What do goldfish and BYU's football team have in common? They both go belly-up in bowls.

Wyoming fans hope that joke will ring true next week when the Pokes and Brigham Young renew their once storied rivalry at the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego.

The two teams haven't met since 2010, but the dislike still runs deep for Pokes fans, especially those in western Wyoming.

Here's five reasons why we'll never like the Cougars:

1. The Rivalry Dates Back Nearly 100 Years - The two teams first squared off in 1922 as members of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. They later jumped to the Skyline Conference, then the Western Athletic Conference and, finally, to the Mountain West Conference before BYU left in 2010.

2. BYU Has Been Good For Years - In the early days, Wyoming had the upper hand in the rivalry. However, BYU turned the tables in the 80s and 80s, winning 30 of the last 37 meetings with the Pokes. BYU leads the overall series 44-30-3.

3. The 1996 WAC Championship - Wyoming fans will always remember the magical 1996 season. Sadly, our effort to upset 6th ranked BYU in the inaugural WAC title game come up just short, as the 22nd ranked Pokes fell 28-25 in overtime.

4. The 'Black 14' Controversy - The defining moment in the history of Wyoming's football program came in 1969, when coach Lloyd Eaton dismissed 14 African-American players from the team for planning to protest alleged racism at Brigham Young.

At the time of the incident, Wyoming was undefeated and ranked12th. They went on to lose their last 4 games of the season. Things went from bad to worse the following year, when they compiled a 1-9 record.

5. BYU Fans are Already Talking Trash - As soon as the game was announced, BYU fans began to complain about the match-up on social media. Cougar fans contented they deserve to play a more high-profile opponent, in spite the fact that both teams have 8 wins this season.

 

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