Wyoming runs over Kent State
Cowboys’ QB Williams ties Potato Bowl record with four rushing touchdowns
Levi Williams ran for 200 yards and four touchdowns and passed for 127 yards and another touchdown to lead Wyoming to a 52-38 win over Kent State on Tuesday in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Williams, who set a career-best single-game rushing performance, tied the Potato Bowl record for most rushing touchdowns and was named the game’s MVP.
“He’s very gifted and can run like the wind,” Wyoming coach Craig Bohl said. “And obviously, it’s great to see him make those plays he’s very capable of making.”
Kent State (7-7), playing in its fifth bowl game in school history, raced out to a 17-7 lead and held a 24-21 advantage at halftime, but the Golden Flashes couldn’t hold up against Wyoming ’s relentless rushing attack.
“That’s not the outcome we were looking for,” Kent State coach Sean Lewis said. “Areas that hampered us all year long hurt us today. But I’m eager and excited to get back to work and build a program that Kent State can be proud of.”
Wyoming (7-6) scored 21 consecutive points to start the second half, including scoring runs of 27 and 80 yards by Williams, to build a 42-24 lead that proved to be too much for Kent State to overcome.
Wyoming senior linebacker Chad Muma, a Butkus Award finalist, didn’t disappoint in his final college game, leading the Cowboys on defense with 13 tackles and a half sack.
The Cowboys set the Potato Bowl team rushing record with 404 yards, while the two teams combined for 723 yards rushing, also a Potato Bowl record.
Frisco Bowl: Lucas Johnson passed for a career-best 333 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for another score as San Diego State beat No. 24 UTSA 38-24 in the Frisco Bowl for the Aztecs’ program-record 12th win of the season. Jesse Matthews caught touchdown passes of 11 and 20 yards and set career marks with 11 catches and 175 yards receiving. Tyrell Shavers caught the other touchdown pass, a 24-yarder. Greg Bell also scored on a 1-yard run for San Diego State (12-2). Johnson completed 24 of 36 passes. San Diego State kicker-punter Matt Araiza made a 33-yard field goal and finished the season with an Ncaa-record 51.19 yards per punt. Araiza broke the mark set by Texas A&M’S Braden Mann in 2018 (50.98). Frank Harris threw touchdown passes of 12 yards to De’corian Clark and 4 yards to Zakhari Franklin, and Brenden Brady scored on a 2-yard run for UTSA (12-2). Hunter Duplessis kicked a 41-yard field goal for the Roadrunners. UTSA played without junior running back Sincere Mccormick, Conference USA’S offensive player of the year. Mccormick, who ranks seventh in the FBS in rushing (113.8 yards per game), was one of five UTSA players who opted out in advance of next year’s NFL draft.
Notes: Kedon Slovis is trading USC for Pittsburgh. The former Trojans quarterback announced Tuesday he is heading east to join the ACC champion Panthers, where he will get a chance to replace ACC Player of the Year Kenny Pickett. Slovis entered his junior season at USC as a Heisman Trophy contender but he struggled to find any rhythm. He passed for 2,153 yards with 11 touchdowns against eight interceptions in nine games before being lost for the season with a leg injury . ... Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Florida State quarterback Mckenzie Milton and Kentucky linebacker J.J. Weaver are the winners of the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year award. The Mayo Clinic’s comeback players of the year were announced Tuesday and will be honored Jan. 1 at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.