NCAA Football Preview - Wyoming Cowboys
Sports Network | August 11, 2008
Utah used every trick in the book to gain an unsightly advantage, ahead 43-0 in the third quarter, yet the home team still opted to call for an onside kick nonetheless. That aggressive and relentless move by Utes' coach Kyle Whittingham led Glenn to an objectionable hand gesture on the sideline and consequently more media coverage and scrutiny than he would have liked. Two weeks later Glenn and the Cowboys were left with a record of just 5-7 and a mere two victories in eight conference tries.
2008 ANALYSIS:
OFFENSE: Two years ago when Wyoming was bowl eligible it appeared as though Glenn had found his future quarterback in Karsten Sween, the coach behaving downright giddy when speaking about the possibilities that Sween brought to the table. However, the signal-caller took more than a few steps in the wrong direction last year with 17 picks against a mere 12 TDs. Not one to simply hand the job over to an incumbent, coach Glenn has opened the door for any number of players to be starting at the quarterback position on opening day. Senior Ian Hetrick is certainly in the mix after serving as Sween's back-up in 2007, while juco transfer Dax Crum brings additional possibilities with him. Crum is just a sophomore, but having been named an honorable mention All- American and one of the top offensive players in the NJCAA is certainly nothing to sneeze at. "You'll notice us using probably more two tight ends, fullback types, more of a wing/tight end," coach Glenn has said about his offensive approach. Glenn loves to throw big bodies out on the edge and watch them plow over opponents both blocking and out in receiving lanes to catch defenses off guard. All standing at least 6-5, the trio of Jesson Salyards, Joe Evers and Chris Sundberg is poised to do some serious damage. Stretching the field with a bit more speed will be senior wideout Chris Johnson, expecting to produce far more than his 12 catches in as many games a season ago. While the aerial attack is filled with question marks, it is the running game that should be fairly solid and allow whomever lines up under center to ease into the spot somewhat. Running backs Devin Moore (965 yards, five TDs) and Wynel Seldon (554 yards, eight scores) give the Cowboys one of the most punishing ground attacks in the league, but the team will have to get more out of a supporting cast that produced just one other rushing touchdown all last season.
DEFENSE: A monster of a man on the defensive line, junior John Fletcher (6-6) is catching his fair share of attention and has followed up a sophomore campaign as a Second Team All-MWC selection by being picked a preseason First Teamer here in 2008. Fletcher was a huge part of a run defense that ranked 27th in the nation last year with a mere 122.8 ypg allowed as he ranked among the league's top linemen in terms of total tackles with 60. The Colorado native also ranked 11th in the nation with 10.5 sacks, which went a long way in getting the unit to 22nd in the country with almost three sacks per contest. Mitch Unrein is another returning starter along the defensive line who will provide stability so the linebackers can get quick jumps on the ball and pursue. Unrein, who had one of the team's four blocked kicks in '07, ranked second only to Fletcher in tackles for loss with 11. Checking in at just over 300 pounds, Fred Givens should be able to clog up more than a few holes at his nose guard position as well. Inside linebacker Ward Dobbs, already a three-year letter winner, was Wyoming's leading tackler last season with his 98 stops, 12 more than his closest teammate. However, as much as Dobbs is touted as an all-conference performer, the fact that he had just one interception and a single forced fumble means he needs to hit just a little bit harder when he has the opportunity. The unit as a whole recorded a fair share of turnovers, but with Sween winging the ball all over the field the Pokes ended up last in the Mountain West and 112th in the country in turnover margin with minus-1.0 per contest. Senior safeties Michael Ray and Quincy Rogers certainly have experience at their respective positions, but with just three combined interceptions a year ago the expectations have been elevated quite a bit this time around.
SPECIAL TEAMS: "We need to find a punter and a kicker," Glenn has said as late as the third week of July. Billy Vinnedge, a former all-conference performer, did it all for the Cowboys a season ago and now the team is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Without having played a single game yet this season, the preliminary idea is to have sophomore Nick Landess handle both duties, but that doesn't mean little Jake Scott (5-8, 158) won't get a chance to show off his leg at some point. Landess, a sophomore out of Casper who is a former walk-on, has some experience with onside kick situations, but that far from guarantees him the position. Throw true freshman Austin McCoy into the mix for both the punter and place-kicker responsibilities and the hunt is on. The one area that seems to not be in question on special teams is that of kickoff return man, with Devin Moore holding down that spot. Moore, who scored on a 98-yard run last season, finished with an average of more than 27 yards per attempt on his 10 tries.
OUTLOOK: The Cowboys get their first-ever look at both North Dakota State and Bowling Green this season, with both games taking place in Laramie. Of the remaining opponents, the Pokes have a winning record against just three of them (Ohio University, New Mexico and San Diego State) but only by a combined six games. Getting seven home games should give the squad some advantage, especially with War Memorial Stadium sitting so high above sea level, but even with more experience on the roster and a winning percentage of nearly .700 there are no guarantees for Wyoming. "We have some questions to answer," admits coach Glenn. "I think we have the talent to be as good as any team that we've had since I've been at Wyoming," and while nearly ever coach tends to send out that message in order to not short-change his program, Glenn rarely minces words in order to make his players feel all warm and fuzzy.
