Levi Williams rushed for a career-high 200 yards and four touchdowns while passing for 127 yards and a score as Wyoming romped past Kent State 52-38 on Tuesday at the Idaho Bowl in Boise, Idaho.
Williams, a sophomore, matched the Idaho Bowl record for rushing touchdowns with his longest TD run of the day, an 80-yard dash down the right sideline with 12:49 to go. That score came one play after Kent State’s Andrew Glass clanked a 29-yard field goal attempt off the left upright that would have made it a one-score game.
Instead, Williams put the Cowboys ahead 42-24 while capping a 21-0 stretch spanning the third and fourth quarters that provided valuable breathing room.
A 3-yard touchdown pass from Dustin Crum to Ja’Shaun Poke gave Kent State a 24-21 lead 24 seconds before halftime. The Golden Flashes (7-7) didn’t score in the second half, however, until Crum connected with Hayden Junker for a 6-yard scoring pass with 11:13 left.
Kent State outgained Wyoming (7-6), compiling an Idaho Bowl record 656 yards compared to 531 for the Cowboys.
With 404 rushing yards, Wyoming did much of its damage on the ground. In addition to Williams’ breakthrough afternoon on 16 carries, Xazavian Valladay rushed 19 times for 79 yards and a touchdown and Trey Smith had five carries for 73 yards and a score.
Crum was 16-for-26 passing for 265 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 70 yards and a score. Dante Cephas had four receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown for the Golden Flashes, while Nykeim Johnson caught seven passes for 101 yards.
Kent State also boasted a pair of 100-yard rushers in Marquez Cooper (24 carries for 125 yards) and Bryan Bradford (eight for 109).
The Golden Flashes’ K.J. Sherald was ejected in the third quarter for a targeting call following a hit on Titus Swen.
Kent State was unable to secure the first victory of bowl season for the Mid-American Conference, which fell to 0-4 in 2021 bowls.
Wyoming, meanwhile, helped Mountain West schools move to 3-0 in bowls. It was the Cowboys’ third postseason win in the past five seasons.
–Field Level Media