Making the Grade: Perez a ‘Badass’ in Win Over Birds

LARAMIE -- Wyoming already landed a verbal commitment from its potential starting linebacker of the future.

And that could still be the case.

Parker Moore, a three-star recruit out of Kansas, shunned walk-on opportunities at the two in-state Power-4 programs, along with full-ride offers from Air Force, South Dakota State and others.

Jay Sawvel thought he had that position solidified. That is until film of Steven Perez appeared in his inbox.

"We thought that was all that we were going to take in that class," Wyoming's third-year head coach said, referring to Moore. "It was just like, this guy's too good to pass up. We need to take him."

They did. And Friday night inside a blacked-out War Memorial Stadium, nearly 19,000 in attendance got a firsthand look at why.

Perez, who received little fanfare from recruiters out of high school, tallied a career-high 17 tackles, 10 of which were credited as solo stops, in an impressive 28-14 victory over the visiting Falcons.

That result vaulted the Cowboys to 4-1 overall in Mountain West play. Once thought of as only a pipedream after a sloppy 1-2 start to the campaign, Wyoming is now a single win away from postseason eligibility.

The 6-foot-1, 231-pound redshirt freshman, bleeding from his left elbow and featuring a prominent bright red, four-inch scratch on his right bicep, stepped behind the postgame podium. Before he took a single question from the media, his head coach, before leaving the room, turned around and gave Perez a hug.

Perez is stoically intense, the type of character you wouldn't want to bump into in a dark alley. He was a prep wrestler -- and he brings that same mentality to the gridiron.

"This game meant everything," the Wilmington, Calif., product said. "Obviously, we started off not how we really wanted to earlier in the season. Being given another opportunity to play a rivalry game, I mean, this team wanted it any more than anybody else wanted it, I guarantee you that. The way we practice all week -- how locked in we were -- we wanted it so bad. I'm glad we were able to get it done today."

Perez limited ball-carriers to just three yards or less on seven of his stops. That's a significant number considering Air Force entered this Front-Range tilt as the second-leading rushing team in the nation, averaging better than 340 yards per game.

That vaunted triple-option attack also puts 30-plus points a night on the scoreboard.

Not in Laramie.

The cadets were forced to utilize three different signal callers. Evan Medders, a slippery sophomore, suffered a lower-leg injury in the third quarter. Josh Johnson stepped in and promptly lost a pair of fumbles, including the most-crucial gift, one that landed in the hands of Perez.

Air Force hadn't fumbled on 554 consecutive run plays, including 385 straight snaps this fall, dating back to last November. That unit coughed it up three times on the high plains.

Tyler Hughes and the Cowboys, eight plays later, found the end zone. A dynamic, Michael Vick-type of effort from the senior quarterback set the home team up at the goal line. Markell Holman, a 214-pound hammer, bullied his way across the stripe, giving the Cowboys a late 14-point lead.

Ball game.

Playing an expanded role and splitting time with weak-side defender Gary Rutherford, Perez has now racked up 54 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Only the man in the middle, Ethan Stuhlsatz, has more stops through eight games.

"He's a dog," said Stuhlsatz," eye-black caked all over his face.

Sawvel agrees, wholeheartedly.

"Steven Perez is a really, really good football player," he said. "... The motor and the way he plays -- he's a tough dude. He's a state-champion wrestler. He's a badass, is what he is, and he plays that way. He's going to do nothing but get better and better and better in this program. I'm pretty proud of him."

Perez, on 63 defensive snaps, capped this outing with an overall grade of 86.4 -- a team best -- in the tackling category, according to Pro Football Focus. He didn't whiff on a single ball-carrier in the win.

Let's check out some other PFF grades from the Cowboys' third conference win of the season:

* Defensive tackle Alex Haswell was deemed the top Cowboy defender against the Fly Boys. The Sheridan native landed an overall score of 74.5, finishing with a single tackle on 14 plays. Esaia Bogar, arguably Wyoming's best player this fall on that side of the ball, landed a 74.4 marking. He wrapped up six tackles and a sack, giving the senior 4.5 on the season.

* Jones Thomas was the top pass defender in this one. Typically, that's not saying much, considering the visitors put the ball in the air only 15 times. The junior safety from Fort Collins, who graded out at 74.9, allowed once grab on two targets. That reception was good for just two yards. He also broke up a pass over the middle after making a really nice break on the ball.

* Hughes was once again the Cowboys' top-offensive threat Friday night. The senior signal caller torched the Falcons for 146 rushing yards, including a 68-yard sprint to the end zone on the second play from scrimmage. He did all that damage on only 12 carries, finishing with an overall grade of 86.6. He also completed 10-of-17 throws for 113 yards and two touchdowns. The first was a 4-yard strike to tight end Jake Wilson in the second quarter. The next came on a perfectly-executed drive with just over three minutes remaining in that frame. Hughes connected with Eric Richardson on a third-down slant. The senior wideout then pitched the ball to Samuel "Tote" Harris, who cruised into the Tetons from 11 yards out, giving Wyoming a 21-6 lead at the half. The hook-and-ladder, a play that had been practiced ad nauseum last week, was so pretty it made national headlines. Not surprisingly, Hughes was also the highest-graded runner for the Pokes.

* Snagging that flip made Harris, a sophomore running back, the highest-graded receiver for Wyoming. He landed a score of 81.0.

* Rex Johnsen, who was serenaded with a "Happy Birthday" song in a victorious postgame locker room, was the team's top blocker against the Falcons. On 42 offensive snaps, the starting left tackle allowed zero pressures. PFF graded his outing at 84.1 in the running game. Since giving up six sacks in a 16-13 overtime win over San Jose State, Wyoming's front five hasn't given up a single QB takedown in its last two outings.

* Jett Vincent earned a grade of 67.2 on special teams, after tallying a tackle on a kick return. The safety from Kansas also tacked on another stop, a 2-yard loss in the second quarter.

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:

* Rants and Raves: Air Force Edition

* Turning Point, Unsung Hero and What's Next for UW Football

* So Much For That Relaxing Weekend, Eh, Owen?

* Hughes, Pokes Win Third Straight, Knock Off Air Force, 28-14

* Final Live File: Wyoming 28, Air Force 14

* Air Force Players Embracing Role of 'Villain'

* Wyoming's Potential MVP Friday Night Could Be a Guy Who Won't Play

* Sims Finds End Zone Less Than a Year After Third Torn ACL

* Wyoming Cowboys in the NFL: Week 6

* Know Wyoming's Foe: Air Force Falcons

* Air Force Notebook: 'In This Program, It's a Rivalry'

* Hughes Named MW Player of Week After 4-TD Performance