Las Vegas Bowl in the Cards

As a result of California’s being edged out by Texas for a bowl championship series at-large berth, UCLA fell from the Insight Bowl into the Dec. 23 Las Vegas Bowl.

So instead of facing Notre Dame for the first time since 1963, the Bruins will play Wyoming for the first time ever in their second Las Vegas Bowl appearance in three years.

“It’s my understanding that the players enjoyed their experience in 2002 and we are looking forward to the trip and the contest against Wyoming,” UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell said in a statement Sunday about the Bruins’ 26th bowl appearance.

With Ed Kezirian filling in as interim coach after Bob Toledo was fired, UCLA defeated New Mexico, 27-13, in 2002.

“We are delighted to welcome back UCLA as they bring a strong football tradition to the bowl game,” said Tina Kunzer-Murphy, Las Vegas Bowl executive director. “They played USC extremely tough in their season finale and the Pac-10 Conference continues to display great national recognition.”

Cal’s drop in the BCS behind Texas forced Rose Bowl officials to award their spot to Texas and moved the Bears into the Holiday Bowl as the Pac-10’s No. 2 team, causing a chain reaction. No. 3 Arizona State went from the Holiday to the Sun Bowl and No. 4 Oregon State moved into the Insight slot.

For the Bruins, who finished the regular season with a 6-5 record after Saturday’s 29-24 loss to No. 1 USC, playing in any bowl game was more important than a particular bowl opponent.

“We’ve been working so hard and everybody has put so much into the season,” said senior wide receiver Craig Bragg after UCLA’s loss to the Trojans. “Although I’m not going to be here, you could tell by how we played [against USC] that we’re going in the right direction.”

Facing an Irish team would have attracted national attention for the second game in a row, but the key for UCLA’s program is to get another victory to finish the season with a 7-5 record.

Wyoming (6-5) finished in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Mountain West Conference with Air Force and Colorado State with a 3-4 record. The Cowboys earned the berth because they were the only one of the three that was bowl-eligible.

The game will be played at 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium and televised on ESPN.