September 5, 2023 |
Photo – Fans storm the field – Courtesy gowyo.com
Wyoming fans stormed Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium late Saturday night as the Cowboys overcame a rain delay, a horrible 14-0 start and a big Texas Tech defensive line to win the season opener 35-33 in a double-overtime thriller.
After an off-kilter start where the Wyoming offense committed back-to-back procedure penalties and fumbled the ball three times on the way to a 17-o start at the end of the first quarter, the Cowboys roared back and defeated the number-24 ranked Red Raiders before a wild crowd of 26,450 fans who packed the War for the opener.
Texas Tech missed connecting with the two-point conversion in the second overtime.
The Cowboys then took the field down 33-27 knowing they needed a touchdown and a two-point conversion to win.
The Pokes delivered. Keith Kelly and Kevin McKinney had the call late Saturday night as the Cowboys pulled-off the dramatic win in double overtime, defeating Texas Tech in the season opener.
Quarterback Andrew Peasley took a physical beating all night long. In the third play of the game, Peasley took a hard shot to the knee. In the second quarter, #6 took a shot to the head in what could have been – and perhaps should have been — called a targeting penalty. Peasley also suffered a severe abrasion to his throwing arm but stood and delivered.
Left for dead early on, Wyoming never surrendered. The Pokes put together a scoring drive in the third quarter. Fifth on the depth chart, sophomore running back Sam Scott, freed up by huge block thrown by tight end Treyton Welch, took a handoff from Peasley to the endzone to get within one point.
Scott took another clutch handoff during the second-overtime an ran it in for the game winning score.
Wyoming Head Coach Craig Bohl described the win as Cowboy tough.
Coach Bohl credited Wyoming’s team chemistry for ability to dig in and overcome all the early adversity and then hanging-in through double overtime for the come-from-behind win.
Peasley completed 18 of 34 passes for 149 yards and threw two touchdown passes. He also rushed for 68 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown to account for 217 yards of total offense.
Running back Sam Scott, fullback Caleb Driskill and tight end John Michael Gyllenborg each scored the first touchdowns of their careers.
Linebacker Shae Suiaunoa led Wyoming with 12 tackles.
- Nickel back Wrook Brownpicked off his first career interception.
Cowboy place-kicker Hoyland kicked a career long 56-yard field goal, breaking his previous record of 55 yards against Tulsa in 2022.
Wyoming starts the season 1-and-0 and will be back in action this week against Portland State on Saturday, Sept. 9. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. in War Memorial Stadium.
Meanwhile, in Fort Collins, CSU’s offense struggled in a 50-24 home opener loss to Washington State in front of 31,000 fans at Canvas Stadium. As sportswriter Kevin Lytle wrote in the Coloradoan, the CSU “offense went down like a flat beer left in the hot sun.”
Boise State lost to Washington 19 to 56.
Fresno State beat Purdue 39-35
Air Force beat Pittsburgh business school Robert Morris 42-7. Robert Morris didn’t have their jerseys until just before kickoff Saturday. They were left at a tailor. After being overnighted to Denver, instead of Colorado Springs, the jersey’s didn’t arrive until after pre-game warm-ups, leading RMU players to borrow some Air Force practice jerseys. That’s the first lesson in business college—dress for success.
