LARAMIE, Wyo. (Nov 25, 2024) – The Cowboys travel to the Palouse for the first time since 2015 to close out the season against Washington State on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. MT. It’s the schools’ first meeting since 2019. It’s the first time the Cowboys will finish the season against a non-conference opponent since 2001, which Wyoming played at Kansas this season.

The contest will be televised on The CW with Ted Robinson classifying the action, Ryan Leaf analyzing and Nigel Burton on the sidelines. The game will be broadcast live on radio across the Cowboy Sports Network’s 26 affiliate stations, with Keith Kelly joining Kevin McKinney on the call.

Third-Down Defense: The Cowboys’ third-down defense has been outstanding this season. The Pokes have an opponent percentage of 27 percent on the season and are ranked third nationally and first in the Mountain West. Against Boise State, the Cowboys held Boise State to 1 of 10 on third downs, while the Broncos finished in the top three in the country with a 53 percent average on third downs. This season, Wyoming has had four or fewer opponents in every game but one. If you take out the season opener (ASU 8/15), the Cowboys are holding their opponents to 20 percent on third down.

Get defensive: Wyoming’s defense was spot-on against one of the best teams in the country in Boise State. Wyoming held Boise State to 140 yards below its season average of total offense. Wyoming held Boise State to 1 of 10 on third down and the Broncos were 26 points below their season average. It was a season-low in scoring for the Broncos and the fewest points they have scored since their September 16, 2023 loss to Central Florida.

Hoyland from Deep: Wyoming kicker John Hoyland showed off his leg against Boise State. He was 2 of 3 on field goals, including a 54-yarder all season. He had a 49-yard kick last week at Colorado State. He is now 12 of 16 field goals this season and 11 of 12 inside the 50-yard line.

Stevenson shows: Wide receiver Justin Stevenson had a career game against Boise State. He had a career-best performance of four catches and 82 yards. He also added his third touchdown of the season. He added a career-high 63-yard reception to set up a field goal for the Pokes in the fourth quarter. He has 15 receptions for 191 yards this season.

How to get to the quarterback: A pair of Cowboys veterans recorded a pair of sacks against Boise State. Linebacker Shae Suiaunoa scored his first of the season on a third down and DeVonne Harris scored his second of the season and 14th of his career to help the Cowboys hold Boise State to a field goal to end the first half.

Shay finishes his career strong: Linebacker Connor Shay successfully ends his career with the Cowboys. He has led Wyoming in tackles in consecutive games. He has scored 18 points in the last two games, including 12 against Colorado State and six against Boise State.

Sargent and Chunk Games: Wide receiver Jaylen Sargent has been the king of chunk plays through the air for the Cowboys this season. He had a 31-yard reception and a 41-yard reception against Boise State. In his last three games, Sargent has six catches of 30 yards or more.

Harrison since his return: Cowboy running back Harrison Waylee has now played three games for the Poke since returning from injury. He has recorded 254 rushing yards on 51 carries, which equates to five yards per rush, and is adding 84.7 yards per game.

Ferrell concludes strongly: Running back Jamri Ferrell is finishing his career strong for the Pokes. In his last three games, Ferrell has accumulated 201 yards on 37 carries, or 5.4 per rush.

Chunk Plays for the Pokes: The Cowboys were on the right track, holding the ball and moving the chains against Boise State. Wyoming had eight chunk plays in the contest with four catches of 15 or more yards and four rushes of 10 or more yards. These chunk plays combined for 213 yards of the total 319 yards of offense against the No. 12 Broncos.

Hold the ball: Wyoming held a time of possession of 34:04-25:56 against Boise State. It was the fourth time in the last five games with over 34 minutes of possession. Wyoming had a season-high 37 minutes of possession against New Mexico. For the season, Wyoming has a 30-34 to 29-26 lead in keeping the ball.

Play discipline football: The Cowboys enter Washington State averaging 5.5 penalties per game and rank third in the Mountain West this season. Wyoming has conceded five or fewer penalties in five games this season.

A note on defense in the third quarter: The Cowboys defense was solid in the third quarter during conference play. In fact, in seven conference games, Wyoming allowed just 20 points in the quarter. That number is 2.8 points allowed in the quarter this season.

Tough schedule: The Cowboys have played a tough schedule this season. In fact, Wyoming played three opponents that are in the running for a spot in the College Football Playoff: Arizona State, BYU and Boise State. Colorado State and Washington State also polled or received votes this season. When Wyoming takes on Washington State, it will be the eighth bowl-eligible team the Brown and Gold have played this season.

Former Cowboys coaches on other sites: When the Cowboys take on Washington State, there will be familiar faces on the field. Former Cowboys defensive coordinator Jake Dickert served as Wyoming’s safeties coach in his first two seasons from 2017 to 2019 and served as defensive coordinator in 2019. Pete Kalgis was an assistant coach for Wyoming. He spent 13 seasons at Wyoming. During his time in Laramie, Kaligis served in multiple roles, starting as offensive line coach (2009), then running backs and assistant head coach in 2012, then offensive coordinator/running backs/assistant head coach in 2013, then moving to the other side He won the ball in 2014, worked with defensive tackles for six years and then took over the duties of defensive run game coordinator in his final two seasons. Other employees include former operations managers Brent Vernon and Justin Mesa and former strength coach Ben Iannacchione. On the other hand, Wyoming defensive tackles coach Jeff Phelps spent time at Washington State with Wyoming native Mike Leach.

About Washington State

The Cougars (8-3) were No. 18 in the College Football Playoff rankings two weeks ago before losing 38-35 at New Mexico and 41-38 at Oregon State. Washington State is 5-0 at home this season.

John Mateer has completed 64% of his passes for 2,957 yards with 28 touchdowns (tied for fifth in the FBS) and six touchdowns. The dynamic dual-threat sophomore also leads the team with 770 rushing yards and has 14 touchdowns, a program single-season record for a quarterback.

Wide receiver Kyle Williams has 56 receptions for 967 yards, leading the passing game. His 12 touchdown catches are second in the FBS behind San Jose State standout Nick Nash’s 14. Running back Wayshawn Parker, a freshman, has added 690 rushing yards and four touchdowns to the Cougars’ potent attack.

Defensively, Washington State is allowing 29.3 points (98th) and 437.1 yards (118th) per game. Linebacker Taariq Al-Uqdah has 68 tackles and defensive back Ethan O’Connor has four interceptions to lead the team.