The 2016 Poinsettia Bowl will feature a matchup between the BYU Cougars and the Wyoming Cowboys on Wednesday, December 21 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.
The BYU Cougars and the Wyoming Cowboys haven’t met since 2010, but these two teams are no strangers to each other. BYU used to meet Wyoming regularly before departing the Mountain West Conference to become an Independent.
The 2016 Poinsettia Bowl marks the 12th straight postseason appearance for BYU. The Cougars are under the direction of first year head coach Kalani Sitake; their 8-4 season record is misleading when you take into consideration that every one of their four losses was within a three-point margin or less.
Wyoming hasn’t been to the postseason since 2011. Third year coach Craig Bohl has improved upon last year’s record with an 8-5 season, and now the Cowboys are looking to notch their first bowl victory since 2009. After beating conference rival and perennial powerhouse San Diego State in regular season play, the Cowboys are looking for a strong game against BYU to finish out the year.
Date: Wednesday, December 21
Start Time: 9 p.m. ET
Location: San Diego, California
Stadium: Qualcomm Stadium
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN.com or the WatchESPN App
Keys to Victory
The Cougars need to get out ahead early and build a cushion in the score. Given how close their losses have been this season, the worst thing they can do right now is allow Wyoming to get within a single score margin to tie the game or take the lead.
Wyoming’s running back Brian Hill rushed for 1767 yards, putting him at No. 4 nationally in total rushing yards, and he had 21 touchdowns this season. Getting the ball to Hill and getting him through BYU’s defense will put points on the board and rattle the Cougars enough for Wyoming to come out on top. Quarterback Josh Allen is sitting at four yards short of 3000 passing yards for the season with 26 touchdowns and only 13 interceptions.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: BYU Cougars -7.5
Moneyline: BYU Cougars -325, Wyoming Cowboys +265
O/U: 59
BYU was 9-3 against the spread while Wyoming was 9-4 against the spread. BYU has been 6-1 against the spread vs Wyoming. Wyoming has played well in underdog situations, and given that BYU is favored to win the Poinsettia Bowl, that gives Wyoming a shot at a come from behind win.
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Predictions
BYU has captured the past seven victories against Wyoming and the Cougars are strong favorites to win the Poinsettia Bowl. However, the Cowboys have shown that they can rally in tough situations and pull off upset wins under pressure.
However, BYU has more experience in the postseason and this experience will pay off. They also have a large fan base that travels, making Qualcomm look and feel like a home game situation for the Cougars.