This week, the Wyoming Cowboys will play in their 14th bowl game; their first since 2011.

Over the years, the Pokes have compiled a bowl record of 7-6. Here's a look back at the five best bowl wins in Wyoming football history.

1. 1951 Gator Bowl - The first bowl game Wyoming ever played was also its best. On New Year's Day, the 12th ranked Cowboys ran past 18th ranked Washington & Lee University 20-7 to finish the season undefeated.

2. 1966 Sun Bowl - Jim Kiick ran for 135 yards as Wyoming dominated Florida State in their third and final Sun Bowl appearance. The win capped a 9-1 season for the Cowboys, who were ranked 15th in the final Coaches Poll.

3. 2004 Las Vegas Bowl - Of Wyoming's 13 bowl game appearances, none were more exciting than 2004, when John Wadkowski scored a last minute touchdown, leading the Cowboys to a come from behind 24-21 victory over heavily favored UCLA.

4. 2009 New Mexico Bowl - Wyoming's last bowl game win also came in dramatic fashion, when freshman Quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels helped the Pokes overcome an eleven point deficit in the fourth quarter, upsetting Fresno State 35-28.

5. 1956 Sun Bowl - Running back Jim Crawford led the Cowboys to a 21-14 upset win over Texas Tech. The following year, Crawford led the nation in rushing and Wyoming finished the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record.

The undefeated Pokes declined an inviation to return to the Sun Bowl in 1957, believing another offer would come from a more prestigious bowl. Unfortunately, that offer never came and Wyoming didn't play in a bowl game that year.

History would repeat itself dour decades later in 1996 when Wyoming finished 10-2, but didn't recieve a bowl game invitation after losing on overtime thriller to BYU in the inaugural WAC Championship Game.

Hopefully, the Pokes will avenge that loss this week and we can add another great memory to this list.

 

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