Wyoming, Fresno State Kickoff the Bowl Season With a Bang

Tonight finally marked the start of the 2009 College Football Bowl season with Wyoming (6-6) facing Fresno State (8-4). The bowl season started off with the New Mexico, in its fourth season as a bowl game.

Wyoming squeaked into a bowl game getting just enough wins, six, to be bowl eligible. They finished fifth in the MWC with a 4-4 record and 6-6 overall.

Fresno State, on the other hand, had more than enough wins to become bowl eligible at 8-4 overall. The Bulldogs finished third in the WAC behind Boise State and Nevada with a 6-2 conference record.

Coming into the New Mexico Bowl Fresno State were the easy favorites to win but predictions don't always come true.

Ryan Matthews, the number one running back in the nation didn't get a chance to hoist the Heisman trophy in New York so he took what he could and that was the New Mexico Bowl bid.

On the other side of the field Wyoming was coming into the game with a talented freshman quarterback in Austyn Carta-Samuels from San Jose California.

Wyoming started the scoring off with an electric 68 yard run by Freshman running back Alvester Alexander to give Wyoming the early 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

Fresno State strikes back early in the second quarter with running back Ryan Matthews capping off a seven play, 51 yard drive with a four yard touchdown run to tie the game a 7-7.

Wyoming's Austyn Carta-Samuels had by far his best game in his short career and he capped off the 15 play, 95 yard drive with a 21 yard touchdown pass to Greg Bolling to give Wyoming the 14-7 lead.

However Fresno State quarterback Ryan Colburn wanted a piece of the QB pie and he finished off a 10 play, 65 yard drive with a 10 yard touchdown pass to Jamel Hamler tying the game at 14-14 heading into half time.

Coming out of halftime Fresno State fired out of the cannon with a 43 yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Chastin West to Jamel Hamler to make it 21-14 Fresno State.

Wyoming kicker Ian Watts nailed home a 40yd FG to trim the deficit to 21-17 late in the third quarter.

Fresno State Junior running back Ryan Matthews was at it again and capitalized off the Carta-Samuels interceptions with a five yard touchdown run to make it 28-17 Fresno State.

However Wyoming wouldn't just go down from there. The talented freshman QB Austyn Carta-Samuels rebounded from is INT and capped of a seven play, 72 yard drive with an 11 yard touchdown pass to David Leonard and converted on the two point conversation to make it 28-25 Fresno State.

By far the best job of clock management I've ever seen in College Football was capped off by Wyoming kicker Ian Watts who nailed threw a 37 yard field goal, capping off a 19 play, 54 yard drive that took almost eight minutes off the clock.

Fresno State played it safe, taking the knee and sending the game into OT.

In OT Fresno State failed four times to get a touchdown with the ball on the three inch yard line, and yes that's three inches, not three yards.

Wyoming couldn't capitalize on the great goal line stand as Ian Watts missed a 40yd FG with the ball right in the middle of the hash marks, and a clean hold. It was just a clear miss.

Now what's any freshman’s goal? To make the biggest play in the game that matters most in your teams season right. Yes, and that's exactly what Wyoming Freshman Austyn Carta-Samuels completed a 13 yard touchdown pass to David Leonard, Samuels third touchdown pass of the night.

Fresno State couldn't get anything going and failed on a fourth down play that sealed the game and gave Wyoming the 35-28 win in 2OT.

The star of the game was by far freshman quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels who finished the game 17/31 for 201 yards, 3 TD's and 1 INT.

The Bowl win moved Wyoming to 7-6 on the season and dropped Fresno State to 8-5.

What an electric way to kickoff an exciting 2009 College Football Bowl season.