LARAMIE, Wyoming - Normally reliable starting quarterback Kenneth Wingate struggled in the first game of his senior season, but the rest of the team stepped up to lead the Cowboys to a 35 - 17 victory over the West Virginia Mountaineers Saturday.

Wingate was intercepted three times on only 23 pass attempts, though at least one bounced off the hands of a Wyoming receiver and directly into the arms of a waiting West Virginia defender, and another was an unbelievable shoestring catch by the Mountaineers' middle linebacker. Of his other 20 passes, Wingate completed 10 of them, but he managed only 186 yards as the Mountaineers blanketed the Cowboys' receivers all afternoon.

As a result, the Cowboys found success on the ground, with running backs Johnny Connor and Terrence Billings combining for 150 yards and two touchdowns. It was the ground game grinding out yards near the goal line that allowed the Cowboys to convert on all five of their possessions in the red zone, leading to all 35 of the Cowboys' points.

After the game, head coach Joe Glenn spoke with reporters. "Well, speaking from the perspective of someone who expects a little better performance from my senior quarterback, I'd say this was a pretty ugly win. But it was a win, and that is the important thing.

"I'm not really sure what happened to Ken out there today. West Virginia doesn't have a particularly dominant secondary, but it seemed like he was just a second late with his reads all afternoon. Attribute that to whatever you want, but Ken is going to come out next week and make everybody forget it ever happened, I can assure you that."

The defense was also instrumental in the win, as they shut down the Mountaineers' running game, limiting them to just 21 yards on 19 carries, deflecting eight passes and forcing two interceptions. Sophomore Javon Jordan led the charge, finishing with eight tackles, three deflections and an interception that was returned 25 yards, giving the Cowboys great field position.

"Jordan had a monster game, he did a great job limiting what the Mountaineers were able to do on offense. It is hard to believe this kid is only a sophomore."

Next week, the Cowboys travel to South Carolina to face a Clemson squad that has struggled in recent years, but is always dangerous at home. The Cowboys should be tested by their first road game against an SEC team under Glenn. Kickoff is sceduled for 12:30.