2021 MWC Conference Championship Game: Nevada @ #25 Wyoming
LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Maybe the sting of losing two very winnable home conference games is starting to fade for the Pokes. Wyoming handled rival BYU in Provo last weekend to get back on track, and the Pokes had little trouble doing the same to the Nevada Wolf Pack this weekend. This latest victory gives Wyoming a very solid 11-2 (8-2) mark and Coach Bohl's team has now won its conference in two of the previous four years and has appeared in the MWC Championship game in three of the previous four years. Not too shabby.
The Nevada Wolf Pack sort of backed into their West Division crown at (6-6, 6-3). They beat who they needed to beat to break a four-way tie amongst themselves, New Mexico, San Diego State, and Frenso State. Even so, Nevada came into this game as a mere .500 team and as the 2nd-lowest OVR team in its division. A fairly balanced team that doesn't do anything particularly well or poorly--they've been outscoring their opponents by less than a field goal on average (29.3 PPG vs 26.8 PPG allowed).
As many projected, including Kirk Herbstreit, Wyoming controlled this game from start to finish. They opened the game with a methodical six-and-a-half-minute, 13-play drive that culminated in a one-yard Weldon Adler TD plunge. Quintessential Wyoming football. That was the only score in the 1st quarter. Kicker Joe Bennett converted a 27-yarder for the only score of the 2nd quarter. 10-0 at halftime.
The 2nd half started about the same way; Wyoming scored another touchdown at the 4:34 mark on the strength of a Darrin Green 14-yard rollout scramble. Green backed up junior QB Terry Brooks once again, but carried eight times for 61 yards and a TD. Neither QB was asked to do very much as Wyoming only passed 17 times compared to 55 rushing plays. The return to WYO Football allowed Wyoming to get in manageable 3rd down situations (converted 8/14, 57%), which meant control of the clock (>2:1 T.O.P. advantage) and ultimately world domination.
The Wolf Pack finally got on the board with a 37-yard field goal by true freshman kicker Josh Frye at the :34 mark of the 3rd quarter. Nevada didn't have enough playmaking on offense so they were content to mount lackluster drive after lackluster drive and that put pressure on 64-OVR Frye to do something about it. But, Frye missed both of his other attempts.
The Wyoming defense continues to trend in the right direction. After giving up 66 points to Hawai'i, 55 points to Idaho, and then 18 points to BYU, the Pokes gave up just nine points in this game (only three of which are officially recognized by this author). Wyoming's defense held Nevada to just 239 yards of total offense, which is a season-best for the Pokes.
Redshirt senior QB Mark Arnold completed 17/23 (73%) for just 105 yards with a TD and an INT (117.9 QB rating). The 5'11" 246-pound Arnold is not at all shaped like a QB and was content to dink and dunk his way into multiple three-and-outs. His long pass was just 19 yards to 90-OVR senior TE Ryan Gaither. Even that pass only came when the cpu was in hurryup bull**** mode and only one second remained in an already decided ball game. At least they were denied the two-point conversion. Amateurs. Save for a 46-yard rush by senior HB Willie Hopkins, the Nevada offense was suffocated.
Quite a few Wyoming Cowboys played their level best in this one. Adler carried 28 times for 154 yards (5.5 YPC) with two TDs. Kelvin Mack Jr. topped the 1,000 yard rushing mark himself to join Adler in that regard. Mack Jr. rushed 15 times for 55 yards (3.6 YPC). Tight end Tristan Hardin made three catches for 46 yards and avoided the usual problems with drops. The Wyoming offensive line piled up twelve pancakes vs zero sacks. RG Rocky Keefe pancaked four defenders while LG Kurtis McCann flattened three Wolf Pack defenders. All-American MLB Cedric Farmer recorded eight tackles with one tfl, a pass breakup, and a beware. All-American SS Tory McCollum paced the team with ten tackles and two tfls. The other MLB, converted safety Ryan Walker, caused the lone turnover in the game with his interception.
It's tyme 2 go Bohling.
Coach Bohl accepts his 2nd MWC trophy while flanked by HB Weldon Adler (#45) and MLB Cedric Farmer (#50)
LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Maybe the sting of losing two very winnable home conference games is starting to fade for the Pokes. Wyoming handled rival BYU in Provo last weekend to get back on track, and the Pokes had little trouble doing the same to the Nevada Wolf Pack this weekend. This latest victory gives Wyoming a very solid 11-2 (8-2) mark and Coach Bohl's team has now won its conference in two of the previous four years and has appeared in the MWC Championship game in three of the previous four years. Not too shabby.The Nevada Wolf Pack sort of backed into their West Division crown at (6-6, 6-3). They beat who they needed to beat to break a four-way tie amongst themselves, New Mexico, San Diego State, and Frenso State. Even so, Nevada came into this game as a mere .500 team and as the 2nd-lowest OVR team in its division. A fairly balanced team that doesn't do anything particularly well or poorly--they've been outscoring their opponents by less than a field goal on average (29.3 PPG vs 26.8 PPG allowed).
As many projected, including Kirk Herbstreit, Wyoming controlled this game from start to finish. They opened the game with a methodical six-and-a-half-minute, 13-play drive that culminated in a one-yard Weldon Adler TD plunge. Quintessential Wyoming football. That was the only score in the 1st quarter. Kicker Joe Bennett converted a 27-yarder for the only score of the 2nd quarter. 10-0 at halftime.
The 2nd half started about the same way; Wyoming scored another touchdown at the 4:34 mark on the strength of a Darrin Green 14-yard rollout scramble. Green backed up junior QB Terry Brooks once again, but carried eight times for 61 yards and a TD. Neither QB was asked to do very much as Wyoming only passed 17 times compared to 55 rushing plays. The return to WYO Football allowed Wyoming to get in manageable 3rd down situations (converted 8/14, 57%), which meant control of the clock (>2:1 T.O.P. advantage) and ultimately world domination.The Wolf Pack finally got on the board with a 37-yard field goal by true freshman kicker Josh Frye at the :34 mark of the 3rd quarter. Nevada didn't have enough playmaking on offense so they were content to mount lackluster drive after lackluster drive and that put pressure on 64-OVR Frye to do something about it. But, Frye missed both of his other attempts.
The Wyoming defense continues to trend in the right direction. After giving up 66 points to Hawai'i, 55 points to Idaho, and then 18 points to BYU, the Pokes gave up just nine points in this game (only three of which are officially recognized by this author). Wyoming's defense held Nevada to just 239 yards of total offense, which is a season-best for the Pokes.
Redshirt senior QB Mark Arnold completed 17/23 (73%) for just 105 yards with a TD and an INT (117.9 QB rating). The 5'11" 246-pound Arnold is not at all shaped like a QB and was content to dink and dunk his way into multiple three-and-outs. His long pass was just 19 yards to 90-OVR senior TE Ryan Gaither. Even that pass only came when the cpu was in hurryup bull**** mode and only one second remained in an already decided ball game. At least they were denied the two-point conversion. Amateurs. Save for a 46-yard rush by senior HB Willie Hopkins, the Nevada offense was suffocated.Quite a few Wyoming Cowboys played their level best in this one. Adler carried 28 times for 154 yards (5.5 YPC) with two TDs. Kelvin Mack Jr. topped the 1,000 yard rushing mark himself to join Adler in that regard. Mack Jr. rushed 15 times for 55 yards (3.6 YPC). Tight end Tristan Hardin made three catches for 46 yards and avoided the usual problems with drops. The Wyoming offensive line piled up twelve pancakes vs zero sacks. RG Rocky Keefe pancaked four defenders while LG Kurtis McCann flattened three Wolf Pack defenders. All-American MLB Cedric Farmer recorded eight tackles with one tfl, a pass breakup, and a beware. All-American SS Tory McCollum paced the team with ten tackles and two tfls. The other MLB, converted safety Ryan Walker, caused the lone turnover in the game with his interception.
It's tyme 2 go Bohling.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- It wasn't easy and it required overtime, but Wyoming notched its 12th win of the season in a humdinger of a Las Vegas Bowl. The back-and-forth affair resulted in a 12-win conference championship season for Coach Bohl's outfit, including a win over the Cal Golden Bears. Tis an identical outcome to Wyoming's 2018 campaign. In a matchup of a mediocre PAC-12 team vs a top shelf MWC team, the Mountain West triumphs.
The Cowboys came out of the intermission like a totally different team. They proceeded down the field unabaited and pulled to within 14-10 as senior HB Weldon Adler broke off a piece of a 38-yard TD run. In doing so he reset the school record for rushing TDs in a single season with #20. The old record belonged to former Coach Bohl protege Emmett Nash, who racked up 19 rushing TDs just two years prior. 
Cal went back to work and Williams hit Roberson again, this time for a 78-yard TD just ten seconds after Wyoming went up by two TDs. So, it was a 31-24 Wyoming game and the Pokes had the ball just needing to take the air out of it.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- It wasn't easy and it required overtime, but Wyoming notched its 12th win of the season in a humdinger of a Las Vegas Bowl. The back-and-forth affair resulted in a 12-win conference championship season for Coach Bohl's outfit, including a win over the Cal Golden Bears. Tis an identical outcome to Wyoming's 2018 campaign. In a matchup of a mediocre PAC-12 team vs a top shelf MWC team, the Mountain West triumphs.
The Cowboys came out of the intermission like a totally different team. They proceeded down the field unabaited and pulled to within 14-10 as senior HB Weldon Adler broke off a piece of a 38-yard TD run. In doing so he reset the school record for rushing TDs in a single season with #20. The old record belonged to former Coach Bohl protege Emmett Nash, who racked up 19 rushing TDs just two years prior. 
Cal went back to work and Williams hit Roberson again, this time for a 78-yard TD just ten seconds after Wyoming went up by two TDs. So, it was a 31-24 Wyoming game and the Pokes had the ball just needing to take the air out of it.
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