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LARAMIE, Wyo. — Wyoming football is coming off of what head coach Craig Bohl calls “the best performance of the year,” and its reward will be a type of game the Cowboys haven’t faced in more than a decade: a weeknight home game.
The last time Wyoming (4-5, 2-3 MWC) played a non-Saturday game at War Memorial Stadium was in 2001, a 28-20 loss to Texas A&M on ESPN2. The Pokes haven’t played a weeknight game of any kind since traveling to Colorado State in 2009.
The Worldwide Leader will once again be the feature of Friday night’s game between Utah State (6-3, 3-1 MWC) and the Cowboys, but the home team will hope for a different result for the 6 p.m. MST kickoff on ESPN2 in the second battle for Jim Bridger’s rifle.
“Our players have bought in, and they go out and practice hard,” Bohl said two days after Wyoming’s 45-17 win at Fresno State. “We met with them Sunday, and there was a different bounce in their step. Any time you have a win, that makes you feel better.”
The Pokes were boosted by the play of freshman running back Brian Hill, who earned Walter Camp national offensive player of the week honors for his performance at Fresno State. Hill accounted for 387 all-purpose yards in the road win, rushing for 281 yards and two touchdowns on 23 tries, and catching three passes for 106 yards. The youngster was the first Wyoming player honored by the Walter Camp Football Foundation since 2004.
“Brian is a humble young man, and he isn’t like a freshman. He’s been studious all year, and when he has been able to play, he’s done well,” Bohl said. “Brian felt like he had a good ability, but I think that game surprised even him.”
Hill and the Wyoming offense will face one of its stiffest challenges in the Aggie defense, ranked No. 4 in the country against the run. Bohl said the challenge goes back to defensive coordinator Todd Orlando and the rest of the Utah State coaching staff.
“They have young players out there who are physical, and older players who have played a lot of reps,” Bohl said. “With a complex scheme, fast players and good players, they bear results.”
The Wyoming defense also enters Friday night’s game on a high. The Cowboys hadn’t forced an interception in 2014 before hauling in two picks at Fresno State. Bohl even said he was worried the team was going to get an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for the lavish celebration in Tyran Finley’s first of two picks on the night.
“Our sideline just erupted,” he added. “Coaches were dancing, players on the field. We had gone so long without one. Countless drops after drops in practice. It was great to see a couple of interceptions there.”
