Western Michigan Searching For Second Bowl Win When They Face BYU In Potato Bowl
Dec 18, 2018, 2:22 PM | Updated: 3:15 pm
Zach Terrell #11 of the Western Michigan Broncos celebrates after scoring in the second period during the 81st Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic between Western Michigan and Wisconsin at AT&T Stadium on January 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – In the Western Michigan Broncos, the BYU Cougars will be facing a team with a bowl history not nearly as impressive as theirs.
The Broncos have made it to just nine bowl games in their entire program history with just a single win that came in the 2015 Bahamas Bowl against Middle Tennessee.
WE’RE HERE!#LetsRide pic.twitter.com/Kf1GE4BaoC
— WMU Football (@WMU_Football) December 17, 2018
BYU, on the other hand, has been to 35 bowl games with a record of 14-20-1.
Their best season overall came in 2016, when the Broncos made it all the way to the Cotton Bowl, where they were defeated by No. 8 Wisconsin, 24-16. Despite the loss, they finished 15th in the AP poll with a 13-1 record.
Western Michigan has had a number of close bowl game defeats, with three of their losses being decided by five points or less, that includes a 35-30 loss to Fresno State in the 1988 California Bowl. They were defeated by Cincinnati the the 2007 International Bowl 27-24 and Purdue beat the Broncos in the 2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl 27-32.
Their first bowl appearance in school history was in 1988 and didn’t make it to their next one until 2007 when they made it in back-to-back seasons. Since 2011, Western Michigan has made a bowl game in five of their last seven seasons.
It has been an up and down time for the Broncos, since 2004, they have had two season where they have had just one win. Also, two seasons with five wins and three seasons with eight victories.
The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl between BYU and Western Michigan will kick off Friday at 2 p.m. and be broadcast on ESPN.
