2021 Idaho Potato Bowl Preview: Kent State vs. Wyoming

The Kent State Golden Flashes and Wyoming Cowboys did not make very linear journeys this season. They zigged and zagged and endured all sorts of plot twists and changes in momentum and fortune. These teams weren’t steadily good or bad. Their good moments were sporadic and their bad moments luckily didn’t hijack the entirety of their seasons. They meet on the blue turf of Boise, Idaho, in a game which will offer a measure of redemption to the winner. Boise in late December is cold and harsh, but that’s fine – this game is not a pleasure trip. It’s a business errand for both sides.

Kent State Golden Flashes vs. Wyoming Cowboys
Date: Tuesday, December 21st, 3:30 PM ET

Location: Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID

CFB Odds: Wyoming -3.5

Kent State Golden Flashes

The Golden Flashes played some paycheck games against prominent programs: Texas A&M, Iowa, and Maryland. They weren’t expected to win any of those games, and they didn’t. When they transitioned to the Mid-American Conference, the wins began to flow, but the Golden Flashes still had their humiliating moments. They got crushed by 33 at Western Michigan and lost by 24 at Central Michigan.

What made the season for Kent State was a pair of shootout wins: 52-47 over MAC West Division champion Northern Illinois, and a 48-47 win over Miami of Ohio. If those two games had gone the wrong way, Kent State would not have won the MAC East Division title and would not have earned a berth either in the MAC Championship Game or this bowl game in Idaho. Kent State was able to live on the edge successfully – that is the main theme of this 2021 season. Even though Kent State lost a rematch to Northern Illinois in the MAC title game, the Golden Flashes surprised everyone by winning a division title. This was a year of overachievement by any measurement for Kent State, a 7-6 team seeking win number eight in its bowl game.

Wyoming Cowboys

The Wyoming Cowboys were a very weird team in 2021. They notched a 4-0 record, but that season-opening four-game winning streak was hardly impressive. Wyoming barely beat Montana State of the FCS. The Cowboys similarly escaped a bad Connecticut team with a two-point win. It felt like a natural and expected regression when Wyoming followed its 4-0 start with a four-game losing streak. The Cowboys didn’t look like a good team in their first four games.

The Cowboys fell to 4-4 and then split two games in the Mountain West Conference. Entering their 11^th game of the season, the Pokes were expected to lose at Utah State, which led the Mountain West’s Mountain Division at the time. Wyoming’s offense had been very quiet for most of the season: 14 points scored against Air Force, a shutout loss against Fresno State, three points against New Mexico, 13 points against Boise State. No one was expecting Wyoming to score in bunches against Utah State, but the Cowboys unloaded for 44 points in a 27-point win which secured a bowl bid. This season veered in all kinds of directions, but it was ultimately enough to get Wyoming to a bowl game.

Outlook

Are we going to see the Wyoming team which beat Mountain West champion Utah State by 27 points, or will we see the team which scored just three points against New Mexico and barely beat an atrocious UConn team? It’s hard to figure out this game. Expect a close contest.

Golden Flashes vs. Cowboys Prediction:

Golden Flashes 27, Cowboys 24