Gentry snags elusive first touchdown

LARAMIE -- When your last name is Gentry and you are a receiver at Wyoming, certain expectations -- fair or unfair -- come with that.

No one knows that better than Gunner Gentry.

And often times it comes from older brother, Tanner Gentry, who also happens to rank fifth all-time in school history with 2,815 yards.

“He’s very critical of me,” Gunner Gentry told 7220sports.com last fall. “I send him film and he gives me something I can work on or tells me something he noticed. He’s been in the game a long time. It’s nice to have that perspective. It’s nice to hear that I did something wrong and need to work on things instead of just good stuff.”

We can only assume that the texts after Saturday's performance were of the celebratory kind, despite the Cowboys 37-34 overtime loss in Reno.

With 13:13 remaining in the fourth quarter and the visitors in the middle of mountain a double-digit comeback, redshirt freshman quarterback Levi Williams saw Gentry running past his man down the sideline.

Williams lofted the ball into the northern Nevada sky with a little touch, dropping the perfectly timed pass right into the awaiting arms of Gentry in the end zone.

What makes that so special?

Well, in 2018, Gentry didn't catch a single pass. Last fall, the then-sophomore snagged just six catches for 130 yards.

Notice a missing word? Touchdown.

Gentry was in no mood to reflect on the moment after the hard-fought loss inside Mackay Stadium, but it didn't take a mind reader to realize it was important to him -- and his teammates.

"It was a good feeling, getting in there and finally just contributing in that comeback," Gentry said postgame. "It felt good that Levi trusted me enough to throw me that ball and I just came down with it.

"It's a pretty good feeling."

Big brother hauled in 20 touchdown passes during his playing days in Laramie. He also had a guy named Josh Allen under center.

Saturday night, Gentry was preoccupied. Heck, the entire team was. Starting quarterback Sean Chambers was likely lost for the season after just the third offensive play from scrimmage when he was tossed around and his left foot got caught under a Nevada defender.

Gentry hopes to be targeted more during what the Cowboys' hope will be a seven-game season, but Saturday, his thoughts were with his friend and roommate.

"He's one of the guys I go to for everything," Gentry said of Chambers. "Losing him early, seeing him go down, especially after the way he ended the season last year, it was heartbreaking for me to see.

"He's a tough kid and he's going to work hard to get back. I have a lot of faith in him."