Wyoming Football: News and Notes Ahead of Nevada
LARAMIE -- Facing a 2nd-and-6 and his heels resting on the 50-yard line, Andrew Peasley hauled in the shotgun snap, faked the handoff to Harrison Waylee and saw a wide receiver on his left separating from his man.
That guy was Ryan Marquez.
The senior dusted the Hawaii defender before eventually snagging the perfectly-thrown ball with both hands and gliding into the end zone.
Wyoming was quickly up 7-0 over the visitors last Saturday inside War Memorial Stadium. That was just the third play of the afternoon. You couldn't have orchestrated a better start for an offense that has struggled mightily down the stretch.
Turns out, they were just following the plan. Quite literally.
"The first touchdown, we had actually scripted," head coach Craig Bohl said Monday at his weekly press conference. "We were upset with the scout team (during the week) because the corner didn't do something right. We threw the ball and the same doggone thing happened in the game."
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The Cowboys weren't done there.
On the opening play of the very next possession, Peasley again threw a beautiful ball. The senior again hit his target in stride. This time it was tight end John Michael Gyllenborg. The play began at the UW 11. The sophomore caught the throw around the 40. Sixty yards later, Gyllenborg was in the brown-and-gold paint after outracing a pair of safeties.
When the dust settled, it was an 89-yard pitch and catch. The longest for Peasley. The longest for Gyllenborg. The longest for the program since Cam Coffman hit Tanner Gentry on a 92-yard touchdown against North Dakota back in 2015.
"After watching the tape, it certainly was an explosive start. Some of it really had to come into our skill players and I thought Andrew did an exceptional job, particularly early in the game," Bohl said. "... I thought that was probably one of Andrew's best performances."
The numbers bear that out.
The Oregon product, playing in his final game in Laramie, finished his day 14-of-17 through the air. He tossed three touchdown passes and no interceptions. Peasley averaged 18.8 yards per completion in that 42-9 dismantling of the Rainbow Warriors.
Here are some other news and notes from Bohl's press conference:
* Bohl said the Cowboys came out of the Hawaii game relatively healthy. Jakorey Hawkins and Wyett Ekeler dealt with cramping. Waylee limped off the field late in the first half. There is one guy, though, who is likely to miss the game next Saturday night in Nevada. Buck Coors suffered a left hamstring injury against the 'Bows. The nickelback made the first start of his career against Hawaii and registered a career-high four tackles.
* "Sounds like an NFL tight end to me." That's what Bohl said Monday about Gyllenborg. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound tight end is the team's third-leading receiver with 316 yards. He's also added three touchdown grabs on just 19 catches. "He complements our offense," Bohl said. "The future looks really bright."
* John Hoyland is in a funk. Wyoming's kicker has made just two of his last nine attempts and missed a 45-yarder. Bohl, who coaches the placekickers, said he feels for Hoyland right now. "I think there's some confidence things that we need to do to get him in a groove, because if you look at his body of work earlier in the year, it was phenomenal," Bohl said. "Now, it's kind of gone off."
* Eighteen players were announced on senior day. Two of those were the Cowboys starting linebackers Easton Gibbs and Shae Suiaunoa. While Gibbs made his future plans known before the season -- he hopes to have a pro career -- Suiaunoa's decision was a bit of a surprise to those of us outside the building. If those two are indeed out the door -- they both do have eligibility remaining -- who slides in behind them? That task will likely fall to Connor Shay and Cole DeMarzo. Is Bohl comfortable with that? "They're doing OK," he said. "There's still a separation, though, between the two ... I do think the future looks bright for those guys next year."
* Tyrecus Davis had arguably his best game in a Wyoming uniform against Hawaii. The Navarro Junior College (Texas) transfer picked off his first pass of the season, hauling in what was supposed to be a back-shoulder throw from quarterback Brayden Schager. Davis landed in the end zone, thwarting a 'Bows' scoring drive. He also tallied five tackles in the win. Bohl has been impressed. "He's really competitive and tackles well," Bohl said. "He's not real big in stature but is an unbelievable competitor and is getting better as we go." Davis is now fully healthy after missing a handful of games with a partially torn MCL in his knee.
* The raw numbers would suggest Wyoming has gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to the NCAA Transfer Portal. Production says something else. Bohl and Co. have added a number of impact players from the portal over the last two seasons, including starters Ayir Asante, Hawkins, Waylee, Davis and Peasley. The Cowboys have also added Jamari Ferrell, Evan Svoboda, Devin Boddie, TJ Urban and DeMarzo. "By and large, I would say the guys that we have added through the transfer portal, we probably had more hits than misses," Bohl said. "I'm not saying we're 100%, but, you know, we've adapted. I've evolved as a coach. This is the world that we're in, and we better figure out how to navigate it."
* Speaking of the portal, former Wyoming cornerback Cam Stone made his return to Laramie last Saturday. The Texas product finished with just three tackles and was on the wrong end of a 40-yard touchdown pass to Wyatt Wieland in the first half.
* Wyoming is a perfect 7-0 in Laramie. On the flipside, this team is a dismal 0-4 on the road. That mark ultimately cost the Cowboys a shot at a Mountain West title. They're aware. Bohl said Monday there shouldn't be any issues motivating his team despite the Thanksgiving holiday and a "meaningless" season finale against a two-win team. Instead, this is a chance to right the ship. It's a chance to prove to you -- and this roster -- that it can win away from home. "There's a hunger that our guys have that they want to show that we can (win on the road)," Bohl said. "... It's going to be important that we start fast and put (the losses) behind us."
* How does Bohl navigate the holiday? First off, Wednesday practice will take place in the morning. That way the scout team can head home to be with family. The traveling squad will stay in Laramie and head to Altitude Chophouse and Brewery for a Thursday feast. Friday, the team will have a workout before hopping on the charter to Reno. "Thanksgiving with the players and our families -- it's a neat time," Bohl said.
* This will be the 10th meeting between the Pokes (7-4, 4-3) and Wolf Pack (2-9, 2-5). Wyoming owns a 5-4 overall record in the series. Nevada won the last matchup 37-34 in overtime inside Mackay Stadium back in 2020. That was a bizarre scene to say the least. You might recall, that was the first game of the season. It came in late October. The stadium was empty due to the ongoing coronavirus.
* Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Mountain Time and the game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
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University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com
- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players