2006 Week 8

PROVO, Utah - In a game where both offenses struggled to move the ball, it was a big play on defense, perhaps the biggest under head coach Joe Glenn, that lifted the Cowboys to a narrow 24 - 16 victory over a determined, but winless, BYU team Saturday.

For all the offensive fireworks the Wyoming Cowboys have displayed during Glenn's tenure, the defense has been solid, but seldom spectacular, known more for holding on for wins than making game-changing plays.

With three players recruited after the 2005 season topping the depth chart at cornerback, that has begun to change in 2006. Through seven games, Javon Jordan, C.J. Rollins and Justin Haston have combined for ten interceptions, with Jordan and Rollins leading the way with four each. Against BYU Saturday, Rollins had the biggest yet, a 30 yard interception return for a touchdown in the closing seconds of the third quarter that proved to be the winning margin over the Cougars. It was the first defensive touchdown for a Cowboy since Glenn took over the program at the start of the 2003 season.

"I just followed the quarterback's eyes," Rollins explained as he spoke to reporters after the game. "He telegraphed the pass the whole play, and I knew Herb (strong safety Herbert Holland) had my back if I screwed up, so I jumped the route and took it in. No way was I gonna let some chubby lineman keep me out of the end zone," Rollins smiled.

It was the third score of the quarter for the Cowboys, following two long touchdown passes by quarterback Kenneth Wingate earlier in the period. The extra point gave Wyoming a 24 - 0 lead, and the way the defense was playing to that point, it looked like the Cowboys would coast to their fourth consecutive victory over the hapless Cougars. Through three quarters, the defense allowed just over 100 yards of total offense, and no points.

"We aren't doing anything differently on defense," Glenn said. "It's just a matter of the guys getting more comfortable within the system and learning and being able to read the offenses better. We only had one pick in the first two games, and that was by safety Scott Potts. Javon, C.J. and Justin are still getting comfortable back there."

The Cougars would make it interesting by driving for two scores in the fourth quarter, but the defense was able to force a turnover on downs on what would ultimately be the Cougars' final possession of the game, and the offense was able to convert two third downs to run out the clock.

The win is the fifth consecutive for the Cowboys, the longest winning streak under Glenn. On the year, the Cowboys are 6 - 1, and 2 - 0 in the Mountain West. They play San Diego State at home next Saturday.