Press pass: Oh, what a night

LARAMIE -- Pregame has always been one of my favorite moments of Wyoming Cowboy football games. It never ceases to draw the crowd’s attention to middle of the field when Lane Romsa and Hawk lead the Pokes onto the field. The noise, the yellow smoke, Pistol Pete in a dead sprint…they’re all contributing factors that lead up to the excitement of kickoff. When you see Lane and Hawk on the field, you always know it’s game time. The 2019 season has been on the horizon for a while, and the energy at ‘The War’ was undeniable during Saturday night's stunning 37-31 upset over the Missouri Tigers. Well, it wasn't a shock to everyone. We will get to that in a minute.

I couldn’t refuse to snap this youngster’s sign. Although it wasn’t a Sean Chambers/ Kelly Bryant showdown, it was a showdown between a Power-5 team and an 18-point underdog. Great use of signage, kid, and thanks for displaying it proudly.

One of the hardest things in sports photography is being in the right place at the right time. You learn to anticipate the outcome of each play and try to position yourself to capture the shot. However, if you could consistently do so on a regular basis, you probably should be on a coaching staff somewhere. I was fortunate to pick the right side of the end zone for Trey Smith’s third-quarter touchdown scamper, and enjoyed the play to the crowd he gave afterwards.

As everyone knows by now, the Missouri game featured a special return for a former Cowboy quarterback. Austyn Carta-Samuels returned to Laramie as a member of the Missouri coaching staff and is fully responsible for bringing former Clemson quarterback, Kelly Bryant. Here, I caught the former Pokes gunslinger tossing the pigskin with Bryant just prior to kickoff.

It was advertised for months…stripe out. Alternating sections wearing brown and gold to create an aesthetically pleasing view. Apparently, this guy didn’t get the memo. I wonder if I can submit this to Monday Night Football's “Come On Man!”

Did anyone else see this? According to my interpretation of the NCAA rule book, this is a hold. From a sideline view, I’m often afforded the opportunity to see infractions take place up close and personal and this call was undoubtedly missed by the zebras. Perhaps they should issue us photographers yellow flags and let us throw one per game.

Sometimes folks don’t realize the strength of a crowd. Last night’s crowd was on point! The students and fans came out in force. and from a field vantage, ya’ll were L-O-U-D! I really hope that energy continues throughout the season and the students and fans show up for every game. Wyoming took down a Power-5 team, and you, the students and fans, played a key role in the victory.

The agony of defeat for Kelly Bryant. ESPN had predicted the Missouri Tigers to go 8-0 to start the season and then lose three of their last four, calling their first eight games “Charmin like." Oops! Bad prediction ESPN. You shouldn’t go to Vegas anytime soon.

Yes, I’m bragging. On Aug. 29, look who picked Wyoming to beat Missouri? And with a final score of 37-31 no less. Anyone want to take me to Las Vegas for the weekend?

The University of Wyoming quarterback is a 19-years old, redshirt freshman and a peer-elected team captain. Hello there, Sean Chambers. A whole state had been anticipating the return of college football to the Cowboy State and facing a formidable foe in Missouri was a daunting task for a young man. Thank you for leading our Cowboys to victory, stay healthy, and keep that stiff arm in great working order