Wyoming Cowboys vs New Mexico Lobos Football Preview

This Saturday, one of the most overachieving teams in the 120-member Football Bowl Subdivision can fully and finally affirm its season as a rousing and complete success. One year removed from a miserable autumn spent at the bottom of the Mountain West Conference, a program based in the isolated outpost of Laramie, Wyoming, can join the fraternity of bowl teams, making a place for itself in America’s “other” festive holiday season.

For a team that didn’t know who its quarterback would be until a week before the season, the Wyoming Cowboys sure are surprising. At 6-3, the Cowboys need one more win (having defeated two FCS schools) to become bowl eligible, and will welcome New Mexico (1-9) to Laramie this weekend.

After suffering a 63-19 blowout loss to Utah State, Wyoming has strung together four strong efforts to go 3-1 in the last month. For a program that took a step backward after a (2009) bowl win, this 2011 rebound act has caught many Mountain West watchers off guard. In coach Dave Christensen’s first year on the job, the 2010 Cowboys couldn’t gain much of any meaningful separation from the New Mexico team that floundered in the basement of the league. Wyoming’s football future was decidedly cloudy, with most indications pointing toward continued struggles. Moreover, Christensen’s current squad is and has been led by a true freshman quarterback in the person of Brett Smith. Such circumstances usually lead to a lot of growing pains and – ultimately – a lack of a bowl game. Yet, Wyoming is playing very well, far beyond the expectations of most college football pundits. The Pokes played tough in a 31-20 loss to TCU (the same TCU team that won at Boise State), and went on the road to beat both San Diego State and Air Force. In any list of the top 10 overachieving teams in college football for 2011, Wyoming must belong – case closed.

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With a season-ending injury to Ghaali Muhammed, Kody Sutton now joins Alvester Alexander and Smith to lead the effective Wyoming rushing attack against New Mexico’s 120th-ranked rush defense. Wyoming doesn’t have to be at its very best; it merely needs multiple skill people to be ready to perform at an adequate level.

The Lobos finally got in the win column with a 21-14 win over similarly-hapless UNLV last week. New Mexico is ranked last or near-last in most statistical categories, but last week’s victory leaves Florida Atlantic is the only winless team in the country. The offense will look to duplicate its unusual outburst from last week that saw quarterback B.R. Holbrook throw 274 passing yards on 15 of 23 attempts.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer