Wyoming Cowboys

Wyoming Loses Fifth Straight To End Season

November 29, 0003

Game Report Posted: January 06, 2009 06:30  

LARAMIE, Wyoming - It was more of the same Saturday, as the Cowboys of Wyoming dropped their fifth straight, finishing the season a disappointing 4 - 8 overall, and only 1 - 6 in the Mountain West conference, good for a tie for last.

"The guys just didn't have any fight left in 'em," head coach Joe Glenn explained.

"We were out manned and overwhelmed. It's disappointing to end the season with a loss, but I'm confident that a short break will rejuvinate these guys, and get 'em ready to fight again next year. The coaching staff has their eyes on some pretty decent recruits, and I'm confident we'll be able to land at least a couple of 'em, which should give us some tools to build around next season."

Our annual Wyoming Cowboys recruiting recap will appear in our February 10th Spring Sports edition.

Wyoming Embarrassed by New Mexico in Fourth Straight Loss

November 22, 0003

Game Report Posted: January 06, 2009 06:11  

LARAMIE, Wyoming - Even though New Mexico gained only 44 more yards of total ofense than Wyoming, the game was never really close, and New Mexico came away with a convincing 42 - 22 win Saturday.

To be fair, the Wyoming offense had to deal with losing both Casey and Corey Bramlet to injury during the game, leaving only third string quarterback J.J. Raterink under center, but that does not explain why the defense gave up 42 points. What does explain it, however, is turnovers. There were four in all, an interception by each of the Bramlet brothers, and a couple fumbles by the running backs.

"Ugly game," Joe Glenn spat. "We have a hard enough time keeping other teams from beating us, we certainly can't afford to be beating ourselves," Glenn said in reference to the four turnovers by Wyoming in the game.

"This team is beat up physically, and beat down emotionally. We're pretty much ready for this season to be over, ready to rest up and prepare for next fall. Unfortunately we still have a game to play, and honestly, I'm not sure I can get these guys up one more time. This is one we'd be happy to simulate so we could get into the offseason and get recruiting."

Cowboys Look Flat in Defeat

November 14, 0003

Game Report Posted: January 06, 2009 05:48  

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - Two weeks ago, the Wyoming Cowboys played a good game against a better team and lost. Today, they played a mediocre game against an average Utah team, and still lost, 14 - 31.

The Cowboys were unable to find any rhythm on offense, as Utah neutralized Wyoming's big-play receivers, pressured the quarterback and shut down the running game, all things the Wyoming defense was unable to accomplish against the Utes.

"We were outplayed today, plain and simple," Wyoming head coach Joe Glenn magaged after the game. "It was pretty pathetic, really. I don't know what got into the guys this week. It was almost like they thought that playing well against Colorado State guaranteed another good showing against Utah. It didn't, obviously."

Nothing Utah did on either side of the ball was flashy, but it worked. The team averaged an impressive 4.3 yards per carry, converted third down better than 60% of the time, and scored at least three points in all four quarters. It all added up to a convincing 31 - 14 victory over the Cowboys, who fall to 4 - 6 on the year with their third consecutive loss.

Wyoming will try to snap their three game losing streak next week at home against New Mexico.

Cowboys Play Well, Can't Quite Stay with Rams

November 1, 0003

Game Report Posted: January 06, 2009 05:31  

LARAMIE, Wyoming - The Cowboys kept it close for most of the game, but couldn't score when they needed it most, losing to Colorado State 21 - 34 Saturday.

It was a game of big plays for both teams. Each team fumbled the ball away twice, leading to big plays on both sides. Wyoming got the ball rolling by fumbling on the first offensive play of the game, and Colorado State wasted no time taking the lead, recovering the fumble and taking it 27 yards for the score. Colorado State returned the favor in the third quarter, as the Rams forced a punt on the Cowboys' first offensive possesion, but punt returner Dexter Wynn misjudged the position of the ball, and the punt glanced off his outstretched hands and into the arms of Wyoming gunner Ryan McGuffey. Wynn was so surprised by the whole thing that McGuffey was able to run right past him and continue down the sideline towards the end zone. Wynn recovered and dragged McGuffey to the ground before he could score, but the damage was done. McGuffey had taken the ball 41 yards to the 1 yard line, and halfback Derek Armah punched it in for the score.

Apparently, Armah felt guilty about getting such an easy touchdown. On the very next possession, the Cowboys had first and goal on the Colorado State two yard line, but Armah fumbled for the second time in the game and Wyoming came away scoreless.

Sophomore wideout Jovon Bouknight had another spectacular game, making six catches for 166 yards and a touchdown. It was Colorado State, however, who made the big plays down the stretch, scoring the final ten points of the game, while keeping Wyoming out of the end zone.

Despite the loss, Wyoming head coach Joe Glenn seemed satisfied with the effort from his team.

"We actually played pretty well out there today. Most people wrote us off before the game began, but we played with a great deal of heart, and hung in there until the end. If it weren't for a couple big turnovers, we might even have won. Colorado State was clearly the more talented team today, and we made 'em earn the win. I have a feeling that we're gonna surprise some folks before too long."

The Cowboys will get their next chance against Utah two weeks from today.

Hall Outpasses Bramlet in Quarterback Duel

October 25, 0003

Game Report Posted: January 06, 2009 05:11  

SAN DIEGO, California - Cowboys head coach Joe Glenn took little consolation when told after the game that his team had outrushed the Aztecs by more than 40 yards.

"It's too bad they didn't run a few more times, or we might have had a chance," Glenn remarked dryly. "We couldn't get any pressure on Hall, and their receivers manhandled our secondary out there today. What did they have, 400 yards pasing?"

Only 397, actually. That was more than enough however, as what many predicted to be a quarterback competition turned into a one-sided affair. Senior Cowboy Casey Bramlet struggled most of the day finishing with only 17 completions on 40 attempts and no touchdowns.

It all added up to a 17 - 38 defeat for the Cowboys, who fall to an even 4 - 4 on the year.

"Our defense has a lot of work to do before the Border War," Glenn announced. "They could be in for a long week."

They also could be in for a long game Saturday, as Colorado State is 7-1 on the year, having played some of their best football this past week. Kickoff is at 12:30.

Cowboys Win Big Over BYU

October 18, 0003

Game Report Posted: January 06, 2009 04:43  

LARAMIE, Wyoming - Despite a a number of poor decisions by senior quarterback Casey Bramlet, Wyoming moved the ball well against BYU all day, finishing with an impressive 52 - 28 victory Saturday in front of 13,751 at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie.

BYU was unable to get any pressure on Bramlet, giving him time to complete 22 passes for nearly 400 yards, and five touchdowns. Fortunately for BYU, Bramlet was almost as accurate with the Cougar secondary, throwing four interceptions on the day.

Partly because of the interceptions and partly because Wyoming led 44 - 13 at the end of the third, sophomore Corey Bramlet, Casey's younger brother, saw his first significant action of the season. He played well, completing nine of his 11 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown.

Head coach Joe Glenn, at least, was impressed.

"Yessir, Corey sure made the most of his opportunity. He threw the ball well, and with a lot of accuracy. You know, I don't doubt he could teach his older brother a thing or two about that, at least today," Glenn joked.

"In fact, I'm pretty sure he should have gone 11 for 11 today. Both those incompletions coulda, and probably shoulda been caught."

For his part, Corey downplayed his performance.

"I don't think it was so much me as it was the situation," the younger Bramlet explained.

"Being down so much, BYU's heart really wasn't in it. I bet Coach could have probably completed a half dozen of those passes."

"For the record," coach Glenn clarified, "I was a safety in college, and Corey has obviously never seen me throw a football."

There were smiles all around the locker room today. A big win will do that to you, and the hope is that some of that enthusiasm carries over first into practice, and then into the next game, Saturday at San Diego State. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30.

Wyoming Weathers Ugly 2nd Quarter to Win

October 11, 2003

Game Report Posted: January 06, 2009 04:21  

LOGAN, Utah - Nothing about Wyoming's performance on Saturday could be considered impressive by even the most generous of observers. Nothing, that is, except the outcome. Despite little more than a pedestrian day on offense, the Wyoming Cowboys took advantage of several key mistakes by Utah State to forge a narrow 31 - 28 victory over the Aggies Saturday, their first in four games.

Senior quarterback Casey Bramlet made solid decisions all afternoon, going four quarters without throwing an interception for only the second time this year.

Bramlet was aided in his performance by turnovers on the part of the Aggies, as four different Cowboys stepped in front of errant passes by Utah State quarterback Travis Cox. Although none was returned for more than 26 yards, the offense managed 17 points from the favorable field position.

In his news conference after the game, head coach Joe Glenn was uncharacteristically upbeat.

"I'll tell you right now, I'm not interested in talking about all the things we did wrong today, though there were plenty. There will be time for that this week, in film sessions and on the practice field. Today, I want to congratulate this team on its effort and determination. They need to be commended for never giving up, and for fighting back after giving up some big plays and a lot of points in the second quarter."

Indeed, things were looking bleak at the half for the Cowboys, a team that had not won in over a month. After scoring from 13 yards out to capitalize on Utah State's first turnover, the Cowboys had gone cold.

Fans could feel the game slipping away, as the Aggies scored on three consecutive possessions, first on a fumble recovery that was returned for a touchdown, then on a deep pass that made the Cowboy secondary look foolish, and finally on a sustained drive that lasted twelve plays and took nearly five minutes. In the end, the only thing that could stop Utah State in the second quarter was the clock, as time expired just as they were moving into scoring position again.

"All of us kind of got caught off guard by that fumble," senior cornerback Roderrick Jackson said after the game.

"We just started playing on our heels after that, and they took advantage of it and scored a couple times. But all of us in the secondary got on the same page at the half. As a team, we decided then and there that we were going to step up and win the game, and that was that."

That it was. Jackson, who combined with fellow defensive backs Jacque Finn, Leonard Jones and Marcial Rosales for 19 of the team's 37 tackles, started the comeback by stepping in front of Travis Cox' first pass of the third quarter, returning it 26 yards to the one yard line. Running back Derek Armah punched it in on one try, and suddenly, the Wyoming sideline came to life. The Cowboys scored the next 17 points to take a ten point lead into the final minutes of the game, and Utah State's comeback bid failed when the offense could muster only one touchdown in their last three possessions.

When asked what he said at half time to elicit such a response from his team, Glenn gave all the credit to his players.

"All I said was that we were playing like we didn't care, that we were letting ourselves get beat. The guys knew it, I knew it. I told them nothing I could say would change that, and if anybody wanted more than two wins this year, it was up to them to make it happen."

They made it happen today. It remains to be seen whether the momentum built here today will carry over to the rest of the season, which continues next week with a home game against BYU. Only time will tell.

Broncos Running Game Stampedes Cowboys

September 27, 2003

Game Report Posted: January 06, 2009 00:38  

BOISE, Idaho - If there were any questions about whether the mauling the Air Force running game unleashed on Wyoming last week was a fluke, Boise State answered them emphatically Saturday, racking up 227 yards on 35 carries, en route to a 35 - 14 embarrassment of the Cowboys.

The Cowboys running game was as futile as the Broncos' was productive, totaling 34 yards on 22 carries, though some of that was the result of three sacks by Broncos defenders. For the game, starting halfback Derek Armah averaged 5 yards a carry, but only ran the ball ten times. Unfortunately, he also fumbled the ball at the 3 yard line of Boise State late in the first quarter, squandering a golden scoring opportunity.

"Some of that is probably my fault," Wyoming head coach Joe Glenn admitted after the game. "We were dealt a couple unlucky breaks, got down by a couple scores, and kinda got away from our game plan a bit. With the exception of his first quarter fumble, Derek was carrying the ball pretty well. We should have kept pounding away with him.

"It's a tough call," Glenn continued. "When things aren't going your way, you're looking for a spark, a play that makes the rest of the team stand up and take notice. Everybody knows our two biggest play makers are Jovon (Bouknight, WR) and Casey (Bramlet, QB), so that probably biases my play calling a bit more than it should."

Armah, for his part, was clearly frustrated after the game.

"I know Casey is the quarterback, he's the leader of this team, I don't question that. But I don't think its fair for Coach to expect him to win the game by himself. Coach needs to have more faith in the rest of us. We ain't stars, but we ain't stupid either. We need to win games as a team."

"We do expect a lot from Bramlet," Coach Glenn conceeded.

"But the bottom line is, our guys didn't make plays when they needed to, and wasted scoring opportunities when we had them. I don't just mean Derek, either. Yeah, his fumble came at a bad time, but nobody could seem to catch the ball either. I counted at least six balls that should have been caught, including a couple interceptions, and at least one sure touchdown. Derek is right though, we need to win as a team."

The Cowboys will get a chance to do just that two weeks from Saturday, at home against the Aggies of Utah State, another team that has struggled to a 2 - 3 record.

Falcons Soar Past Cowboys

September 20, 2003

Game Report Posted: January 06, 2009 00:30  

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado - The Wyoming Cowboys came into Saturday's game against Air Force confident on offense, having scored at least 28 points against each of its three previous opponents. It took only one possession for the Falcons to figure out how to keep Wyoming from doing the same to them; keep the ball out of the hands of quarterback Casey Bramlet.

The Falcons scored touchdowns on consecutive drives that lasted 4:21 and 3:15 respectively, and held the ball for all but 1:27 of the first quarter as the high powered Cowboy offense was held to 6 points at the half. It was more of the same after the break, and the Falcons cruised to an easy 42 - 19 win over the Cowboys, despite a phenomenal second half performance by sophomore sensation Jovon Bouknight.

Bouknight had ten receptions on the day for a total of 129 yards. Seven of those catches came in the second half, and the speedy wide receiver scored Wyoming's only touchdown of the day on a 67 yard punt return. That was pretty much it for the Cowboys on offense.

"We just weren't explosive enough today," quarterback Casey Bramlet suggested. "A lot of that had to do with Air Force holding the ball for most of the game, but we can't make excuses. We didn't make plays when we needed to."

This was especially true when Wyoming was in the red zone. Coming into the game, the Cowboys were nearly perfect from inside the twenty yard line, scoring touchdowns on seven of eight opportunities. They were anything but tonight. Though the Cowboys moved the ball into the red zone four times, they settled for a short field goal each time.

After the game, reporters asked head coach Joe Glenn to play what if. What if some of those had been touchdowns instead? What if the score had been 21 - 14 at the half?

"Yeah, we really failed to capitalize out there, didn't we?" Glenn mused. "If we score a couple touchdowns instead of field goals, it changes everything. Momentum, play calling, everything. Who knows how things turn out. Fact is, we had all the opportunities we could have asked for, we just couldn't take advantage of them. And that shows you we've still got a ways to go with these guys. We're not a good enough team yet to pass up points like that and still win."

Two first half touchdowns would certainly have looked good on the scoreboard, but they probably wouldn't have changed the outcome. Air Force put the game away with 21 points in the fourth quarter, primarily because the larger, more physical Air Force offensive line was able to wear down the Wyoming defense. The front four especially, were essentially a non-factor in the game.

Air Force averaged more than five yards a carry on the day, and the leading tacklers for Wyoming were the three starting linebackers, who combined for 29 stops, though usually not before ball carrier dragged them for two or three more yards.

There wasn't much doubt about the outcome of this game from the start. It was simply a case of the more talented team running over, around and through the opposition. The players seem to recognize that, and appear ready to move on.

"We're going to put this behind us and focus on Boise State in practice this week." Bramlet announced. "Yeah it hurts to lose a conference game, but we can't dwell on it. We've got to get ready for the next one."

Wyoming travels to Boise State next Saturday for a 6:05 kickoff at Bronco Stadium.

Jayhawks Wear Down Cowboys, Pull Away Late

September 13, 2003

Game Report Posted: January 06, 2009 00:05  

LARAMIE, Wyoming - For three quarters, the Wyoming Cowboys stayed with the Kansas Jayhawks. The Cowboy defense gave up a touchdown and a field goal in each of the first two quarters, and held the Jayhawks scoreless in the third, while scoring two touchdowns themselves. Unfortunately, three quarters was all the defense had in them, surrendering 22 points in the final period, as the Cowboys lost 42 - 28 before a crowd of 14,642 at War Memorial Stadium.

"It's too bad we couldn't have called it after three," a dejected Coach Glenn noted after the game. "Well, not literally, obviously, as we still would have lost, but I was disappointed to see the kids run out of steam at the end there."

Though the Kansas offense put up most of the points, it was the Jayhawk defense that dictated the game.

"Give Kansas credit," quarterback Casey Bramlet said. "They did a great job mixing up coverage, and their defensive front was impressive, pressuring me into some bad throws and bottling up Derek (Armah) and Kit (Bradshaw) all afternoon."

Four different Jawhawks combined for five sacks, and almost constant pressure forced the senior quarterback into three interceptions, two when he attempted to get a throw off while being pulled to the ground. The Cowboy running game was held to four yards on 21 attempts, mainly the result of the five sacks.

As the third quarter came to a close, Wyoming came up short on a third and short in their own territory. The stop seemed to energize the Jayhawk sideline, and they brought heavy pressure from the right side. Cowboy punter Luke Donovan rushed his punt, and the kick went off the side of his foot and out of bounds after only 17 yards. The good field position only further energized the Jayhawks, as they rotated a trio of talented running backs into the game and overwhelmed the already tired Cowboy defense with a pair of long touchdown runs.

Bramlet and wide receiver Malcolm Floyd connected for two scores late in the fourth as the Cowboys tried desperately to rally, but not before Bramlet's third interception of the game was returned for a touchdown by Kansas free safety Rodney Fowler.

As disappointed as he was about the first loss of the season, first year head coach Glenn offered some perspective. "We've got another tough opponent next week in Air Force, and that one is a conference game, so our job now is to let this loss go and get ready for the Falcons. We haven't shown yet that we can win at the line of scrimmage for four quarters, so that's the challenge this week."

And quite the challenge it will be. Air Force is undefeated through three games, and is averaging more that 300 yards a game on the ground. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

Cowboys Dominate Time of Possession, Win Shootout

September 6, 2003

Game Report Posted: January 06, 2009 00:04  

STILLWATER, Oklahoma - Few expected much of a contest here in Stillwater Saturday, most predicting that Oklahoma State would have its way with overmatched Wyoming. Given such low expectations, it is safe to say that today's 38 - 35 win came as somewhat of a surprise to many Cowboy faithful. Just ask Wyoming head coach Joe Glenn.

"I was as surprised as anyone," Glenn admitted after the game. "Not that we won, because I know these kids, and I know how much heart this team has. No, I was surprised that we gave up as many points as we did, and as quickly as we did, and still won. That shows just how resilient these kids are."

To say that Oklahoma State scored quickly is a massive understatement. The Cowboys in orange had the ball for a total of 8:29 the entire game, put up 35 points, and still had time to punt twice. Their five scoring drives took just over six minutes, total. Oklahoma State scored four points for every minute they had the ball.

"Our inability to stop the passing game wasn't for a lack of effort, that's for sure," Glenn explained. "We were running two deep nickel and dime coverage almost the whole game. We just don't have the speed or personnel in the secondary to match up with Rashaun and D'Juan (Woods, Oklahoma State's talented sibling wideouts)."

Wyoming doesn't have the personnel at the line of scrimmage, either. With almost no pressure, Oklahoma State quarterback Josh Fields had plenty of time to find one of the Woods brothers streaking past the coverage for a big gain. The Oklahoma State offensive line did not allow a sack, and gave Fields enough time to complete 14 passes for 410 yards, an average of almost 30 yards a completion.

Of course, as anyone who saw the game can attest, Wyoming was able to move the ball as well, though in substantially fewer yards at a time.

Senior running back Derek Armah was a workhorse, gaining 114 yards on just 18 carries, including two short touchdowns. Quarterback Casey Bramlet did the rest, completing more than 70% of his passes for the second week in a row, and throwing for more than 400 yards on 34 completions. His primary target was sophomore Jovon Bouknight, who collected Player of the Game honors with a 12 reception, 226 yard performance.

None of that would have mattered, of course, had Wyoming not been able to limit the scoring opportunities for Oklahoma State. As it turned out, the best defense was the consistent offense.

"We came into the game wanting to control the clock," Glenn said. "I'm an old school guy. I like to run the ball, and keep the defense honest with high percentage passes. We were able to do that today, and move down the field when it mattered most."

With the win, the Cowboys move to 2 - 0 on the season. Wyoming will be at home next Saturday, 9/13/03 to face the Kansas Jayhawks.

Cowboys Model of Consistency in Season Opening Win

August 30, 2003

Game Report Posted: January 05, 2009 23:43  

LARAMIE, Wyoming - What the Cowboys lacked in explosiveness Saturday, they more than made up for in efficiency, as senior quarterback Casey Bramlet completed 74% of his passes and the Cowboys offense scored four times in four possessions in the red zone. Only two Cowboy plays went for more than 20 yards, but short touchdown runs by Kit Bradshaw and C.J. Davis and a pair of two-yard touchdown passes by Bramlet were enough to hold off Big Sky opponent Montana State, 28 - 14.

First year head coach Joe Glenn was pleased with the performance of his team.

"You bet I'm proud of 'em," Glenn quipped when asked after the game. "Casey came out absolutely on fire, and we rode his arm to a big win. I'll have to look at the tape, but from the sideline, this looked like a solid team effort. I think we could have wrapped up a little better on defense, but for the first game of the year, you can't ask for much more than I got out of this team today."

Nowhere was this more true than at middle linebacker, where JC transfer Randy Tscharner, making his first start as a Cowboy, had a huge game. In all, Tscharner managed six tackles, and harassed Montana State quarterback Travis Lulay all afternoon, forcing a fumble on a sack, and pulling in the game sealing interception late in the fourth quarter, enough to garner him Mountain West Player of the Week honors on defense.

"I just kinda had his number, I guess. Coach B (Mike Breske, Defensive Coordinator) called a good game, gave me the chance to get in the backfield a few times. Eventually, I got to him, and when I did, no way was he gonna keep that ball."

Lulay's third quarter fumble was recovered by junior Zach Morris at the 47 of Montana State, giving Bramlet and the Cowboy offense good field position and a chance to regain the lead they had held for most of the game. They did exactly that, on a three yard plunge by Bradshaw, and Wyoming never looked back.

"That fumble was huge. It really took the wind out of their sails," Glenn said. "Montana State had come out at the half and stopped our offense, then drove the length of the field and scored to tie the game at 14. Then they stopped us again, and they looked determined to score another one. Randy really stepped up, gave us that spark the team needed."

Offensively, Bramlet was helped by solid performances from running backs Derek Armah and Bradshaw, wide receivers Jovon Bouknight and Ryan McGuffy, and tight end Marshall Schaap. Bouknight had a particularly good day, his seven catch performance accounting for 69 of his 125 all-purpose yards.

Next up for the Cowboys of Wyoming is a Wild West shootout with the Cowboys of Oklahoma State, next Saturday at high noon in Stillwater, OK.