ATLANTA -- With its bowl destination to the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl set, Georgia State held its first bowl practice Tuesday.

Making their third bowl trip in the last five years, the Panthers (7-5, 4-4 Sun Belt) will face Mountain West Conference foe Wyoming (7-5, 4-4 MW) on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 4:30 p.m. ET at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.

Tickets for the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl are on sale now at GeorgiaStateSports.com/Tix. For more information on the bowl game, including activities and travel, visit GeorgiaStateSports.com/bowls.

Both teams rely on a strong rushing attack, with GSU ranked No. 14 in FBS at 245.2 yards per game and Wyoming at No. 27 with 208.5 ypg. 

And both feature 1,000-yard rushers in Georgia State's Tra Barnett (1,389 yards, No. 9 FBS) and Wyoming's Xazavian Valladay (1,061 yards, No. 28 FBS).

"Tough and physical," is how GSU head coach Shawn Elliott described the Cowboys. "Really solid defensively, and offensively, they're going to line up and run the football. That's who they are. We've got to be prepared to match that physical-ness. Anytime you've got a tough, physical opponent, it brings out the best in you."

More on the matchup with Wyoming:

> Georgia State and Wyoming are meeting for the first time.

> Both teams opened the season with victories over SEC foes. Georgia State knocked off Tennessee 38-30 at Neyland Stadium, while Wyoming topped Missouri 37-31 at home.

> The teams have played one common opponent this season in Texas State. Georgia State fell at Texas State 37-34 in triple overtime, while Wyoming defeated the Bobcats 23-14.

> Both head coaches have been part of national championships at the FCS level. Georgia State head coach Shawn Elliott was an assistant coach at Appalachian State when  the Mountaineers won three straight FCS titles from 2005-07. Wyoming's Craig Bohl won three straight FCS titles from 2011-13 as the head coach at North Dakota State.

> Elliott faced Wyoming as an assistant coach at App State, which made a trip to Laramie, Wyo., to open the 2004 season and fell 53-7.

> Georgia State is 0-3 vs. Mountain West teams (0-1 vs. San Jose State; 0-2 vs. Air Force)

> In its brief history, the Panthers have made three previous trips to the West, playing at Washington (2014), Oregon (2015) and Air Force (2016).

The Panthers will continue practicing in Atlanta this week and next. After a brief break for Christmas, Georgia State will travel to Tucson on Dec. 28.