Tag: Wyoming

Wyoming vs. Colorado State: 3 Keys to Cowboys Victory

Wyoming vs. Colorado State: 3 Keys to a Cowboys Victory Will the Rams ever win the Bronze Boot again? Do they even remember what it is? Contact/Follow @jessetachiquin & @MWCwire Cowboys vs Rams WEEK 13: Wyoming Cowboys (6-4, 3-3 MW) vs Colorado …

[jwplayer elsvQx2c-sNi3MVSU]

Wyoming vs. Colorado State: 3 Keys to a Cowboys Victory

Will the Rams ever win the Bronze Boot again? Do they even remember what it is?

Contact/Follow @jessetachiquin & @MWCwire

Cowboys vs Rams

WEEK 13: Wyoming Cowboys (6-4, 3-3 MW) vs Colorado State Rams (4-6, 3-3 MW)

WHEN: Friday, November 22— 7:30 PM MT

WHERE: War Memorial Stadium; Laramie, WY (29,131)

TV: ESPN2

STREAM: fuboTV

RADIO: Wyoming | Colorado State

SERIES RECORD: Colorado State leads 58-47-5 all-time

Wyoming leads Bronze Boot series 27-24

WEBSITES: Wyoming | Colorado State

ODDS (via OddsShark): Wyoming -6.5

FEI Projection: Wyoming by 15

According to ancient Colorado State lore, the Rams were once the proud holder of the Bronze Boot. While historians continue to argue the validity of that claim, current Buffalo Bills quarterback and former Wyoming standout Josh Allen chimed in with his thoughts on “Sheep Week”.

Colorado State is well aware of the history they will make if they are able to win the big game at War Memorial Stadium. Rams coach Mike Bobo reminded the team, the citizens of Fort Collins, and all of the communities along the Front Range of how the last three meetings against the Pokes have ended during practice this week.

All jokes aside, a very dangerous and hungry squad will be making their way up from Fort Collins for the game on Friday night. An explosive offense led by QB Patrick O’Brien and WR Warren Jackson combined with a must-win game from their perspective will ensure the Pokes get the best the Rams have to offer.

Three Keys to a Wyoming Win

Contain Warren Jackson

There is no way around it, this guy is a physical specimen. His “worst” game of the season was 4 rec-53 yards-1 TD against Arkansas. Pro Football Focus has Jackson ranked as the top G5 receiver. Wyoming’s defense gave up a lot through the air last week against Utah State so slowing the Rams passing game could be a challenge. Tyler Hall has been one of the better corners in the Mountain West but he will be at a huge size advantage against the Rams standout. Limiting Jackson’s production will be key in Wyoming keeping the Boot.

Reintroduce A Quarterback Running Threat

The Cowboys offense has looked really bad without a quarterback who can run the ball and Tyler Vander Waal had a tough game last week when he was asked to throw a lot more passes than the Pokes usually attempt. Last week, the Cowboys called some direct snaps to Valladay and attempted to get Austin Conway the ball on the perimeter. The reality is that Wyoming is going to struggle to expose the Rams defense if the plan is to run a knicked up Valladay up the gut for 25 attempts. Whether it’s calling more gimmick formations, more runs for Vander Waal, or inserting Levi Williams, the Cowboys need more out of that position than they have had the last 2 weeks.

Match Colorado State’s Intensity

The Rams have everything on the line in this one. At 4-6, they are still alive for a bowl bid if they can beat Wyoming and Boise State to close the season. While those odds are not great, with the way they have played during the second half of the season, they have shown that they haven’t given up. The seat is red hot for Mike Bobo and he may need wins against the Cowboys and Broncos to keep his job.

Wyoming also has a lot on the line. With a win, the Cowboys eliminate Colorado State, ensure their senior class never takes an L against the Rams, and earn the critical 7th win that should lock them into a bowl game.

Oh, and it’s for the Bronze Boot!

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=645997189]

[protected-iframe id=”09e6ca4e11e5838c3834d87c7b471ffb-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://anchor.fm/mwwire/embed” width=”400px” height=”102px” frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”]

Wyoming’s Four Turnovers Lead to 26-21 Defeat vs. Utah State

Wyoming’s backup quarterback Tyler Vander Wall had too many errors in the loss to Utah State.

[jwplayer giQgsDCx-sNi3MVSU]

Bridger’s Rifle will spend one more year in Utah

Wyoming’s 4 turnovers were too much to overcome

Contact/Follow @jessetachiquin & @MWCwire

The Cowboys played hard but were unable to overcome 4 turnovers included a critical interception with the Pokes driving for the potential winning score. Xazavian Valladay put in another blue-collar effort with 114 yards on 25 carries. Aside from the 3 interceptions, the Cowboys had one of their best showings throwing the ball this season led by Josh Harshman’s 6 catches for 76 yards and Austin Conway’s 5 catches for 64 yards.

There were stretches during the game where Utah State quarterback Jordan Love torched Wyoming’s pass defense but the Cowboys forced 2 turnovers and did a good job of forcing field goals instead of touchdowns. Given the number of turnovers from the Pokes offense, the fact that Wyoming even had a chance late in the game is a testament to how well Logan Wilson and the rest of the defense performed.

It’s time to meet Levi Williams

After the Boise State game, I wrote that the Cowboys were going to be fine with Tyler Vander Waal at quarterback down the stretch. That was until I saw the turnover party he threw in Logan on Saturday. The fumble in the red zone and the final interception to seal the loss could be chalked up to trying to do too much. The other 2 interceptions are hard to make an excuse for. Given the way the door closed on him last season with Sean Chambers taking over, I can see how he might have been in a situation where he was just “trying too hard”. 

At this point in Vander Waal’s career, I think we know what we can expect from him this season. He has been an excellent teammate but the reality is that the offense really struggles to move the ball when he’s under center. We’ve seen this throughout two seasons. Vander Waal is certainly not the one to blame as Josh Allen, Nick Smith, and Chambers have also struggled in this offense but Allen and Chambers ability to run the ball made the offense effective.  It’s not time to write him off but it is time to see what else the Cowboys have. 

Levi Williams is a true freshman from Texas who was recruited by TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma State, and Houston. A coaching change at Houston presented Wyoming with a chance to bring him in. He’s listed as a pocket passer but he accounted for 1,230 rushing yards with 16 rushing TD’s in his senior season. The Cowboys have a very young team with a bright future but the team is out of contention for the conference title and needs to find one more win to ensure a bowl birth. With the new redshirt rules, what’s it hurt to see what he can do? Perhaps Williams will even show enough to give Chambers a run for his money next season. If anything, it gets a young player meaningful game experience with no consequence of losing a year of eligibility.

The Offense Wasn’t A One Man Show

I’ve been waiting for Conway to have a huge game in his final season and he was a big part of the game plan against the Aggies. In addition to his six catches, he had 2 rushing attempts and looked great on punt returns. He is far too talented to be as underutilized as he has been this season. Brett Brenton took advantage of his opportunity adding 22 yards on four carries and a catch for 5 yards. Valladay even got an opportunity to run out of the Wildcat on the first drive of the game. While the overhaul to the offense wasn’t as comprehensive as many would like, it’s clear that Vigen and his group were attempting to add new wrinkles.

Mountain West Officiating Leaves Much To Be Desired

The Cowboys didn’t lose because of poor officiating but it’s becoming to be a glaring problem for the league. Utah State was called for a phantom pass interference early when the defensive back used the sideline perfectly.  Tyler Hall was penalized twice for pass interference on plays where he was guilty of running the Utah State receiver’s route better than the Utah State player, Essias Gandy was called on a late hit out of bounds in a play where he didn’t hit the returner and a relatively weak holding call was enforced on a long punt return from Austin Conway that took great field position from the Pokes on their final drive. It’s easy to hate the officials because nobody recognized when they do a good job but these inexcusable mistakes keep piling up with no consequences.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=645997163]

[protected-iframe id=”c0286d6e1aad69344270e42782a7311d-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://anchor.fm/mwwire/embed” width=”400px” height=”102px” frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”]