|
Football Broncos accept invitation to Texas BowlDec. 8, 2008 HOUSTON--Western Michigan University has accepted an invitation to play Rice University in the third annual Texas Bowl in Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL Houston Texans, Tuesday, Dec. 30, beginning at 7 p.m. Central. The football Broncos will bring a 9-3 record into the game, their fourth bowl game ever and the second under head coach Bill Cubit. WMU finished second behind Ball State in the Mid-American Conference's Western Division. "We are excited to be playing in the Texas Bowl against an extremely talented Rice team that also has nine wins and has a powerful offense," said Cubit. "Having the opportunity to participate in a postseason bowl is an honor, and I thank [WMU athletic director] Kathy Beauregard for all her work, President [John M.] Dunn and everyone who has made this possible." WMU is led by quarterback Tim Hiller, who ranks 14th nationally with 294.1 total offense yards per game. Receiver Jamarko Simmons is third nationally with 8.17 receptions per game and Brandon West is sixth nationally with 167.6 all-purpose yards per game. Twelve Broncos earned All-MAC honors this season, three as members of the first team. Rice University, which tied for the championship of Conference USA's Western Division, was announced as a bowl participant last week. Under coach David Bailiff, Rice will also bring a 9-3 record into the game. The 2008 Texas Bowl will be televised live on the NFL Network. The game will also be broadcast nationally by Westwood One radio. Texas Christian University defeated the University of Houston, 20-13, in the 2007 Texas Bowl before a crowd of 62,097. Reliant Stadium nominally seats 69,500. Game tickets will gain fans admittance to TexFest, a Texas-sized pregame party featuring a number of well-known local and national Texas music artists. Tickets went on sale to the general public Nov. 8 following an exclusive pre-sale window for those who bought tickets to the 2007 Texas Bowl. WMU will announce ticket sales procedures this week. In the meantime, tickets, which start at $15, may be purchased online at TicketMaster.com or by phone at (832) 667-2390. Visit wmubroncos.com for more information. Media contact: Mat Kanan, (269) 387-4125, mat.kanan@wmich.edu WMU News |
