Wyoming Cowboys football: 2019 season rewind

LARAMIE -- We are really sticking to this we-don't-want-football-season-to-end narrative.

You won't get an apology from me.

This past season was a big one for Craig Bohl's Cowboys. In fall camp, "experts" were seeing anywhere from three to eight wins. It was really a toss up.

Was this Xazavian Valladay kid really good enough to be a feature back? Was the sample size of Sean Chambers in 2018 enough heading into this campaign? Who will replace Carl Granderson, Andrew Wingard, Marcus Epps and others? Will the Pokes be able to bounce back from the loss they were surely going to take in week one with Mizzou coming to town?

There were plenty of questions. Now, we have those answers. 2019 can be described as a roller coaster ride for Wyoming fans. Hell, even for the team. Injuries and offensive inconsistencies played a major role in an 8-5 season. Four of those losses came by a combined 15 points.

Let's take a look back at the season -- one game at a time.

Wyoming 37, Missouri 31

LARAMIE — This ain’t your older brother’s Cowboys.

In fact, this didn’t look like your Cowboys at all. You know, the ones who rarely show up in big games?

Before the pregame cannon smoke even cleared the air above War Memorial Stadium, the Cowboys trailed 14-0. It looked like it would be another one of those days.

It was about as ugly as ugly gets.

Missouri ran the ball at will. Heralded quarterback, Kelly Bryant, started making plays with his arm. Things looked — um, glum.

Then, Craig Bohl’s youngsters got off the mat. Read more about the Cowboys upset win over the Tigers HERE.

MORE MIZZOU COVERAGE
* Pokes earn their stripes
* Turning point, unsung hero and what’s next for UW football
* Press pass: Oh, what a night
* Rants & Raves: Mizzou edition
* Making the grade: UW vs. Mizzou
* ‘Can’t ask for much better’

Wyoming 23, Texas State 14

SAN MARCOS, Texas — If Wyoming gained a ton of confidence from its stunning week-one upset of Missouri, they sure didn’t show it during the first 30 minutes Saturday night in San Marcos.

They looked slow, out-of-sorts and, once again, featured zero passing game from redshirt sophomore Sean Chambers, who completed just 2-of-8 passes for 12 yards.

Even Mr. Automatic, Cooper Rothe, missed a 43-yard field goal.

Wide receivers dropped balls, Chambers missed throws and the rushing game — despite recording 114 yards on 25 carries — was inconsistent at best, mainly thanks to the Bobcats loading up the box.

And why wouldn’t they? Read more about the Cowboys road win over Texas State HERE.

MORE TEXAS STATE COVERAGE
* Press Pass: Football, food and family
* Behind the numbers
* Turning point, unsung hero and what’s next for UW football
* Rants & Raves: Texas State edition
* Making the grade: UW vs. Texas State

Wyoming 21, Idaho 16

LARAMIE — Four completions.

That’s how many balls were caught today by Wyoming receivers. That’s how many balls were right on the money from redshirt freshman quarterback, Sean Chambers.

One of those was a simple, two-foot shovel to wide receiver, Dontae Crow.

Yes, the passing game has been on the minds of many through three weeks of football, and it should be.

Just let the numbers speak for themselves.

Through three games, Wyoming’s passing attack — if you can call it that right now — has completed 18-of-46 passes for 245 yards to go along with zero touchdowns and an interception. Read more about the Cowboys win over Idaho HERE.

MORE IDAHO COVERAGE
* Turning point, unsung hero and what’s next for UW football
* Trey Smith hits century mark … finally
* Rants & Raves: Idaho edition
* Behind the numbers
* Press Pass: Roaming the sidelines
* Making the grade: UW vs. Idaho

Tulsa 24, Wyoming 21

TULSA, Okla., — Well, it finally happened.

The dropped balls, misfires, missed tackles, questionable play calling and an inability to get off the field on third down finally doomed the Cowboys Saturday in muggy Tulsa.

Wyoming has been swaying on a tight rope through three games. Today, Golden Hurricane winds beat them up, discombobulated them and dropped them safely in the loss column.

That 3-0 record that everyone has been clamoring about is over.

Tulsa 24
Wyoming 21

However, it’s not all doom and gloom from H.A. Chapman Stadium, where “16,246” fans witnessed Wyoming’s first blemish. This team might be short in a number of categories — heart isn’t one of them. Read more about the Cowboys first loss of the season HERE.

MORE TULSA COVERAGE
* Turning point, unsung hero and what’s next for UW football
* Behind the numbers
* Chambers gets hook, comes back with vengeance
* Injuries mount in Tulsa setback
* Press Pass: Sooner State satire
* Making the grade: UW vs. Tulsa
* Rants & Raves: Tulsa Edition

Wyoming 53, UNLV 17

LARAMIE — The Cowboys haven’t been able to throw the ball with any consistency this season.

When you can’t complete that task, the defense has a sole focus — stop Wyoming’s running game.

Texas State sold out, limiting the Cowboys to just 190 yards on a season-high 49 carries.

Idaho held Wyoming to 237 yards on 47 carries. That seems like a solid rushing day, but keep in mind Trey Smith broke a 75-yard touchdown run. The following week in Tulsa, the Golden Hurricane stacked the box all afternoon. They held the Pokes to 143 yards on 34 carries.

Wyoming’s offensive strategy was not a surprise to UNLV head coach Tony Sanchez. In fact, he pounded into his players’ heads for two solid weeks.

Then, Wyoming hammered the point home, racking up a season-best 387 rushing yards on 48 carries in a 53-17 blowout win over the Rebels in front of 23,000-plus at War Memorial Stadium.

They gave the Rebels a little visual evidence. Read more about the Cowboys bounce-back victory HERE.

MORE UNLV COVERAGE
* Turning point, unsung hero and what’s next for UW football
* Behind the numbers
* Making the grade: UW vs. UNLV
* Rants and Raves: UNLV Edition
* Press Pass: Runnin’ with the Rebels
* My brother’s keeper

San Diego State 26, Wyoming 22

SAN DIEGO — This lack-of-throwing thing reared its ugly head Saturday night in San Diego.

Sean Chambers completed just 5-of-14 passes in the 26-22 loss to the Aztecs. For those of you keeping track at home, that’s a 35.7 percent completion percentage.

That is not getting it done.

When the Cowboys trailed late and needed a big drive with just two minutes remaining in the game and 75 long, seemingly never-ending yards in front of them, most predicted the outcome.

Why? Because it’s beyond predictable at this point. This offense that is.

This horse has been beaten bloody. Week after week, Wyoming’s inability to create anything remotely resembling a passing attack has been at the forefront. Read more about the Cowboys road loss to the Aztecs HERE.

MORE SDSU COVERAGE
* Rants & Raves: SDSU Edition
* Behind the numbers
* Turning point, unsung hero and what’s next for UW football
* Sack-less in San Diego
* Abojei out ‘several weeks’ with left leg injury
* Press Pass: Fun in sunny San Diego
* Making the grade: UW vs. SDSU

Wyoming 23, New Mexico 10

LARAMIE — He’s heard it all.

He can’t throw. He has no accuracy. He fires his passes too hard.

Some on social media have even gone as far to say that Sean Chambers cost the Cowboys their two losses this season.

The redshirt freshman quarterback says he doesn’t listen to the noise. His sole focus is on winning games. Well, he has excelled in that statistic. Chambers is now 8-2 as a starter after the 23-10 win over New Mexico Saturday afternoon in front of a homecoming crowd of 22,884.

Wyoming is now 5-2 on the season and 2-1 in Mountain West Conference play.

Chambers was not operating at 100 percent today. His legs were banged up. The loss last week in San Diego took a physical toll. Read more about the Cowboys bounce-back win over the Lobos HERE.

MORE NEW MEXICO COVERAGE
* Turning point, unsung hero and what’s next for UW football
* Rants & Raves: UNM Edition
* Behind the numbers
* Making the grade: UW vs. New Mexico
* Press Pass: 999 beers in the stands, 999 beers
* ‘Dirt Dogs’ grabbing national attention

Wyoming 31, Nevada 3

LARAMIE — Who said this team can’t throw the ball?

Oh, yeah — me. And I wasn’t alone.

Boy, was I proven wrong Saturday afternoon. Sean Chambers completed 6-of-9 passes for 158 yards and a pair of touchdown strikes in the Cowboys 31-3 rout of visiting Nevada.

He did that in one half of football.

The redshirt freshman quarterback spend the second half on the sideline in street clothes with an ice pack on his left knee. Craig Bohl did not want to comment on the severity of the injury but said he hopes to have Chambers back over the bye week.

It didn’t matter in this one.

In his weekly press conference Monday, Bohl joked that his squad wouldn’t be mistaken for a Mike Leach “air raid” attack against a poor Nevada secondary.

He was right. But the results were the same. Read more about the Cowboys big win over Nevada HERE.

MORE NEVADA COVERAGE
* Rants & Raves: Nevada Edition
* Turning point, unsung hero and what’s next for UW football
* Behind the numbers
* BREAKING: Abojei, Velazquez likely done for the season
* Making the grade: UW vs. Nevada
* BREAKING: Wyoming safeties coach resigns
* Press Pass: So long, warmth
* BREAKING: Injury takes Chambers out of action for season

Boise State 20, Wyoming 17 OT

BOISE, Idaho — “One play doesn’t lose a game.”

Logan Wilson said that twice. So did Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl.

They are absolutely right. It was two plays — make that play calls — that aided in the Cowboys heartbreaking 20-17 overtime loss to No. 22 Boise State on a cool Saturday night at Albertsons Stadium.

Neither had to do with senior place kicker, Cooper Rothe, who missed a 37-yard field goal wide right, either. Read more about the Cowboys overtime loss to Boise State HERE.

MORE BOISE STATE COVERAGE
* Rants & Raves: Boise State Edition
* Turning point, unsung hero and what’s next for UW football
* Team, coach rally around Rothe
* Behind the numbers
* Making the grade: UW vs. Boise State
* Redemption road
* Press Pass: Feeling blue

Utah State 26, Wyoming 21

LOGAN, Utah — Wyoming’s football team has plenty of deficiencies through 10 games this season — turnovers and penalties have not been a part of that scenario.

Boy, did that change Saturday night in Logan.

Wyoming committed nine penalties for 92 yards. Yes, 92. None more egregious than a holding call that erased a timely 45-yard punt return by Austin Conway in the waning minutes of the game with Wyoming trying to make a comeback.

Instead of setting up camp around the Aggies 35-yard line, Wyoming started its final drive from its own 30 with 2:02 left on the clock and no timeouts.

Yes, there were plenty of questionable calls. Two phantom pass interference calls on Tyler Hall that extended Utah State drives were perfect examples of that. Read more about the Cowboys loss to the Aggies HERE.

MORE UTAH STATE COVERAGE
* ‘Get the gun’
* Rants & Raves: Utah State edition
* Marcotte leaves game with injury
* Turning point, unsung hero and what’s next for UW football
* Behind the numbers
* Making the grade: UW vs. Utah State
* Press Pass: Maverik madness

Wyoming 17, Colorado State 7

LARAMIE — Xazavian Valladay didn’t even know if he would play in this game.

On Thursday, Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl urged him to do something -- anything -- at practice. Valladay’s right knee just wasn’t cooperating.

But, this is the Border War.

Valladay carried the ball 27 times for 159 yards on a bitterly cold night at War Memorial Stadium Friday to help lead the Cowboys to a 17-7 victory over rival Colorado State.

It was Valladay’s fifth consecutive game with more than 100 yards rushing.

“I feel good right now,” Valladay joked during his postgame press conference.

Valladay’s latest performance put him over the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his collegiate career. He became the fourth running back in Bohl’s six seasons in Laramie to eclipse that number on the ground.

“I really don’t pay attention to stuff like that,” he said. Read more about the Cowboys Border War victory over CSU HERE.

MORE CSU COVERAGE
* ‘They hate everything about CSU’
* Logan Wilson … Colorado State kicker?
* Josh Allen didn’t forget about ‘Sheep week’
* Seniors prep for emotional finale at ‘The War’
* Rants & Raves: Border War Edition
* Turning point, unsung hero and what’s next for UW football
* Behind the numbers
* Making the grade: UW vs. CSU
* Press Pass: Bitterly cold Border War

Air Force 20, Wyoming 6

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., — Stubborn.

That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think about this Wyoming offensive attack.

Today, that stubbornness reared its head once again.

“We were going to have a hard time moving the football and we certainly did,” Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl said after the Falcons dominated the Cowboys 20-6 on a windy, wintry day in Colorado Springs.

Against one of the top rush defenses in the nation, Wyoming (7-4, 4-4) just kept trying to plug away. They tried and tried. And failed and failed. Air Force practices against the run every day. They allow just 107 yards on the ground per outing.

Sometimes you just have to wave the white flag. That day wasn’t today. Read more about the Cowboys loss to Air Force HERE.

MORE AIR FORCE COVERAGE
* Is Wyoming and Air Force really a rivalry?
* Pokes, Falcons need a traveling trophy. What should that be?
* Rants & Raves: Air Force edition
* Behind the numbers
* Turning point, unsung hero and what’s next for UW football
* Making the grade: UW vs. Air Force
* Press Pass: Birds and signs and dogs, oh my

Wyoming 38, Georgia State 17

TUCSON, Ariz., — Now, let’s not get carried away here.

In his first career start as a Cowboy, Levi Williams looked impressive. At times, really impressive. But he also made some rookie mistakes, one that was costly and took points off the board in the first half.

Let’s not crown him quite yet.

Let’s talk about the good stuff.

Williams was drawing comparisons to a guy who wore No. 17 in Laramie after he rolled to his right, took a huge hit from a defender and launched the ball down the sidelines into the awaiting arms of Ayden Eberhardt.

The junior receiver turned up field, dodged a tackle and outraced the Panther’s secondary into the end zone.

It definitely had an Allen-to-Gentry feel to it. That’s undeniable. Read more about the Cowboys Arizona Bowl victory over Georgia State HERE.

MORE ARIZONA BOWL COVERAGE
* COLUMN: Levi Williams must start Arizona Bowl
* Williams to make first career start in Arizona Bowl
* UW seniors prep for emotional exit
* Offseason lessons lead to success for Valladay
* Turning point, unsung hero and what’s next for UW football
* Three stars of the game
* Behind the numbers: Arizona Bowl Edition