Behind the Numbers: Turnovers Continue to Plague Pokes

LARAMIE -- Kudos to the Bears, but that was on us.

That was Tyler Hughes' postgame message Saturday after a too-close-for-comfort 21-13 victory over visiting Northern Colorado.

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"We beat ourselves," said the graduate transfer, who threw for 149 yards while completing 18-of-26 throws. "... We need to clean up things and be a more disciplined football team because, at the end of the day, that's all what it came down to. That's why the game was like how it was: we're beating ourselves. I mean, salute to them. They came out there and they gave us their best shot, but it wasn't about them."

There are a number of instances Hughes could be referring to, like early in the second quarter with his offense lined up at the Bears' 6-yard line, facing a 2nd-and-3. After a gain of just one yard by running back Samuel Harris, a false start backed the Cowboys up five more. Then came the 9-yard sack, courtesy of Ezra Ekuban, which also featured a fumble.

That was the first missed opportunity.

And to add to the frustration, safety Jones Thomas picked off a pass on UNC's ensuing possession. Hughes and Co. did punch that in, capping an 8-play, 37-yard drive with a four yards plunge into the end zone by the speedster they call "Tote."

It could've potentially been 14-0 and off to the races.

Instead, the visitors tacked on a field goal before putting together a 5-play, 91-yard drive that included a 34-yard scamper by Justin Guin and a 45-yard touchdown toss from Kenny Lueth to Marcus Mozer with just 25 ticks remaining on the game clock.

UNC also added another three points on its first drive out of the locker room.

Trailing 13-7 with just 12:25 left in regulation, Markell Holman put a red mark on his resume on an otherwise impressive performance. After a 12-yard burst up the middle, he fumbled the ball away after attempting to leap over a would-be tackler.

Both teams would be forced to their respective locker rooms because of lightning coming from the dark, ominous clouds circling high above War Memorial Stadium. The Bears, after that nearly 40-minute stoppage, were setting up shop at Wyoming's 31-yard line with a real chance to put this one to bed.

It didn't happen.

Hughes went on to throw two touchdown passes -- one a 15-yard strike to Charlie Coenen and another 18-yard toss to tight end Kyle Frendt, who laid out and extended for the grab -- and the defense limited the Bears to just three yards of total offense.

Crisis averted.

Still, though, the Cowboys have gifted their opponents six turnovers through two outings, including four in a mostly-forgettable opener at rival Colorado State.

That won't work.

"Our offensive staff, they're preaching constantly about ball-security," head coach Jay Sawvel said postgame. "We have to realize, we can't have two turnovers today and four last week and win games. We know that. Look, we have a lot of things to clean up."

Here are some other numbers from Wyoming's win on Saturday:

6-12

Wyoming didn't convert a single third-down attempt in the opener at CSU, finishing 0-8. It was looking like another one of those days early on against UNC, too. The Cowboys' offense came out of the gate with five straight whiffs on that money down. That all changed in the fourth quarter, going a perfect 3-for-3 when it mattered most.

11

That's the number of tackles middle linebacker Ethan Stuhlsatz racked up before leaving the game late with an ankle injury. The senior has been a tackling machine in his first two games as a starter. His number of stops now sits at 26 after two games. He also added half-a-sack against the Bears.

27

That's the number of yards Wyoming's offense managed to roll up in the third quarter against a Bears' defense that had been allowing 381 yards per game in back-to-back outings against fellow FCS members Weber State and South Dakota. The Cowboys had two yards rushing and 25 yards passing.

135

Talk about flipping the script. After emerging from the locker room after the lengthy lightning delay, Hughes and Co. rolled up 135 yards, including 68 through the air to go along with those two touchdown tosses. The Cowboys averaged nearly six yards per play.

107

That's the number of all-purpose yards Markell Holman rolled up in his first game inside War Memorial Stadium. The Western Illinois transfer rushed for 80 yards on 11 attempts and caught all five balls thrown in his direction for another 27. Aside from a fourth-quarter fumble, Holman was arguably the most-effective player for the Pokes on Saturday.

46.2

Bart Edmiston Jr. had a good day for the Cowboys, averaging that number above on five punts. Two of those landed inside the Bears' 20-yard line and a pair sailed over 50 yards.

5

That's the number of catches made Saturday by Wyoming wide receivers. Coenen snagged three of those for 34 yards and that fourth-quarter touchdown. Jackson Holman and Eric Richardson each caught one pass for a combined 19 yards.

3

That's how many sacks Wyoming tallied against UNC. Edge rushers Esaia Bogar and Jack Dunkley were both credited with one apiece. Linebackers Steven Perez and Stuhlsatz combined for another.

31:07

UNC entered this meeting averaging nearly 37 minutes of time of possession through two games. That number took a bit of a dip Saturday, but the Bears still had three drives lasting more than five minutes, including one of 7:01 on their first drive of the second half.

7

That's how many tackles for loss Wyoming tallied against UNC. Perez led the way with 1.5 and Brooklyn Cheek, Dante Drake, Parker Moore, Dunkley and Bogar each finished with one. Stuhlsatz was credited with 0.5.

10

The Cowboys have now won 10 straight over UNC, dating back to 1936. Wyoming holds a 20-5-3 advantage in the all-time series.

24,105

That's how many fans were in the building on a cloud-covered opening day on the high plains. High school bands from around the region were on hand. So was the 1996 Wyoming football team. The night prior they were inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS.COM:

* Making the Grade: Hughes 'Steps Up' Late in 21-13 Win

* Cowboys Rally For 21-13 Victory Over Northern Colorado

* Rants and Raves: Northern Colorado Edition

* FINAL LIVE FILE: Wyoming 21, UNC 13

* Gear Up For Game Day: UNC Bears

* Wyoming Couldn't Take Bogar Off The Field During Career Outing

* Panozzo Confident Despite 'Welcome to College Football' Moment

* Wyoming Football Lands On-Field Corporate Logos

* Jayden Williams Issues Apology For Altercations With CSU Fans

* PODCAST: Can't Let Border War Hangover Linger

* Know Wyoming's Foe: UNC Bears

* Bohl Says He Got 'Overzealous' With Fourth-Quarter Blitz

* Wyoming Takes on UNC in Home-Opening 'Stripe Out'

* UNC Notebook: Pokes Still Grumbling Over Self-Inflicted Miscues

- Just The Facts: Size Doesn't Matter For Wyoming's War Memorial Stadium