For the first time ever, UCLA (6-5 overall, 4-4 Pacific-10 Conference) and Wyoming (6-5, 3-4 Mountain West Conference) will face off on the football field in the 2004 Las Vegas Bowl Dec. 23 at 6:45 p.m.
It will be the Bruins’ third straight postseason appearance and their fifth since 1997. The Cowboys will make their first bowl appearance since a 52-17 loss to Kansas State in the 1993 Copper Bowl.
“We hit the jackpot,” second-year Wyoming head coach Joe Glenn mused. “We are really excited about going to the Las Vegas Bowl. It is a tremendous reward for the season we had.”
Wyoming will be making its second visit of the season to Sam Boyd Stadium after defeating UNLV 53-45 in triple overtime Nov. 6. The trip to Sin City will be UCLA’s first since defeating New Mexico 27-13 in the 2002 Las Vegas Bowl.
“It’s my understanding that the players enjoyed their experience in 2002,” UCLA head coach Karl Dorrell said, “and we are looking forward to the trip and the contest against Wyoming.”
The Bruins bring a strong ground attack to face a Wyoming defense that ranked only sixth in the Mountain West Conference in protecting the run. UCLA’s rushing offense, led by sophomore Maurice Drew, ranks second in the Pac-10 and 24th nationally with an average of 190.3 yards per game.
While the 5-foot-8, 198-pound Drew’s 939 yards are tops on the team, he has accounted for less than half of the Bruins’ ground game. Senior Manual White and true freshman Chris Markey both contributed to UCLA’s potent running game. White accounted for 794 yards of the team’s 2,341, while Markey pitched in another 343.
The Bruins’ will also look for junior tight end Marcedes Lewis who has caught seven touchdowns this year, tops among receivers.
Whether Wyoming wins or loses may be attributed to the level of productivity of its offense. During its six wins, the Cowboy offense has averaged 39.5 points per game, while managing only 11.4 during its five losses.

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