’Poke turns pro
WYOMING 37, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 14 Allen declares for NFL draft after passing bowl test with ease
BOISE, IDAHO » When Wyoming junior quarterback Josh Allen stepped onto the stage to accept his MVP trophy after the Cowboys’ 37-14 victory over turnover-prone Central Michigan in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Friday, it didn’t take long for the chant to begin.
“Do it! Do it!” Wyoming players shouted in unison as snow began to fall on the field.
Surrounded by teammates and a throng of Wyoming fans, Allen couldn’t resist the moment and hoisted the trophy over his head before declaring his intention to skip his senior season and enter the 2018 NFL draft.
“I was hoping to spend at least a day or two thinking about it,” Allen said, “but I think my teammates knew, and they were chanting for me to do it. This was the idea the whole time, to come back and trust what Coach (Craig) Bohl was doing and learn more on the offensive side of the football. It wasn’t pre-planned before the season started, but we had a pretty good idea of what we were going to do.”
Allen missed the Cowboys’ final two regular-season games because of a sprained right shoulder, resulting in a pair of close losses. In warm-ups Friday, he looked eager to return to action and didn’t disappoint the Wyoming contingent on hand for his final collegiate game. Also watching Allen play, in a predraft scouting capacity: Broncos general manager John Elway.
“Sitting out for those two games killed me inside,” Allen said. “I wanted to be back on the field with my teammates and brothers.”
Allen completed 11-of-19 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns without toss-
ing an interception. He didn’t have to do much, thanks to Wyoming’s suffocating defense. But when the Cowboys needed Allen, he produced. His first touchdown pass was a 23yard bullet to Jared Scott. The potential top-10 draft pick showed off the arm strength and accuracy that has scouts drooling with a 45-yard strike that hit C.J. Johnson in stride for a TD.
“In today’s world, where players are making all kinds of decisions about bowl games, Josh chose to play and I applaud him for that,” Bohl said before lobbying for Allen to be drafted. “If there’s any NFL team looking for a player out there, you’re never going to find a bigger competitor and a better leader than him.”
Allen’s performance didn’t have to be all that impressive, thanks to Central Michigan’s eight turnovers.
Central Michigan (8-5) had won five straight. The eight turnovers broke the previous Famous Idaho Potato Bowl record of six.
“I don’t feel that today’s performance was indicative of the type of team we have,” Central Michigan coach John Bonamego said. “The story line obviously is eight turnovers. You’re not going to win many football games against any decent opponent turning it over that many times.”
Wyoming entered the game No. 2 nationally in forced turnovers with 30 — behind Central Michigan, which had 31. The Cowboys didn’t commit a turnover Friday and finished 8-5.
Wyoming took a 21-7 lead into the second quarter and was never threatened — even though the Cowboys’ offense struggled in the red zone after the first quarter, settling for three field goals in three trips.
Central Michigan struggled everywhere on the field, watching promising drives end on turnovers or other drives stunted because of Wyoming’s relentless pass rush. The Cowboys finished with a season-high five sacks.
Late in the third quarter, Central Michigan found a spark and cut its deficit to 30-14. The Chippewas strung together a sevenplay, 65-yard touchdown drive that ended on a 3-yard run by Jonathan Ward.
But Central Michigan failed to build on that momentum, losing it all on a scoop and score. After a strip sack by Youhanna Ghaifan, Wyoming defensive end Carl Granderson took the fumble and rumbled 58 yards for a touchdown.
“This defense is special,” Ghaifan said. “We all do our jobs and do it exceptionally well . ... We got eight turnovers today — that’s not too shabby.”