Wyoming | The Reboot (NCAA 14)

[RoundingThird]

Re: Wyoming | The Reboot (NCAA 14)

Well, on the bright side, that offense looks pretty good. When you said you had a barn burner, donnybrook coming, you weren't kiddin' around. Wow.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: Wyoming | The Reboot (NCAA 14)

Well, on the bright side, that offense looks pretty good. When you said you had a barn burner, donnybrook coming, you weren't kiddin' around. Wow.

Yeah, hopefully it lived up to the hype. It's my #1 ESPN Classic score in this dynasty so far. I believe it got 954 points.

Looks like we can pass the ball this year. But, I think this team still needs to butter its bread with the run game in order to have success.

[WaitTilNextYear]

2019g2: Washington State @ Wyoming

Mike Goode catches one of his two touchdowns in the game; a representative example of Wyoming's [lack of] coverage in this game.

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Just when it didn't seem possible for things to get any crazier than the Tulsa game, uhh, it did. This 67-63 heartstopper of a ballgame ended with rare Wazzu stops on 3rd and 4th down as Wyoming was gunning to put 70 on Mike Leach.

It doesn't get much more insane than when the quarterbacks on both teams set new school records for TD passes in a game. Tyler Hilinski and Chandler Garrett had a QB battle for the ages.

Hilinski went 40/56 (71%) for 613 yards with seven TDs and two picks (197.4 QB rating). The touchdowns were a new school record, sure, but the yardage came in 2nd to only a 2014 Connor Halliday performance against Cal. Hilinski made Wyoming's defensive backs look just awful. Time after time, they got beat over the top, down the seam, and along the sideline. Zone coverage, man coverage, seven DB's, eight DB's--it didn't matter one iota. Just plain shredded. In my notes, you can find written "worst Wyoming CB play of entire dynasty"--which probably goes without saying. An early harbinger of the destruction to come was probably in the first quarter when Hilinski attempted to throw the ball away out the back of the endzone, but the ball hit the left upright and very nearly caromed to a WSU receiver waiting below for a touchdown. Never seen anything quite like that before. You'd think he'd have the decency to at least call something like that before trying it.

Wazzu's receivers feasted as would be expected in this type of game. Chief amongst them, Isaiah Johnson-Mack flat abused anyone he was "covered" by. Didn't matter if it was John Okwoli on the one side or Tyler Hall on the other side, he was around, through, and behind them in a New York minute. Johnson-Mack caught nine balls for 210 yards and four TDs. He impersonates Julio Jones quite uncannily. On top of his performance, there were three other Cougars over 100 yards receiving. Mike Goode, Renard Bell, and Dezmon Patmon combined for 26 catches and 387 yards as Johnson-Mack's supporting cast.

Wyoming's aerial attack was also something to behold. Chandler Garrett has now started exactly two games in college and has set (or tied) a school record in each. This time it was seven TD passes, which tied Brett Smith's 2013 dismantling of Hawai'i. Chandler's full line was 43/59 (72%) for 530 yards with 7 TD and an interception (184.1 QB rating). Unfortunately the pick came on Wyoming's 2nd to last drive of the game as Wazzu freshman linebacker Larry Garrison did his best Superman impersonation.

Garrett now has 1,169 passing yards in just two games. He's averaging 585 YPG with 11 touchdowns against four INT. He's attempting 65 passes per game, but Wyoming is not winning these games. As nice as all the glitz and glam can be, the high octane offense has led to overexposure of a weak and weary sieve of a defense.

Garrett's favorite target was senior tight end Alec Stewart. In a performance that cracked the school's top ten list, Stewart commandered 14 passes for 194 yards and three TDs. The receptions ties him with Jovon Bouknight and Malcon Floyd for 5th in single game school history. Stewart often found an entire side of the field all to his own and burned the Cougar secondary, well, 14 times I guess would be the number.

Garrett's secondary target, Austin Conway, had his typical bipolar outing with a pair of drops and a pair of TD catches mixed into his seven catches for 132 yards.

This game wasn't about momentum swings, though. It was about raging volcanic eruptions of momentum. Wazzu took advantage of a pair of early Wyoming fumbles to take the early 10-0 lead. They'd press the advantage to 24-7 before the game evened out somewhat with both teams trading touhdowns. Then, in a 38-21 Wazzu game, the Pokes went Super Saiyan in the 3rd quarter; Wyoming rattled off four consecutive TD drives in about six minutes of game time. The momentum shift was engineered by a scheme change to sticking with only quarters coverages. Hilinski was picked off twice in this spurt. Suddenly, it was now a 49-38 Wyoming lead. And people were losing their minds.

But, eventually Wazzu got wise to those coverages and resumed their bullying of an overmatched Wyoming secondary. The Coogs would score four of the next six TDs to make it 67-63 Wazzu.

The climax of the game came in the midst of the final Wyoming drive. It was 3rd and a short 1 near midfield when Wazzu promptly stuffed an inside zone play. Then, when the Pokes went back to the well on 4th down: same result. Sadly, a team that couldn't be stopped from running the ball successfully in these situations last year, got stoned as DE Nnamdi Oguayo made WYO's offensive line look like a turnstyle made of Swiss cheese. Sad!

Two games into the season and Wyoming's defense looks like a total disaster. Giving up 115 points over this span is not good. One just hopes the Cowboys can get it in gear as conference play kicks in next week.

Mike Leach is still the worst no matter what the scoreboard says.

[moose141]

Re: 2019g2: Washington State @ Wyoming

Seems like you really need to work in your running game, not to help your own offense but just to keep that defense off of the field! I'm sure you'll settle things down but my goodness. Could a Heisman be coming to Laramie if Garrett keeps this up?

Also, what sliders are you using, haha? I'm trying to jumpstart the opposing offenses in my dynasty as well.

[WaitTilNextYear]

2019g3: Nevada @ Wyoming

Mount McNeil is unleashed on Nevada's quarterback. 335 lb redshirt freshman Milo McNeil is the new starting nose guard.

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Coach Bohl's team pulled out their first win in three tries this season, and extended their conference winning streak to ten games. This 33-28 triumph was also eerily similar to the 30-28 win over Nevada last season. Makes u think?

Although this game didn't feel like that classic of a game coming on the heels of insanity and mayhem, the 1783 ESPN Classic points make this the current, "most classic" game of Coach Bohl's tenure. Certainly, a game winning 33-yard TD pass with :07 left qualifies for classic-ness, but perhaps this author has just become a bit jaded?

The game followed a similar tack to the previous two in the sense that Wyoming's early mistakes had them playing from behind. On Chandler Garrett's first pass of the game, he was picked off. It was a clever feint by a linebacker who showed outside leverage and then circled around to the inside of the receiver as the ball was thrown. The Pokes would also manage to stall out on Nevada's 3-yard line right before halftime, leaving potential points off the board.

Garrett would end up with two INT; his full line: 17/29 (58%) for 237 yards with two TD (136.2 QB rating). It was definitely a step down for Garrett statistically, Nevada was tipping and deflecting everything, but the team won for a change.

Critical to the Cowboy mission was winning the turnover battle. Linebacker Cedric Farmer ran back a fumble recovery 84 yards to give Wyoming a 10-7 lead. The vicious hit also knocked Nevada's RB Jaxson Kincaide out for two weeks with a badly bruised shoulder. Cowboy corner John Okwoli contributed two interceptions, including one on Nevada's hail mary pass to end the game.

Austin Conway once again was a playmaker for the Cowboys. He caught five balls for 69 yards and two TDs. The first TD catch came with 15 seconds left in the 3rd quarter as Conway flashed across the middle for 25 yards to close it to a 21-19 Nevada lead. The final catch was a 33-yarder down the seam that put Wyoming on top for good.

Wyoming's defense was once again quite lacking. In the first half, they had no answers--Nevada was able to run or pass mostly at will. Even with the backup running back out there. Marcus Jones rushed 25 times for 137 yards (5.4 YPC) and two TDs. Wyoming had a lot of trouble getting him on the ground. Wolf Pack redshirt freshman quarterback Andy Kenney was not a threat at all to run despite his 'scrambler' designation. Kenny completed 15/22 for 172 yards with one TD and two INT. The Wolf Pack kicker tossed a touchdown when Kenney was indisposed for a play. The scoring summary interestingly reads: "TD Nevada: M. Beach 9 Yd pass from L. Brooks (L. Brooks kick). What a Swiss army knife!

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: 2019g2: Washington State @ Wyoming

Seems like you really need to work in your running game, not to help your own offense but just to keep that defense off of the field! I'm sure you'll settle things down but my goodness. Could a Heisman be coming to Laramie if Garrett keeps this up?

Also, what sliders are you using, haha? I'm trying to jumpstart the opposing offenses in my dynasty as well.

Here are my sliders (Heisman):

	HUM	CPU
QBA	5	5
PB	10	60
CATCH	30	50
RBA	45	55
RBL	0	60
COV	100	100
INT	20	20
RUSH D	45	100
TACK	100	60
FGP	25	40
FGA	0	50
P POW	10	40
P ACC	25	45
KPOW	10	40

Honestly, I feel like if things keep going the way they are, Chandler Garrett could win the Heisman but for a losing squad. Yuck.

I've tried going back to the run game, but it hasn't clicked quite yet (ran it 38 times in the Wazzu game and 36 times vs Nevada). I would like to get in near 45-50 rushes per game, but my backs have been fumbling early and often whereas Nico Evans fumbled only once on over 330 carries last year. Add that to a bad C/RG combo--my weakest spots on the offensive line--where I tend to run the most. Sprinkle in a less mobile QB that mostly rules the option and designed scrambles out. Plus the terrible depth at QB makes me not want to risk injury. Top it all off with a new playbook that is much less deceptive about running the ball--I-Form, Ace 2 TE sets, Strong-I--and it's more about winning 1 on 1's against loaded boxes than running out of 3/4-WR sets at empty boxes while having superior numbers like last season. It's an interesting, multi-part problem to try and solve.

I don't even want to talk about the defense right now, lol.

[gsutiger]

Re: Wyoming | The Reboot (NCAA 14)

Great bounce back win against Nevada. Many time after a shoot out like you had against Washington St your team comes out flat the next game. Cowboys looking to take two conference titles in a row. I'm riding

[WaitTilNextYear]

2019g4: Missouri @ Wyoming

Wyoming Cowboy fanatics cheer for their team on a sun-drenched Saturday at War Memorial Stadium.

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- It seems like only mere weeks ago when Wyoming's defense was a trash fire that died in a house fire. Surprisingly, the Pokes limited Mizzou to 17 points in the present game--only three of which came before 'comeback time' was engaged late in the 2nd half. Wyoming avenged their 45-31 loss at Mizzou last year, pulled even at 2-2 (1-0), and recorded a win against a Power 5 program. All in all, a good day.

Wyoming set out to impose their will on the line of scrimmage. An 11-play 71-yard TD drive consisting entirely of running plays was a good start to open the game. And then when Chandler Garrett was picked off on his first pass attempt for the second straight game, Coach Bohl knew it was run game or bust.

In an homage to last season's dominant rushing attack, Wyoming turned back the clock. Grinding possessions, melting minutes off the clock, and punching through the line was the ticket. The Pokes carried a season high 55 times for a season high 283 rushing yards (5.1 YPC). Emmett Nash carried the load after a dismal 17-carry 48-yard effort against Nevada. Against this stronger Mizzou front, Nash toted 34 times for 174 yards (5.1 YPC), three TDs, and zero fumbles. Nash's long was a 33-yard TD scamper off left tackle to go ahead 7-0 in the 1st quarter. A tone setter.

When Nash became gassed, both Mike Green II and Milo Hall made some plays of their own. Green II carried 12 times for 49 yards (4.0 YPC) and a touchdown; Hall rushed six times for an impressive 70 yards (11.6 YPC). Most of Hall's total came when he busted a 58-yard run off right tackle to set up a 2nd quarter field goal.

For his part, Wyoming quarterback Chandler Garrett was content to trade in his air raid hat for his handoff machine fedora. Garrett only threw ten passes, completing seven (70%), for 65 yards, one TD, and one INT (137.6 QB rating). It was nice to see the redshirt junior enthusiastically support his teammates despite not being a factor on the stat sheet for a change.

As for Mizzou's offense....where did it go? Last season, Drew Lock marched his team up and down the field with little Wyoming resistance for 45 points. In this one, redshirt junior QB Micah Wilson seemed scared stoopid. Indeed, Mizzou didn't even get into positive total offensive yardage until midway through the 2nd quarter. Wyoming picked Wilson off, forced a littany of misfires, recovered a fumble, and recorded three sacks before halftime. It was brutal for Tiger fans; Mizzou settled for a mere field goal in the two-minute drill to go with their meager 80 yards of offense in the 1st half.

Much of Missouri's troubles were because Wilson lived up to his 'scrambler' designation. His first and second reads were both 'run away.' Wilson carried 18 times for 89 yards (4.9 YPC) with a 30-yard TD run mixed in. All those numbers despite being sacked five times.

At some point late in the 3rd quarter, the Mizzou offense started to get serious. Damarea Crockett capped off a drive with a four-yard TD on an option pitch from Wilson. Then Wilson's 30-yard zig-zaggy TD scramble came with 4:07 remaining in a now 41-17 game. The Tigers promptly recovered an onside kick that pinged off of a Wyoming player only to see their unfortunate stat padding come to a halt with a redzone interception. Mizzou's total offense mushroomed to 304 yards after their slick 3rd and 4th quarters, but it was still a decisive victory for a beleaguered Wyoming defense.

In a nod to the dominant takedown of an SEC foe, both safety Tory McCollum and running back Emmett Nash were honored as Mountain West Players of the Week.

[WaitTilNextYear]

2019g5: Wyoming @ Colorado State

Austin Conway stretches across the goal line with a timely, momentum-swinging kickoff return TD.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- The BORDER WAR.

Wyoming narrowly escaped with a win over their most bitter rival. For the second year in a row, actually. The Pokes made sure to put on a good show for CSU's visiting recruits--5* (#1 QB) Brad Witherspoon, 4* (#6 MLB) Wendell Hill, and 4* (#29 ATH) Lamar Casey. Coach Bohl was not about to let CSU get any sort of 'win vs rival' points on the recruiting trail. No, sir.

But, the win turned out to be a harrowing and near fatal experience. It's difficult to believe after seeing the score line, but Wyoming scored the first 24 points of the game. It was 24-0 before CSU hit a FG with 59 seconds left in the 1st half, and somehow hit another FG as time expired in the half.

The Rams' quarterback Collin Hill started with a mean case of happy feet and made several overthrows. Midway through the 2nd quarter, the fans were audibly booing their home team--great for those visiting recruits to see!

But, as tends to happen more often than not, the Colorado State coaching staff flipped the robo switch to 'on' near Hill's power source and off he went. Despite amassing more grass stains that first downs in the 1st half, Hill ended the day on a tear: 32/45 (71%) for 413 yards with 4 TDs and a single INT (173.0 QB rating). Hill came out of the halftime break ending a 1:03 drive with an 11-yard TD pass to Derrick Harris. He ended the 3rd quarter with a 10-yard TD pass for purposes of symmetry. Harris would catch two TD passes, including a 43-yard bomb late in the 4th quarter.

It was the 4th quarter in which the Rams' attack would reach its zenith. CSU jammed three TD drives down Wyoming's throat at the 8:22, 5:41, and 2:22 marks of the period. The momentum swung so decidedly in CSU's favor that Wyoming's "safe" 1st half 24-0 lead had become an embarrassing 35-31 deficit with 5:41 remaining. Lo, a 35-7 CSU run spanning the late 2nd quarter to the middle of the 4th quarter had stirred things up.

The Rams did not concentrate much on running the ball, perhaps due to playing catch up, but senior halfback Marvin Kinsey Jr. was a strong supporting performer anyway. Kinsey Jr. carried 14 times for 123 yards (8.7 YPC) with a TD. He was instrumental in preventing the Pokes from playing only the pass. Without it, Hill and the passing game might not've gotten its rocks off to the same extent.

After going down 35-31, and with an offense that was mostly dormant in the 3rd quarter, Austin Conway played Johnny On-The-Spot. The instant that CSU went ahead, Conway housed the ensuing kickoff return to restore a 38-35 Wyoming lead. To put it one way, Wyoming trailed for about 12 seconds in this game--from the 5:41 mark to the 5:29 mark in the 4th quarter.

The very next play after State repossessed the ball, Cassh Malauulu--a sparingly used but moderately high rated backup DE/LB--picked off Hill to snap any momentum they had. Wyoming punctuated the turnover with a Mike Green II seven-yard TD run. From 24-0 to 31-35 and back to 45-35, eh? Pretty typical.

The Rams would score one final TD to give the final score, but the Pokes squeezed the air out of the ball, unlike the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI, for the win.

Statistical leaders for the Pokes included QB Chandler Garrett, not surprisingly, who completed 24/32 for 281 yards and 2 TDs (169.3 QB rating). Emmett Nash ran 25 times for 133 yards and 2 TDs. Tight end Alec Stewart caught six passes for 96 yards and a TD. Perhaps most importantly, Austin Conway returned seven kickoffs for 231 yards, including the critical 97-yard TD.

After starting off a dismal 0-2, Wyoming is now 3-2 (2-0) and looks to keep an impressive 11-game conference winning streak rolling.

[itsbigmike]

Re: Wyoming | The Reboot (NCAA 14)

Don't know how I hadn't seen this dynasty before, but glad that I found it now. Just caught up on everything and I am really enjoying it. The graphics are wonderful, I love the regression that you run (I do it as well in my offline dynasty) and, most of all, I love that you're using Wyoming.

In my offline dynasty, I simmed as the "QB Coach" of a team (I think NMSU) for three years until I got to 2016 in game. Then I took the OC job at UL-Monroe and was there for a couple of years before heading to Wyoming to become the OC. I used a 300-mile radius for recruiting which really limited me recruiting-wise; I only had Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas to mine for talent (they were the only schools to touch that 300-mile radius circle). As you know, most of those states don't have much talent -- though I found Colorado to be the best bet to try to secure good talent -- and it made recruiting very tough. I was the OC at Wyoming for four years hoping to land the HC job but it never came. I've since moved on to Old Dominion where I'm the HC and use the recruiting rules and have instituted Hellisan's randomized progression/regression policies and it's made the offline dynasty sing.

Long and short of it: I'm stoked to be reading a Wyoming dynasty in real time. I think I might try to find my way back there to be the head coach in Laramie. The jerseys are great, the all-yellow look became my Senior Day staple, and the stadium is nice. Plus the touching of the Cowboy statue as they run onto the field is one of the few nice intro's on NCAA 14.

Glad to be following along religiously now.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: Wyoming | The Reboot (NCAA 14)

Don't know how I hadn't seen this dynasty before, but glad that I found it now. Just caught up on everything and I am really enjoying it. The graphics are wonderful, I love the regression that you run (I do it as well in my offline dynasty) and, most of all, I love that you're using Wyoming.

In my offline dynasty, I simmed as the "QB Coach" of a team (I think NMSU) for three years until I got to 2016 in game. Then I took the OC job at UL-Monroe and was there for a couple of years before heading to Wyoming to become the OC. I used a 300-mile radius for recruiting which really limited me recruiting-wise; I only had Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas to mine for talent (they were the only schools to touch that 300-mile radius circle). As you know, most of those states don't have much talent -- though I found Colorado to be the best bet to try to secure good talent -- and it made recruiting very tough. I was the OC at Wyoming for four years hoping to land the HC job but it never came. I've since moved on to Old Dominion where I'm the HC and use the recruiting rules and have instituted Hellisan's randomized progression/regression policies and it's made the offline dynasty sing.

Long and short of it: I'm stoked to be reading a Wyoming dynasty in real time. I think I might try to find my way back there to be the head coach in Laramie. The jerseys are great, the all-yellow look became my Senior Day staple, and the stadium is nice. Plus the touching of the Cowboy statue as they run onto the field is one of the few nice intro's on NCAA 14.

Glad to be following along religiously now.

All are welcome to follow along and most especially people who share my zeal for the virtual Wyoming Cowboy program. If you start up a Wyoming dynasty we'll have to compare notes and talk smack about Colorado State together.

I have had good luck with the gold unis--I don't think I've lost in this dynasty wearing the all gold look. I also like that they have the names on the back whereas the regular home browns don't.

Recruiting will always be a challenge with my rules. I haven't pulled a 5* or even a 4* recruit yet. But, that 'realism' is what keeps me coming back to play. I have a 5* in state WR that I'm going after, but Ohio State (a shock!), Texas and Notre Dame have locked on, so... More to come on that soon.

[kswgrad2012]

Re: Wyoming | The Reboot (NCAA 14)

I'm in the same boat as Big Mike. Just caught up on this dynasty, and man is it good. I remember your first Wyoming 'chise on the forum years ago. It was part of my inspiration to join OS! Love that you've done the reboot.

I'm interested to see how the Pokes do in my Shockers dynasty. They're a mid-range team in the MWC this season, and we take the road trip to Laramie in November. Our main rival is Tulsa (basketball history), but I'm looking forward to having good games with the other Mountain West mates.

PS: That Wazzu game would've been fun to see in person.

[WaitTilNextYear]

2019g6: Wyoming @ Fresno State

Tight end and boy wonder Alec Stewart hauls in the game winning catch via flawless execution of a stick and nod route with :09 left.

FRESNO, Calif. -- This wasn't a game of inches, but rather a game of halves. As in the Pokes have and the Bulldogs have not. Wyoming pushes on, now with 12 consecutive wins against Mountain West adversaries.

It didn't look like it would turn out that way early on in The Valley. Fresno State kept Wyoming off the scoreboard entirely in the first half. No one can remember the last time that transpired. This is the same Wyoming team that scored 63 points against Washington State and entered these festivities with the #1 scoring offense in all the land (45.4 PPG). The very same squad that is #2 in the nation in total offense (538.8 YPG).

So how did those crazy Dawgs do it?

Give them credit for a stingy run defense--Fresno State played the Wyoming ground game to a paltry 3.6 yards-per-carry, a figure that ranks as the least efficient outing of the past two seasons. Despite the lackluster efficiency, Wyoming did stick with the ground game 49 times, the 2nd highest volume of the season. Linebacker Josh Hokit (rJR) led an amoeba-like Fresno defensive front that just seemed to beat Wyoming to the spot all day long. They made it tough on Emmett Nash (SR)--he needed a full 30 carries to gain 115 yards (3.8 YPC) and two TDs.

But, in all fairness, Wyoming did themselves in as much as they got stopped by Fresno State. The passing game was flat out of sync early on. Chandler Garrett (rJR) was off on several throws and others bounced off leaden hands. These missed connections scuttled Wyoming's first three drives: missed FG, turnover on downs, and punt. It was one of those games where there was almost a physical barrier at the enemy 35-yard line. The Pokes actually went for it an incredible seven times on 4th down, converting on five, because they kept finding themselves in no man's land. One of those attempts, coming on the 4th WYO drive of the game, failed at the Fresno 2-yard line.

It was a problematic opening when Fresno's first three drives went: TD, TD, TD.

Even down 21-0 at the half, Wyoming was far from out of it. The Pokes went on to own the 3rd quarter, closing to 21-14. Garrett showed off some niftiness with a 6-yard TD scramble with six minutes left and Nash scored on a four-yard run at the 1:36 mark of the 3rd quarter.

Nash would reprise the touchdown role with another four-yard TD run to open the 4th quarter and tie the game. 21-21.

On the subsequent Fresno drive, the Pokes defense bent but didn't cave in. They held at the 6-yard line and the Bulldogs took a 24-21 lead with a field goal and 2:35 to go.

Way too much time for this WYO offense. Too much octane.

In fact, the Pokes were so confident they'd score that they mixed in the run game heavily to make sure they scored with almost no time remaining. That strategy paid off when Alec Stewart (rJR) exposed the middle of Fresno's defense, hauling in a decisive 12-yard catch to put Wyoming up 28-24.

With just nine seconds left, Fresno State only had enough time to whiff on a couple of desperation passes. Game, set, match. And, coffee is for closers. Fresno State gets no coffee today.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Midseason Update

Coach Bohl has been hard at work on the recruiting trail. Wyoming currently has a 64-man roster and will bid adieu to 14 seniors at the end of the season. Thus, a recruiting class of 19-20 is the goal. So far five have fully committed to WYO.

*** (#421 OVR, # 79 WR) Tony Bobo
*** (#563 OVR, #23 OG) gem Paris McFadden
*** (#727 OVR, #68 HB) Drew Rose
*** (#1301 OVR, #64 OG) Glen Wagner
** (#1762 OVR, #20 P) Brian Browning

Firstly, to address the elephant on the list below--Wyoming is after another in-state 5* prospect. Matt Jackson is the #2 WR in the nation and the #5 overall prospect. He was seemingly gifted to Wyoming as a native of rural Afton, WY and the Pokes used that home cookin' to take an early lead on Jackson's list. But, and stop me if you've heard this before, Ohio State recently became real interested in obtaining the services of this stud pass catcher. The Buckeyes are +280 in the bonus points and socking away Urban Meyer's full complement of 700 points/week. Wyoming is only +125 in bonus points and Coach Bohl is maxing out at 500 points/week. The math is quite broken.

Jackson's stated priorities in this recruitment are: 1) Championship Contender (y u no think Wyoming?); 2) Proximity to Home (pfffft, should be #1, Benedict Arnold); 3) Program Tradition (bro, reigning Mountain West champs?!?). Oh, and uh, Wyoming isn't a formal pipeline state for.....Wyoming. That stings. Those 50 extra recruiting points would be nice to have here.

Just yesterday Jackson stated that Ohio State was his new #1 option and the Buckeyes now have a 150 point lead over Wyoming. Notre Dame is only 400 points behind OSU after Jackson's Week 8 OV to South Bend. The Longhorns are the 4th wheel in this thing and 980 points behind OSU.

Jackson has a visit to Laramie scheduled for the Utah State rivalry game in Week 9, then Jackson will visit Columbus in Week 12, and finally he'll sample Austin in Week 13. Since the Pokes are not going to be able to match bonus points with these blue bloods (OSU +280, ND +250, UT +280), they have to hope for an amazing visit and perhaps a late change of heart (i.e. a well-timed lock pick, lol). Coach Bohl wants this 5* so bad it hurts when he pees.

If Urban Meyer takes another Wyoming 5* away, he'll surely get the Mike Leach treatment and can expect to be scheduled into a home-and-home bitter grudge match. And, who knows, Coach Bohl might lobby for the Michigan job just to stick it to Meyer each year in a huge rivalry type of way.

Of Wyoming's current commits, Tony Bobo and Paris McFadden stand out as the most intriguing.

Bobo is a monster. At 6'6" 228 lbs, not too many people are sure whether he's a WR or a TE. A lot of that will depend on how well he blocks in spring ball. Aside from his obviously pleasing size, Bobo's best attributes are his 85 SPD, 80 CiT, 82 JMP, and 73 RTE. He has 4.52 speed, which is plenty good enough to excel at WR in college. However, his quickness and change of direction is more tight end-ian than wide receiver-ian. Double however, his strength is more wide receiver-ian than tight end-ian. Can anyone say tweener?

The Pokes jumped on Bobo right away and no other schools even offered, such was the early stranglehold. Bobo was being monitored by Air Force, Iowa State, Tulane, and East Carolina. He's one of four Wyoming targets from the state of Nebraska. Take that, Huskers.

McFadden is one of those OL types that Coach Bohl absolutely loves. Scouted as a guard--and exhibiting the nastiness that it entails--he's tackle-sized and could easily wind up at RT as a redshirt freshman.

There's really nothing to dislike about McFadden--from his stellar measurables (6'6" 301 lbs, 4.84 40-yard dash, 460 lb bench press, 620 lb squat), to his status as a +5 gem (75 OVR) with NCAA-ready attributes (78 PBK, 80 RBK, 74 IBK, 85 STR, 83 ACC, 69 SPD, 71 AGI), to the fact that he was pulled right out of SEC country (Toccoa, GA)--nothing at all to dislike. Excellent *twiddles thumbs*.

The Pokes played right into McFadden's priorities: 1) Playing Style - A+; 2) Coach Prestige - A. But, there really wasn't a close 2nd in the recruitment. Like Bobo, McFadden had no other offers although he was of some interest to Washington, UCLA, Texas, and Houston.

[gsutiger]

Re: Wyoming | The Reboot (NCAA 14)

Great start to conference play 3-0 with some tough wins. Even better job on the recruiting trial. If Urban comes in and steals another one from you I will be right there with you ready to kick his arse. He needs to keep his fancy booster cars for play out of the state of WY