Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Wyoming QB Josh Allen Will Play
The Wyoming quarterback’s status had been up in the air, but he’ll suit up for the Cowboys on Friday.
Allen’s return will be a boost for the Wyoming offense.
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After a great degree of speculation, Wyoming Cowboys quarterback Josh Allen confirmed in a press conference today that he will suit up and play in Friday’s Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
When asked about whether he might sit for the bowl game, as Oregon’s Royce Freeman did in last week’s Las Vegas Bowl, Allen said, “Never thought to sit out voluntarily, you know, I’m not that type of guy. I want to play. This is a team I’ve been on for the last three-and-a-half years, I owe a lot to coach [Craig] Bohl for extending me the offer to play for the University of Wyoming and I felt like I owed it to my teammates.”
“These are my brothers and missing the last two games killed me, so getting back on the field is something that I really felt that I needed to do.”
Bohl, in his second straight bowl game with Allen under center, added that “we’re excited about having [Allen] back and he will make a prime difference on our football team. Obviously, he’s a playmaker and the quarterback can have a lot of impact on that, but his competitive nature will be a great addition.”
Wyoming fullback Drew Van Maanen agreed. “It’s amazing having [Allen] back in the huddle,” he said. “That time that he was away for a little bit, it’s hard seeing him like that, you know. I know the nature of this game, it’s amazing, all he wants to do is play this sport. Every single day, he was in treatment all the time, trying to get back on the field as fast as possible. Now that he’s back out there, back in his norm running around, throwing the football like he used to, it’s amazing to see. I’m happy for him, really excited for him.”
Wyoming’s offense will surely benefit from his return, as the Cowboys struggled with just 4.7 yards per play in losses to Fresno State and San Jose State in his absence. They’ll face Central Michigan at Albertson’s Stadium in Boise, Idaho on Friday, December 22.
