Near perfect outing for UW’s Rothe in Shrine Bowl

LARAMIE -- Cooper Rothe's first job interview was nearly flawless.

Wyoming's all-time leading scorer nailed all four of his point-after attempts -- from NFL's regulation 33 yards out -- and hammered home a 26-yard field goal in the East-West Shrine Bowl Saturday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Rothe was the placekicker for the East squad, which won the game. 31-27.

If there was a "ding" on Rothe's resume Saturday it was on his lone kickoff of the contest, which traveled only to the opposing eight-yard line.

Rothe, who has a school record 342 points as a Cowboy, connected on 15-of-22 field goals during his senior campaign in Laramie. The Longmont, Colo., product nailed a career long 53-yard attempt in Wyoming's Arizona Bowl victory over Georgia State on New Year's Eve.

Rothe was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award as a junior. That honor goes to the nation's top placekicker. Rothe hit 16-of-17 kicks in 2018 and made all 28 of his point-after attempts.