2020g11: Wyoming @ Idaho
MOSCOW, Idaho -- Defense has been an issue for Wyoming in many games this season, but this was the first time they let it totally get out of hand. The result was an emphatic blowout at the Kibbie Dome.
It's a struggle to imagine that this game featured a 14-6 Wyoming lead with :34 left in the 1st half. Then Idaho got their engine revving 28 seconds later on a 46-yard bomb from Luke Roach to Keith Reynolds, plus the two-point conversion, to tie it at the half. Tyler Hall, the cornerback victimized on that route, was just burned and embarassed on a simple go route where he never had a chance. It was definitely a facepalm moment for Defensive Coordinator D.J. Eliot. It was also the third time this season that Eliot's unit has allowed 50+ points.
Roach had a special game, especially in the 2nd half, for the Vandals. He completed 35/46 (76%) for 551 yards with five TDs against two INTs (203.8 QB rating). He connected on three passes of 40+ yards--all of which ended up as touchdowns. His favorite underneath target was senior tight end Ryan Brewer, who caught a pesky 12 passes for 139 yards and a TD. Roach also found Reynolds nine times for 164 yards and two TDs; Roach connected with redshirt senior WR Brandon Luckett three times for 116 yards including an 83-yard touchdown. That 83-yard strike was the second instance where maligned WYO corner Tyler Hall just got abused on an ordinary go route. Hall tried to press him, but whiffed. Roach's 551-yard day is the second straight game a QB has topped 500 yards passing versus Wyoming's "defense."
Once the Vandals got going, there was a sense of helplessness on the WYO sideline. Idaho's first four drives went: INT, FG, FG, INT. But then, after the long TD pass to close out the 1st half, the Vandals were like: TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, FG, TD in the 2nd half. The Vandals never punted. Coupled with the raucous dome atmosphere and Wyoming being intercepted on their first three drives of the 4th quarter, it quickly became a bloodbath. The Vandals scored 31 points in the 4th quarter alone and closed the game on a 38-17 run to stretch out a contest that was actually tied with 3:10 remaining in the 3rd quarter. The timing of the run roughly coincided with WYO starting middle linebacker Cedric Farmer being sidelined with an injury.
Aside from those critical interceptions in the 4th quarter, Wyoming played a decent game on offense. Chandler Garrett put up some pretty big numbers in a very high usage game for him. Garrett completed 35/58 (60%) for 424 yards with four TDs and three INTs (134.1 QB rating). Garrett wasn't sacked. His favorite targets were redshirt sophomore Ricardo Austin (nine catches 78 yards), all-NCAA tight end Alec Stewart (eight catches 144 yards), and freshman flanker Bryce Merchant (four catches 54 yards and two TDs). The Pokes racked up 36 first downs, but it wasn't enough.
The Wyoming run game was effective and unfortunately didn't get fed quite enough; as Idaho's offense hit top gear, the Pokes struggled to keep up. Weldon Adler carried 30 times for 162 yards (5.4 YPC) and a TD, but he still felt underutilized. Adler broke 20+ yard rushes on two separate occasions and seems to be benefitting statistically from Mike Green II's season-ending injury.
As disheartening and unexpected as this game was for the Wyoming fanbase, the Pokes do take a little solace in the fact that Boise State's 24-19 victory over Utah State essentially clinched the Mountain West North Division no matter the outcome of this game.
Vandal wideout Keith Reynolds takes one of his two TD catches to the house.
MOSCOW, Idaho -- Defense has been an issue for Wyoming in many games this season, but this was the first time they let it totally get out of hand. The result was an emphatic blowout at the Kibbie Dome.It's a struggle to imagine that this game featured a 14-6 Wyoming lead with :34 left in the 1st half. Then Idaho got their engine revving 28 seconds later on a 46-yard bomb from Luke Roach to Keith Reynolds, plus the two-point conversion, to tie it at the half. Tyler Hall, the cornerback victimized on that route, was just burned and embarassed on a simple go route where he never had a chance. It was definitely a facepalm moment for Defensive Coordinator D.J. Eliot. It was also the third time this season that Eliot's unit has allowed 50+ points.
Roach had a special game, especially in the 2nd half, for the Vandals. He completed 35/46 (76%) for 551 yards with five TDs against two INTs (203.8 QB rating). He connected on three passes of 40+ yards--all of which ended up as touchdowns. His favorite underneath target was senior tight end Ryan Brewer, who caught a pesky 12 passes for 139 yards and a TD. Roach also found Reynolds nine times for 164 yards and two TDs; Roach connected with redshirt senior WR Brandon Luckett three times for 116 yards including an 83-yard touchdown. That 83-yard strike was the second instance where maligned WYO corner Tyler Hall just got abused on an ordinary go route. Hall tried to press him, but whiffed. Roach's 551-yard day is the second straight game a QB has topped 500 yards passing versus Wyoming's "defense."
Once the Vandals got going, there was a sense of helplessness on the WYO sideline. Idaho's first four drives went: INT, FG, FG, INT. But then, after the long TD pass to close out the 1st half, the Vandals were like: TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, FG, TD in the 2nd half. The Vandals never punted. Coupled with the raucous dome atmosphere and Wyoming being intercepted on their first three drives of the 4th quarter, it quickly became a bloodbath. The Vandals scored 31 points in the 4th quarter alone and closed the game on a 38-17 run to stretch out a contest that was actually tied with 3:10 remaining in the 3rd quarter. The timing of the run roughly coincided with WYO starting middle linebacker Cedric Farmer being sidelined with an injury.
Aside from those critical interceptions in the 4th quarter, Wyoming played a decent game on offense. Chandler Garrett put up some pretty big numbers in a very high usage game for him. Garrett completed 35/58 (60%) for 424 yards with four TDs and three INTs (134.1 QB rating). Garrett wasn't sacked. His favorite targets were redshirt sophomore Ricardo Austin (nine catches 78 yards), all-NCAA tight end Alec Stewart (eight catches 144 yards), and freshman flanker Bryce Merchant (four catches 54 yards and two TDs). The Pokes racked up 36 first downs, but it wasn't enough.The Wyoming run game was effective and unfortunately didn't get fed quite enough; as Idaho's offense hit top gear, the Pokes struggled to keep up. Weldon Adler carried 30 times for 162 yards (5.4 YPC) and a TD, but he still felt underutilized. Adler broke 20+ yard rushes on two separate occasions and seems to be benefitting statistically from Mike Green II's season-ending injury.
As disheartening and unexpected as this game was for the Wyoming fanbase, the Pokes do take a little solace in the fact that Boise State's 24-19 victory over Utah State essentially clinched the Mountain West North Division no matter the outcome of this game.
LARAMIE, Wyo. -- A regular season of ups and downs closes on a high note for the Wyoming Cowboys. This 52-31 win over BYU marks their second straight victory over the Cougars since they resurfaced in the Mountain West Conference. Although with a 1-8 record in the MWC this year, the Cougs are possibly wishing they had stayed independent.
So Adler, Garrett, and Stewart all had big days for the Pokes which usually means good happy times, but key players on the defense answered the bell, too. Missing in action for a few weeks now after getting destroyed by Hawai'i and Idaho, both safety Tory McCollum and linebacker Cedric Farmer did work. The pair combined for 15 tackles and three picks. They led the defense into bending, but not breaking. Still far too many big plays--allowing 488 yards of total offense is not exactly 1985 Bears stuff--but some of that was pretty blatant cheat code material, especially the BYU opening drive. You know the kind of drive where a guy breaks a tackle in the backfield on 4th and 1 and then stumble recovers his way to a long TD run as the rest of the defense eats blocks. Or when the offense consistenly gets 14 yards on 3rd and 13. You know what I mean.
BOISE, Idaho -- Wyoming's Famous Idaho Potato Bowl 33-30 (OT) victory was a microcosm of their season. Mostly successful? Check. Gave up a big lead? Check. Got shredded by a mediocre QB? Check. Poor blocking? Yup, that too.
However, Wyoming would not simply roll the Chippewas so easily. Horrid, horrid run blocking set Wyoming's ball control offense back and graduating QB Chandler Garrett was decidedly "meh": 13/26 (50%) for 160 yards (101.6 QB rating). Weldon Adler carried 30 times for 117 yards (3.9 YPC) and a touchdown; the aforementioned Green II had 14 totes ma gotes for 48 yards (3.4 YPC) and two TDs. Chippewa defenders were firing up and into the backfield on a regular basis. Even so, Wyoming held a comfortable 27-10 edge entering the 4th quarter.
As for CMU's offense, they weren't really that good, but they were very opportunistic. The Chips finished 4/4 on 4th down attempts, picked up 80 of their 149 rushing yards after first contact, scored on all five forays into the red zone, and gained 463 yards of offense despite being sacked eight times. Poljan was the epicenter of the Chippewa effort, as scrambling QBs always are in NCAA Football 14, and he ran or passed on 65 of CMU's 83 plays from scrimmage. His final line included 34/43 (79%) passing for 314 yards (140.4 QB rating) and 22 rushes for 70 yards and two TDs.
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