Wyoming's Josh Allen to play in Famous Idaho Potato Bowl if healthy
Following the bowl game announcement on Dec. 3, it was unclear if Wyoming would have junior quarterback Josh Allen in action for the game in Boise, Idaho.
Allen, a projected top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, missed the last two games of the season with a right shoulder injury, which both resulted in losses for the Cowboys.
If he is healthy, Allen will play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Dec. 22 against Central Michigan at Albertsons Stadium.
“If I’m 100 percent, I’m playing in the game,” Allen said in an interview for a local newspaper. “I owe it to this university. I owe it to this team. It’s something that I want to do. I’m not the type of guy that is going to sit out just to sit out because of what the future may hold. I’m definitely doing what’s in the best interest in this team.”
Last year, a number of players, including LSU’s Leonard Fournette and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey sat out of the bowl games. Both players ended up being top 10 picks in the 2017 NFL Draft, but wanted to stay on the sidelines for the bowl game to prevent a potential injury and keep their draft stock within the top 10.
Allen’s last game was a 28-14 win over Air Force, which he injured his throwing shoulder. Without Allen under center, the following two games for the Cowboys resulted in a 13-7 loss to Fresno State and 20-17 loss to San Jose State.
On the bright side, Allen is back on track.
“I’m getting back into the swing of things,” Allen said. “It’s still not where I want it to be, where it needs to be, but the ball’s coming out nicely. There’s some throws that I kind of feel some pain and some throws where I don’t feel anything. So, it’s just trying to limit the pain.”
In 10 games this season, Allen has completed 141-of-251 passes for 1,658 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.
He is excited for the opportunity to help his team improve, as long as his shoulder allows him to do so in the bowl game against CMU.
“There’s still a lot at stake here," Allen said. "Going in to our last game, getting our eighth win, it helps out with recruiting, it helps out with the whole conference. There’s a competition for the conference that has the most bowl wins. This is a game, where there’s a lot on the line and people don’t take into account that.”
Allen’s backup, junior quarterback Nick Smith, has played in six games, throwing for 471 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
