Hughes Puts Cowboys on His Bruised Back in 16-13 Overtime Win

SAN JOSE, Calif., -- Wyoming's players and staff are getting a well-deserved break on Saturday.

For the latter, there hasn't been a single day off since the beginning of August.

While the assistants get to know their families again, it's likely the starting quarterback will spend at least part of his day soaking in an ice bath. That will happen when you take the type of pounding Tyler Hughes took in Friday night's 16-13 overtime victory at San Jose State.

The 6-foot, 214-pound Georgia native capped this outing with a career-high 27 rushing attempts. He was also sacked six times, including a blindside blast that left him laid out on the turf inside CEFCU Stadium. Hughes, who completed 16-of-24 passes for 114 yards, took three additional hits, too.

It looked like he just played a game on natural grass, his all-white uniform stained with green and black marks. He also featured a thick, white wrapping on his right leg in the second half.

While this beating was physical, the psychological trials have been front and center since he tossed three interceptions in his Wyoming debut at Colorado State.

There have been four more of those mistakes since, including throwing a pick deep inside Spartans' territory late in the second quarter.

Mistakes have piled up. So have doubters.

Not in this locker room, though.

"He fought and played," Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel said postgame, speaking to his signal caller's resilience. "Really, all I told him to do during the week is just to go play. Go play football. Go, just go. If something breaks down, go play. Go be yourself, and go lead. And he did.

"So, look, we all have a lot of faith in Tyler."

This offensive staff wasn't interested in running its QB 20-plus times a game in non-conference play. Plans changed once the calendar flipped to October. Hughes rolled up a hard-fought 92 yards on the ground. He finished with a long of 22, but averaged just 3.4 yards per carry.

It was tough sledding. The hits piled up.

Entering Friday night, Hughes had just two touchdown passes through five games. Those both came in the fourth quarter against FCS opponent Northern Colorado. He hit rock bottom just six nights ago inside a sold-out Fargodome, completing only five of his 14 attempts for 52 yards.

An interception on the opening play from scrimmage just lit the fuse for the nearly 19,000 in attendance.

Still, his teammates and coaches came to his defense. Offensive coordinator Christian Taylor, who recruited Hughes to William and Mary back in 2022, has said multiple times the thought of inserting anyone else under center has never even crossed his mind.

"No, not at all," Taylor said last week. "I think it's night and day. He's by far our best guy, leading the helm. Again, I understand why the outside perspective wonders that if they don't see the big picture. I get it. He gets it. But he's by far the best guy to help us get points on the road."

Wyoming put together two 18-play drives Friday night. There was a 16-play series, too. All of that damage -- and a 42:42-to-21:56 advantage in the time-of-possession category -- and the visitors had put up just 10 points.

Seven of those came at just the right times.

Hughes, on a 3rd-and-goal from the 8-yard line with 6:25 remaining in regulation, fired a high throw into the back of the end zone. Reaching up to high-point that dart, 6-foot-5 tight end Jake Wilson snagged it with both hands and tapped his feet in bounds before being shoved out of the end zone.

That score tied this one up at 13-13. Hughes' grit got the Cowboys over the finish line in overtime as he rolled up a total of 18 yards on the ground on consecutive snaps, getting his team to the Spartans' 1-yard line.

Erik Sandvik would seal the deal with a 21-yard chip shot, giving Wyoming its second Mountain West victory in three tries.

"I mean, he put the team on his back right there," said Wilson, who finished with seven catches for 39 yards, including his first-career touchdown reception. "It was awesome just to be a part of that because we want to win for him. Not only for him, but for this coaching staff."

Brooklyn Cheek tied for the team lead with eight tackles in San Jose. He's well aware of the online vitriol his quarterback has faced over the last month. He knows the calls for Hughes' job have been growing louder.

This performance, he said, shows the competitor No. 6 really is, Cheek added.

"You can talk to him for 30 seconds and figure that out," he continued. "He wants to win every game. He's just like the rest of the team. No, he's human. Everyone makes mistakes. I have missed tackles. He comes back and he doesn't think about them, and he just goes and goes and goes and never stops.

"That's my favorite thing about Tyler -- watching him play."

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