Dec. 6, 2009

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -For the third consecutive year, the Mountain West Conference will send a record five teams into postseason bowl games in 2009. The Mountain West has earned 41 bowl bids since 1999 and holds a 21-15 all-time record in those games, including a 7-3 mark against BCS automatic-qualifying conferences since 2004.

Fourth-ranked TCU (12-0) will be making its fifth consecutive bowl appearance and 11th in the last 12 years (25 overall) when it faces No. 6 Boise State (13-0) out of the Western Athletic Conference in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Monday, Jan. 4, at 6 p.m. MT on FOX. The Horned Frogs are the second consecutive Mountain West team and third overall to earn an automatic berth into a BCS bowl. TCU and Boise State have squared off only two other times, with both meetings coming in postseason action. The Broncos claimed a 34-31 decision in the 2003 Fort Worth Bowl, while the Frogs earned a 17-16 victory in the 2008 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.

The 14th-ranked BYU (10-2) Cougars will take part in the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas for the fifth consecutive year. Making their 28th bowl appearance overall, the Cougars will face Pac-10 opponent and 18th-ranked Oregon State (8-4). The game will be played on Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 5 p.m. PT on ESPN. Oregon State won the last meeting between the two squads, a 10-7 decision on Nov. 15, 1986, and leads the series 5-3.

No. 24 Utah (9-3) will be the MWC's representative in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. The Utes will be making their second appearance in the Poinsettia Bowl and will take on California (8-4). Utah is making its seventh straight bowl trip and 15th appearance overall. The Utes boast an all-time record of 11-3 in bowl games and currently own the nation's longest bowl win streak at eight games. The Poinsettia Bowl will take place at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on Wednesday, Dec. 23. ESPN will broadcast the game beginning at 5 p.m. PT. Utah has won two of the last three meetings, including a 31-24 decision on Sept. 11, 2003. California leads the series 4-2.

Air Force (7-5) has accepted a bid to the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl for the third consecutive year and will play Houston (10-3) out of Conference USA for the second straight time in bowl action. This marks the Falcons' 20th bowl appearance. The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl takes place on Thursday, Dec. 31 at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas and will be aired at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN. The Air Force-Houston series is tied at 1-1, with both meetings occurring in 2008. The Falcons posted a 31-28 regular-season win in Dallas on Sept. 13, while the Cougars captured a 34-28 victory in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 31.

Wyoming (6-6) returns to the postseason for the first time since 2004 with a trip to the New Mexico Bowl, where the Cowboys will face Western Athletic Conference opponent Fresno State (8-4). The Cowboys will be making their first trip to the New Mexico Bowl and 12th postseason appearance overall. The New Mexico Bowl will be played at University Stadium in Albuquerque on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 2:30 p.m. MT on ESPN. The series between Wyoming and Fresno State is tied at 3-3, with the most recent meeting coming on Nov. 22, 1997 in a 24-7 FSU win.