http://www.mwcboard.com/www/forums/index.php?showtopic=12934
Please email me if I made any mistakes that need to be changed. ~ [email protected]
WYOMING
*Wyoming began football in 1893, but supposedly was known as "the cowboys" as far back as 1891!
2007 MWC Final Standings:
1st-BYU, 11-2 (8-0)
2nd-Air Force, 9-4 (6-2)
3rd-Utah, 9-4 (5-3)
3rd-New Mexico, 9-4 (5-3)
5th-TCU, 8-5 (4-4)
6th-SDSU, 4-8 (3-5)
7th-CSU, 3-9 (2-6)
7th-Wyoming, 5-7 (2-6)
9th-UNLV, 2-10 (1-7)
2007 Cowboys Football Schedule (finished 5-7, #85 Sagarin):
Sat Sep 1-Virginia, W 23-3 (finished 9-4, #41 Sagarin)
*Wyoming RB Devin Moore ran for 125 yards and the Wyoming defense held Virginia to just 110 yards of total offense and only 7 rushing yards!
Sat Sep 8-Utah State, W 32-18 (finished 2-10, #142 Sagarin)
Sat Sep 15-@Boise State, L 14-24 (finished 10-3, #48 Sagarin)
Sat Sep 22-@ Ohio, W 34-33 (finished 6-6, #114 Sagarin)
Sat Sep 29-BYE
Sat Oct 6-TCU, W 24-21 (finished 8-5, #50 Sagarin)
*The 300th game played at War Memorial Stadium: TCU kicker Chris Manfredini's 48-yard field goal attempt missed as time expired!
Sat Oct 13-New Mexico, L 3-20 (finished 9-4, #58 Sagarin)
Sat Oct 20-@ Air Force, L 12-20 (finished 9-4, #49 Sagarin)
Sat Oct 27-UNLV, W 29-24 (finished 10-2, #120 Sagarin)
Sat Oct 3-@ SDSU, L 24-27 (finished 4-8, #89 Sagarin)
Sat Nov 10-@ Utah, L 0-50 (finished 9-4, #34 Sagarin)
*You know you want to watch it again (2:01 for those with no patience)! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZx5i7LMKu0
Sat Nov 17-BYU, L 10-35 (finished 14th-Ranked at 11-2, #17 Sagarin)
Fri Nov 23-"The Border War"-@ CSU, L 28-36 (finished 3-9, #91 Sagarin)
*After beginning 4-1, the Cowboys finished 1-6!
*Wyoming lost 3 MWC games by one touchdown or less, the difference between 3rd and 7th place in conference!
2007 Average Home Game Attendance: 19,109 (Stadium seats 32,580)
*War Memorial Stadium was built in 1950 and originally sat 20,000! It sits at 7200 feet above sea level, the highest Div I football stadium in America!
2007 Wyoming Team Stats:
Total Defense: 332.1 YPG, #22 Nationally, #5 MWC
Rush Defense: 122.8 YPG, #27 Nationally, #4 MWC
Pass Defense: 209.3 YPG, #30 Nationally, #5 MWC
Scoring Defense: 25.9 PPG, #49 Nationally, #6 MWC
Rushing Offense: 129.8 YPG, #88 Nationally, #8 MWC
Passing Offense: 192.9 YPG, #91 Nationally, #8 MWC
Most Turnovers Gained: 19 Total Turnovers Gained, #93 Nationally, #9 MWC
Fewest Turnovers Lost: 31 Total Turnovers Lost, #105 Nationally, #9 MWC
Total Offense: 322.8 YPG, #106 Nationally, #9 MWC
Scoring Offense: 19.4 PPG, #107 Nationally, #8 MWC
Turnover Margin: -12, #112 Nationally, #9 MWC
*Second quarter score: Opponents 115 - Wyoming 30!
*Fourth Down Conversions: Opponents 12 of 22 (55%) - Wyoming 4 of 18 (22%)!
*Like BYU, Wyoming in 2007 only allowed one player all year rush for over 100 yards, tied for the best in the nation!
2008 Wyoming Football Schedule (5-7 last season, #85 Sagarin):
Sat Aug 30-Ohio (6-6 last season, #114 Sagarin), The Mtn.
Sat Sep 6-Air Force (9-4 last season, #49 Sagarin), CBS-CS
*This will be the Wyoming football program's 1,000th game in their history (winning .622 All-Time at Home)!
Sat Sep 13-I-AA North Dakota State (10-1 last season, #71 Sagarin), None
*NDSU beat Minnesota last season and crushed the MAC's 8-win Central Michigan by 30 points, both on the road! Joe Glenn and his DC both graduated from rival South Dakota State!
Sat Sep 20-@ BYU (14th-Ranked at 11-2 last season, #17 Sagarin), The Mtn.
Sat Sep 27-Bowling Green (8-5 last season, #99 Sagarin), The Mtn.
*The first meeting between the Wyoming and Bowling Green football programs!
Sat Oct 4-@ New Mexico (9-4 last season, #58 Sagarin), The Mtn.
Sat Oct 11-Utah (9-4 last season, #34 Sagarin), The Mtn.
Sat Oct 18-BYE
Sat Oct 25-@ TCU (8-5 last season, #50 Sagarin), The Mtn.
Sat Nov 1-SDSU (4-8 last season, #89 Sagarin), The Mtn.
Sat Nov 8-@ Tennessee (12th-Ranked at 10-4 last season, #15 Sagarin), TBA
Thu Nov 13-@ UNLV (2-10 last season, #120 Sagarin), CBS-CS
Sat Nov 22-"The Border War"-CSU (3-9 last season, #91 Sagarin), The Mtn.
*7 homes games for the Cowboys, for only the 2nd time in Wyoming football's history (the other was back in 1990)!
2008 Predicted Final Record by Sagarin: 5-7 (3-5), including a loss to their I-AA opponent
Last Winning Season: 2004 (7-5, Tied for 4th in the MWC)
Last Bowl Game: 2004 (24-21 Win over UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl)
*Thus ending a 38-year bowl victory drought!
Last Conference Championship: 1993 (WAC, Shared with BYU and Fresno State)
*It's been 15 years now for the Cowboys, which makes one more than for the Rebels! 1996 was a near miss, when #20 Wyoming lost the WAC Championship Game 25-28 in overtime to #6 BYU in Las Vegas!
Athletics Director: Tom Burman (since Oct 12, 2006)
Head Coach: Joe Glenn (South Dakota State '71) (26-33 Record in 5 Years at Wyoming, 14-24 in MWC play, 184-92 Overall Career, Previously Won 3 I-AA National Championships)
*The heat is on this season for Glenn! http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2007/1...ts_11-28-07.txt
*Glenn isn't worried! http://www.starherald.com/site/news.cfm?de...newsid=19732284
Former Head Coach: Vic Kooening (5-28 in 3 Years at Wyoming)
Offensive Coordinator: Bob Cole, from Florida A&M-OC (1st Year at Wyoming)
Defensive Coordinator: Mike Breske (South Dakota State '81)
Starters Lost: 10 (3 Offense, 4 Defense, 1 Special Teams)
Lettermen Lost: 14 (5 Offense, 8 Defense, 1 Special Teams)
Returning Starters: 15 (8 Offense, 7 Defense)
Returning Lettermen: 44 (22 Offense, 21 Defense, 1 Special Teams)
Losses from Last Year's Team:
TE Wade Betschart (Two-Time All-MWC Selection, NFL Free Agent to the San Diego Chargers, finished 2007 with 32 receptions for 297 yards)
CB Julius Stinson (1st Team All-MWC, 5 Interceptions, Semi-Finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award which honors the nation's top DB )
CB Michael Medina (a Two-Year Starter at Corner who overcame an early season foot injury to have a solid Senior year, NFL Free Agent to the Green Bay Packers)
CB Troy Lewis (the main backup to Stinson and Medina)
P/PK Sr Billy Vinnedge (Honorable Mention All-MWC, 13 of 18 Field Goals, Average 42.7 Yards Per Punt, 26 Punts Downed Inside the 20, NFL Free Agent to the San Diego Chargers)
WR/PR/KR Hoost Marsh
WR Michael Ford
MLB Luke Chase
SLB Sean Claffey
MLB John Prater
WLB Brandon Haugen
QB Jacob Doss
Returning from Last Year's Team:
RB Sr Devin Moore (1662 Career Rushing Yards, 198 Carries for 965 Rushing Yards, 5th in the MWC, 4.9 Yards Per Carry, 5 Rushing Touchdowns, 24 Receptions, 161 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving Touchdown in 2007)
RB Sr Wynel Seldon (2035 Career Rushing Yards, 20 Career Touchdowns, 554 Rushing Yards, 8 Touchdowns, 27 Receptions, 132 Receiving Yards in 2007)
*The All-Time Leading Rusher at Wyoming was Ryan Cristopherson (1991-1994) with 2906 Yards!
ILB Sr Ward Dobbs (The Cowboys' Leading Tackler in 2007 with 98, 7th in the MWC, 6 Tackles For a Loss, and 2nd-Team All-MWC as a Sophomore, 92 Yards from Breaking the Top 5 All-Time List at Wyoming for Tackles with 242 Career, 2007 Butkus Award Preseason Watch List for Top Linebacker)
DL/DT Jr John Fletcher (2008 Outland Trophy Preliminary Watchlist Member, Finished 2007 with 10.5 Sacks, Good for 11th Nationally, 14 Tackles For a Loss, 60 Tackles, 2nd Team All-MWC)
DL/DE Jr Mitch Unrein (Honorable Mention All-MWC, 5 Sacks, 11 Tackles for a Loss, 55 Tackles in 2007)
OLB Sr Mike Juergens (8th in the MWC in Forced Fumbles , 46 Tackles, 3 Sacks in 2007)
DL/NG Jr Fred Givens (45 Tackles, 1 Sack, 4 Tackles for a Loss in 2007)
QB Jr Karsten Sween (Started 18 of Wyoming's Last 19 Games, 12 Touchdowns and 17 Interceptions in 2007 with 2028 Passing Yards off of 215-of-359 Passing, 60% Completion Rate, 18 Pass Completions Per Game)
OL/C Jr Tim Bond (2007 Dave Rimington Trophy Preseason Watch List for Top Center)
FS Sr Quincy Rogers (85 Tackles, 7.1 Tackles Per Game in 2007, 15th Best in the MWC, 6th in Fumble Recoveries, 17th in Sacks, 2 Interceptions, 6 Pass Break Ups in 2007)
SS Sr Michael Ray (53 Tackles, 1 Interception, 4 Broken Up Passes in 2007)
OL/RT Sr Kyle Howard (Honorable Mention All-MWC, Has Started in 28 Consecutive Games)
OLB Jr Weston Johnson (26 Tackles, 2 Tackles for Loss in 2007)
DL/DE Jr Mike Neuhaus (3.5 Sacks in 2007)
OL/RG Jr Russ Arnold
OL/LG So Sam Sterner
OL/LT Jr Ryan Otterson
Summer Talk:
Challenging Sween (6'2", 222 lbs) are QB Sr Ian Hetrick (6'2", 190 lbs), the backup last year, JC Transfer QB Dax Crum, and QB Fr Chris Stutzriem (6'4", 245 lbs) from Oklahoma. Though Sween leads the pack for now, all four challengers played well in the Cowboys' Spring Game. Dax Crum has already made a name for himself as the team's best long bomber. At 6'4", 213 lbs, Crum was a star for Mesa C.C. last year, throwing for 2,807 yards and 23 touchdowns with 6 interceptions. Plus Fr Adam Berry will be coming into the program.
The Spring Game featured the #1 Offense versus the #2 Defense and vice versa. The #1 Offense scored in five out of six attempts, and the #1 Defense only allowed two scores in eight attempts. The two scores against the #1 Defense came by way of field goals when the offense started 20 yards from the scoring endzone. The missed scoring try by the #1 Offense came after driving 69 yards and failing a 4th and 1 attempt. Moore and Seldon ran for two touchdowns each, with Moore leading the team with 72 rushing yards on 12 carries. And though the Cowboys accounted for 359 yards of total offense, most of it (188 yards) came from passing, largely due to great blocking from the offensive line. Each QB scored twice, with perhaps Stutzriem having the best day (6 of 9 for 62 yards and the day's only touchdown, which includes his numbers leading the #3 offense in scoring a field goal). Afterwards, Glenn said "We need to get better, but I'm excited about this team. We're close to where we want to be. I'm fired up about our future... I still say the biggest difference between our football team from a year ago to right now is our offensive line... We've also changed our offense a little bit, and added a fullback, which has made us more effective at running the football and harder to defend."
Four underclassmen are currently battling for the two open cornerback spots: CB Jr T.J. Atwater (5'9", 185 lbs), CB Jr Tramaine, CB So Keith Lewis, and CB So Marcell Gipson (5'10", 172 lbs). So far, Atwater and Gipson have looked the best. Three true freshmen corners (Tashaun Gipson-Marcell's brother, David James, and Ryan Handford) will join the program in the fall. Marcell missed all of last season with family issues, but could be an All-Mountain West star in the making. He was supposed to be the team's top corner going into last year and showed tremendous talent this spring as a clamp-down defender who can really hit hard.
The receiving corps needs a new No. 1 target to build around, and WR Sr Chris Johnson (5'10" and 175 lbs) appears to be the guy. He only caught 12 passes for 132 yards last year, but he had a great spring and showed excellent potential. He can move and should become a deep threat at the outside X position.
6'1", 185 lb former QB, WR So Travis Burkhalter, will get a look at the other outside spot after sitting out for a year and a half in grayshirt status.
5'11", 185 lb WR Fr Brandon Stewart is a promising playmaker who put up huge numbers in HS in Indiana. A phenomenal athlete, Stewart could grow into a dangerous weapon.
Trying to replace the steady Wade Betschart at tight end isn't going to be easy. 6'5", 236 lb Jr Jesson Salyards saw time in every game last season, catching 10 passes for 97 yards. He has experience in two and three tight end sets, and may be more than just serviceable.
One big question mark is the status of WR Greg Bolling, last year's second leading receiver with 35 catches for 375 yards and two touchdowns. He is currently not academically eligible. Boling is attending a local community college trying to regain his academic eligibility. He was not permitted to participate in winter conditioning or spring practice.
6'2", 203 lb WR Sr Darion Donnelly missed all of last season due to academic issues, but is back and ready to contribute behind Burkhalter on the outside. He was a heralded recruit and has the size and the potential to be the team's sleeper receiver.
6'5", 250 lb TE So Joe Evers has tremendous upside, but has a back issue.
6'5", 245 lb TE Jr Chris Sundberg was supposed to play a big role last year but hurt his knee in the season opener. He is back this year as an option in two tight end sets. After a visit to noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews, Sundberg should be close to 100 percent in the fall.
Wyoming also held out Dobbs (shoulder), TE Joe Evers (lower back), ILB Mark Oliver (shoulder), OLV Matt Barella (knee), NG Marcus Felker (foot) and Johnson (disciplinary) for the spring game. All will be ready to go in the fall. RB Fr James Davis suffered a mild neck stinger in the spring game.
Projected Starting Roster:
QB: Jr Karsten Sween (Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 4th-Team Offense)
RB: Sr Devin Moore (In one Summer Scrimmage He Gained 111 Yards Rushing, including a 68 Yard Run Against the #1 Defense, Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 3rd-Team Offense)
RB: Sr Wynel Seldon
TE: Jr Jesson Salyards (Led the Spring Game with 4 Receptions for 47 Yards)
WR: Sr Chris Johnson
WR: Fr Brandon Stewart
WR: So Travis Burkhalter
FB: Jr Greg Genho
OL/LT: Jr Ryan Otterson
OL/LG: So Sam Sterner
OL/C: Sr Tim Bond
OL/RG: Jr Russ Arnold
OL/RT: Sr Kyle Howard (Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 2nd-Team Offense)
DL/DT: Jr John Fletcher (Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 1st-Team Defense)
DL/NG: Jr Fred Givens (Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 3rd-Team Defense)
DL/DE: Jr Mitch Unrein (Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 2nd-Team Defense)
OLB: Jr Weston Johnson
ILB: Sr Ward Dobbs (Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 1st-Team Defense)
ILB: Fr Gabe Knapton
*Knapton's Dad, Bob, is the Head Football Coach at Laramie High School!
OLB: Sr Mike Juergens (Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 4th-Team Defense)
FCB: Jr T.J. Atwater
BCB: So Marcell Gipson
FS: Sr Quincy Rogers (Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 2nd-Team Defense)
SS: Sr Michael Ray
P: So Nick Landess
K: Jr Jake Scott
KR: Sr Devin Moore
PR: Fr Brandon Stewart
Strengths:
The Defense in General
The Defensive Line
The Running Backs
The Safeties
The Offensive Line
The Linebackers
Weaknesses:
The Offense in General
The Wide Receivers
The Full Backs
The Tight Ends
Major Question Marks:
Turnovers
A New Offensive Coordinator
The Starting Quarterback
Late Season Slumps
Special Teams
The Cornerbacks
Road Games
Now or Never?
After this Season Wyoming Will Lose:
RB Wynel Seldon
RB/KR Devin Moore
WR Chris Johnson
OL/C Tim Bond
OL/RT Kyle Howard
ILB Ward Dobbs
OLB Mike Juergens
FS Quincy Rogers
SS Michael Ray
Great Quote:
The Wyoming Beer Song
"In Heaven there is no beer, NO BEER!
That's why we drink it here, RIGHT HERE!
And when we're gone from here,
All our friends will be drinkin' all the Be-e-eer"
Pop Quiz (for the non-Wyoming fans):
Q: Who is Cowboy Joe?
A:
Listen to "Ragtime Cowboy Joe"!: http://wmedia.uwyo.edu/marchingband/cowboyjoe.mp3
Please email me if I made any mistakes that need to be changed. ~ [email protected]
WYOMING
*Wyoming began football in 1893, but supposedly was known as "the cowboys" as far back as 1891!
2007 MWC Final Standings:
1st-BYU, 11-2 (8-0)
2nd-Air Force, 9-4 (6-2)
3rd-Utah, 9-4 (5-3)
3rd-New Mexico, 9-4 (5-3)
5th-TCU, 8-5 (4-4)
6th-SDSU, 4-8 (3-5)
7th-CSU, 3-9 (2-6)
7th-Wyoming, 5-7 (2-6)
9th-UNLV, 2-10 (1-7)
2007 Cowboys Football Schedule (finished 5-7, #85 Sagarin):
Sat Sep 1-Virginia, W 23-3 (finished 9-4, #41 Sagarin)
*Wyoming RB Devin Moore ran for 125 yards and the Wyoming defense held Virginia to just 110 yards of total offense and only 7 rushing yards!
Sat Sep 8-Utah State, W 32-18 (finished 2-10, #142 Sagarin)
Sat Sep 15-@Boise State, L 14-24 (finished 10-3, #48 Sagarin)
Sat Sep 22-@ Ohio, W 34-33 (finished 6-6, #114 Sagarin)
Sat Sep 29-BYE
Sat Oct 6-TCU, W 24-21 (finished 8-5, #50 Sagarin)
*The 300th game played at War Memorial Stadium: TCU kicker Chris Manfredini's 48-yard field goal attempt missed as time expired!
Sat Oct 13-New Mexico, L 3-20 (finished 9-4, #58 Sagarin)
Sat Oct 20-@ Air Force, L 12-20 (finished 9-4, #49 Sagarin)
Sat Oct 27-UNLV, W 29-24 (finished 10-2, #120 Sagarin)
Sat Oct 3-@ SDSU, L 24-27 (finished 4-8, #89 Sagarin)
Sat Nov 10-@ Utah, L 0-50 (finished 9-4, #34 Sagarin)
*You know you want to watch it again (2:01 for those with no patience)! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZx5i7LMKu0
Sat Nov 17-BYU, L 10-35 (finished 14th-Ranked at 11-2, #17 Sagarin)
Fri Nov 23-"The Border War"-@ CSU, L 28-36 (finished 3-9, #91 Sagarin)
*After beginning 4-1, the Cowboys finished 1-6!
*Wyoming lost 3 MWC games by one touchdown or less, the difference between 3rd and 7th place in conference!
2007 Average Home Game Attendance: 19,109 (Stadium seats 32,580)
*War Memorial Stadium was built in 1950 and originally sat 20,000! It sits at 7200 feet above sea level, the highest Div I football stadium in America!
2007 Wyoming Team Stats:
Total Defense: 332.1 YPG, #22 Nationally, #5 MWC
Rush Defense: 122.8 YPG, #27 Nationally, #4 MWC
Pass Defense: 209.3 YPG, #30 Nationally, #5 MWC
Scoring Defense: 25.9 PPG, #49 Nationally, #6 MWC
Rushing Offense: 129.8 YPG, #88 Nationally, #8 MWC
Passing Offense: 192.9 YPG, #91 Nationally, #8 MWC
Most Turnovers Gained: 19 Total Turnovers Gained, #93 Nationally, #9 MWC
Fewest Turnovers Lost: 31 Total Turnovers Lost, #105 Nationally, #9 MWC
Total Offense: 322.8 YPG, #106 Nationally, #9 MWC
Scoring Offense: 19.4 PPG, #107 Nationally, #8 MWC
Turnover Margin: -12, #112 Nationally, #9 MWC
*Second quarter score: Opponents 115 - Wyoming 30!
*Fourth Down Conversions: Opponents 12 of 22 (55%) - Wyoming 4 of 18 (22%)!
*Like BYU, Wyoming in 2007 only allowed one player all year rush for over 100 yards, tied for the best in the nation!
2008 Wyoming Football Schedule (5-7 last season, #85 Sagarin):
Sat Aug 30-Ohio (6-6 last season, #114 Sagarin), The Mtn.
Sat Sep 6-Air Force (9-4 last season, #49 Sagarin), CBS-CS
*This will be the Wyoming football program's 1,000th game in their history (winning .622 All-Time at Home)!
Sat Sep 13-I-AA North Dakota State (10-1 last season, #71 Sagarin), None
*NDSU beat Minnesota last season and crushed the MAC's 8-win Central Michigan by 30 points, both on the road! Joe Glenn and his DC both graduated from rival South Dakota State!
Sat Sep 20-@ BYU (14th-Ranked at 11-2 last season, #17 Sagarin), The Mtn.
Sat Sep 27-Bowling Green (8-5 last season, #99 Sagarin), The Mtn.
*The first meeting between the Wyoming and Bowling Green football programs!
Sat Oct 4-@ New Mexico (9-4 last season, #58 Sagarin), The Mtn.
Sat Oct 11-Utah (9-4 last season, #34 Sagarin), The Mtn.
Sat Oct 18-BYE
Sat Oct 25-@ TCU (8-5 last season, #50 Sagarin), The Mtn.
Sat Nov 1-SDSU (4-8 last season, #89 Sagarin), The Mtn.
Sat Nov 8-@ Tennessee (12th-Ranked at 10-4 last season, #15 Sagarin), TBA
Thu Nov 13-@ UNLV (2-10 last season, #120 Sagarin), CBS-CS
Sat Nov 22-"The Border War"-CSU (3-9 last season, #91 Sagarin), The Mtn.
*7 homes games for the Cowboys, for only the 2nd time in Wyoming football's history (the other was back in 1990)!
2008 Predicted Final Record by Sagarin: 5-7 (3-5), including a loss to their I-AA opponent
Last Winning Season: 2004 (7-5, Tied for 4th in the MWC)
Last Bowl Game: 2004 (24-21 Win over UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl)
*Thus ending a 38-year bowl victory drought!
Last Conference Championship: 1993 (WAC, Shared with BYU and Fresno State)
*It's been 15 years now for the Cowboys, which makes one more than for the Rebels! 1996 was a near miss, when #20 Wyoming lost the WAC Championship Game 25-28 in overtime to #6 BYU in Las Vegas!
Athletics Director: Tom Burman (since Oct 12, 2006)
Head Coach: Joe Glenn (South Dakota State '71) (26-33 Record in 5 Years at Wyoming, 14-24 in MWC play, 184-92 Overall Career, Previously Won 3 I-AA National Championships)
*The heat is on this season for Glenn! http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2007/1...ts_11-28-07.txt
*Glenn isn't worried! http://www.starherald.com/site/news.cfm?de...newsid=19732284
Former Head Coach: Vic Kooening (5-28 in 3 Years at Wyoming)
Offensive Coordinator: Bob Cole, from Florida A&M-OC (1st Year at Wyoming)
Defensive Coordinator: Mike Breske (South Dakota State '81)
Starters Lost: 10 (3 Offense, 4 Defense, 1 Special Teams)
Lettermen Lost: 14 (5 Offense, 8 Defense, 1 Special Teams)
Returning Starters: 15 (8 Offense, 7 Defense)
Returning Lettermen: 44 (22 Offense, 21 Defense, 1 Special Teams)
Losses from Last Year's Team:
TE Wade Betschart (Two-Time All-MWC Selection, NFL Free Agent to the San Diego Chargers, finished 2007 with 32 receptions for 297 yards)
CB Julius Stinson (1st Team All-MWC, 5 Interceptions, Semi-Finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award which honors the nation's top DB )
CB Michael Medina (a Two-Year Starter at Corner who overcame an early season foot injury to have a solid Senior year, NFL Free Agent to the Green Bay Packers)
CB Troy Lewis (the main backup to Stinson and Medina)
P/PK Sr Billy Vinnedge (Honorable Mention All-MWC, 13 of 18 Field Goals, Average 42.7 Yards Per Punt, 26 Punts Downed Inside the 20, NFL Free Agent to the San Diego Chargers)
WR/PR/KR Hoost Marsh
WR Michael Ford
MLB Luke Chase
SLB Sean Claffey
MLB John Prater
WLB Brandon Haugen
QB Jacob Doss
Returning from Last Year's Team:
RB Sr Devin Moore (1662 Career Rushing Yards, 198 Carries for 965 Rushing Yards, 5th in the MWC, 4.9 Yards Per Carry, 5 Rushing Touchdowns, 24 Receptions, 161 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving Touchdown in 2007)
RB Sr Wynel Seldon (2035 Career Rushing Yards, 20 Career Touchdowns, 554 Rushing Yards, 8 Touchdowns, 27 Receptions, 132 Receiving Yards in 2007)
*The All-Time Leading Rusher at Wyoming was Ryan Cristopherson (1991-1994) with 2906 Yards!
ILB Sr Ward Dobbs (The Cowboys' Leading Tackler in 2007 with 98, 7th in the MWC, 6 Tackles For a Loss, and 2nd-Team All-MWC as a Sophomore, 92 Yards from Breaking the Top 5 All-Time List at Wyoming for Tackles with 242 Career, 2007 Butkus Award Preseason Watch List for Top Linebacker)
DL/DT Jr John Fletcher (2008 Outland Trophy Preliminary Watchlist Member, Finished 2007 with 10.5 Sacks, Good for 11th Nationally, 14 Tackles For a Loss, 60 Tackles, 2nd Team All-MWC)
DL/DE Jr Mitch Unrein (Honorable Mention All-MWC, 5 Sacks, 11 Tackles for a Loss, 55 Tackles in 2007)
OLB Sr Mike Juergens (8th in the MWC in Forced Fumbles , 46 Tackles, 3 Sacks in 2007)
DL/NG Jr Fred Givens (45 Tackles, 1 Sack, 4 Tackles for a Loss in 2007)
QB Jr Karsten Sween (Started 18 of Wyoming's Last 19 Games, 12 Touchdowns and 17 Interceptions in 2007 with 2028 Passing Yards off of 215-of-359 Passing, 60% Completion Rate, 18 Pass Completions Per Game)
OL/C Jr Tim Bond (2007 Dave Rimington Trophy Preseason Watch List for Top Center)
FS Sr Quincy Rogers (85 Tackles, 7.1 Tackles Per Game in 2007, 15th Best in the MWC, 6th in Fumble Recoveries, 17th in Sacks, 2 Interceptions, 6 Pass Break Ups in 2007)
SS Sr Michael Ray (53 Tackles, 1 Interception, 4 Broken Up Passes in 2007)
OL/RT Sr Kyle Howard (Honorable Mention All-MWC, Has Started in 28 Consecutive Games)
OLB Jr Weston Johnson (26 Tackles, 2 Tackles for Loss in 2007)
DL/DE Jr Mike Neuhaus (3.5 Sacks in 2007)
OL/RG Jr Russ Arnold
OL/LG So Sam Sterner
OL/LT Jr Ryan Otterson
Summer Talk:
Challenging Sween (6'2", 222 lbs) are QB Sr Ian Hetrick (6'2", 190 lbs), the backup last year, JC Transfer QB Dax Crum, and QB Fr Chris Stutzriem (6'4", 245 lbs) from Oklahoma. Though Sween leads the pack for now, all four challengers played well in the Cowboys' Spring Game. Dax Crum has already made a name for himself as the team's best long bomber. At 6'4", 213 lbs, Crum was a star for Mesa C.C. last year, throwing for 2,807 yards and 23 touchdowns with 6 interceptions. Plus Fr Adam Berry will be coming into the program.
The Spring Game featured the #1 Offense versus the #2 Defense and vice versa. The #1 Offense scored in five out of six attempts, and the #1 Defense only allowed two scores in eight attempts. The two scores against the #1 Defense came by way of field goals when the offense started 20 yards from the scoring endzone. The missed scoring try by the #1 Offense came after driving 69 yards and failing a 4th and 1 attempt. Moore and Seldon ran for two touchdowns each, with Moore leading the team with 72 rushing yards on 12 carries. And though the Cowboys accounted for 359 yards of total offense, most of it (188 yards) came from passing, largely due to great blocking from the offensive line. Each QB scored twice, with perhaps Stutzriem having the best day (6 of 9 for 62 yards and the day's only touchdown, which includes his numbers leading the #3 offense in scoring a field goal). Afterwards, Glenn said "We need to get better, but I'm excited about this team. We're close to where we want to be. I'm fired up about our future... I still say the biggest difference between our football team from a year ago to right now is our offensive line... We've also changed our offense a little bit, and added a fullback, which has made us more effective at running the football and harder to defend."
Four underclassmen are currently battling for the two open cornerback spots: CB Jr T.J. Atwater (5'9", 185 lbs), CB Jr Tramaine, CB So Keith Lewis, and CB So Marcell Gipson (5'10", 172 lbs). So far, Atwater and Gipson have looked the best. Three true freshmen corners (Tashaun Gipson-Marcell's brother, David James, and Ryan Handford) will join the program in the fall. Marcell missed all of last season with family issues, but could be an All-Mountain West star in the making. He was supposed to be the team's top corner going into last year and showed tremendous talent this spring as a clamp-down defender who can really hit hard.
The receiving corps needs a new No. 1 target to build around, and WR Sr Chris Johnson (5'10" and 175 lbs) appears to be the guy. He only caught 12 passes for 132 yards last year, but he had a great spring and showed excellent potential. He can move and should become a deep threat at the outside X position.
6'1", 185 lb former QB, WR So Travis Burkhalter, will get a look at the other outside spot after sitting out for a year and a half in grayshirt status.
5'11", 185 lb WR Fr Brandon Stewart is a promising playmaker who put up huge numbers in HS in Indiana. A phenomenal athlete, Stewart could grow into a dangerous weapon.
Trying to replace the steady Wade Betschart at tight end isn't going to be easy. 6'5", 236 lb Jr Jesson Salyards saw time in every game last season, catching 10 passes for 97 yards. He has experience in two and three tight end sets, and may be more than just serviceable.
One big question mark is the status of WR Greg Bolling, last year's second leading receiver with 35 catches for 375 yards and two touchdowns. He is currently not academically eligible. Boling is attending a local community college trying to regain his academic eligibility. He was not permitted to participate in winter conditioning or spring practice.
6'2", 203 lb WR Sr Darion Donnelly missed all of last season due to academic issues, but is back and ready to contribute behind Burkhalter on the outside. He was a heralded recruit and has the size and the potential to be the team's sleeper receiver.
6'5", 250 lb TE So Joe Evers has tremendous upside, but has a back issue.
6'5", 245 lb TE Jr Chris Sundberg was supposed to play a big role last year but hurt his knee in the season opener. He is back this year as an option in two tight end sets. After a visit to noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews, Sundberg should be close to 100 percent in the fall.
Wyoming also held out Dobbs (shoulder), TE Joe Evers (lower back), ILB Mark Oliver (shoulder), OLV Matt Barella (knee), NG Marcus Felker (foot) and Johnson (disciplinary) for the spring game. All will be ready to go in the fall. RB Fr James Davis suffered a mild neck stinger in the spring game.
Projected Starting Roster:
QB: Jr Karsten Sween (Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 4th-Team Offense)
RB: Sr Devin Moore (In one Summer Scrimmage He Gained 111 Yards Rushing, including a 68 Yard Run Against the #1 Defense, Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 3rd-Team Offense)
RB: Sr Wynel Seldon
TE: Jr Jesson Salyards (Led the Spring Game with 4 Receptions for 47 Yards)
WR: Sr Chris Johnson
WR: Fr Brandon Stewart
WR: So Travis Burkhalter
FB: Jr Greg Genho
OL/LT: Jr Ryan Otterson
OL/LG: So Sam Sterner
OL/C: Sr Tim Bond
OL/RG: Jr Russ Arnold
OL/RT: Sr Kyle Howard (Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 2nd-Team Offense)
DL/DT: Jr John Fletcher (Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 1st-Team Defense)
DL/NG: Jr Fred Givens (Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 3rd-Team Defense)
DL/DE: Jr Mitch Unrein (Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 2nd-Team Defense)
OLB: Jr Weston Johnson
ILB: Sr Ward Dobbs (Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 1st-Team Defense)
ILB: Fr Gabe Knapton
*Knapton's Dad, Bob, is the Head Football Coach at Laramie High School!
OLB: Sr Mike Juergens (Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 4th-Team Defense)
FCB: Jr T.J. Atwater
BCB: So Marcell Gipson
FS: Sr Quincy Rogers (Phil Steele's Preseason All-MWC 2nd-Team Defense)
SS: Sr Michael Ray
P: So Nick Landess
K: Jr Jake Scott
KR: Sr Devin Moore
PR: Fr Brandon Stewart
Strengths:
The Defense in General
The Defensive Line
The Running Backs
The Safeties
The Offensive Line
The Linebackers
Weaknesses:
The Offense in General
The Wide Receivers
The Full Backs
The Tight Ends
Major Question Marks:
Turnovers
A New Offensive Coordinator
The Starting Quarterback
Late Season Slumps
Special Teams
The Cornerbacks
Road Games
Now or Never?
After this Season Wyoming Will Lose:
RB Wynel Seldon
RB/KR Devin Moore
WR Chris Johnson
OL/C Tim Bond
OL/RT Kyle Howard
ILB Ward Dobbs
OLB Mike Juergens
FS Quincy Rogers
SS Michael Ray
Great Quote:
The Wyoming Beer Song
"In Heaven there is no beer, NO BEER!
That's why we drink it here, RIGHT HERE!
And when we're gone from here,
All our friends will be drinkin' all the Be-e-eer"
Pop Quiz (for the non-Wyoming fans):
Q: Who is Cowboy Joe?
A:
Listen to "Ragtime Cowboy Joe"!: http://wmedia.uwyo.edu/marchingband/cowboyjoe.mp3
