Cowboys Stage Stunning 21-Point Comeback to Shock Spartans in Laramie
War Memorial Stadium was electric on Saturday night as the Wyoming Cowboys stormed back from a two-touchdown deficit to defeat San Jose State, 35–28. Down 28–14 midway through the fourth quarter, the Pokes erupted for 21 unanswered points in the final 10 minutes to secure a thrilling victory and move to 3–3 overall, 1–1 in Mountain West play.
“It was a great fight from our team for 60 minutes,” said head coach Jay Sawvel. “It was pretty ugly for 47 of it, and then pretty beautiful for 13 of it. The credit goes to the players — they just stayed in the fight. That’s what this game and life are about. You stay in it, and things can change fast.”
Change fast, they did. Quarterback Kaden Anderson led the rally, throwing for a career-high 304 yards. With just under three minutes remaining, Anderson hit Charlie Coenen on a 45-yard strike to tie the game at 28. Moments later, a 52-yard connection to Tote Harris set up Terron Kellman’s 28-yard touchdown run that gave Wyoming its first lead of the night. The Cowboy defense then slammed the door shut to complete one of the most dramatic finishes in recent memory.
Wyoming outgained San Jose State 411–383, including holding the Spartans to just 43 rushing yards. Anderson went 23-of-39 with two touchdowns, spreading the ball to 11 different receivers. Harris totaled 105 all-purpose yards, while tight end Evan Svoboda grabbed a career-high four receptions.
Defensively, the Cowboys were relentless — recording nine tackles for loss, their highest total of the season and 17 over the last two weeks. Desman Hearns led the charge with eight tackles and a key third-down breakup that set up the winning drive. Linebackers Evan Eller, Brayden Johnson, and Enock Sibomana each added seven stops, while Tyce Westland helped fuel the pressure up front.
Johnson’s 65-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter was the turning point, shifting all momentum to the home sideline. The defense held the Spartans scoreless in the second half after allowing 28 points in the first 20 minutes.
San Jose State wideout Danny Scudero put on a show despite the loss, finishing with 10 catches for 180 yards and four touchdowns — the first four-touchdown receiving performance against Wyoming since 2012. Quarterback Walker Eget threw for 245 yards before exiting in the third quarter.
Wyoming’s night started with a spark of its own when Deion DeBlanc returned a first-quarter punt for a touchdown, tying the game at 7–7. But it was the Cowboys’ fourth-quarter resilience that defined the evening.
Next up, the Cowboys hit the road to face Air Force next Saturday at 1:30 p.m. MT. The matchup will air on CBS Sports Network as Wyoming looks to carry its late-game magic into Colorado Springs
.