Arizona Bowl: Wyoming sends retiring coach Craig Bohl out with a comeback win over Toledo

It looked like Toledo was going to spoil Craig Bohl’s going-away party.

His Wyoming Cowboys wouldn’t let that happen.

Wyoming scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to stun Toledo 16-15 in the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl on Saturday afternoon in front of an announced crowd of 30,428 at Arizona Stadium.

The Cowboys sent their retiring, revered coach out on a joyous note, turning the Arizona Bowl into the Arizona Bohl.

“That’s what this team is about,” Bohl said as he cradled the Arizona Bowl trophy atop a stage at midfield. “They’re resilient. They believe in each other. ... They’re winners.”

Junior kicker John Hoyland was named the game’s MVP after connecting on three field goals, including a 52-yarder and the game-winner from 24 yards as time expired. It was the fourth walk-off ending in the eight-year history of the Arizona Bowl.

“The kicker never gets MVP. Because it’s not about me. It’s about these guys out here,” Hoyland said, pointing to his teammates gathered around the stage.

Wyoming finished with a 9-4 record, the best in Bohl’s 10 seasons. He ends his time in Laramie with a 61-60 mark, including 2-1 in the Arizona Bowl.

Toledo, making its first appearance in Tucson’s bowl game, finished 11-3.

The Rockets took a 10-6 lead into halftime, then turned a terrific punt into a score.

Three plays after Emilio Duran dropped a 34-yarder at the Wyoming 6, Esean Carter sacked Andrew Peasley in the end zone. The hit jarred the ball loose, and it rolled past the back line for a safety, making the score 12-6.

The Rockets began the next possession at the 50. They converted a fourth-and-9 via a 16-yard pass from Tucker Gleason to Jerjuan Newton, and Luke Pawlak’s 33-yard field goal made it 15-6 with 2:04 left in the third quarter.

But it wouldn’t be an Arizona Bowl if it didn’t have drama and tension down the stretch.

On its first possession of the fourth quarter, Wyoming advanced to the Toledo 7-yard line on a 12-yard scramble by Peasley. Peasley got banged up on the play and had to come out of the game.

Enter 6-5, 245-pound backup Evan Svoboda, who prepped at Mesa Red Mountain High School. Wearing Josh Allen’s No. 17, Svoboda ran a sweep to the 1. A sneak from there gave Wyoming its first touchdown and made it 15-13 with 8:37 to play.

Wyoming then got the stop it needed to set up the Hollywood ending. Defensive end Sabastian Harsh tackled Gleason for a 3-yard loss on third down at the Wyoming 40, forcing the Rockets to punt.

Again starting from their 6, the Cowboys drove for the winning field goal, taking all 4 minutes and 11 seconds off the clock in the process.

Peasley returned for one play, a 26-yard completion, but clearly wasn’t right and had to exit again.

With Svoboda throwing and running, Wyoming advanced to the Toledo 7. Hoyland’s field goal ended it. The Cowboys then streamed onto the field to celebrate.

Everything was set up for Bohl to go out with a bang.

Toledo was missing several of its best players. Wyoming was in familiar territory, making its third appearance in the Arizona Bowl — the most in the game’s eight-year history.

Appropriately, the Cowboys were the designated home team. Their gold-and-brown-clad fans flooded the UA mall for the pregame tailgate and filled multiple sections usually occupied by the ZonaZoo on the east side of the stadium.

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The players wore warmup shirts that best could be described as a Cowboy version of a Southern Arizona landscape. The front of the white shirts featuring “WYOMING” in gold, block letters below mountains and saguaros sandwiching a cowboy on a bucking horse with the sun setting behind him.

The back of each shirt featured three words: “ONE LAST RIDE.”

It was a ride Bohl will never forget.

“It’s special because it’s the last one for me,” Bohl said. “It’s great to go out with these guys. It was time for this Cowboy to ride off.”

The Rockets were shorthanded even more than expected.

They knew they would be without quarterback Dequan Finn, the Mid-American Conference MVP, and running back Peny Boone, the MAC Offensive Player of the Year; both entered the transfer portal earlier this month.

It was thought that All-American cornerback Quinyon Mitchell would play — he made the trip and attended practices — but the possible first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft elected to sit out. Mitchell wore his No. 27 Rockets jersey and watched the game with his soon-to-be-ex-teammates from the bench area.

Boone’s replacement, Jacquez Stuart, provided the highlight moment of the first half.

With Toledo trailing 6-3 late in the second quarter, Stuart took a handoff from the Rockets’ 20-yard line. He beat the Wyoming defense to the edge and raced down the left sideline for an 80-yard touchdown. It was the longest run of Stuart’s career, and it gave Toledo — which started out in a 6-0 hole — a 10-6 lead.

Stuart was the MAC’s first-team kickoff returner, averaging 29.8 yards per attempt, and he was a state-champion sprinter at Miami (Fla.) Northwestern Senior High School. He did a “breaking the tape” lean as he crossed the goal line.

It appeared that the first quarter would feature a touchdown by a center. However, to the chagrin of the crowd, the press box and the Toledo sideline, the score was overturned.

On third-and-10 from the Wyoming 34, Gleason threw a screen pass intended for Stuart. The pass was high and deflected off Stuart’s fingertips. It landed in the arms of center Devan Rogers, who rumbled into the end zone.

Referee Bob Smith initially ruled the play a touchdown. But after huddling with his fellow officials, he changed the call to illegal touching. A video review confirmed it.

“The ruling on the field is correct — the second ruling,” Smith said.

On fourth-and-10, Gleason threw an interception to Isaac White at the 2-yard line.

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Photos: Wyoming comes back to edge Toledo 16-15, Arizona Bowl