Tuck’s Take: Where On Earth Was Harrison Waylee?

FORT COLLINS, Colo., -- "We weren't effective."

That was Jay Sawvel's simplistic response when asked why Harrison Waylee saw limited action in Friday night's 24-10 loss to Border War rival Colorado State.

Get our free mobile app

He wasn't injured.

He wasn't in the dog house.

He wasn't utilized.

Wyoming's senior running back carried the ball a grand total of eight times. He finished with a whopping 15 rushing yards. He lost yardage on two of those handoffs, including on a 3rd-and-1 at the Rams' 29. He never had a run longer than five yards.

"We could've given Harrison Waylee the ball as many times as we wanted, we didn't win the line of scrimmage enough," Sawvel added. "They had enough people in there."

While that may be true -- and the numbers certainly back up his claim: 27 attempts, 117 yards (62 of which came on one run by Jamari Ferrell) -- essentially benching arguably the best player on this roster in a rivalry game on the road seems as inexcusable as the seven dropped passes by Cowboy wideouts or the 248 yards this defense surrendered on the ground.

It can't happen if you expect to win.

Waylee, who made his 2024 debut two weeks ago at New Mexico, gashed the Lobos to the tune of 170 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries.

He gave that much-maligned unit the spark it so badly needed. The yardage was impressive enough. The stat you don't see, though, was the attention he drew from linebackers and safeties that helped lead to a 342-yard passing performance from rookie Kaden Anderson.

What was the biggest difference between that 42-point, 604-yard outburst and the egg that group collectively laid in Fort Collins?

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:

* LIVE FILE: Wyoming vs. CSU

* Gear up for game day: CSU Rams

* Wyoming, CSU announce Border War series pact

* Show us your picks: Week 12

* A house divided: Three Pokes have crossed the border

* CSU running back Avery Morrow has Wyoming's undivided attention

* Pokes' new 'gunslinger' has brought clarity, renewed vigor

* Wyoming Cowboys in the NFL: Week 10

* Know Wyoming's Foe: Colorado State Rams

* Suiaunoa, Bertagnole looking to hoist Bronze Boot for fifth time

* GALLERY: Border War memories from the north side

"Sometimes they got your number," said Anderson, who completed just 13-of-30 throws for 120 yards and finished with a rushing touchdown. "Tonight, they had our number."

Jack Walsh said it all started up front.

Wyoming's junior offensive guard pointed the finger directly at himself, admitting he missed several assignments and CSU's game plan led to plenty of disruptions.

All true.

Waylee, though, cures an awful lot of ills.

We've seen it so many times before.

How quickly we forget what he did in last fall's outing against Appalachian State. The miraculous sequence of a blocked field goal being returned for a touchdown stole all the headlines during that improbable 22-19 victory. Rightfully so. However, it was a 75-yard dash to the end zone from Waylee midway through the fourth quarter that even allowed the Cowboys to be in that spot in the first place.

You're telling me that couldn't have happened tonight inside Canvas Stadium?

This is a running back with 3,000 career yards on his resume. This is a motivated man, one who missed the first eight games of the season due to a knee injury suffered in fall camp. This is a guy who can break just one tackle and be off to the races.

We also saw that last fall against Texas and New Mexico.

Sawvel has witnessed it from the opposite sideline, too. Waylee rushed for 179 yards against the Cowboys back in 2021 when he was the featured back at Northern Illinois. That included a 75-yard sprint for six.

You remember that one.

The Huskies trailed that game 42-16 late in the third quarter. Still, they never quit giving the ball to their most-talent player. With 4:56 remaining in regulation, they actually took the lead.

Waylee lit that fuse, too.

Though Friday's game was way more lopsided than the score would indicate, it was never truly out of reach. In other words, the running game was still very much in play throughout this one.

Waylee didn't touch the ball one time in the fourth quarter.

He carried it once in the first quarter, twice in the second.

He didn't even start.

"Not getting that run game going definitely hurts," Anderson added. "You run to set up the pass, ultimately. I think that hurt us a little bit tonight."

Sure did.

If Wyoming only had a guy who could make a play out of the backfield.