State of Colorado, Wyoming: Tale of the Band
November 5 — Neighborhood
Levi Williams became the first Wyoming quarterback this season to complete more than 50% of his passes in a Mountain West game last week. He also threw two touchdowns in the loss to San Jose State, and had over 50 rushing yards before a pair of sacks in final possession. However, he also threw two picks that turned out to be costly in a six-point game. Todd Centeio has shown exponential growth behind Colorado State center, passing for 1,886 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions, and completing more than 67% of his passes in the league. Centeio is also a legitimate double threat, which the Cowboys have struggled against this year.
Benefit: State of Colorado
To recover
Wyoming senior Xazavian Valladay reminded MW football fans why he was considered one of the best full-backs in the conference, and arguably the country, last week. Valladay rushed for a record 172 yards on 22 attempts, with a 67-yard scamper that kept UW in the competition. Titus Swen also averaged five yards per carry for the Pokes, while Dawaiian McNeeley had an 11-yard rush on his only carry. Colorado state itself has been dangerous carrying the ball this year, landing just behind Wyoming with the rushing attack at fourth in MW. David Bailey leads the Rams with 73.6 yards per game, although he is averaging just 3.8 yards per attempt.
Advantage: Wyoming
Wide Receiver / Tight End
There’s no denying that Wyoming has struggled at times to move the ball through the air this season, with the Pokes held within 150 yards of passes in each of their last five games. However, the blame certainly cannot be placed on peerless receiver Isaiah Neyor. The sophomore ranks third in the conference in yards receiving catches and touchdowns, and would be higher had it not been for a series of deep knockdown balls over the past month. However, the Cowboys are taking a big hit on the sidelines, with Ayden Eberhardt down for the year with a knee injury. Colorado State has some talent at the receiver level, but their biggest threat in the passing game is senior tight end Trey McBride. The NFL prospect ranks third among all MW players with 740 yards on 65 receptions.
Benefit: State of Colorado
Offensive line
The UW offensive line delivered its most productive performance in conference play last week, as the Cowboys averaged 5.4 yards per carry, while hitting the 400-yard mark for the first time in the l ‘year. However, back-to-back sacks in the last practice of the game put an end to any hope of a potential comeback. The CSU has only allowed one sack less than the Pokes this season, but the fact that the Rams are bragging about the league’s No.4 rushed offense with no real fullback is worth acknowledging.
Advantage: push
Defensive line
The Cowboys have one of the most seasoned defensive line groups in the country, though they will be without one of their key veterans – defensive tackle Ravontae Holt, who suffered a season-ending injury ago. a few weeks. Colorado State has one of the fiercest defensive fronts in the conference, led by a potential NFL prospect in Scott Patchan, who ranks No.2 and No.4 in the MW for sacks and tackles. for loss.
Benefit: State of Colorado
Linebackers
Dequan Jackson has impressed the Rams this season, racking up 74 tackles and 23 tackles for losses in eight games. Still, it’s hard for a team to have an edge over the Pokes in linebacker. UW senior Chad Muma was recently named one of 18 semi-finalists for the Bednarik Award, which honors college football’s most outstanding defensive player.
Advantage: Wyoming
Defensive backs
Colorado State allows opponents to complete 57.5% of their passes this year, which is slightly lower than that of the Cowboys. However, the Rams are giving up nearly seven yards per attempt. They also allowed 13 touchdown passes, while recording just five interceptions. Wyoming leads the conference in pass defense by a wide margin, being 30.1 fewer yards allowed per game than the Air Force No.2. The only knock on the UW secondary is that they haven’t registered an interception while playing MW yet.
Advantage: Wyoming
Special teams
Wyoming and CSU are tied on special teams, with the biggest disparity in the punt game. Ryan Stonehouse ranks among the top bettors in the country for the Rams, with 51.3 yards per kick. UW punter Ralph Fawaz also proved his ability, winning his second MW freshman of the week for his performance last week.
Benefit: State of Colorado
Final Score: Colorado State 24, Wyoming 21
Josh Criswell covers the University of Wyoming for WyoSports. He can be reached at [email protected] or 307-755-3325. Follow him on Twitter at @criswell_sports.