after getting the ball back, Kent State tied up the game with an 80 yard bomb.
Wow is right. Kevin McKinney and Dave Walsh were in the booth for they later admitted was the wildest game they had ever called. The race was on from there. The momentum see-sawed back and forth. At the half it was neck with Kent State up 24-21.
Wyoming owned the third quarter. Williams rushed 27 yards for a touchdown. Xavian Valladay added another. The Wyoming defense held Kent State in Check, and the Cowboys entered the fourth quarter up 35-24.
At the 12:49 mark, quarterback Levi Williams blew the game wide open with an epic 80-yard touchdown run.
Faster than a flash: Williams finished the day with 200 yards rushing and four touchdowns — the first college quarterback to ever put up those numbers. All the hate mail Williams received last year from disgruntled fans was erased in – you got it, a flash. Valladay rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown. Even senior Trey Smith got in the act with 73 yards and a score.
Smith’s 49-yard touchdown run was icing on the cake — or sour cream on the potato — and the Pokes were up 52-31. Kent State would score again, but it was all over but the cheering at that point. Head coach Craig Bohl was breathless, near voiceless and happy with the great end to a season
Wyoming’s 52 points were the most scored this season and the most a Cowboy team has ever scored in a bowl game. Cowboys came out of the game unscathed. The injury report was clean. Next up for Wyoming: A big one—Wyoming takes on Big 10 opponent Illinois in Champaign Urbana on August 27th.
