Old rivals clash when the BYU Cougars and the Wyoming Cowboys square-off at Qualcom Stadium in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. The final game of the season for both outfits is set to start on Wednesday, December 21st at 9 p.m. ET. The contest between the two schools can be seen on the ESPN Network for your viewing entertainment. Heading into this match-up, the Cougars are -8.5 point favorite and the games total is locked in at 56.
The all-time series between BYU and Wyoming leans in favor of the Cougars, 44-30-3. The programs last competed in Provo, Utah in 2010, and the Cougars walked away with a hard fought 25-20 victory.
BYU (8-4):
The Cougars got off to a rough start to begin their 2016 campaign. They also played challenging competition that included the Utah Utes and the West Virginia Mountaineers and ended up 1-3 through their first four matches.
Instead of packing it in, BYU won their next three games, before suffering a close loss to Boise State, 28-27 on the road. After that, the wind was at Kalani Sitake team’s back, and they won their final four games to end the year.
Unfortunately, a severely hyper-extended elbow will keep starting quarterback Taysom Hill on the side lines for this one. In steps back-up Tanner Mangum, who will once again be taking snaps for BYU.
In only three games this year, Tanner Mangum has completed 14 of 18 passes for 145 yards and two scores. However, last year when he filled in for an injured Hill, Mangum threw 23 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions and hit on just under 60 percent of his passes for almost 3,400 yards.
The Cougars offensive MVP is running back Jamaal Williams. The bruising runner rumbled his way for 1,165 yards on 208 carries and had 11 trips to the promised land to show for his efforts. With Taysom Hill’s 600 yards off the table, tail back Squally Canada will need to step it up. This year, Canada has scampered for 298 yards and two scores.
Five Cougar wide receivers have all pitched in to move the chains through the air this season. Also, all five wide outs have over 20 catches and 250 yards, with each one scoring some touchdowns along the way. Senior receiver Nick Kurtz leads the pack, with 46 grabs for almost 500 yards and two touchdowns.
BYU’s defense held up their end of the bargain in 2016. The stout front seven allowed only 108.4 yards rushing per game, which also places them in at 8th in the nation. The secondary struggled, giving way to 255 yards a game. Fortunately for the Cougars, defensive back Kai Nacua is an absolute ball-hawk that recorded five interceptions on the year.
Wyoming (8-5):
As for Wyoming, they put together a five-game winning streak to start their season 7-2. However, a triple over-time loss to UNLV, 69-66, started things moving in the wrong direction. Wyoming lost their final two contests of the year, including the Mountain West title game to San Diego State, 27-24 at home.
Quarterback Josh Allen has been tossing the pigskin around pretty well, having completed 56.3 percent of his passes for 2,996 yards with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. That’s good news for a team that is going up against the nation’s 99th ranked pass defense.
The Cowboys aren’t afraid to run the ball either, and have quite the tail back for the job. Senior runner Brian Hill is the most underrated running back in the nation. The quiet force has jolted for 1,767 yards on 323 carries and reached pay-dirt 21 times this season. Signal-caller Josh Allen can run, recording another seven touchdowns in the red zone.
The Cowboys defense has been nothing short of atrocious, ranking 105th in the country in points allowed per game (34.8). Now, leading tackler D.J. May is out for the rest of the year with a chest injury, effectively ending his time in Wyoming. That’s not good news for the nation’s 88th ranked run defense.
Trends and Notes:
The Cougars are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
The Cowboys are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games overall.
The Under is 6-1 in the Cougars last 7 games overall.
The Over is 4-1 in the Cowboys last 5 games overall.
Navy holds the Poinsettia Bowl record for most points recorded, 51 in 2005.
Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien was last year’s Poinsettia Bowl MVP.
Game Predictions:
The Wyoming Cowboys have taken on their former North Dakota States coach’s toughness and put together a gritty season. Yes, the Cowboys fell short in the Mountain West title game but they have played teams tough all year.
BYU’s season started off bad, but they survived a pretty tough schedule and find themselves in San Diego for the Poinsettia Bowl. Senior quarterback Taysom Hill will not play in this match-up, but the Cougars have a capable replacement in Tanner Mangum.
Two of the nation’s unheralded tail backs will be on display for the country to see. Both should find some success against the others front seven. The big difference in this game is that the Cougars actually play defense. Wyoming’s quarterback Josh Allen will find BYU’s defensive back Kai Nacua stalking his passing attack and I expect a key interception from the secondary stand-out.
Wyoming should hang around with the Cougars, like they have with everybody all year, but BYU is the more complete squad. Capitalize on BYU’s defense early before Wyoming adjusts, and take the Cougars by a touchdown (-6) at half time.
