Boise State University (-11) at University of Wyoming

Date: Saturday December 12, 2020

Time: 4:00pm MT

Stadium: Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium (29,181)

TV: CBS Sports Network

Commentators: Rich Waltz, Aaron Murray, AJ Ross

Know Thy Enemy

Nestled on the Laramie River in between interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287 just North of Grand Avenue is Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium where you’ll hear the “Western Thunder” Marching Band playing “Fight Cowboys Fight” as the University of Wyoming Cowboys take the field. The Cowboys hope Ol’ Steamboat will be the only Bronco bucking come Saturday afternoon as the University of Wyoming Cowboys take on the Broncos of Boise State University.

The Cowboys (2-3,2-3) come into Saturday’s match up limping a bit, losing two of their last three games and having two of their last five games canceled. Wyoming lost last week in a gut wrenching, 17-16 affair against the University of New Mexico.

The Cowboys want to do one thing on offense. They want to run the football. On Saturday, Wyoming will line up and run the ball 40-50 times. The run heavy offense is led by Louville transfer Trey Smith and Junior Xazavian Valladay. Valladay could be limited this week after stuffing an apparent leg injury against UNLV. Valladay did not play last week against New Mexico.

On Defense the Cowboys have played really well in their wins and have struggled in their losses. In their two wins they have only given up 21 points total. In their three losses they gave up a combined 88 points. The Cowboys defense is led by their safeties and their linebackers. Linebacker Chad Muma is having an excellent year along with safeties Braden Smith and Esaias Gandy. The Cowboys are very young upfront with only one upperclassman along the defensive line.

Wyoming is coached by Craig Bohl. Bohl is in his seventh year as the Head Coach of the Cowboys. Bohl has an overall record of 38-43. Bohl has never won more than 8 games in a single season and has never won a conference title.

The classic Man vs Beast battle between the Cowboys and the Broncos has been played 14 times dating back to 2002. The teams started playing annually back in 2010. Boise State leads the series 13-1. Wyoming’s lone win came in a 30-28 thriller back in 2016.

What Happened Last Year

“Broncos Buck Cowboys in OT” was the headline after Boise State got all they could handle and thensome.

Boise State was without starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier again after suffering an undisclosed injury against San Jose State the week prior. Turning to backup Chase Chord the Broncos had a hard time moving the football on the stingy Cowboys defense.

After forcing Wyoming to punt on their first possession of the game, Chord orchestrated a 12-play 92 yard drive that concluded with a 5 yard touchdown pass to Akilian Butler. That would be the only scoring Boise State did in the first half as they were forced to punt on their final three possessions of the first half. The Broncos headed to the locker room trailing 10-7.

The second half was much of the same. After tying the game at 10 with a 40 yard field goal from Eric Saches, the Broncos would be held scoreless until the fourth quarter.

Heading into the final frame down 17-10 Boise State would tie the game late in the fourth on a 5-yard run by Khalil Shakir, forcing overtime.

Boise State would get the ball first in OT and settle for a field goal to take the lead 20-17. After holding the Cowboys out of the endzone, it was all up to kicker Cooper Rothe to extend the game but his 44 yard attempt was wide right and the Broncos held on for the win.

Players to Watch

UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING

GS., TREY SMITH, RB #7

Trey Smith is part of a one-two running back punch that the Cowboys will feature on Saturday afternoon. Smith went off for 154 yards on 24 attempts with a touchdown last week against New Mexico. Smith was the feature back during the absence of Xazavian Valladay. Valladay may be back this week but Smith should still continue to get his touches this week.

JR., CHAD MUMA, MLB #46

Chad Muma just has a “nose” for the football. Muma is among the nation's leading tacklers, averaging 11.6 tackles per game. Muma leads the Cowboys with 48 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss. Muma has also forced one turnover this year. His coach thinks very highly of him as well, nominating him for the All-Conference team.

Rs.FR., ISAIAH NEYOR, WR #5

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Isaiah Neyor has been one of the most explosive receivers in the nation this season. Neyor enters this week with eight receptions for 248 yards for an average of 31.0 yards per reception. Last week against New Mexico, Neyor continued to display his explosive offensive abilities as he caught a 54-yard pass and recorded a 58-yard rush to account for 112 yards of all-purpose yardage in just two plays.

BOISE STATE

SO., GEORGE HOLANI, RB #24

You read that right, George Holani will be back in action! Christmas has come early for Bronco Nation. Since Holani’s injury five weeks ago, the Boise State rushing attack has been inconsistent. It’s not clear how many touches Holani will get this week, but anytime George is on the field is good news for the Broncos and bad news for the ‘Pokes.

Rs., SO., JACKSON CRAVENS, DT #94

Jackson Cravens, the transfer from Utah, joined the Broncos last season, but used his redshirt year due to transfer rules. Cravens has dealt with some injuries this season, but Coach Harsin insulated that he might be back this week. This news couldn’t have come at a better time as Cravens looks to help bring depth to a depleted defensive line.

Rs.JR., SHANE IRWIN, STUD #55

Shane Irwin has been on quite the run the last two games for the Broncos. The Junior has totaled four sacks, four tackles for loss, 11 tackles and forced a fumble in those two games. This week Irwin will have limited opportunities to rush the passer, but should play a big role in stopping the Cowboys run game.

Focus Position Group: STUD

The STUD position at Boise State isn’t all about rushing the passer. As much as we love to see sacks and tackles for loss, part of playing defensive end or outside linebacker is setting the “edge.” Setting the “edge” forces the action to the middle of the field where the teeth of the defense is. This week when facing a very run heavy football team it will be very important that the STUD play from Shane Irwin and co. is spot on to keep these Cowboy running backs in check.

Rev's Route to a Bronco Win

Orange Crush

Running the football will be the Cowboy’s top objective this week. They have averaged over 40 rushing attempts per game this season. Both running backs Trey Smith and Xazaivan Valladay have been very effective this season, accounting for over 600 yards rushing. Boise State will need to focus on stopping the run this week or it could be a long afternoon for the Broncos.

Wandering Eyes

One of the Cowboy’s greatest weapons is a defense with wandering eyes. Wyoming will look to lull the defense “to sleep” by running the ball play after play and then, when they least expect it and pop one over the top with a play action pass. The Broncos need to leave the wandering eyes to Ronnie McDowell and play sound defensive football Saturday Afternoon.

Rest vs Rust

With the Broncos having two unexpected weeks off due to COVID issues, Boise State will be faced with the age old dilemma of being rested or being rusty. There is no question that game speed is a little faster than practice speed, but let’s hope the Broncos get up to speed early in the game.

Editorial Note:

Destiny’s child is the Mountain West Championship game. Boise State is in control of their own destiny with a “win and you’re in” situation come Saturday. Winning on Saturday is not a for-gone conclusion however. Saturday might be more of a mental hurdle than a physical one. There is no question that Boise State is the more talented of the two teams. Wyoming may be turning to a freshman quarterback that played in his first ever collegiate game last week. The defense has been riddled with injuries and is relying on walk-ons to fill the gaps.

The mental challenge will be mother nature. The average day-time high in December in Laramie, Wyoming is 30 degrees. It will be around 20 degrees at kick-off on Saturday and the temperature will drop to 14 degrees by game's end. The biggest “if” for the Broncos will be if they can be a “cold weather” football team. Boise State hasn’t played a game in weather under 35 degrees this season. Will they be mentally and physically tough enough to forget about the elements and focus on executing the game plan.

Along with the mental challenge of playing in the cold, the Cowboys and Broncos have had some nail-biter of the past four seasons. During this current stretch of games the winner has been decided by 10 points or less. Four years ago the Cowboys beat the Broncos by 2 points and last season it took overtime for the Broncos to win by 3. So it could be a close one again this year...

BUT NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND, I see a well rested, healthy, and motivated Broncos team beat the Cowboys at their own game.

Broncos 35, Cowboys 13

Rev's Rundown

Revs Rundown 2020 Week Eight: Boise State University at University of Wyoming