Press Pass: 999 beers in the stands, 999 beers

LARAMIE -- Hey fans, DJ Johnson here with this week’s version of “Press Pass.”

Well, I hope everyone had a great homecoming weekend in Laramie this past Saturday, as the Pokes took down those pesky Lobos from the Land of Enchantment. While it wasn’t the blowout that I was anticipating, walking away with the dubya is all that really matters in the big picture of things. Shout out to the incredible students and fans who showed up at “The War” on Saturday, and oh boy, did our student section put on quite a show themselves … We’ll get to that in a few! Let’s head down to the field and see what was shakin’ at ground level.

The week prior to the homecoming game was a pretty big week for quite a few former Cowboy football players, as the XFL draft commenced and the eight-team league drafted its full rosters. Included on those rosters are seven former Cowboys: wide receiver Tanner Gentry went to the New York Guardians, while the Tampa Bay Vipers added linebacker Lucas Wacha, safety Robert Priester and running back DJ May to their payroll. The Houston Roughnecks capitalized on safety Marqueston Huff, while the Los Angeles Wildcats signed running back Nico Evans and offensive lineman Ryan Cummings. While trolling the sidelines of Saturday’s game, I had the privilege of running into the big man, Cummings, and took the opportunity to snap this photo with the former Poke who spent years at Wyoming protecting now Buffalo Bills quarterback, Josh Allen, and opening holes for now Atlanta Falcon running back, Brian Hill. You might not believe it from this picture, but I’m actually 6-feet tall, but this picture makes me look like I’m more on the 5-foot, 3-inch level. Always good to see my man, Ryan, and I’m looking forward to heading to Los Angeles in 2020 to shoot him and Nico in my first XFL game.

I walked up on this situation and I still don’t know what’s going on. I believe the head linesman was explaining to the chain-gang that his Chap stick was worthy at 7,220 feet above sea level. A little gee-wiz info, the head linesman is the fella that straddles the line of scrimmage and determines scrimmage violations such as offside penalty and encroachment, as well as infractions of illegal motion, illegal shifts, illegal use of hands and illegal men downfield.

I’m not sure what was worse … Tulsa’s "Captain Cane" or this anthropomorphized wolf, named "Lucy." The Lobos actually have two mascots, a male named "Louie" and the female pictured, who attend every New Mexico game. Fun fact, in the 1920s the team actually used a live wolf puppy at all football games; however, during a game a child teased the pup and was ultimately bitten which led officials to ban the live wolf from all future games. #iheartpistolpete

It was probably the only opportunity that I have ever had to catch a pass at the collegiate level -- and I missed it. I guess I shouldn’t feel too bad since it was out of Dontae Crow's reach as well.

Ever wondered where all that smoke comes from as Lane Romsa leads the team out of the north end zone on horseback? Well, wonder no more. The Enola Gaye (EG18-Wire Pull) is used to emit the plumes of yellow smoke, as the UW Spirit Squad ignites them and runs down the field. Each smoke grenade retails for $19.99 and emits smoke for 50 seconds and extinguishes on its own. Here, Spirit Squad member, Zac Biacan, just pulled the wire to start the smoke, as he gets ready to sprint down the field.

In Heaven, there is no beer (NO BEER!)
That’s why we drink it here (RIGHT HERE!)
And when we’re gone from herrrrrrrrrrre,
Our friends will be drinking all our bee-ee-eer!

Should we make a second verse, that eludes to UW's student body stacking the empty plastic beer cups from the front row all the way up to the second level? I think so! I saw the whole plan coming together, hence the first picture where the "cup-snake" was first conceived. Heck, even when Josh Harshman was celebrating his touchdown, you could see the plastic tube growing in the background. If you think you have what it takes to write a second verse that’s relevant to the sections' science project, send them to me at dj@7220sports.com and you may be featured in a future column!

Oh, and if you don’t know the history of the “Beer Song." you need to check out this clip from 2017, when KTWO Channel 2 broke it down! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKZbG237PX4

Right place, right time. I was able to snap this photo of Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl right before he led his team out onto the field for battle. I thought it was a great capture as his head was framed perfectly.

I’m a sucker for kids and signs. Why? Because Wyoming kids are awesome and the signs they make are even more "awesome-er!" Here, a youngster states a fact …"Lobos Touchdowns And Aliens … They May Exist But I’ve Never Seen One?” While we did see one New Mexico touchdown Saturday, some of those in the student section may have seen one -- or two -- aliens after crafting that "cup-snake."

After a football game, you probably see a group of players from both teams come together, take a knee and pray on the field. This was evident on Saturday as both Wyoming and New Mexico players came together as one. In this shot, Aaron Frude, leader for Wyoming's Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), leads the group in a post-game prayer.

USA, Wyoming, Cowboys!

Last but not least … my weekly selfie. This week, I found this young man roaming the field after the game and decided to grab a quick selfie. Now, I’ll tell you the truth of this whole encounter … last week I upgraded to the iPhone 11 Pro Max and it’s a little bigger than my previous iPhone 6. So, I haven’t figured out how to hold the ginormous contraption. So, after two failed attempts of capturing a photo, Sean Chambers grabbed the phone and said, "here, I’ll take it!” So, I guess in this picture, he’s actually taking the selfie, and I’m just a bystander! Thanks, Sean, for picking me up on the photo side of things ... let me know if you ever need me to come in for a play or two. I owe you one!

OK, sports fans, it has been a fun week. I’m glad we have two home games in back-to-back weeks. Weather is looking nice for this week’s upcoming game against Nevada, so let’s "Pack The War" and get victory No. 6, which will make the Cowboys bowl eligible. Oh, and don’t forget that the day after the Nevada game, tune in to watch the “Bohl Bowl” as coach Craig Bohl’s former quarterbacks, Josh Allen and Carson Wentz, square up against one another as the Buffalo Bills battle the Philadelphia Eagles. "No comment." That was Bohl's statement when asked who he is taking Sunday. It's no secret who I'm taking this weekend. GO POKES! GO BILLS!