Behind the numbers: Wyoming vs. SJSU

SAN JOSE, Calif., -- Wyoming has now dropped four straight after getting off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 1996.

When was the last time the Cowboys dropped four consecutive games? We only have to venture back to 2018 when Craig Bohl's team lost to Boise State, Hawaii, Fresno State and Utah State.

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That streak was finally snapped in Week 9 in Fort Collins. Wyoming beat its Border War rival, Colorado State, 34-21.

Guess what?

The Rams are in Laramie next week. It's the ninth game of the season.

After that victory, newly named starting quarterback Sean Chambers -- with some help from former starter, Tyler Vander Waal -- led the Pokes on a four-game winning streak to cap the season at 6-6. Wyoming wasn't invited to a bowl game.

Let's check out some numbers from Saturday's 27-21 setback at San Jose State:

4

As in minus-4. That's Wyoming's turnover margin now after eight games. Levi Williams, who was making his first start of the 2021 season in the Silicon Valley, tossed two interceptions in the loss. The Cowboys were a plus-7 in this category after Week 3.

9

As in minus-9. That's SJSU's turnover margin. Entering Saturday, that number stood at 11, the worst mark in college football. The Spartans have fumbled 17 times this season, losing nine of those. Brent Brennan's squad wasn't very generous in this one. Neither was Fresno State or New Mexico in the two previous games for the Cowboys. The last turnover came in a 24-14 loss at Air Force back on Oct. 9.

5

The Cowboys have now turned the ball over two or more times in five straight outings.

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS:
* Rants & Raves: San Jose State Edition
* Cowboys drop road contest at SJSU, 27-21
* Turning point, unsung hero and what's next for UW football
* Quick takes: The effort was there ... the results aren't

12

That's how many times the Cowboys and Spartans have met on a football field. Wyoming holds a slim 7-5 lead in the series. UW is just 1-4 against SJSU since it joined the Mountain West Conference back in 2013.

2

That's how many touchdown passes Williams threw to Isaiah Neyor on Saturday afternoon. Wyoming hasn't thrown a touchdown pass since that trip to Air Force.

6

That's how many receiving touchdowns Neyor has through eight games. His 54-yarder in the second quarter was the longest for the Cowboys since Vander Waal connected with James Price for a 72-yard score against Boise State in 2018.

172

That's how many rushing yards Xazavian Valladay rolled up against the Spartans. He trailed Ryan Christopherson by just 183 yards entering the game. Now, that number stands at 11. If all goes right, the junior running back will become the third-leading rusher in Wyoming history next Saturday against CSU.

13

That's how many times Valladay has eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark. He had a 67-yard burst in the second half Saturday that put him over the century mark for just the second time this season.

10

That's how many tackles Chad Muma racked up in the Bay Area. He now has 78 stops on the season, which is good enough for No. 11 in the nation. He ranks No. 1 in the MW, averaging 9.7 stops per game. The junior has registered double-digit tackles in seven of eight games this season.

8

Defensive tackle Cole Godbout had a big day in California. He registered that many stops from the interior of the Cowboys line.

112

SJSU quarterback Nick Nash rushed for this many yards against the Cowboys. That's two straight games Nash has rushed for more than 100 yards.

3

That's how many sacks the Cowboys gave up in this one, two of which came from Cade Hall on the final drive of the game. Hall, the defending Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, wrapped up Williams on first and second down.

48.8

That was the average yards per punt off the right leg of UW punter Ralph Fawaz. He booted two that traveled more than 50 yards. He also scooped an errant snap up off the turf that likely saved the Cowboys from giving up points late in the first half.

400

That's how many total yards UW's offense racked up against the Spartans, 271 of which came courtesy of the run game.

6.4

SJSU averaged that many yards per rush Saturday. The Spartans gashed the Pokes' D for 238 rushing yards.

22

Both teams attempted this many passes. Nash connected on 12 of his throws. Williams, 11.

2

Wyoming was successful on 2-of-5 fourth-down attempts Saturday. SJSU didn't take a snap on fourth.

13,042

That was the announced attendance inside CEFCU Stadium Saturday.

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