First-year head coach Kalani Sitake earned his first bowl win as BYU’s head coach on Wednesday night in this year’s edition of the Poinsettia Bowl against Wyoming.
BYU holds off late rally from Wyoming to win the Poinsettia Bowl
Wyoming was looking for its first win over BYU since 2003.
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
The 78th meeting between these two teams did not disappoint. The Cowboys were looking to beat BYU for the first time since 2003. Down 24-7 at the start of the fourth quarter, Wyoming rallied to put together two unanswered touchdown drives to pull within a field goal.
The Cowboys’ defense forced BYU into a three-and-out on its next drive to force a Cougar punt with 1:52 left in the game. But a costly interception by Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen sealed the Cougars’ three-point victory.
Weather was a big factor in this game in the first half, despite the fact that it rains only 42 days out of the year in San Diego. The first half featured a number of miscues, including a BYU fumble by Jamaal Williams, a costly punt fumble by the Cowboys which gave BYU its first lead of the night, and a Wyoming failed field goal attempt.
Despite the poor conditions, BYU still managed to go to the locker room with a 10-0 lead.
Wyoming’s offense came alive in the opening possession of the second half. The Cowboys offense opened with a touchdown drive that took up eight and a half minutes of game clock. The scoring drive marked the unit’s first trip to the red zone all night.
A BYU 39-yard bomb on the ensuing drive put the Cougars deep in Wyoming territory, and a pinball touchdown pass from Tanner Mangum put BYU up 17-7.
BYU’s Williams, who played the final game of his Cougar career on Wednesday, was unstoppable all night. He rushed for 210 yards and a touchdown, his score giving BYU the 24-7 lead over Wyoming before the Cowboys’ comeback.
Wyoming had the opportunity to get its first win over BYU since 2003, and they came close — but ultimately, it wasn’t enough.
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