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No. 4 Texas may be without its starting running back against Wyoming in Week 3.
No. 4 Texas could be without its starting running back in Week 3. Continue reading “Texas RB Cedric Baxter will be a game-time decision vs. Wyoming”
Wyoming vs. Texas: Keys to Victory, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction Cowboys head on the road to take on the #4 Longhorns Contact/Follow @MWCwire Can the Cowboys pull off another Big XII upset? WHEN: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 7:00 PM CT/6:00 PM MT …
Cowboys head on the road to take on the #4 Longhorns
Contact/Follow @MWCwire
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WHEN: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 7:00 PM CT/6:00 PM MT
WHERE: Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas
TV: Longhorn Network (ESPN)
RADIO: Texas: KVET | Wyoming: KOWB
GAME NOTES (PDF): Wyoming | Texas
ODDS: Texas -28.5
The Wyoming Cowboys took care of business in week 2 against Portland State, and now turn their heads to Austin, TX, and fourth ranked Texas Longhorns.
The Longhorns are coming off an impressive victory at then ranked number 3 Alabama, handing the tide their worst home loss in nearly 20 years, and were the first team to score 30 or more points on the Tide in 4 years. The Longhorns are led by Head Coach Steve Sarkisian, who is familiar with the Cowboys from his playing time with BYU in 1995 and 1996, including being the starting Quarterback for the Cougars in the memorable 1996 WAC Championship game.
On the field, the Longhorns are led by Quarterback Quinn Ewers, who through the first two games of the season is averaging 300 yards and 3 touchdowns per game. Ewers has also yet to throw an interception this year, in-fact the Longhorns have yet to turn the ball over this year. The Cowboys will also have their hands full with a defense that is allowing just 67 yards per game on the ground, and has tallied 7 sacks in the first two weeks of the year, 5 of which came against Alabama. Additionally, the Longhorn’s have forced 5 turnovers in the first two weeks of the year.
The Cowboys will need to play their best game of the year to pull out a victory in Austin, but miracles can happen.
Other than Points, there is one statistic that tells the story of Wyoming’s upset of Texas Tech two weeks ago: Time of Possession. The Cowboys had possession for nearly 8 minutes longer than Texas Tech, and pulled that off by controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. On offense the Cowboy’s Offensive Line was able to wear down the Texas Tech front 7 and by the end of the game were having their way with the gassed Red Raiders. Perhaps nothing illustrates this more than the game winning two point conversion. Watch below as Frank Krum (Left Tackle) on the far side of the screen opens up a massive hole for Sam Scott to get into the endzone for the game winning two point conversion.
As called on the Cowboy Sports Network & heard on the @varsity app: pic.twitter.com/CTAuEgL2pA
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) September 3, 2023
The Cowboys won’t have the same advantage this week as they did against the Red Raiders with the altitude and friendly confines of War Memorial Stadium, but if they can continue their trend of owning the line, and dominating the line of scrimmage the Cowboys may stand a chance of pulling off the upset.
Last weekend the Longhorn’s Offensive line allowed zero sacks, and Quinn Ewers rewarded them by torching the Crimson Tide defense to the tune of 349 yards and 3 touchdowns. Rushing the passer has been a strong suit for the Cowboys so far this year as they have racked up 7 sacks over the first two games. Against Texas Tech, it was a sack by DeVonne Harris that sparked the Cowboy’s comeback. Having turned the ball over down 14 points Harris came up with a huge sack to take the wind out of the Red Raider’s high octane offense. The Cowboys will need similar play from the front seven against the Longhorns to disrupt Quinn Ewers.
During the first two games of the year the Cowboys have been prone to turning the ball over, specifically with fumbles. In each game the Cowboys have ended an early drive in the game with a fumble. The Longhorns on the other hand have not had a single turnover in their first two games, and have forced five turnovers. If the Cowboys can’t clean up their ball handling woes it will be a long night in Austin.
Final Thoughts
The Cowboys will play tough in Austin, and Wyoming will give the Longhorns a shock. They will make the game close through 3 quarters but ultimately the Longhorns sheer talent advantage will prove the difference in this game.
Texas 35, Wyoming 28
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The next step in Texas’ program progression is routing the opponents like Wyoming and Baylor.
The No. 4 Texas Longhorns (2-0) are garnering playoff hype this week following a dominant win we predicted over Alabama all offseason. Albeit, it’s fair to call the hype premature. Continue reading “Beat Wyoming: Texas can prove plenty by soundly beating the Cowboys”
The Wyoming Cowboys football team remains undefeated after a 31-17 victory in Laramie on Saturday over the FCS Portland State Vikings.
Wyoming flashes offense and downs FCS Vikings
Contact/Follow @KayceeClark & @MWCwire
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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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Week two of college football is here. We are 12-3 on picks for the year. Let’s see what action the Mountain West has for us this week.
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A look at the Mountain West betting odds for Week 2
Contact/Follow @J0shFr3d & @MWCwire
Late in the week we will look at odds and recent lines and make our best picks and bets. Odds courtesy of Vegas Insider.
We went 10-2 in week one and are 12-3 on the year. A fantastic week one; let’s see if we can do it again in week two.
UNLV becomes the cupcake. Michigan’s defense held East Carolina to 3 points. UNLV has one of the top quarterbacks and one of the top receivers in the Mountain West but only threw for 126 yards against Bryant. They won’t be rushing for 300 yards against Michigan.
Pick: Under
San Jose State looks to get back on the horse against Cal Poly. It won’t be a cake walk for the Spartans. Cal Poly has Washington transfer Sam Huard under center and they picked apart San Diego last week. The Spartans win, but it will be a close one.
Pick: San Jose State
The — 𝓣𝓪𝓴𝓮 ‘𝓔𝓶 𝓣𝓸 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓓𝓮𝓮𝓹 𝓔𝓷𝓭 𝓞𝓯 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓟𝓸𝓸𝓵 — Cut pic.twitter.com/Rda646Gq1k
— Wyoming Cowboy Football (@wyo_football) September 7, 2023
Well, where has this Wyoming team been? The offense still has some questions, but the defense is going to keep them in a bunch of games this season. The Cowboys get a breather game before heading to Austin to face the Longhorns.
Pick: Wyoming
Boise State doesn’t get a lot of time to get over their loss to Washington. As they welcome UCF to the Blue Turf this week. The Knights are coming off a 700 yard slaughter of Kent State. The line could be too small, but the over feels the safer play.
Pick: Over
Nevada gets an FCS game where we could see what changes have been made to the Wolf Pack. Idaho will present a challenge as the Vandals have been a tough out the past few years. Nevada wins, but it’s going to be another close one in the Mountain West.
Pick: Nevada
The Aztecs are 2⃣-0⃣!
See you Saturday @SnapdragonStdm and remember to be in your seats early for the pregame flyover!
🎟️: https://t.co/9rGgdLKrXg pic.twitter.com/GyVxGHcBev
— San Diego State Football (@AztecFB) September 6, 2023
The defensive battle of the week. We could see San Diego State finally exposed this week, but maybe the past two weeks have been a wake up call for teh Aztecs. The Bruins meanwhile are looking for a chance to go out on top and make their mark one last time in the Pac-12
Pick: Under
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Things weren’t often pretty for the Mountain West in Week 1, but some heroes emerge in the season’s first full slate of games.
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Who came out ahead and who left something to be desired across the Mountain West in Week 1 of the college football season?
Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire
Week 1 has come and gone and, folks, college football is back. For a lot of Mountain West fanbases, however, the results of the first full weekend of college football action surely left a sour taste in the mouth while a lucky couple found a way to get things against Power 5 opponents.
Here are Mountain West football’s winners and losers for Week 1.
1. Wyoming
You might be forgiven for writing off the Cowboys after they fell behind 17-0 by the end of the first quarter, but they clawed their way back out of the huge hole one Texas Tech mistake at a time: A second-quarter Tyler Shough interception turned into a Caleb Driskell touchdown reception; a blocked field goal in the third quarter, one of three Red Raider misfires, turned into three more Cowboys points; a dinged-up Andrew Peasley ran for four first downs and a touchdown after halftime.
When Sam Scott scored the two-point conversion that sealed the win in double overtime, he finished a comeback that came about despite Wyoming getting outgained on a per-play basis, 5.4 yards per play to 4.1. That was a product of strong defense (three sacks, nine pass breakups) and timely third-down production (2-of-7 in the first half, 4-of-8 in the second half and OT), exactly the formula Craig Bohl must hope his team can replicate more consistently in the weeks to come.
As called on the Cowboy Sports Network & heard on the @varsity app: pic.twitter.com/CTAuEgL2pA
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) September 3, 2023
2. Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene
Power 5 opponent on the road? Check. Absorbed some punishing hits, enough to be sidelined briefly? Check. Balling out of his mind, anyway? Check. Keene’s Fresno State debut had more than a few shades of Jake Haener’s now-legendary performance at UCLA in 2021.
The Bulldogs quarterback set personal bests by completing 31 of 44 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns against one interception, rallying the road team from a 28-17 deficit just after halftime to secure a season-opening win over Purdue. He was particularly potent on Fresno State’s final drive with 4:30 left in the fourth quarterback, going 6-of-6 for 76 yards with the game-winning 22-yard connection to Erik Brooks.
Mikey Keene 🎯 Erik Brooks pic.twitter.com/H2BEmtwbrm
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) September 2, 2023
3. The San Diego State secondary
The Aztecs may have taken their foot off the gas just a touch in the second half of their home win against Idaho State, but position coaches Kyle Hoke and Demetrius Sumler should be pleased with the way their cornerbacks and safeties took care of business. Dezjhon Malone led the way with an interception and four pass breakups, Cedarious Barfield added another interception, and the pass defense held the Bengals to a combined 47.6% completion rate and 4.9 yards per attempt. Things will get tougher in the coming weeks against UCLA and Oregon State, but that’ll play.
Quatro (for) Quatro
📺: @CBSSportsNet pic.twitter.com/rOS04gCFAD
— San Diego State Football (@AztecFB) September 3, 2023
1. Any Mountain West team playing against the Pac-12
Well, that wasn’t pretty at all. Not only did the Mountain West finish Week 1 with a 0-5 record against Pac-12 opponents, the conference got outscored by an average margin of 50.2 to 19.6. No one was immune to getting pasted, either: Nevada, unsurprisingly, allowed 66 points to USC, Colorado State got bullied for 50, and Boise State allowed Washington to score 28 points in the second quarter and 21 more in the fourth quarter.
There are still a few weeks left to right to right this particular ship, but at least Mountain West fans can take solace that they didn’t get the Portland State treatment.
2. Utah State’s banged-up defense
The Aggies aren’t here for the usual reasons but because they battled the Iowa Hawkeyes to a ten-point loss while dealing with some pretty heavy losses on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive tackle Hale Motu’apuaka didn’t play while young linebacker Max Alford may have suffered a season-ending injury, but Utah State held Iowa to 4.1 yards per play and got reasonably successful debuts from the likes of Anthony Switzer, Jaiden Francois, and Bronson Olevao Jr.
There’s plenty of season left, but the Aggies will have to hope they don’t need to dig too far down the depth chart too soon.
3. Colorado State’s offensive line
The more things changed in the trenches, the more they stayed the same for the Rams in Week 1. Much of the attention after Saturday’s lopsided loss to Washington State focused on Clay Millen’s underwhelming stat line but it’s worth noting that, according to Pro Football Focus, among the 14 Mountain West quarterbacks who have at least ten dropbacks in the young season, Millen and Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi are 13th and 12th, respectively, in time to throw per attempt (2.40 and 2.41 seconds).
New starting tackles Saveyon Henderson and Drew Moss combined to allow six quarterback hurries and nine pressures on 43 pass-blocking snaps. Run blocking wasn’t much better against Washington State as Avery Morrow and Kobe Johnson combined to average 2.5 yards per carry. The Rams have two weeks to fix all of this in preparation for the suddenly resurgent Colorado Buffaloes in the Rocky Mountain Showdown, but if the improvement doesn’t start up front then the rest may not matter.
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It’s all football, all fall. College football is really back this week and we take a look at what Vegas is saying about the Mountain West.
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A look at the Mountain West betting odds for Week 1
Contact/Follow @J0shFr3d & @MWCwire
Late in the week we will look at odds and recent lines and make our best picks and bets. Odds courtesy of Vegas Insider.
We had a quick bite at the apple in week 0 and didn’t do so bad. We went 2-1 and are looking to keep ourselves above .500.
Hawai’i nearly pulled off the upset in week zero against Vanderbilt. Stanford has a new coach and a new offensive system. This game could be a shootout as the Cardinal move to a more up tempo offense and the Warriors continue the return of the run-and-shoot.
Pick: Over
Our WR room made some new friends today 🤝
Friday. White Out. 5 PM. See you at Ching! #BRADDAHHOOD #GoBows pic.twitter.com/VY9T8O9eOC
— Hawaii Football (@HawaiiFootball) August 31, 2023
I don’t know what to think here. Iowa’s offense was horrible last year, but the Hawkeyes managed to cover a 23 point spread against another Mountain West team in Nevada. Utah State should be better than that Nevada squad but it’s hard to tell. Taking the under is probably the safest bet here.
Pick: Under
Purdue is a completely different team this season with the hire of new head coach Ryan Walters. Fresno State meanwhile still has playmakers on both sides of the ball even with the loss of quarterback Jake Haener. This is one of the best opportunities for a Mountain West P5 upset, so I’m taking the Bulldogs to cover here.
Pick: Fresno State -4.5
There is no line here, but do you really need one? Take Air Force if you can find a place to take the bet and you really need a win. Air Force is breaking in basically a whole new set of skill players and Robert Morris hasn’t won a game since November 2021.
Pick: Air Force ML
⚪️🔵⚪️
Ready to represent ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/xXKg50JVfL
— Air Force Football (@AF_Football) August 30, 2023
This one is a tough call. Washington is expected to be one of the top teams in the country this year. Boise State, meanwhile, is expected to be at the top of the Mountain West. If the Broncos want to get back onto the top of the G5 mountain, it starts in Seattle. But I don’t think it will be enough and the Huskies start their journey back to the CFP.
Pick: Washington (-14.5)
Another week one FCS matchup for the Mountain West. This one is one to watch though. Bryant almost beat FIU last year and returns the majority of their offense. UNLV is completely starting over under Barry Odom. The Bears could make this a close one, but expect the Rebels to win.
Pick: UNLV ML
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Football season is finally here! The wait is over and we can bet on CFB again. Here’s what you should be looking in MW week zero action.
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A look at the Mountain West betting odds for Week 0
Contact/Follow @J0shFr3d & @MWCwire
Late in the week we will look at odds and recent lines and make our best picks and bets. Odds courtesy of Vegas Insider.
It’s time for College Football to start again. We’ve reached week zero and it’s time to get your wallets ready. There are three Mountain West games to look at this week and let’s see if we can get off to a good start this year.
Ohio is looking to make an impact in the MAC. San Diego State looks to have found a QB in Jalen Mayden, but it remains to be seen what they can do. Ohio is coming off a 10-4 season, while San Diego State is coming off a 7-6 year. Teams change every year, but I’m sticking with my pick this week and going with Ohio to win outright.
Pick: Ohio ML
The spread feels like a trap game for college football bettors. Last year’s line of 9.5 was obliterated as Vanderbilt won 63-10. Hawai’i head coach Timmy Chang got the Warriors to calm down as the year went on, but they could go either direction this year. The Commodores lose a decent amount of experience, so the over feels the safe bet here.
Pick: Over
This spread seems almost insulting to the Spartans. Yes, the Trojans has transfer talent coming in, but San Jose State isn’t a team to look past. They’ve put a scare into a few teams these past few years. The Spartans aren’t going to win this game, but a backdoor cover against the Trojans backups isn’t out of the question.
Pick: San Jose State +30.5
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Don’t overlook these new arrivals across the Mountain West from the juco ranks.
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Don’t overlook these new arrivals across the Mountain West from the juco ranks.
Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire
The Aztecs have plenty of roles to fill along the defensive line, but Alualu looks like he could be a linchpin on the interior. A recruit out of California’s Mt. San Antonio College, he spent the 2021 season thriving in the juco ranks with 29 total tackles and 5.5 sacks, and though he hasn’t yet earned a starting job, expect that he’ll be part of a deep rotation of defensive tackles who should collectively maintain the team’s high standards.
On an offensive line where no starting role is safe, Bolles could be in line to claim a job. As part of the championship team at College of San Mateo in 2022, he earned a spot on the All-Bay 6 Conference team and paved the way for Ezra Moleni, who transferred to Sacramento State himself, to average over 100 all-purpose yards per game.
Calvin Tyler Jr. leaves some big shoes for the Aggies to fill, and while they do bring back sophomore Robert Briggs, Booth could be the new arrival who keeps Utah State potent on the ground. He ran for 1,442 yards and eight touchdowns at California’s Cerritos College last year, averaging a healthy 6.5 yards per carry, and had been previously rated as a three-star recruit out of high school.
Perhaps one of the more underrated names on this list, Brown spent 2022 at Butler Community College in Kansas after spending two seasons at FCS Kennesaw State, where he saw limited action. That wasn’t the case with the Butler Grizzlies, though, since he finished last season with 39 total tackles, five interceptions, and 14 pass breakups while also contributing on special teams.
One big question facing the Bulldogs in 2023 is how they’ll reinforce their pass rush now that David Perales has moved on to the NFL ranks. After choosing the Bulldogs over other Mountain West programs like San Diego State and San Jose State, Christensen could be a major factor in that regard after a very successful 2022 at San Diego Mesa College, where he had 37 total tackles, including seven sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss, in ten games.
Craig Bohl and defensive coordinator Jay Sawvel have to feel good about their overall depth at cornerback and you have to figure Davis is a significant reason why. Davis spent three seasons at Navarro Community College in Texas and stood out on one of the nation’s best juco teams throughout 2022, making 32 tackles, breaking up eight passes and snagging two interceptions. He also returned kicks and punts for the Bulldogs, providing the Cowboys with a capable do-it-all athlete.
According to Pro Football Focus, three different Rebel receivers spent at least 70% of their snaps in the slot throughout 2022. All three of those players — Jeff Weimer, Nick Williams, and Kalvin Souders — are gone, but De Jesus might be the go-to guy for that role after a strong spring. Listed at 5-foot-7 and 175 pounds, De Jesus spent 2022 at Modesto Junior College in central California, where he helped the team clinch a playoff berth with 64 catches for 914 yards and five touchdowns. With Ricky White and Senika McKie sure to draw plenty of attention themselves, De Jesus could thrive underneath.
The Spartans have a big task in replacing both Viliami Fehoko and Cade Hall, but an athlete like Faga could be well-positioned to make up for that collective loss. He spent the 2022 season at the New Mexico Military Institute and played in just five games, but he notched ten tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks in that small sample.
JL Skinner, Tyreque Jones, and Caleb Biggers might be gone, but McCoy is an intriguing candidate who could play himself into a rotational role. One of the Broncos’ few juco imports, he spent two seasons at Laney College and posted a total of 62 tackles, six interceptions, and nine pass breakups in that time.
The Lobos will need plenty of contributors to emerge and help turn around last year’s moribund offense, but few candidates are as fascinating as Washington. The 6-foot-5, 219-pound Belle Glade, Florida native thrived in three seasons at Iowa Central Community College, catching 54 balls for 863 yards and ten touchdowns, and might be exactly the kind of deep threat New Mexico has sorely missed in recent years.
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The Polynesian community is well-represented by the Mountain West this season.
The Polynesian community is well-represented by the Mountain West this season.
Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire
Watch list season rolled on today with the reveal of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame’s Player of the Year Award roll call. The award, given annually to the nation’s most outstanding player of Polynesian ancestry, features 20 athletes from the Mountain West among 85 athletes altogether.
As you might expect, the Hawaii Warriors lead the way among Mountain West teams with six selections, though nine teams in the conference landed at least one player on this watch list. Offensive linemen are also well-represented in the conference’s cohort with eight overall selections including Fresno State’s Mose Vavao, who was also named to the official preseason all-Mountain West team last month.
The biggest names from the Mountain West include Boise State running back George Holani, who ran for 1,157 yards and scored 13 total touchdowns last season, and San Jose State quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, who set career highs with 3,251 passing yards and 32 combined touchdowns through the air and on the ground.
Here is the complete list of watch list honorees:
Falepule Alo, OL, Utah State
Tupu Alualu, DL, San Diego State
Chevan Cordeiro, QB, San Jose State
George Holani, RB, Boise State
Jonah Kahahawai-Welch, DL, Hawaii
Keleki Latu, TE, Nevada
Hale Motu’apuaka, DL, Utah State
Sergio Muasau, OL, Hawaii
Jonah Panoke, WR, Hawaii
Noa Pola-Gates, DB, New Mexico
Shae Suiaunoa, LB, Wyoming
MJ Tafisi, LB, Utah State
Marist Talavou, OL, San Jose State
Eliki Tanuvasa, OL, Hawaii
Soane Toia, DL, San Jose State
John Tuitupou, DL, Hawaii
Nofoafia Tulafono, OL, Wyoming
Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli, OL, San Diego State
Solo Vaipulu, OL, Hawaii
Mose Vavao, OL, Fresno State
Last year’s Polynesian Player of the Year winner was USC’s Tuli Tuipulotu.
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