BYU Holds Off Wyoming’s Late Rally To Win Poinsettia Bowl 24-21

The Wyoming Cowboys were seeking their first win over the BYU Cougars since 2003 on Wednesday night, but the Cougars ultimately prevailed and won the Poinsettia Bowl 24-21 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

BYU Holds Off Wyoming’s Late Rally To Win Poinsettia Bowl 24-21

The BYU players doused first-year head coach Kalani Sitake with blue Gatorade following the game.

“I’ll take it any day,” Sitake, who became the Cougars’ coach almost exactly one year ago, said of the Gatorade treatment. “As long as we win, I’m happy.”

It was BYU’s first bowl victory in four years.

Trailing 24-7 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Wyoming rallied to string together two unanswered touchdown drives that trimmed their deficit to three points.

The Cowboys’ defense forced the Cougars into a three-and-out on their next drive to force a BYU punt with 1:52 remaining in the game. However, a costly interception by Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen to BYU senior defensive back Kai Nacua secured the victory for the Cougars. That was Allen’s second interception of the game.

The game was marked by heavy rainfall, but despite the slippery conditions, BYU managed to lead 10-0 at halftime. Several errors in the first half included a Cougars fumble by Jamaal Williams, a costly punt fumble by the Cowboys that gave BYU its first lead of the night, and a Wyoming failed field goal attempt. Due to the poor field conditions, BYU offensive coordinator Ty Detmer– who is also in his first year with the program– relied heavily on the Cougars’ run game.

The Cowboys’ offense woke up in the first possession of the third quarter. Wyoming’s offense opened with a touchdown drive that lasted an impressive eight and a half minutes. That marked the unit’s first trip to the red zone all night.

A 39-yard BYU bullet on the following drive put the Cougars deep in Wyoming territory, and then a touchdown pass from quarterback Tanner Mangum that bounced off two players in the end zone pinball-style put BYU ahead 17-7.

Williams, who played the final game of his BYU career on Wednesday, played excellently all night. He rushed for 2010 yards (the second-most of his season) and a touchdown, his score giving the Cougars a 24-7 lead over Wyoming before the Cowboys’ comeback.

During the season, BYU faced challenges, including a three-game losing streak in September and losing quarterback Taysom Hill to the fourth season-ending injury of his career in the last game of the season.

SAN DIEGO, CA – DECEMBER 21: Squally Canada #22 of the Brigham Young Cougars runs past Logan Wilson #30 and Taniela Lolohea #58 of the Wyoming Cowboys during the first half of the Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium on December 21, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena