Behind the Numbers: Third-Down Thud in Opener

FORT COLLINS, Colo., -- Only two teams in the FBS that have already played a game have yet to convert a single third-down opportunity.

East Carolina is one of those. Wyoming, you guessed it, is the other.

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The Pirates went 0-for-9 in a 48-10 loss at No. 13 Alabama. Christian Taylor's offense capped his play-calling debut at UW with eight failed attempts Saturday in Fort Collins during a 35-13 loss to Border War rival Colorado State.

The Cowboys, for good measure, also threw up a goose egg in the fourth-down department. On a 4th-and-3 from the Rams' 21-yard line early in the second quarter, quarterback Tyler Hughes was smoked from behind on a blitz off the edge, forcing an errant throw in the direction of Eric Richardson.

Jaylen King instead came up with the ball. He plays for CSU.

"We made way too many mistakes in critical situations that just killed us in that game," UW head coach Jay Sawvel said Saturday night deep inside the bowels of Canvas Stadium.

That's an understatement.

The yardage needed on those third-down attempts for the visitors averaged 9.3. That number is a bit skewed. One of those was a 3rd-and-21 late in the third quarter with the visitors trailing, 14-13.

That sequence served as the turning point in the 118th meeting between these two long-time rivals.

On the previous snap, Hughes avoided a heavy rush, rolled to his right and fired his most impressive throw of the afternoon. That dart stuck right in the chest of a sliding Charlie Coenen, who slid right out of bounds after a 21-yard gain.

He only needed 16.

The Cowboys appeared to be in business just inside CSU's red zone. Sawvel said after that catch, he was "100% convinced" his team was going to take the lead and eventually the contest.

That is before the yellow hankies flew.

Starting right tackle Braylon Jenkins was flagged for being too far downfield, erasing the completion -- and all momentum. The ultimate blow came just one play later when Hughes attempted a simple, short pass over the middle to Nico Hamilton. The running back from Texas briefly took his eyes off the ball before first securing it. That bobble popped right into the hands of approaching linebacker Oumar Diomande.

Two snaps later, the Rams were again in the end zone.

Ball game.

Here are some other numbers from Wyoming's opening-day setback:

4

That's how many gifts the Cowboys handed their southern nemesis in this loss. Hughes was picked off three times in his debut under center. He was also strip-sacked Stephon Wright on the final possession of the night.

1

That's the number of completions for the graduate transfer from William and Mary over the final 30 minutes of regulation in Fort Collins. While that number may seem alarming, Hughes attempted just three passes in the second half. One of those was the interception to Diomande. Another was the completion to Coenen that was nullified by a penalty. The only completion was a 13-yard gainer to tight end Isaac Schoenfeld in the third quarter.

0

Oddly enough, on two of the Cowboys' three scoring drives, the offense never found itself in a third-down situation. The opening possession -- a 13-play, 56-yard drive that culminated with a 37-yard field goal off the right foot of Erik Sandvik -- stalled after consecutive tackles for loss inside the Rams' red zone.

2014

That's the last time Wyoming scored on its opening drive of the season. That also happened to be Craig Bohl's first season on the sidelines in Laramie. The offense, led by quarterback Colby Kirkegaard, went 57 yards on 12 plays in a 17-12 victory over visiting Montana. That possession was capped by a 41-yard field goal from Stuart Williams.

4

That's the number of true freshmen (special teams stats were not yet available) who saw action in Saturday's opener. Wide receiver Jayden Williams was on the field for four offensive snaps. His Arbor View High School (Las Vegas) teammate Tanielu Maafala-Barbasa was in on 23 plays from the defensive tackle spot. Cornerbacks Kendall Griffin (32) and Therman "Boogie" Williams (33) also rotated into the lineup, spelling starters Tyson Shamsid-Deen and Ian Bell.

6

Wyoming was flagged that many times Saturday, which led to 47 lost yards. Though no infraction was larger than the illegal-man-downfield call on Jenkins, starting safety Jones Thomas committed a cardinal sin with roughly eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Fort Collins native roughed the kicker, giving CSU a new set of downs instead of his own team the ball near midfield, trailing by 15. Bart Edmiston, who took care of kickoff duties in this one, also sailed the opening boot out of bounds, handing the Rams' offense great starting field position at the 35-yard line. Ten plays later they were in the end zone to open the scoring.

53

That's the number of plays the Cowboys' offense ran. Taylor's unit averaged better than six yards a snap throughout the first half. When the dust settled, that number was at 5.2.

51

That's how many yards Jake Wilson finished with in his first game since 2024. The big tight end from Texas nagged his first-career catch late in the first quarter, turning a short pass over the middle into a 22-yard gain. He also reeled one in on a pretty throw down the seam in the following frame. That was good for 29.

63

That's the number of rushing yards Samuel Harris rolled up Saturday. The sophomore they call "Tote" is probably sitting in an ice bath right now after taking a beating in the opener. He carried the ball just 16 times, but received a pop after nearly every one of them, even being forced to the sideline for a spell in the second half.

5

Wyoming receivers were all but a no-show inside Canvas Stadium. CSU's constant blitzes definitely played a role. Hughes didn't have all day to survey. Richardson and Coenen both caught two passes for 13 and 12 yards, respectively. Deion DeBlanc hauled in the first catch of the afternoon. That was good for six yards and an early first down.

8

That's the number of explosive plays for the Cowboys offense, the biggest being that 29-yard hookup with Wilson. Three of these plays -- 15 yards or more -- came through the air. Five were on the ground, including three 15-yard scampers. Two were from Hughes, the other, Harris. Markell Holman's lone rush went for 14 yards. The 214-pound Western Illinois transfer was sidelined with a rib injury. CSU also finished with eight explosive plays, two of which went for touchdowns.

15

Ethan Stuhlsatz had a big day in his debut as the new middle linebacker in Laramie. Along with those 15 stops, the Wichita native registered half-a-tackle-for-loss and a quarterback hit. Esaia Bogar was arguably the most-impressive player on the Cowboy defense in Fort Collins, tallying 11 stops, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

40,546

That's the announced attendance Saturday inside Canvas Stadium on a 90-plus degree day in Fort Collins.

61-52-5

The all-time series between these two rivals now sits here. Advantage, CSU. Wyoming, however, does still hold a slim 32-27 lead since the Bronze Boot was introduced back in 1968.

0-2

The Cowboys' next opponent, Northern Colorado, enters Saturday's opener inside War Memorial Stadium with back-to-back losses, including a 38-23 setback against South Dakota. A late missed point-after-attempt kept the Bears from forcing overtime in the season opener against visiting Weber State. Wyoming has won nine straight games against UNC, dating back to 1936.

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