Pokes must be aware — and beware — of MSU’s Troy Andersen
LARAMIE -- How good is Troy Andersen's résumé?
Career school records:
Rushing Touchdowns - 2nd, 33
100-Yard Rushing Games - 6th, 11
Points - 6th, 190; Rushing Yards - 2,263, 9th.
Single-season records:
Rushing Touchdowns - 1st, 21 in 2018
Yards per Rush - 1st, 6.85 in 2018
100-Yard Rushing Games - 1st, 9 in 2018
Consecutive 100-Yard Rushing Games - 1st, 6 in 2018
Points - 1st, 128 in 2018
Rushing Yards - 3rd, 1,412 in 2018
Rushing Yards per Game - 8th, 108.6 in 2018
Total Offense - 10th, 2,607 in 2018
Single-game records:
Rushing Yards by Quarterback - 1st, 211 vs. Portland State in 2018
Yards per Carry (min. 10 attempts) - 3rd, 11.4 vs. Idaho in 2018
Awards:
Big Sky Freshman of the Year - 2017
First team All-Big Sky quarterback - 2018
Third Team All-America as an All-Purpose selection for STATS - 2018
Sophomore All-America by Hero Sports - 2018
FCS Sophomore of the Year - 2018
First Team All-America honors by Hero Sports - 2019
First Team All-Big Sky - 2019
There's more.
And, oh, by the way, Andersen is Montana State's starting linebacker.
"Anytime you have somebody that's that athletic -- he does so many things for them -- we'll have our hands full," Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl said about the senior who the Cowboys' will see in Saturday's season opener. "We'll need to make sure that we have him accounted for on the offensive side of the football."
In 2019, the last season that Montana State played a football game due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the senior from Dillon, Montana, was named first team All-Big Sky and an FCS All-American after registering 11.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in just 10 games. Andersen also picked off a pass and broke up five others.
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He also lined up in the Bobcats' backfield and gashed opposing defenses to the tune of 336 yards rushing and seven touchdowns.
If MSU would've played last fall, Andersen wouldn't have been in the lineup. He was recovering from a serious leg injury that would've kept him on the shelf at least until the FCS Playoffs.
Despite the setback, he was still named a first team preseason All-American and added to the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List. That honor is reserved for the best defensive player in the country.
In the new world of college football where transferring is as quick and simple as ever, Bohl said his respect for Andersen has only grown.
"He possesses great ability," Bohl said. "And I applaud a guy like that for sticking with his school. I'm sure he had all kinds of other opportunities."
Wyoming middle linebacker Chad Muma said he's never watched Andersen play, but he's been told the tales about the 6-foot-4, 235-pound All-American who can do it all.
"I've heard great things," he said. "All gratitude toward him."
Sean Chambers has seen MSU's linebacker on film.
The Cowboys' quarterback agrees with his head coach -- someone needs to block No. 15.
"I mean, he's a good player. I've been seeing all this stuff on social media about his accolades and stuff. That's pretty cool," Chambers said. "He's big, he's fast, he's strong, and he's going to be in there in the run game.
"... I'm really excited about going against him."
Kickoff between the Cowboys and Bobcats is slated for 2 p.m. (MST) Saturday in Laramie.