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For the first time in their postseason history, the BYU Cougars will play a bowl opponent on its home field.
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BYU on Monday confirmed that the Cougars will meet San Diego State in the Poinsettia Bowl on December 20th at the Aztecs' home venue in Qualcomm Stadium.
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Here is BYU's press release:
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PROVO, Utah — The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl today announced BYU's opponent for the 2012 bowl game will be San Diego State, co-champions of the Mountain West Conference. The Cougars will face the Aztecs on Dec. 20 at 5 p.m. PST at Qualcomm Stadium. The game will be televised by ESPN.
San Diego State finished 9-3 in the regular season and 7-1 in the MWC. The Aztecs are currently ranked 16th in the nation in rushing (229.17 ypg) and rank second in the MWC in rushing defense (140.25 ypg). BYU leads the all-time series with SDSU 27-7-1.
"We are looking forward to facing San Diego State in the Poinsettia Bowl," BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "I have a lot of respect for (SDSU head coach) Rocky (Long); he is a mentor and good friend. San Diego State is a very good team that won a share of the Mountain West title this season. Our team is anxious for the opportunity to continue to improve playing against a quality opponent."
Ticket Information for the Poinsettia Bowl Tickets are available online at BYUtickets.com or by calling 800-322-BYU1 (2981).
BYU has great ticket options available in the plaza, field, loge, club and press levels on the BYU side of the stadium (see map). All tickets purchased through BYU directly benefit the athletic department, so Cougar Nation is encouraged to purchase online at BYUtickets.com or by phone at 800-322-BYU1 (2981).
Poinsettia Bowl tickets are $56 (plaza/field/loge) and $72 (club/press level), plus a $10 fee per order for shipping. General public bowl tickets will be filled based on the date of purchase. Tickets will be shipped through UPS to arrive on or before Dec. 13.
In addition to the two regular ticket prices, there is also a group rate available for ticket quantities of more than 20, and a special student ticket only available through the BYU Ticket Office. Call or go online for more details.
Accommodations and Attractions Cougar fans traveling to San Diego for the game can access a variety of special rates on hotels and area attractions by clicking HERE. The host hotel for BYU is the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.
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Bowl president John Wertz said "this is a great day for college football in San Diego. We're excited to renew a longtime rivalry between the Aztecs and Cougars in this year's bowl. This most certainly will be a game to remember for many year to come."
SDSU head coach Rocky Long made no mention of his team's upcoming opponent when he said "We are honored to be selected to participate in the 2012 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. The Poinsettia Bowl is one of the best events I have ever been involved with and it will be a tremendous experience for our student-athletes. Best of all, we will have the opportunity to play in front of our fans and that will make for a great atmosphere on Dec. 20."
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BYU has a 27-7-1 record against San Diego State, and has won the last five meetings between the two teams. The last get-together was a Cougar win on Oct. 9, 2010 in Provo, as BYU came away with a 24-21 decision, in Bronco Mendenhall's first game after reclaiming defensive coordinator responsibilities.
That meeting included a controversial video replay call that benefited BYU and led to a change in Mountain West Conference policy that prevented anyone affiliated with host institutions from serving as replay personnel.
Mendenhall served as secondary coach, defensive coordinator and assistant head coach under Long for five seasons at New Mexico in the late 1990s and early 2000s; as BYU's defensive coordinator, Mendenhall coached against Long in 2003 (BYU win) and 2004 (New Mexico win), while as BYU head coach, Mendenhall went 4-0 against the Lobos from 2005 through 2008.
Long left UNM after the 2008 season, moving to SDSU to serve as defensive coordinator under Brady Hoke; he was on the SDSU sideline for losses to BYU in 2009 and 2010. Long assumed head coaching responsibilities after Hoke left for Michigan, having just completed his second season in charge of the Aztecs program.
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Photo: Courtesy Getty Images
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