The BYU Cougars routed the Western Michigan Broncos in the Potato Bowl on Friday, 49-18. Most impressive was quarterback Zach Wilson, who finished with a perfect stat line. He completed 18 of 18 passes for 317 yards, four touchdowns, and (obviously) zero interceptions.
Freshman BYU QB Zach Wilson topped an all-time bowl record
His perfect Potato Bowl was nearly a record for all of FBS, in fact.
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The effort was good enough to take the true freshman out in the middle of the blowout in the fourth quarter. Naturally, he was given the Potato Bowl MVP Award for his efforts:
The true freshman threw for the most touchdowns he’s had all season. Here’s BYU blog Vanquish The Foe on the Cougs’ overall performance:
Senior Dylan Collie was the beneficiary of many of those throws, as he finished with 6 catches for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns in his final collegiate game. Not to be forgotten is Riley Burt, who had a big second half and had 113 rushing yards and 1 touchdown.
Almost as impressive as Wilson was Sione Takitaki’s defensive effort. The defensive captain finished with 19 tackles, 1 sack and was seemingly involved on every play. Takitaki no doubt made himself some money with his bowl performance.
Wilson joins just one other quarterback to ever throw a flawless bowl game while throwing at least 10 passes: Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner, who led the Demon Deacons to a 29-19 victory over Navy in the 2008 EagleBank Bowl. Skinner went 11 for 11 and scored one touchdown.
The FBS record for completion percentage in any game (Grayson Lambert, 2015 Georgia, 96 percent against South Carolina) stipulates at least 20 passes thrown, meaning Wilson was just a couple throws shy of getting into the main FBS record books. But at least he will now enter the bowl record book. And as a freshman!
The Cougs’ quarterback situation is in a bright spot. Wilson, 19, became the youngest signal caller in BYU history to start for the Cougs back in October. BYU also has incoming quarterback Jacob Conover, a four-star who signed during the Early Signing Period.
Congrats to Wilson and the BYU Cougars on a solid finish to a 7-6 season to close out 2018.
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