Former CDO running back and linebacker Kayden Luke was honored with the Bijan Robinson Player of the Year award in the second quarter of the Arizona Bowl, won by Wyoming 16-15 over Toledo on Saturday afternoon at Arizona Stadium.
The award, formerly known as the National Football Association Southern Arizona Chapter Player of the Year, is presented to Southern Arizona’s best high school football player. Luke helped lead the Dorados to an undefeated season and a 4A state title in 2023. He rushed for 217 yards on 31 carries with two touchdowns against Yuma Catholic in the championship game and was the first Dorado running back to eclipse 2,000 yards rushing in a season this year since Ka’Deem Carey achieved the feat in 2009.
.@cdo_football coach Dustin Peace after accepting the @Bijan5Robinson @theARIZONABOWL High School Player of the Year Award for @KaydenLuke2 who is in Prescott, AZ participating in the Mile High Challenge where he is wrestling for the 215 lb weight class championship.… pic.twitter.com/OzR7b75vFU
— Lori Burkhart (@loriburkhart) December 30, 2023
@cdo_football in the house @theARIZONABOWL to see @KaydenLuke2 get presented with the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl HIgh School Player of the Year. @AllSportsTucson pic.twitter.com/mpJ1Xm37Fk
— Lori Burkhart (@loriburkhart) December 30, 2023
BIJAN DONATES TICKETS
According to a Salpointe official, former Lancer standout running back Bijan Robinson, now an NFL Rookie of the Year candidate with the Atlanta Falcons, purchased 400 tickets for families and children to attend the Arizona Bowl. Banners for the Bijan Robinson Foundation were prominently displayed in the north endzone seating area.
.@Bijan5Robinson Foundation purchased 400 tickets for today’s @theARIZONABOWL game for kids/families. Bijan, from humble beginnings in Tucson, always remembers where he came from. pic.twitter.com/Wv4JZV2aac
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) December 30, 2023
KEY PLAYERS OUT FOR TOLEDO
Toledo was without five players for the Arizona Bowl, including All-American cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, who is a potential first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He had 45 passes defended and six career interceptions in four seasons with Toledo.
Quarterback Dequan Finn is transferring to Baylor and running back Peny Boone is in the transfer portal. Boone has narrowed his recruitment to Florida State, Kentucky and Louisville.
HISTORY AT ARIZONA STADIUM
Toledo made its first-ever appearance in the Arizona Bowl on Saturday. The Rockets last played in Arizona Stadium in 2012 in a 24-17 loss to the Arizona. Toledo is 0-3 in the all-time series against the Wildcats. Wyoming made its third appearance in the last five years in the Arizona Bowl on Saturday. The Cowboys beat Georgia State 38-17 in 2019 and lost to Ohio 30-27 in overtime last year. Wyoming beat Arizona 26-24 in the program’s last game against the Wildcats in Arizona Stadium in 1976. The Cowboys are 4-10 against Arizona at Arizona Stadium.
ARIZONA BOWL RECORD
Toledo Running back Jacquez Stuart’s 80-yard rushing touchdown late in the second quarter that put the Rockets up 10-6 broke the Arizona Bowl record of 77 yards, set by Nevada’s James Butler in the inaugural game in 2015 against Colorado State.
‼️@jacquez_stuart takes it 8⃣0⃣ yards to the house‼️pic.twitter.com/vZBQeuObyN
— Toledo Football (@ToledoFB) December 30, 2023
McBRAYER, PEACE RECOGNIZED
In the third quarter, the Arizona Bowl recognized Sabino head football coach Ryan McBrayer and CDO head football coach Dustin Peace for leading their teams to state titles in 2023.
.@SabinoFootball1 coach @Coach_McBrayer and @cdo_football coach Dustin Peace honored by @theARIZONABOWL for leading their high schools to a state title – first time at least two Tucson schools won a football state championship in the same year since 1976. pic.twitter.com/n6oXRgi9Qz
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) December 31, 2023
MVP KICKER
Wyoming kicker John Hoyland won the MVP trophy of the Arizona Bowl for his three field goals, including the game-winning 24-yard FG as time expired.
Caught up with @wyo_football junior kicker and @theARIZONABOWL MVP John Hoyland after the game. Hoyland hit the winning field goal in the Cowboys 16-15 victory over Toledo. @AllSportsTucson pic.twitter.com/IEZKOXsNrl
— Lori Burkhart (@loriburkhart) December 31, 2023
He also kicked a 52-yard field goal early in the second quarter that hit the crossbar before bouncing through the uprights.
“I want you to know that I will take credit, John, when the ball was going and it was hitting the goal post, I went (blowing sound),” Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl said with a smile to Hoyland. “It got over. That was a good omen.”
BOHL PRAISES BOWL
Bohl announced he was retiring in December after the Arizona Bowl. He went 61-60 in 10 seasons with the Cowboys. He was head coach at North Dakota State from 2003-2013, leading the Bison to three Division I-AA championships. His career head coaching record is 164-92.
Bohl praised the Arizona Bowl by commenting: “Big thanks to the Arizona Bowl. First class. I appreciate the city of Tucson, how you embraced what a bowl should really mean. And like I said, I’ve coached a bunch of bowl games all around the country, just top shelf, and that’s not coach speak, that’s speaking from my heart. So, I want to say thanks for the invitation. You staged a great game with two really good opponents.”
The game drew a crowd of 30,428, which is the fifth time in the bowl’s eight years of games that attendance eclipsed 30,000.
.@wyo_football coach Craig Bohl, coaching in his last game because he is retiring, calls @theARIZONABOWL “top shelf” among his bowl experiences in his 43 years of coaching, his last 10 as Wyoming’s head coach. He has coached the Cowboys in this game in three of the last five… pic.twitter.com/kkgN0EMP6p
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) December 31, 2023
PIZZA PARTY FOR THE POKES
Squared Up Pizza co-founder Patrick McColley was given field access after the game to present his pizza to Wyoming when the Cowboys celebrated. Wyoming center Nofoafia Tulafono took a bite of the pizza and gave his approval.
When @wyo_football celebrated its @theARIZONABOWL championship on the field, the Cowboys were treated to some pizza from Squared Up Pizza at Park Place. pic.twitter.com/KGf8Dl9G23
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) December 31, 2023
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com writer Kevin Murphy was born and raised in Tucson, and has followed Arizona Wildcats athletics since childhood. Murphy is a journalist product manager with the Green Valley News & the Sahuarita Sun. He has a bachelor’s degree from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at ASU.
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