Wyoming fans everywhere are cursing instead of whistling their theme song “Cotton-Eyed Joe.”
They want to know who voiced the old adage “Defense wins championships” so they can slap them in the face and call them a liar.
Despite boasting one of the best defenses in the nation (6th in overall yardage against), the Cowboys have absolutely no shot at winning the Mountain West Conference title with three weeks left in the season.
But the Cowboys, like that stupid song, keep plugging on.
They plug on through tough defeats (lost to San Diego State 27-24 last week) and narrow victories (beat TCU 24-21 earlier this season). They plug on through a number of disappointments (mostly on the offensive end) and hardships.
Now that their conference title hopes are all but crushed, the Cowboys will turn their attention towards the only thing left that matters — obtaining a bowl bid.
“Their back is against the wall just like ours, perhaps even more so than us,” said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham. “Their conference title hopes are kind of unlikely now, but getting to a bowl game is a reality for them so they’re going to be playing tough.”
Quarterback Karsten Sween has been brilliant late in games, leading the Cowboys to two comeback wins this season, but has taken way too many chances. The sophomore has thrown 15 interceptions to go along with 12 touchdown passes.
Complementing Sween in the run game is the dual-headed monster of Wynel Seldon and Devin Moore. Moore (5-foot-9, 182 lbs.) plays the role of lightning in this tandem and has slashed his way to 848 yards and four touchdowns this season.
Meanwhile, the slightly larger Seldon (6-foot, 205 lbs.) gets the bulk of the carries between the tackles, grabbing 459 yards and five touchdowns in nine games.
But the two running backs, as well as the rest of the team, have a tendency to drop passes. As a whole, the Cowboys have put the ball on the ground a whopping 16 times this season. When added to the interception total, the Cowboys have the worst turnover margin (-.78) in the conference.
Wyoming’s defense has been doing everything in its power just to keep the team in games, but it just hasn’t been enough. The unit currently ranks 13th in the nation in rush defense (100.9 yards per game) and 15th in pass defense (186.44 ypg)
“They are a very solid defense all the way around,” said Utah quarterback Brian Johnson. “They do an excellent job of getting pressure on the quarterback and making him make quick decisions with the ball.”
The Cowboys will come into Rice-Eccles Stadium hoping to bolster a 1-3 record on the road after having just lost to the Aztecs in San Diego.
Associated PressWyoming running back Devin Moore is brought down by San Diego State’s Ray Bass after a 17-yard gain during the first quarter of their game in San Diego on Nov. 3.