A victory would raise's UT's record to 12-2, with the Rockets reeling off 11 straight wins after a season-opening loss at Illinois. Wyoming, meanwhile, owns an 8-4 record. The Cowboys won three of their last four contests, outscoring their last two opponents 84-15.
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-- Toledo went undefeated (8-0) in regular season MAC play, capturing the Mid-American Conference West Division. The Rockets then fell to Miami (OH) in the MAC Championship game, 23-14.
-- As with many bowl teams, UT will be somewhat impacted by transfers. Starting quarterback Dequan Finn is in the transfer portal, moving sophomore Tucker Gleason atop the two team. MAC Offensive Player of the Year Peny Boone has also joined the portal, but was still listed on the team's depth chart. Offensive lineman Vinny Sciury appears to be on his way to Texas Tech. Others transfers now off the UT roster are WR Jaret Frantz, RB Micah Kelly and CB Nick Turner. Second Team All-American DB Quinyon Mitchell is reportedly a potential target for several NFL teams but is still on the depth chart.
-- A total of 14 Rockets were named to the All-MAC squad, with 10 first-team all-conference honorees.
-- The Rockets are averaging 5.22 yards per carry as a team, tops in the Mid-American Conference and 14th in the country.
-- Toledo's offense led the MAC in seven offensive categories, including total offense (426.2 ypg), scoring (33.6 ypg), passing yards (223.5 ypg) and rushing yards (202.8 ypg). The offense was also first in the MAC and fifth nationally in sacks allowed (0.85 per game). Toledo was one of just nine schools in the FBS who started the same five players along the offensive line for every game. (That will end with Sciury in the portal).
-- Gleason saw limited action at quarterback this year. He appeared in three games, completing 14 of 21 passes (66.7%), good for 199 yards with 4 TDs.
-- Jerjuan Newton and Junior Vandeross III led Toledo receivers, combining for 91 catches, 1,233 yards and 13 TDs.
-- Tight end Anthony Torres registered half of his 24 catches on the season in the final four games. All three of his TDs came on the final five games. He averaged 18.1 ypc on the year.
-- Linebacker Dallas Gant led UT defenders with 108 tackles.
-- Quinyon Mitchell has 18 breakups this season, second in the nation behind West Virginia's Beanie Bishop. Mitchell also has one interception this season. His 19 passes defended ranks No. 2 in the country
-- This will be Toledo third straight bowl appearance. The Rockets defeated Liberty, 21-19, in last year's Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl.
-- Toledo is 4-1 in bowl games vs. current Mountain West Conference teams, with wins over San Jose State (1981), UNLV (1984, by forfeit), Nevada (1995), and Air Force (2011), and a loss to Utah State (2012).
WYOMING COWBOYS (8-4, 5-3 MWC)
-- Wyoming will be attempting to send its head coach out with a win. Craig Bohl announced on Dec. 6 that he is retiring as head coach of the Wyoming Cowboys. Bohl’s retirement will end his 10-year tenure leading the Cowboys, which is the longest of any head football coach in school history. Bohl leaves the program after 10 seasons that saw him engineer one of the most successful runs in program history
-- UW finished fourth in the Mountain West Conference.
-- Wyoming finished the 2023 campaign with lopsided wins over Hawai'i (42.9) and Nevada (42.6).
-- The Cowboys recorded a season-high six sacks in the last contest against Nevada.
-- The Cowboy defense held opponents to 22.9 points per game to rank No. 2 in the Mountain West. In terms of total defense, Wyoming’s defensive unit allowed opponents 360.2 yards of total offense per game to rank No. 3 in the Mountain West Conference. UW also ranked No. 3 in the MW in rushing defense, allowing only 144.6 rushing yards per game, and ranked No. 4 in pass defense, giving up only 215.7 passing yards per game. In terms of pass efficiency defense, the Pokes ranked No. 2 in the conference with a rating of 124.26.
-- The Cowboy offense was solid while closing out the regular season. The group has averaged 440.5 yards of total offense in those two games with 198.5 yards rushing and 242.0 yards passing. The group has also averaged 22 first downs per game and have scored 42 points per game. Wyoming has scored six rushing scores and had five passing scores in the last two contests.
-- In addition to making its third consecutive bowl appearance for the first time in school history, the Cowboys are making their sixth bowl appearance in the last eight seasons (2016, ‘17, ‘19, ‘21, ‘22 and ‘23), which is also a school best.
-- The Cowboys are 11-6 all-time against teams from the Mid-American Conference.
-- The Cowboys head into the bowl game ranked seventh in the nation and second in the mountain West in turnover margin at 0.83. The group also rank No 20 in the nation in turnovers gained with 21, as Wyoming ranks sixth in the nation in fumbles recovered with 11 on the season. Wyoming has 10 interceptions on the season.
-- The Cowboys have been solid against the run all season allowing 144.6 per game. The Pokes have allowed opponents to rush for under 100 yards in six games this season including three of the last four games. Nevada recorded only 18 rushing yards in the last contest. In the month of November, Wyoming allowed only 76 yards rushing per game.
-- Senior QB Andrew Peasley completed 60.5 percent of his passes, good for 1,823 yards with 20 TDs and 5 interceptions. He also ran 101 times for 403 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns.
-- Wyatt Wieland, a 6-1 slot receiver, led Cowboy receivers with 39 catches for 425 yards with five scores. Ayir Asante and tight end John Michael Gyllenborg combined for another 39 receptions totaling 662 yards and 9 TDs.
-- As a team, UW averaged 4.4 ypc on the ground. Harrison Waylee, a 5-10, 200 junior, led the way with 146 carries totaling 856 yards with five TDs.