MWC Sports Blog

#11 TCU vs #9 Boise State. It was billed as the best non-BCS bowl game of 2008-2009 and even better than the Orange Bowl match-up of Cincinnati vs Virginia Tech, and the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl game lived up to the hype. The Horned Frogs trailed 13-0 early and 13-7 at the half before taking a 17-13 lead in the 4th Quarter and later holding on for a 17-16 victory. It was the TCU defense that was hyped up after allowing more than 14 points just once all season, to #1 Oklahoma, and it was that same defense that made big plays in the 4th Quarter to ensure the TCU victory.

With the win, the Mountain West Conference can claim bragging rights on the WAC as Colorado State already defeated Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl. Now 2-0 against the WAC, the Mountain West continues with Air Force against Houston of Conference USA in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl while Utah wraps up bowl season for the MWC when they face Alabama in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

The bowl season kicked off on Saturday and the Mountain West Conference began as they would have hope. Colorado State took on Fresno State of the WAC and was able to handle the Bulldogs 40-35. After this nice start and somewhat surprising win, BYU was in action in the Las Vegas Bowl for the 4th season in a row. This time around BYU faced off with Mike Stoops’ much-improved Arizona Wildcats squad. After two straight wins in this bowl game BYU (10-3) did not have the defense to stop Arizona as the Wildcats got the win 31-21. After the dust settled on day one of bowl season the Mountain West was 1-1 with three bowl games remaining in this banner 2008 year for the MWC. Those three games include TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl, Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl and Utah in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.