Craft Stirs Up Emotion

UCLA has never played Wyoming in football, but at least a little intensity is building for Thursday’s matchup in the Las Vegas Bowl, thanks to San Diego State Coach Tom Craft and the Cowboys’ strong fan support.

Craft is the only coach to face UCLA and Wyoming, losing to both schools, and he recently told Associated Press that he questioned the Bruins’ enthusiasm for a game against a Mountain West Conference opponent.

San Diego State lost to UCLA, 33-10, on Oct. 10 and 20-10 at Laramie the next week. Craft said the Cowboys were “going to be a good test for UCLA” and that he doesn’t expect the Bruins to overpower Wyoming.

UCLA linebacker Justin London dismissed thoughts the Bruins would take Wyoming lightly.

“We’re excited about facing these Cowboys,” he said. “There’s been a lot of talking in the press. That’s OK. We’re just really eager and ready to play them. We have the mind-set that we need this win to set us up for the future.”

The Bruins are also going to have to deal with a pro-Wyoming crowd. The Cowboys have already sold more tickets for the Las Vegas Bowl than any school in the last four years.

Wyoming, which has not appeared in a bowl game in 11 years, is expected to sell out its allotment of 8,000 tickets.

Athletic Director Gary Barta told the Casper Star-Tribune: “It’s so exciting to see how the Wyoming fans have responded. In our talks with different bowls, there was some concern because we had not been to a bowl in so long. They asked me, ‘If we pick you, are your fans going to be there?’ I kept assuring them all that we would sell our tickets and that our fans were excited.”

The Cowboys (6-5) have also made it clear that they do not fear UCLA.

“A lot of people don’t give little old Wyoming a lot of credit,” Cowboy linebacker Guy Tuel said. “You could see that in the preseason this year when they picked us to finish dead last [in the conference], and here we are, finishing tied for third in the conference.

“We had two goals heading into the season and that was to have a winning record and not just go to a bowl game but win a bowl game. We’ve had team meetings where we’ve expressed what we’re going to Vegas for. That’s to win the game.”

*

This year’s bowl has already surpassed its goal of 25,000 fans, executive director Tina Kunzer-Murphy said. In 2002, UCLA sold about 10,000 tickets when it defeated New Mexico in the Las Vegas Bowl.... This will be UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell’s second bowl game in two years and the first for Wyoming Coach Joe Glenn. Glenn coached 10 teams into Division I-AA and Division II playoffs.... UCLA will practice on campus before leaving for Las Vegas today.