Pokes, No. 24 Bulldogs Grab National Spotlight Saturday Night
LARAMIE -- Move over, Iowa State and TCU. The Mountain West is sliding in.
Wyoming and No. 24 Fresno State will hit the national airwaves Saturday night, overtaking that aforementioned Big 12 matchup stated above. This game isn't on FS1 or FS2, it's on FOX -- the marquee network.
This is the second time through their first six games the Cowboys will be featured in primetime. The season opener against Texas Tech appeared on CBS and drew an estimated 1.43-million viewers, according to sportsmediawatch.com.
"I think it gives an indication how FOX views the Mountain West," Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl said, adding that the brands -- and records -- of the two teams likely aided in this decision. "I think it's a compliment to our conference. I also think it's a compliment to our conference commissioner (Gloria Navarez). She's done a good job with our TV partners.
"So, you know, this is going to be on a much larger scale and the viewership is going to go way up, and that's great. It's great for our school, the exposure that the University of Wyoming is going to get and it's great for our fan base."
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Bohl said games like this on a national scale helps "perception become reality." In other words, fans around the country can see for themselves what these two teams bring to the table.
That's not all.
"To be on FOX, or to be on CBS, you know, just all the spinoffs: the pregame talks and things like that, that you hear. Even the announcers have a wide breadth. It has an impact on recruiting."
As excited as Bohl is for the opportunity for his team to be viewed in living rooms across the nation, he added, nothing beats being a member of the live studio audience.
"Boy, you come to War Memorial Stadium right now, the excitement that's out there, It's a rocking place," he said. "I was just talking with (defensive tackles coach) Oscar Giles and he goes, 'Coach, every coach that comes in here, like (Texas Tech's) Joey McGuire, is like, man. Oscar's, like, 'It's like there's 80,000 people there.' He goes, 'It's loud.' He didn't know how many people we had.
"I just think our fans are, they're not spectators, they are participants. So, I encourage our fans to really come out and support our football team. You're going to see a heck of a ballgame."
Here is all you need to know -- and the links -- for Saturday's tilt in Laramie:
WHO: Fresno State (5-0, 1-0) at Wyoming (4-1, 1-0)
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 7 at 6:00 p.m. MST
WEATHER: High of 69, low 32, sunny, winds at 11 mph
WHERE: War Memorial Stadium, Laramie, Wyo. (29,181 capacity)
TRAVEL: WyoRoad.info
STREAMING: FOX
TELEVISION: FOX
RADIO: Cowboy Sports Network
TICKETS: Wyoming Ticket office
BOX SCORE: ESPN
ROSTERS: Wyoming / Fresno State
HISTORY: Fresno State leads series 9-5
BETTING ODDS: Fresno State - 6.5, O/U: 44.5
HEAD COACHES: Craig Bohl / Jeff Tedford
University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com
- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players