Cowboys Battle, But Fall to No. 20 Utah in War Memorial Showdown
LARAMIE – Wyoming’s defense came out swinging against No. 20 Utah on Saturday night, keeping the Utes out of the end zone through the entire first half. But the visitors’ high-octane attack eventually broke through, pulling away for a 31-6 victory in front of a packed War Memorial Stadium. The matchup marked the first time the longtime rivals met since 2010.
Head coach Jay Sawvel credited his team’s grit but admitted execution wasn’t where it needed to be.
“Utah’s a good football team, and they outplayed us tonight,” Sawvel said. “I loved our effort and thought we played extremely hard, but there are a lot of things we need to sharpen up. We have a chance to be a good team, but there’s still plenty to clean up.”
The Cowboys’ defense set the tone early, forcing three missed field goals and blocking one of them, giving UW two blocks this season. They also forced a fumble in the opening half. Linebacker Evan Eller was everywhere, tallying a career-best 12 stops, while safety Andrew Johnson matched him with a career-high 11 tackles and a fumble recovery. Nickelback Desman Hearns chipped in eight tackles, and safety Jones Thomas was also active in the secondary.
On offense, Wyoming managed just 220 total yards against one of the nation’s best defenses. True freshman running back Samuel Harris provided a spark with a career-high 68 rushing yards and added 37 more through the air. Terron Kellman punched in the Cowboys’ lone score on a 15-yard run during the third quarter, finishing with 45 yards rushing. Wideout Chris Durr Jr. hauled in five receptions for 40 yards.
Utah struck first with a field goal on the opening drive, but Wyoming’s defense slammed the door the rest of the half, holding the Utes to just three points at the break. The tide turned in the second half, however, as Utah pieced together a 19-play, seven-minute march to make it 10-0, then extended the lead to 17-0 later in the third.
The Cowboys finally answered with an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive fueled by Harris’s big runs, capped by Kellman’s touchdown. But Utah’s balanced attack—racking up 541 yards of offense—proved too much. Quarterback Devon Dampier threw for 230 yards and ran for 86 more, while receiver Ryan Davis caught 10 passes for 91 yards.
The loss drops Wyoming to 2-1 on the season. The road doesn’t get any easier, as the Pokes travel to Boulder next Saturday to face Colorado under the national spotlight of ESPN. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m
.