LARAMIE -- What do you think of when it comes to facing San Jose State?

There are a few notable ties between the Pokes and Spartans despite playing just 11 games against one another.

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These pop up first for me:

* Wyoming hosted SJSU in Laramie the following Saturday after the Black 14 were kicked out of the program by Lloyd Eaton in 1969. The Spartans wore black armbands that day inside War Memorial Stadium in support of the former UW players. That was the Cowboys last win of the season after starting 5-0.

* Former SJSU kicker Joe Nedney, who went on to enjoy a a 15-year NFL career, booted a school-record 60-yard game winner in Laramie in 1992. Jeff Garcia was the Spartans' quarterback for that 26-24 road win.

* In 2013, UW quarterback Brett Smith tossed a quick out to his wide receiver Robert Herron. The speedster took care of the rest, dashing a school-record 93 yards to the end zone in San Jose. Wyoming would fall that night, 51-44.

* Marcus Arroyo, the current head coach at UNLV, is a former Spartan. He is also a former Cowboy. Arroyo was UW's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2009 and '10 under then-head coach Dave Christensen.

* Speaking of former Cowboys, do you remember David Fales? Probably not. Don't feel dumb, not many people do know that the former QB who was selected in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft was briefly in Laramie. Fales, who started his career at Nevada, transferred to Monterey Peninsula College in California. In 2011, Fales was offered a walk-on opportunity from Christensen. He actually spent a summer in Laramie and took a class at UW before eventually returning to MPC. Fales eventually landed at SJSU in 2012. There, in just two seasons, he threw for 8,382 yards and 66 touchdowns.

* Who can forget the last meeting between these two in California. SJSU was in the midst of a 10-game losing streak and Wyoming's star quarterback was on the shelf with a shoulder injury. The Josh Allen-less Pokes fell 20-17 in 2017. DeJon Packer broke loose for a 44-yard touchdown run to give the home team a late 20-10 lead. Nick Smith did hit CJ Johnson for a 53-yard scoring strike, but there was just 1:07 left on the clock. Spartans win.

Not the most memorable moments, eh?

 

 

Famous alums

I always find it interesting to check out what kind of star power comes out of these schools Wyoming faces on a weekly basis. SJSU has some impressive ones:

* Mary Blair (Illustrator of Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan)
* Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac)
* Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac)
* Doug Clifford (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
* Stu Cook (CCR)
* Tom Johnston (Doobie Brothers)
* Patrick Simmons (Doobie Brothers)
* Paul Kantner (Jefferson Airplane)
* Bryan "Brains" Mantia (Guns 'N Roses, Primus)
* Amy Tan (Author: The Joy Luck Club)
* Jason Dahl (Pilot of United Flight 93)
* Kurtwood Smith (Red Forman - That 70's Show)
* Christopher Darden (Prosecutor in OJ Simpson trial)
* Rob Janoff (Designer of Apple logo)
* Lou Henry Hoover (Former First Lady)

 

Here's some of the best athletes to attend SJSU:
* Ken Caminiti (baseball)
* Steve DeBerg (football)
* James Jones (football)
* Dick Vermeil (football)
* Bill Walsh (football)
* Louis Wright (football)
* Tommie Smith (track - raised fist during '68 summer games)
* Joey Chestnut (competitive eater)

 

Need to catch up on this week's UW football news?
* 3 keys to beating the Spartans
* Show us your picks: Week 9
* Q&A with UW passing-game coordinator Mike Grant
* Around the Mtn: SDSU is for real
* Q&A with UW offensive coordinator Tim Polasek
* Cowboys in the NFL: Week 7
* Devin Jennings no longer with Wyoming football program
* Pokes, Spartans meet Saturday in San Jose
* BREAKDOWN: Costly penalties have plagued Pokes in '21
* BREAKING: Levi Williams named UW's starting QB at SJSU
* Will any true freshmen play this fall?
* Ravontae Holt to miss remainder of season with unspecified injury
* Pokes news and notes

 

Here is all you need to know -- and the links -- for Saturday's tilt in the Bay Area:

WHO: Wyoming (4-3, 0-3) at San Jose State (4-4, 2-2)
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 30 at 2 p.m. MST
WEATHER: High of 71, low of 54, cloudy, winds at 5-10 mph
WHERE: CEFCU Stadium, San Jose, Calif.
TRAVEL: Caltrans
TVFS2
RADIO: Cowboy Sports Network
STREAMING: FS2
TICKETS: Ticketmaster
BOX SCORE: ESPN
ROSTERS: Wyoming / San Jose State
BETMGM ODDS: Wyoming +3, O/U 41 (Could be subject to change)
HISTORY: Wyoming leads the all-time series 7-4
HEAD COACHES: Craig Bohl / Brent Brennan

Wyoming Cowboys football players in the NFL: Then and now

 

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