Tag: pokes

New Mexico vs. Wyoming Cowboys: Why the Cowboys will win

As the 3-1 Wyoming Cowboys host the New Mexico Lobos to open MWC play, what does the Pokes need to do to come out undefeated in the MWC?

 

New Mexico vs. Wyoming Cowboys: Why the Cowboys will win

The Wyoming Cowboys ride into conference play boasting a 3-1 record and now hosting the New Mexico Lobos for their Homecoming game.

Contact/Follow @KayceeClark and @MWCwire

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WEEK 5: New Mexico Lobos (2-2, 0-0 MW) vs. Wyoming Cowboys (3-1, 0-0 MW)

WHEN: Saturday, September 30— 2 PM MST

WHERE: War Memorial Stadium (29,181)

TV: Mountain West Network

STREAMING: Get a free trial with FuboTV

RADIO: Cowboy Sports Network

SERIES RECORD: Wyoming 40-35, New Mexico is 20-16 in Laramie

LAST MATCHUP: Oct. 8, 2022 – Wyoming won in Albuquerque last year 27-14

WEBSITES: GoWyo.com, the official Wyoming athletics website; GoLobos.com, the official New Mexico athletics website.

GAME NOTES: Wyoming | New Mexico

ODDS: Wyoming -14

OVER/UNDER: 41.5 points

An odd finale to Wyoming’s non-conference schedule, a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown leading to a 22-19 victory over Appalachian State, now puts the Cowboys at 3-1. This is now the fourth season of the past five, they have begun in this fashion.

The Lobos return to Laramie for both teams’ first action in the Mountain West for 2023.

Despite having one of the worst offenses in all of college football last season, the Lobos still gained an early 14-0 lead on the Cowboys in Albuquerque. UAB transfer Dylan Hopkins commands the new-look New Mexico offense and has added a needed explosion to the offense.

The quarterback has taken the Lobos to two victories thus far, against Tennessee Tech and Massachusetts. However, in the second half against UMass, the offense only managed zero points and 50 yards before ultimately winning in overtime.

The Lobo defense has also allowed the 27th most points per game in college football.

Wyoming also had a lackluster offensive performance last week, with only 31 passing yards. Take out Harrison Waylee’s 75-yard touchdown, and the offense only managed 133 yards.

New Mexico has had the Pokes number since head coach Craig Bohl took over the program in 2014, winning six of the 10 games. This will be the third time these teams have opened the Mountain West Conference schedule against each other; however, it has never gone the Pokes way, losing both. How does Wyoming turn this around?

A Wyoming victory comes from…

A Wyoming victory requires a better showing from the offense. Waylee’s dominance through his two games has shown for the Cowboys, but the team needs to be able to move the ball continually. Whether this comes from the speed of Waylee or a mixture of other backs, such as Sam Scott and Jamari Ferrell, the rushing attack must be on point. Earlier in the week, it was announced from the team that D.Q. James had been dismissed from the team. On social media, James said otherwise, that he had entered the transfer portal.

Coinciding with the rush, the team must be back to dominating the time of possession. Against Appalachian State, the Pokes held the ball for less than 20 minutes. The first three games saw the Pokes 13th in the country, averaging 33 minutes and 30 seconds per game. They’ve now dropped nearly three minutes from one game. With New Mexico having new offensive weapons, ensuring they can’t use them helps for a Wyoming win.

Another aid to a brown and gold win is getting earlier stops in Lobo drives. Last week, the defense bent but didn’t break, giving up the four field goals. However, many of those scoring drives were long-sustained drives of 67 yards, 87, 87 and 18. While limiting the number of points is good, preventing any points, obviously, is great.

Stopping New Mexico early in their drives will be key through pressure from the defensive line and quick wrap-ups of any check-downs Hopkins may throw. Keeping an eye on running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, averaging 6.8 yards per carry will also be key to shutting down the Lobo offense.

The first third of the season has shown that quarterback Andrew Peasley doesn’t need to throw for 300 yards and several touchdowns a game for the Pokes to win. What does need to happen is an effective passing game. Rarely does a team like Wyoming win with 31 passing yards and only five completions.

A fully healthy Peasley completing passes will help push this game out of reach from the Lobos.

Wyoming 34 – New Mexico 23

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Notre Dame lands second transfer portal addition in as many days

It might not draw the headlines that Hartman’s commitment did but this one is mighty important for Notre Dame!

For the second day in a row Notre Dame has landed a graduate-transfer and for the second season in a row they’ve landed a defensive back in the portal.  Former Oklahoma State safety/nickel corner back Thomas Harper was on campus this week and announced his commitment to Notre Dame on Friday.

Harper’s fifth and final year of eligibility will be played with the Irish where playing time appears to be mightily available.  He racked up 93 tackles, five tackles for loss, and a pair of interceptions during his four seasons at Oklahoma State.

It’s not an earth-shaking move for Notre Dame but it certainly makes the Irish better on paper for 2023.

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Marcus Freeman discusses Fiesta Bowl collapse

Well, one way to go from here…

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman made his debut in a head spot Saturday and things looked great for him and the Fighting Irish until it all went south.

Notre Dame blew a 28-7 lead and ultimately fell 37-35 as their streak of not winning a major bowl game since January of 1994 continued.

Freeman spoke after the contest and had the following to share in regards to all things Notre Dame and Fiesta Bowl related:

Notre Dame a slight favorite in Fiesta Bowl

What is your bet for the game?

Notre Dame is favored in the slightest of sorts to end their major bowl victory drought in Saturday’s Fiesta Bowl.  The Irish enter the week ahead of their game as under a field goal favorite against Oklahoma State.

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook

Line: Notre Dame (-2.5)

Over/Under: 45.5

Money Line: Notre Dame (-135)/Oklahoma State(+110)

Visit our free to play game lobby at Daily Ticket, Powered by Tipico Sportsbook

Related:

Fiesta Bowl Guide: 5 things to know about Oklahoma State

Notre Dame’s history of Fiesta Bowl struggles

Notre Dame’s all-time bowl history

Fiesta Bowl Preview: Things to know about Oklahoma State

Saddle up, partner.

Notre Dame will attempt to end their streak of losses in major bowl games and turn the tides of their luck in the Fiesta Bowl as they’ve fallen in their last four trips to the game.

Will Marcus Freeman’s first game as head coach be the end of the difficult streak for Notre Dame and will the Irish win their first major bowl game since January of 1994?

If so, they’ll have to get through one of the best defenses in the nation in Oklahoma State.  Here are some things and people to be familiar with in regards to the Cowboys:

Notre Dame assistant defends Mayer’s snub

I’ll get over Michael Mayer not being a Mackey Award finalist one day. That day however is not today.

Notre Dame tight ends coach John McNulty met the media on Monday as the Irish are just 12 days away from kicking off 2022 in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State.

A win over the Cowboys would give the Irish their first major bowl victory since the conclusion of the 1993 season, a year that none of Notre Dame’s current players were around for.

McNulty spoke about preparing for the Fiesta Bowl, what the week following the regular season was like, and defended Michael Mayer’s case for being the nation’s best tight end this season along with more on Monday.  Here is the best of what he had to say:

College Football Playoff Rankings Projection following Rivalry Weekend

What will the next top 6 look like?

Rivalry weekend came and went in the 2021 college football season and it was an absolute doozie.  Michigan getting by Ohio State after a decade-straight of losing to their rival was epic to watch while Alabama’s comeback at Auburn was borderline insane, and Oklahoma-Oklahoma State for Bedlam was terrific as well.

So what do we take away from the weekend and what will the new College Football Playoff ratings look like on Tuesday night?

Here is our best guess here at Fighting Irish Wire.

First up: 25-21…

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7

ESPN CFP Projections Remain Low on Notre Dame

Really, still nobody buying in?

Notre Dame dominated Stanford 45-14 to close their 2021 regular season campaign and moved to 11-1.  Was it enough for Notre Dame to get more respect in terms of a College Football Playoff appearance?

According to ESPN, no, and not even close.

ESPN has 14 college football staffers pick their four CFP teams each week and did so as soon as games of significance ended Saturday night.  Of those 14, none of them had Notre Dame picked to make the playoff.

Here are the five teams that appeared and how many votes each received:

Georgia: 14/14
Michigan: 14/14
Cincinnati: 14/14
Alabama: 7/14
Oklahoma State: 7/14

No other teams appeared on any ballot.

Do seven people think Alabama goes into the SEC Championship and beats Alabama?  That’s the only way they can get in at this point after a game they should have lost at Auburn had it not been for an epic, self-inflicted collapse.

At least it should be.

Related:

Notre Dame blasts Stanford – 5 instant takeaways

5 Stars: best and worst of Notre Dame-Stanford

CFP Top 25 Scoreboard – Shakeups in the top 10 again

2014 shows what Notre Dame is up against for CFP

What does the Big 12 in the 2014 CFP have to do with Notre Dame in 2021? Everything.

In 2014, the first year of the College Football Playoff format, TCU and Baylor went into the final weekend of the year ranked fourth and sixth, respectively.  Both won, TCU 55-3 over Iowa State, while Baylor beat a top-10 Kansas State team.

However, both failed to be ranked in the top four of the College Football Playoff rankings a week later when the actual playoff seedings were announced.

How could that be?

At that time the Big 12 didn’t play a conference championship game while each of the other Power Five conferences did.

Ohio State, who was ranked fifth in the previous poll, jumped into the top four after dismantling Wisconsin 59-0 in the Big Ten championship and went onto eventually win it all from that four-seed.

Oklahoma State checked in one spot behind Notre Dame last night in the new College Football Playoff rankings.  Oklahoma checked in tenth despite being 10-1.  The two play each other this week and if Oklahoma wins, would meet again next week in the Big 12 championship.  If Oklahoma State wins then they’d likely face Baylor in the championship game.

What does it have to do with Notre Dame?

The issue of not having a conference championship game.  I don’t look at it as having a 13th piece of data to look at because when you examine either Oklahoma or Oklahoma State, non-conference wins Tulane and Missouri State didn’t exactly come against world-beaters.

Related: Notre Dame’s most up-to-date national bowl projections

But then again Notre Dame has a win over Navy who is having one of their worst seasons in recent memory.  As impressive as it may have been on the scoreboard, it hardly was so in the bigger picture.

The Big 12 was picked over seven years ago because they didn’t have a conference title game.  Seven years later it very well could be that conference championship game that earns them a playoff spot over a one-loss Notre Dame team.

Or it could be what hands Oklahoma or Oklahoma State that second loss that Notre Dame fans will be rooting for next weekend.

Related:

Wyoming at Air Force: Three Keys to an Air Force Win

Can the Falcons extend their winning streak to seven games? Here’s our preview of how Air Force can beat the Cowboys.

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Wyoming vs. Air Force: Game Preview, Kick Time, TV & Radio Schedule, Odds, Prediction

Can the Falcons Extend their Win Streak to Seven?

Contact/Follow @Sean or @MWCWire

WEEK 14: Wyoming Cowboys (7-4, 4-3 Mountain West) vs. Air Force Falcons (9-2, 6-1 Mountain West)

WHEN: Saturday, November 30 —12:00 PM MT/1:00 PM PT

WHERE: Falcon Stadium; Colorado Springs, Colorado (46,692)

STREAMING: Facebook Live

RADIO: Air Force | Wyoming

SERIES RECORD: Air Force leads the all-time series 28-26 (and 3 ties)

GAME NOTES (PDF): Wyoming | Air Force

ODDS (via OddsShark): Air Force -14

SP+ PROJECTION: Air Force -11.4

FEI PROJECTION: Air Force -15.5

Week 14 is here, and where does the time go? Air Force and Wyoming meet on Saturday to close out their regular season. If you like physical throwback football this should be the game for you. That is, if Donald Hammond doesn’t go off completing 90% of his passes for over 300 yards again.

Hammond and the rest of the Falcon offense will find the Cowboys defense to be a much stiffer test than what they faced last week. In fact, it wouldn’t be too far a stretch to say that Air Force will go from facing the conferences worst defense, to its most formidable.

The Falcons don’t pack such a bad defense themselves, with much improved performance this year surrendering 21 points per game.

In fact, I don’t think the defense has really been as appreciated because of the offenses flash. But in many games this season, it’s actually been the defense that has set the tone until the offense got going. Frankly, it was the defense who was most responsible for their win against Army.

As stout as that performance has been, the Pokes are giving up just over 17 per game. So even with the improved defense of Air Force, this is truly a strength on strength matchup of the Falcons offense, averaging 35 points per game against, up against the very formidable Wyoming D.

Three Keys to an Air Force Victory

1. Balance on Offense

Real estate won’t come easy against Wyoming, so it will be imperative for the Falcons to keep them guessing. Regardless of the opponent, the ground game is Air Force’s bread and butter. And for them to find success on the ground, a threat through the air should also be present.

As previously stated, the Wyoming pass defense will pose a completely different challenge than the Lobos did. So getting the Pokes defense out of position and guessing will be paramount to success. Not an easy thing to do against the Logan Wilson led, Cowboys crew. But predictability is not an option this week.

2. Don’t Let Halliburton Drill

A key cog in the Falcons offensive wheel is to stay ahead of the chains and on schedule. This means avoiding tackles for loss and especially those third and long scenarios. For Air Force to mitigate those less favorable down-and-distance scenarios, they must account for Alijah Halliburton.

Not only is the Wyoming safety third in the conference with over 100 tackles, but he is seventh in tackles for loss, averaging nearly one per game. Halliburton isn’t the only player that the Falcons need to worry about on their side of the line of scrimmage, as Wyoming is second in the conference with sacks.

3. No Turnovers

In spite of what has been a very successful season thus far for the Falcons, turnovers have been problematic. Fumbles in particular, these two teams are at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. Wyoming has only lost three fumbles all season, while Air Force has surrendered the ball via fumble 11 times. This should be a point of focus considering Wyoming’s offense is extremely run heavy.

It would serve the Falcon offense well to be particularly careful with the ball in the air also, as Wyoming’s All-Everything linebacker, Logan Wilson is near the top of the conference with four interceptions.

Prediction

I expect an excellent game between two of the conferences top teams on Saturday. Air Force may be favored by most publications, and come in with more momentum, but I’ve seen a very good 10-win Air Force team lose to a Colby Kirkegaard led Pokes team that won just three FBS games that season.

Whether it’s freshman Levi Williams or Tyler Vander Waal under center, the Pokes will show up ready. Currently Vander Waal sits atop the depth chart after exiting last weeks game.

Even if Wyoming has not had spectacular production from their pass game, Tyler Vander Waal stepped in for an injured Shawn Chambers last year and led the Pokes to a win against Air Force. This is just that kind of series, you don’t necessarily get the expected result.

Air Force should be dialed in for this game, after all, they have lost the last three in the series. So I don’t believe they will be surprised by what Wyoming throws at them. Then again, most teams aren’t, yet they have stacked up wins. Not every team has the multitude of weapons that the Falcon offense is blessed with this year though.

Points could be at a premium for both teams; As good as the Wyoming defense is, I think Air Force has a much better offense comparably. That combined with a defense that seems to keep getting better, should give the Cadets a slight edge.

Air Force 17 – Wyoming 13

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