Rants and Raves: Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Edition

LARAMIE -- Remember when the Griswold's are freezing in the front yard, waiting for the millions of Christmas lights to come on?

When they finally do, Clark goes from person to person, seeking validation and letting everyone know he's happy they are there for the holidays.

When he finally gets to his father-in-law, the only thing that grouch can say is, "the little lights aren't twinkling."

That's about how today's rants-and-raves section played out during Wyoming's impressive 27-10 victory over high-flying Hawaii in front of a crowd of nearly 21,000 inside War Memorial Stadium.

No, the Cowboys' offense didn't quite hit its goal -- a touchdown in every quarter -- but it was by far the best output of the season. They did it through the air and on the ground.

Tyler Hughes connected on 17-of-23 throws for 204 yards. Most importantly, that stat line didn't include a single turnover. Wyoming running backs Samuel "Tote" Harris (94 yards) and Markell Holman (87) combined for all three trips to the end zone and 181 rushing yards. Harris also added a team-best 36 yards through the air.

It was mocked by many mid-week when it was announced this team would do away with cell phones in the locker room during pregame. The leadership group also held a players-only meeting on Thursday.

What you saw Saturday, they say, was the product of those decisions.

"We really needed to come together as one," said linebacker Steven Perez, who capped this outing with six tackles, including one for loss. "That's exactly what we did. We had players meetings, and we all just came together as one -- as a family, as a unit. I'd say the biggest emphasis on today's game was we played for each other, every play."

Wyoming's defense, once the backbone of this program, showed flashes of its former self, limiting Micah Alejado and the run-and-gun attack to just 226 yards through the air. That's roughly 40 below their season average. Hawaii barely eclipsed the 100-yard mark on the ground, averaging just 4.3 yards per carry.

A pair of 20-yard runs made that number look a lot more impressive than it really was.

"It made us feel more connected and want to go out there and play for each other and do it for the guy next to us," Jones Thomas said.

Why did it take so long?

"I feel like when you get a new team with a lot of transfers, it might take some time," he continued. "But, today, it clicked."

The Cowboys are now 1-0 in Mountain West play with a much-anticipated trip to North Dakota State next on the docket. Before we get into that meeting with Tim Polasek and the Bison, let's take a look at this week's rants and raves.

FIRST HALF:

SECOND HALF: