Know Wyoming’s Foe: Boise State Broncos

LARAMIE – The Wyoming Cowboys will close the home portion of the schedule on Saturday hosting No. 12 Boise State at 5 p.m. Wyoming will honor the seniors prior to kickoff as the group will play their final game inside War Memorial Stadium.

The contest will be televised on CBS Sports Network with Rich Waltz on the call along with Robert Turbin analyzing the action and Brandon Baylor on the sidelines.

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The game will also be available on the 26 stations of The Cowboy Sports Network with Keith Kelley on the call, Kevin McKinney on color and Erick Pauley on the sidelines

Ticket Information

Fans may order tickets online, via email or by phone at:

• Go to GoWyo.com/tickets

• Email tickets@uwyo.edu

• Call (307) 766-7220

• Stop by the UW Athletics Ticket Office on the West Side of the Arena-Auditorium on the corner of Willett Drive and 19th Street.

Senior Day: Wyoming will celebrate their seniors prior to the contest against Boise State. The group has helped lead the Cowboys to four bowl games during their careers with the group being named to numerous national awards and All-MW accolades.

A Ranked Foe in the War: Wyoming will host a ranked foe and College Football Playoff Contender No. Boise State on Saturday. The Pokes are 13-65 all-time against ranked opponents with wins over Texas Tech and Fresno State last season. Wyoming does have a ranked win over Boise State, downing the Broncos in Laramie by a score of 30-28 on Oct. 29, 2016. The Broncos were ranked No. 13 in the nation in that contest.

A Tough Schedule: The Wyoming Cowboys have played a tough schedule this season. Wyoming this week faces No. 12/13 Boise State. That is the only ranked team that Wyoming will play at home. In the recent polls, Five of Wyoming’s opponents are receiving votes or are ranked in the top-25. Colorado State is receiving votes and Washington State ranks No. 25 in the Associated Press Poll.

Shay has Career Day: Linebacker Connor Shay had a career day at Colorado State recording a career-high 12 tackles. It marked his first career double-digit tackle contest of his career. He also added a tackle for loss in the game and ranks second on the team with 62 tackles. His 6.2 tackles per game rank 20th in the MW conference.

Harris Settling In: Defensive end DeVonne Harris missed time this season with an injury. He recorded a season-high six tackles with a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery at Colorado State. He has three tackles for loss for the season and has 21 tackles for loss in his career with the Cowboys, as he is nearing the top-10 in career tackles for loss at UW.

Jayden Williams in the Middle: Interior defensive lineman Jayden Williams has recorded a solid redshirt freshman season for the Cowboys with 26 tackles for the season. He recorded a career-high seven tackles for the Brown and Gold at Colorado State.

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* Tuck's Take: Where on earth was Harrison Waylee?

* Rams run roughshod over Pokes in 24-10 Border War win

* Rants and Raves: Colorado State edition

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* Gear up for game day: Colorado State

Ferrell with a Big Run: Running back Jamari Ferrell finished the game at Colorado State with six carries for 74 yards. Ferrell recorded a 62-yard rush in the third quarter for the longest of his career. In his last two games, Ferrell has rushed for 163 yards in his last two games for the best stretch of football in his career in the Brown and Gold.

Sargent Stepping Up: Wide receiver Jaylen Sargent has also had his best stretch of football the last two games for the Brown and Gold. At Colorado State, Sargent recorded three catches for 45 yards. In his last two games, Sargent has recorded 231 yards after recording 186 at New Mexico.

Westland Racks Up Tackles: Defensive end Tyce Westland and DeVonne Harris had strong games at Colorado State with 14 tackles combined as the group is short handed due to injuries. Westland had eight tackles against the Rams tying a career best. For the season, Westland has 34 tackles and two sacks. The former eight-man player from Nebraska also has 4.5 tackles for loss.

Pelissier Hauls in Catches: Wide Receiver Will Pelissier grabbed a season-high three receptions at Colorado State recording 35 yards and has five catches in his last two games. He was also targeted on two pass interference calls. He has 12 catches on the season for the Brown and Gold.

Bertagnole and Tackles for Loss: Defensive tackle Jordan Bertagnole will go down as one of the top Cowboys to play the position in program. He ranks in the top-10 in career tackles for the Cowboys with 25 for his career. He had four tackles and a half tackle for loss at Colorado State.

Tackle For Loss Leaders at UW

1. 39.0 Eddie Yarbrough 2012-15

2. 36.0 John Fletcher 2005-09

3. 35.5 Carl Granderson, 2015-2018

4. 35.0 Logan Wilson, 2016-19

5. 31.0 Josh Biezuns 2008-11

6. 26.5 Zach Morris 2001-04

7. 25.5 Cole Godbout 2019-23

8. 25.0 Andrew Wingard, 2015-2018

25.0 Jordan Bertagnole, 2020-Pres.

10. 24.0 Ward Dobbs 2005-08

Hoyland Knocks in Season-Long: Cowboy kicker John Hoyland knocked in a 49-yard field goal at Colorado State for a season long. He has 68 field goals for a school record and has 350 points in his career which is also a school record.

Hoyland Adds to School Record: Kicker John Hoyland knocked in a 23-yard kick against Air Force for the 62nd of his career as he continues to build on his school record. He added four field goals tying a career-high against Utah State and added a season-long 49-yard field goal at Colorado State for the 68th of his career. He also added four points to continue to build on his school record for career scoring with 350 points.

The KING of Returns: Cowboy wide receiver Tyler King has been solid all season long returning kicks. He ranks second in the nation this season averaging 28.3 yards per return. He has also added over 100 yards rushing and has 18 receptions for 242 yards for the season.

Cowboy Defense on Third Down: The Cowboys head into the contest with the Broncos ranking fifth in the nation in third-down defense. That number also leads the Mountain West Conference. Opponents are converting at 28.5 percent on third-down this season. The Cowboy opposition hasn’t recorded more than four first downs in a game since the season opener against Arizona State.

Injury List: Wyoming again will likely be without two of its best edge rushers. Braden Siders and Sabastian Harsh didn't play against Colorado State. Sawvel said Monday that Harsh will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury and Siders (unknown) will be doubtful against Boise State. Tight end John Michael Gyllenborg's status is up in the air, Sawvel added. Doctors will re-evaluate the junior's shoulder/ collarbone this week before making a final determination.

About Boise State: The Broncos (9-1, 6-0 Mountain West) are ranked No. 13 in the Associated Press poll and are in position to earn the Group of 5 berth in the College Football Playoff if they win out. Boise State’s star running back, Ashton Jeanty, is in contention for the Heisman Trophy and leads the FBS in rushing with 1,893 yards (7.4 yards per carry) and 26 touchdowns. He's also added a score through the air.

For comparison sake, Wyoming's offense, as a whole, has just 25.

"He's got almost 1,400 yards after contact," Jay Sawvel said, adding Jeanty is "ridiculous."

"That would put him in the top five in the country in rushing, just what he does after contact. So, great player there."

After falling behind 14-0 last week at San Jose State, Jeanty scored three touchdowns and finished with 159 yards rushing to lead the Broncos to a 42-21 victory.

Quarterback Maddux Madsen, who added 286 yards passing and a touchdown against the Spartans, is completing 63.6% of his passes for 1,803 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions this season.

Sawvel said Jeanty deserves all the hype, but it's Madsen that makes this offense go.

"You could load the box on everybody, run-game wise, but his accuracy and what (offensive coordinator) Dirk Koetter does with them offensively and everything, he creates a balance for them that makes them that much harder to defend," Sawvel added.

Senior wide receiver Cameron Camper leads the team with 40 receptions for 665 yards and four touchdowns.

Defensively, the Broncos are allowing 371.7 yards (71st) and 24.7 points (68th) per game. Boise State is second in the country in sacks (41,0) with defensive ends Jayden Virgin-Morgan and Ahmed Hassanein having combined for 16.5 sacks this season.

"This is probably the best Mountain West team that I've seen in the five years that I've been in this conference, coming here this week," Sawvel said. "So, it's a big challenge when you're playing a team that's, right now, on track to play in the (College Football) Playoff. They're very well-rounded. They've got experience on defense, and they're productive and opportunistic on that side of the ball."

Meet the Broncos:

* Head coach: Spencer Danielson (1st full year) 12-2 overall record, 8-0 in Mountain West play

* Offensive coordinator: Dirk Koetter (3rd year); Defensive coordinator: Erik Chinander (1st year as DC)

* Record in 2023: 8-6 overall, 6-2 in Mountain West Conference

* Offense in 2024: Average 43.6 ppg, 492.2 ypg (258.7 rush, 233.5 pass)

* Defense in 2024: Allow 24.7 ppg, 371.7 ypg (104.7 rush, 267 pass)

* Key Players - Offense: Maddux Madsen (QB - 175-275, 2,194 yds, 19 TD, 3 INT; 34 rush, 184 yds, 3 TD), Ashton Jeanty (RB - 256 rush, 1,893 yds, 26 TD; 17 catch, 98 yds, TD), Sire Gaines (RB - 20 rush, 156 yds, TD; 3 catch, 44 yds, TD), Cameron Camper (WR - 40 catch, 665 yds, 4 TD), Matt Lauter (TE - 33 catch, 399 yds, 6 TD), Latrell Caples (WR - 25 catch, 322 yds, 3 TD), Prince Strachan (WR - 17 catch, 224 yds, TD)

* Key Players - Defense: Ty Benefield (S - 55 tackles, 2 PBU, 2 INT, 2 FR, FF), Alexander Teubner (S - 49 tackles, sack, 2 PBU, INT, 2 FF, FR), Zion Washington (S - 47 tackles, 6 PBU, FF), Seyi Oladipo (S - 45 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 2 PBU), Marco Notarainni (LB - 45 tackles, 2 PBU, 2 FR), A'Marion McCoy (CB -41 tackles, 9 PBU, INT, TD, FF), Andrew Simpson (LB - 36 tackles, 2 sacks, INT, 3 FF), Ahmed Hassanein (DE - 33 tackles, 7.5 sacks, FR), Braxton Fely (DL - 17 tackles, 4.5 sacks)

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players