Wyoming Cowboys Defeat Portland State Vikings to Remain Undefeated
Wyoming flashes offense and downs FCS Vikings
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Cowboys are 2-0
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The Wyoming Cowboys football team remains undefeated after a 31-17 victory in Laramie on Saturday over the FCS Portland State Vikings. For the second time in three seasons, Wyoming begins the season 2-0.
The Pokes controlled most of the game, as they never trailed. The first drive continued last week’s troubles of holding onto the ball, with a Sam Scott fumble to end a promising drive.
However, after Wyoming’s Wyett Ekeler intercepted Portland State’s Dante Chachere’s pass, Wyoming’s Jamari Ferrell would give the Cowboys a 7-0 lead.
After another defensive stop, on a 3rd and 7, Cowboy quarterback Andrew Peasley would fire a rocket to Ayir Asante for a 64-yard touchdown.
Entering the second quarter, Portland State would answer the 14-0 start by Wyoming, scoring their touchdown on a two-yard rush from Chachere after a nine-minute, 18-play drive, making it 14-7.
Dive in & celebrate 🤠🆙 pic.twitter.com/9SWxZV8Q6t
— Wyoming Cowboy Football (@wyo_football) September 9, 2023
Once the Vikings got the ball back, they would reach Wyoming territory before fumbling it, and Wyoming’s Tyrecus Davis return to Portland State’s side of the field. Quickly, Peasley floated the ball to a wide-open Wyatt Wieland in the end zone.
In what began to seem like a routing, Peasley would throw an interception in Viking territory to Isaiah Avery, leading to a Portland field goal before the end of the first half. Wyoming led 21-10.
A slow 3rd quarter, which only saw five total drives, saw Wyoming tack on ten more with a John Hoyland 56-yard field goal and another Asante touchdown from 14 yards out.
With the Cowboys up 31-10 entering the fourth quarter, several starters took a seat, giving way to some others for snaps. After a penalty wiped out a 33-yard Wieland jet sweep, Wyoming’s offense fell stagnant.
In response, the Vikings would drive 54 yards to score a 10-yard touchdown pass to Maclaine Griffin to bring it closer. Despite a last-minute drive that fell short on 4th down at Wyoming’s nine-yard line, the Pokes would win 31-17.
Wyoming would finish with 170 yards on the ground, led by Scott with 70. Peasley finished with a hat trick of passing touchdowns, 244 total yards and an interception. Asante finished with only two receptions for 78 yards, leading the team, but both went for touchdowns, including his first in his career for Wyoming.
Defensively, Wyoming gave up 344 total yards, 254 coming from the pass. Cole Godbout led the team with 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. Godbout is now tied for eighth in all-time career tackles for loss with Ward Dobbs at 24.
Wrook Brown and Easton Gibbs led the team with total tackles at eight.
In week 3, Wyoming will play their first road game of the season, traveling to Austin, Texas, to play the No. 11 Texas Longhorns on September 16—kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. MT.
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