From punching bag to Muhammad Ali: Wyoming defeats Utah State to stay perfect in MW
What a difference a year makes.
Three-hundred and sixty-five and some odd days ago, Utah State was flying high at a 4-1 mark in the Mountain West and at 5-3 on the season. Then junior running back Devante Mays was tearing up turf fields across the conference, taking defenders with him as he inched ever closer to his career-high 966 yards and 9 touchdowns. Quarterback Kent Myers was also having himself a year as the de-facto starter in his sophomore campaign, throwing for 1,593 yards and 16 touchdowns to his supporting cast while achieving a sky-high 151-point passer rating – something that echoed even the NFL’s highest mark in that regard.
But in Laramie on Saturday, Myers and Mays both found themselves not basking in the spotlight at War Memorial Stadium, but rather on the cold, hard, bench. They could only watch as Utah State fell to Wyoming 52-28, marking the Aggies sixth loss of the season and the seventh straight road defeat.
Mays, desperately trying to claw back from lingering knee and ankle injuries, rejoined his teammates only to once again re-injure the nagging ailments as he continues to try to salvage what is left of his senior season. Myers, officially designated with an undisclosed injury by Utah State head coach Matt Wells, was confined to the sidelines as his backup, Damion Hobbs, looked to rectify a bleak situation.
What a difference indeed.
Hobbs found himself under center facing an overcomeable deficit ahead of him down by just two touchdowns late in the third quarter; but Hobbs was just a reliever for a team that was getting beaten, battered and belittled by the Cowboys – a team in which just a year ago USU defeated with a mirrored score of 58-27 in Logan.
It wasn’t long before the Aggies found themselves on the receiving end of a type of revenge that can only come from four-straight losses – four straight embarrassing losses at that. Wyoming came out of the gates with a take-no-prisoners mentality, cruising with little effort to four touchdowns on its opening five drives – 21 points of which came unanswered.
At halftime, the scoreboard already read 35-7 – the lone Utah State score coming via a Hobbs designed run at the goal line. At this point in the game, USU had also been outgained by 217 yards, with Wyoming nabbing 315 yards while the Aggies only amounted 98.
Out of the break however, the Aggies decided they weren’t going to go quietly as they flipped the script on the Cowboys, if not momentarily.
Wells and company forced Wyoming into two straight punts out of halftime and intercepted Josh Allen’s pass on the third drive. Using that momentum, Utah State found the end zone on its first three drives out of halftime.
But the phrase sputtered and died is appropriate after noting that the Aggies success was short-lived.
In its final three drives, with Hobbs now calling the shots offensively, the men in fighting white missed on a 47-yard field goal; had an interception returned 56-yards into their own territory; and missed on fourth down to seal the defeat. In that span, Wyoming scored twice, once on a field goal and again with a touchdown.
Hobbs would finish 7 for 16 through the air for 68 yards, and 6 carries, 24 yards and three scores on the ground. Before being pulled, Myers went 17 for 29 for 235 yards and a lone touchdown.
It was wide receiver Ron’Quavion Tarver who pulled down the most passes from the two-headed attack with eight receptions for 104 yards. Behind Tarver was fellow wide out Rayshad Lewis and tight end Wyatt Houston. Lewis totaled seven catches for 56 yards and a touchdown, while Houston tallied five catches for 37 yards.
Wyoming’s offensive marks saw Allen achieve a career-high single-game four touchdowns, while throwing for 261 yards. Running back Brian Hill again surpassed the century mark, finishing with 142 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Utah State will return to Logan next week for Senior Night against New Mexico, with kickoff scheduled for 8:15 p.m.