The University of Wyoming accepted an invitation Sunday to play in the 2011 Gildan New Mexico Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 17 at University Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M. The sixth annual game will kick off at Noon, Mountain Time. Wyoming will face the Temple Owls of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Wyoming and Temple will both enter the New Mexico Bowl with 8-4 records. The game will be televised live nationally on ESPN HD.

A press conference will be held on Monday, Dec. 5 at 2:00 p.m. in the Wildcatter Stadium Club & Suites at War Memorial Stadium where Gildan New Mexico Bowl Executive Director Jeff Siembieda will formally invite the Cowboys. That press conference is open to the public.

"We want to thank Jeff Siembieda, Executive Director of the Gildan New Mexico Bowl, and all the people associated with the bowl for inviting us back to Albuquerque," said University of Wyoming Athletics Director Tom Burman. "Coach (Dave) Christensen and his staff have done a tremendous job, and our student-athletes should be very proud of this accomplishment.

"To be participating in our second bowl game in three seasons is a testament to the positive direction that Cowboy Football is headed. This is a great tribute to the leadership we have on the team from the upperclassmen. It is also very exciting for the future of our program to go bowling with a team that is still very young and will return a lot of key players next year."

This will be Wyoming's second appearance in the New Mexico Bowl, having played there in 2009, where the Cowboys captured a victory in one of the most exciting games of the bowl season, defeating Fresno State, 35-28 in double overtime.

"We are honored to receive this invitation to play in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl," said Wyoming head coach Dave Christensen. "Our team has worked extremely hard this season, and this is a great reward for our players, coaches and fans.

"We are proud to represent the state of Wyoming, and we know that Cowboy fans from around the country will turn out in force to support us in Albuquerque.

"Two years ago, we had a great experience at the New Mexico Bowl. The staff and volunteers who work so hard to put on the game and the events leading up to it treated us great, and we can't wait to get back there." Siembieda, in announcing the matchup Sunday night via a press release, had this to say.

"This is a great matchup to kick off the bowl season and will be a treat for fans in New Mexico and throughout the nation," said Siembieda. "To be able to put together a pair of 8-4 teams who have this much talent and are both playing well should make for a fantastic game.

"Wyoming was part of what is probably the most exciting game in our bowl's short history and we are thrilled to be able to invite them back. This is a very good football team with a wonderfully passionate fan base; they are first-class all around."

The Cowboys carry a two-game bowl winning streak into this bowl season. Wyoming won the 2004 Las Vegas Bowl over UCLA by a 24-21 score. Wyoming is 6-6 overall in bowl games.

The Cowboys concluded the regular-season 8-4 and 5-2 in the Mountain West Conference, finishing in sole possession of third place behind Top 25 teams TCU and Boise State. Wyoming's opponent for the New Mexico Bowl, Temple, also finished the season 8-4 and placed second in the Mid-American Conference East Division with a 5-3 conference mark.

"It is very exciting for us to bring Temple to the state of New Mexico," said Siembieda. "This is a very exciting football team with tremendous talent. I know football fans in this region, and everywhere else are going to really like Temple football."

The two teams have played each other only one other time in history. The previous meeting was Sept. 1, 1990, in the home opener for the Cowboys. Wyoming won that game 38-23.

Wyoming and Temple share one common opponent this season, Bowling Green, and if the two teams' results against that common opponent are any indication the game between the Cowboys and Owls should be tremendous. Wyoming won at Bowling Green, 28-27, and Temple lost on the road versus Bowling Green, 13-10.

Wyoming fans may order tickets to the 2011 Gildan New Mexico Bowl, by clicking Here, go online at www.wyomingathletics.com or by calling 1-877-WYO-FAN1 (1-877-996-3261) or 307-766-4850.

For a listing of the other bowl match-ups Click Here.

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