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Scores and notes

I apologize if I missed something with AggiePoke who normally posts this info, DUSTWUN. Hope everything is okay.

To recap some scores:
TTU
Lost to #13 Oregon 30-38
Beat Tarleton State 41-3
Lost at West Virginia 13-20
Beat Houston 49-28

Portland
Lost at #13 Oregon 7-81. Not that it would have made much difference, but recall the deliberate lack of Portland starters playing.
Beat North American (who?) 91-0
Beat Cal Poly 59-21
Lost at MSU 22-38

Texas
Beat Rice 37-10
Won at #3 Alabama 34-24
Beat Baylor 38-6
Beat #24 KU 40-14

App State
Beat Gardner Webb 45-24
Lost at #17 UNC 34-40 in 2OT
Beat ECU 43-28
Won at ULM 41-40

UNM
Lost at #23 TAM 10-52
Beat Tenn Tech 56-10
Lost to NMST 17-27
Won at UMASS 34-31 in OT

FSU
Won at Purdue 39-35
Beat EWU 34-31 in 2OT
Won @ ASU 29-0
Beat Kent State 53-10
Beat Nevada 27-9

BSU falls to 2-3 losing at Memphis 32-35
USU over winless at UCONN 34-33
AFA stomps SDSU 49-10
UNLV beats HI 44-20 improving to 4-1
CSU over Utah Tech 41-20

AFA vey much appears the team to beat, and I believe UW faces the top three teams in the MW back to back to back over the following weeks, with two of those on the road. That is an extremely tough stretch for any team. I am encouraged the Pokes are still relatively injury free, that it appears we have a viable backup QB, that the staff hit it out of the park with Waylee, and the good fan turnout thus far....but some extremely tough sledding ahead. Good bye week between AFA and BSU though I think would have been better served prior to the AFA game. FSU has looked vulnerable, but I believe has improved over the last three weeks.

The BIG 12 is not interested in OSU or WSU....

I just heard Monty say that he spoke with a source today with the BIG 12 and a source with WSU that knows what is happening and these sources said the BIG 12 IS NOT interested in OSU or WSU and ESPN is not negotiating with the BIG 12 to invite OSU and WSU! He said whomever is spreading this stuff has not spoken to anyone that is in a position of authority. Also it has been confirmed that there has not been any communication between the BIG 12 and WSU and OSU since the PAC 12 split up and the BIG 12 said to OSU and WSU, no we are not interested.

So this guy on his "Hooked on the BIG 12" is just speaking for his own feelings about OSU and WSU. Especially when this joker says stuff like, "The BIG 12 needs to do the right thing and step up and take OSU and WSU..." This is simply this guys own BS.

As Ian said, kicking and screaming is the way that OSU will be joining the MWC. No matter how much OSU and its fan base want to delude themselves, there is just no other way than doing some type of merger with the MWC, whether it is a straight merger or a reverse merger. The law suit will determine what direction the merger will eventually go. Just to make an additional comment on the law suit. Evidently some of the schools are pushing for a settlement so these schools can get on with the futre.

This is how it is.....

On the Monty show they addressed the issue again that involves OSU and WSU. Monty spoke again today with their contacts at the BIG 12 and WSU. Monty and his sidekick really hammered the people who are spreading this junk about the BIG 12 taking in OSU and WSU.

"Locked on the BIG 12" pod cast is a "conspiracy theorist" and "he is completely wrong!". Monty said its contact at WSU LAUGHED when he mentioned the money that this tin foil hat guy on the Locked on the BIG 12 spoke about $300 million is coming to the PAC 2 due to the football play-offs. Oregon State University has already approached the Oregon State Legislature indicating they are going to have a $25 million shortfall that will need to be covered. Do you think that they would have done this if they were getting $300 million from the NCAA for playoff money? Also, the BIG 12 rep again today reiterated his statement that the BIG 12 and OSU and WSU are not in any type of communication and that the BIG 12 is not interested in taking on any more schools at this time!

The contact that Monty has at WSU asked the following question, "Would we be spending tens of millions to keep the PAC alive if we were going into the BIG 12?" He reiterated that the WSU contact laughed when he was approached with the stuff the "Hooked on the BIG 12" was spreading. Evidently about 3 weeks ago a conspiracy theorist went onto Hooked on the BIG 12 pod cast and that is where this junk started.

The problem is that many tin foil hat OSU and WSU fans are running with this stuff and desperate to have someone validate it, and they are utterly resistant to hearing anything that does not have OSU and WSU going into the BIG 12. I bet even after this is all over, and the two PAC 2 schools are with the MWC in some capacity these so-called fans will be saying, why didn't the powers at the two schools take the deal and enter the BIG 12? The reason is very simple, there is nothing for the schools to accept in relation to going to the BIG 12. I also understand that the schools are trying to come to some type of conclusion with the lawsuit in the next three weeks. It was mentioned that the talks with the MWC are in an advanced stage. Would OSU and WSU be in an advanced stage of discussion with the MWC if they were getting all of this money to go to the BIG 12?

I would expect to see things move quickly with OSU and WSU when the lawsuit gets settled and it should make scheduling pretty interesting next year. Even at this time, OSU and WSU have a ton of stuff to do before next season and the MWC will also have a ton of stuff to do, and they are going to need to get going on that ASAP.

P.S. - What we (the conference as a whole) need to do imo, is to move as quickly as possible in bringing in Gonzaga in the new conference.

A long look at MW football...

With all the merger talk and discussions that schools may be left out in the MW/PAC2 merger or some sorta later merger with other schools and where does this leave UW. I like this graphic that projects football over a 162 game MLB schedule.
F7IggHLbAAATUEd

I can't find it but there was a graphic that showed brand value/recognition amongst the PAC12 teams and MW teams. Wyoming was in the top third at close to 100 million. Well ahead of schools like OSU, Wazzu, and Cal.

Looking ahead...

Looking ahead to three weeks could provide a big game in Laramie. Despite me being very apprehensive about this weekend's game, there is the potential of a ranked 5-0 Fresno State team coming to town to take on a 4-1 Cowboy squad. If Oklahoma wasn't playing Texas that weekend there could have been a shot that Game Day being in Laramie as there really isn't a lot of other big games that weekend.

Wyoming Basketball Starts Official Practices

Cowboy Cagers Open Practice on Tuesday​

Pokes host Metro State in Exhibition on Oct. 27

LARAMIE, Wyo. (Sept. 26, 2023) – The Wyoming Cowboy basketball team opened practice on Tuesday morning in the Arena-Auditorium, as the Pokes will gear up for their exhibition opener against Metro State on October 27. Head coach Jeff Linder in his fourth season returns four players from last year’s campaign and welcomes 11 newcomers to the roster.



“We had a great first day of practice along with every other team in the country,” UW head coach Jeff Linder said. “We will attack every practice knowing that every second counts. With that mentality this team will put itself in position to have a special season.”



The Pokes welcome back one starter in guard Brendan Wenzel. He averaged 7.9 points per game last season along with 3.8 rebounds. Guard Kenny Foster returns and is a veteran presence for the Brown and Gold. He added 4.8 points per game along with 2.4 rebounds. Forward Caden Powell’s role grew towards the end of his freshman season and added 1.9 points and two rebounds per game. In the final half of conference play he added 3.7 points per game and 2.4 rebounds. Guard Cort Roberson played in four games for the Cowboys.



Wyoming welcomes five transfers with four from four-year schools and one junior college transfer. Guard Sam Griffin averaged 15.2 points per game and 2.7 rebounds at Tulsa. He nearly has 1,500 career points and has hit 244 career three-pointers. He is joined by another Division I transfer in Oleg Kojenets, who is comes to Laramie from Nebraska and is a native of Lithuania. He played in 18 games last season in the Big Ten.



A pair of transfers from Division II and NAIA will also make an impact. Guard Akuel Kot spent four seasons at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo. He earned First Team All-American honors from the NABC last season. He averaged 23.4 points per game last season to rank fourth in NCAA II. Forward Mason Walters was named the NAIA National Player of the Year last season at the University of Jamestown in North Dakota. Walters was second in the nation in scoring at 26.6 points per game. The forward shot 63.8 percent overall – ranking among the top 20 in the NAIA and 82.7 percent from the foul line. He also averaged 9.4 rebounds per game and blocked 63 shots.



Wyoming also added a junior college transfer in guard Kobe Newton. Newton comes to Wyoming from Fullerton College. He recorded 170 three-pointers in two seasons. This past season, Newton led his team in scoring at 13.7 points per game.



The Cowboys added six freshmen signings to the roster this season. The group includes two international signees with a native of Canada and Lithuania. Nigle Cook played his prep career at DME Academy in Florida. it is one of the nation’s top prep programs ranking in the Top-10 Nationally. DME is the same school that Keegan Murray the fourth pick in last season’s NBA Draft attended. Kael Combs comes to Wyoming from Nixa High School in Missouri. He stuffed the stat sheet as a senior averaging 23.4 points per game on the season along with 6.9 rebounds per game and 6.1 assists. He shot an impressive 44 percent from behind the arc. Cameron Manyawu is another Missouri native playing in the Kansas City area at Staley High School. He led his team to a state title last season with an impressive 30-2 record. He ranked as a three-star prospect by 247Sports.com. He was the ninth best prospect in the State of Missouri and the 53rd best power forward prospect in the nation



Guard Jacob Theodosiou is a native of Waterloo, Ontario, but prepped at Western Reserve Academy in Ohio. He is a rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and the seventh-best recruit in the State of Ohio and is a Top 200 recruit in the nation. At Western Reserve Academy, he played with current Cowboy Oleg Kojenets in high school.



Forward Jonas Sirtautas is a native of Kaunas, Lithuania and played for his club team Zalgiris. He was also picked to be a part of the NBA Academy last season in the United States. His father, Darius is a legendary former professional player in Lithuania and is currently one of the nation's top player developers.



Laramie native Levi Brown joined the team this summer as a walk-on. He earned Second Team All-Conference honors He scored a career-high 23 points in the semifinals against Cody to help lead the Plainsmen to the State Championship game for the first time since 2011.



Cowboy Notables

- The Cowboys return four players to the 2023-24 roster including Kenny Foster and Brendan Wenzel. The duo has appeared in 133 combined games in their careers in the Brown and Gold. Caden Powell appeared in 28 games as a freshman.

- The Cowboy roster features 10 newcomers with five transfers and five players from the high school ranks.

- Wyoming’s staff also features two new staff members in Nick Whitmore from the Asheville School, where he served as a head coach at the prep school level and Bryston Williams, who came to UW from Indiana State.

- Wenzel is the top returning scorer at 7.9 points per game. He shot 41 percent from behind the arc last season and has 81 career makes in two seasons at Wyoming.

- Foster has appeared in 75 games for the Pokes with 21 career starts. He has averaged 5.4 points per game in his career.

- Caden Powell saw his minutes jump late last season and made big gains this summer, as he is up over 15 pounds from a season ago.

- Wyoming roster includes international flavor with the second native of Canada to play for the Brown and Gold and the first native of Lithuania

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Wyoming vs New Mexico Preview (Saturday at 2 p.m)

Cowboys Host New Mexico on Homecoming This Saturday​

It is the 98th Homecoming Game in UW History


LARAMIE, Wyo. (Sept. 25,2023) –The Wyoming Cowboys (3-1 Overall) host the New Mexico Lobos (2-2 Overall) in the Mountain West Conference opener on Saturday at 2 p.m. inside War Memorial Stadium. Saturday’s contest will also be Homecoming, as it marks the 98th in school history.



The contest will be streamed on the MW Network and be available on Stadium and can be heard on the 26 affiliates of the Cowboy Sports Network with Keith Kelley on the call and Kevin McKinney on color with Erick Pauley on the sidelines.



Ticket Information
Fans may order tickets online, via email or by phone at:
•Go to GoWyo.com/tickets
•Email tickets@uwyo.edu
•Call (307) 766-7220
•Stop by the UW Athletics Ticket Office on the West Side of the Arena-Auditorium on the corner of Willett Drive and 19th Street.



Wyoming completed its 2023 non-conference schedule with a 3-1 record. The Cowboys’ victories came against then No. 24 ranked Texas Tech (35-33 in double overtime) in the ‘23 season opener, over Portland State (31-17) and against Appalachian State (22-19) in a dramatic comeback win last week. The Pokes’ only loss this season came on the road at then No. 4 ranked Texas (31-10). Wyoming entered the fourth quarter against Texas with the game tied at 10-10.



New Mexico brings a 2-2 record in 2023 into today’s game. The Lobos began the season on the road at Texas A&M, where UNM lost 52-10. New Mexico recorded a 56-10 win over Tennessee Tech in Albuquerque in week two before losing at home to rival New Mexico State by a score of 27-17. A week ago, UNM traveled to Amherst, Mass., to play FBS Independent UMass where the Lobos won by a score of 34-31.



Wyoming in Mountain West Openers, 2023 Season Marks the 25th Season of the Mountain West

The 2022 season marks the 25th season of the Mountain West Conference, and this year’s Wyoming-New Mexico contest is the conference opener for both the Cowboys and Lobos. Wyoming is 12-12 (.500) in Mountain West openers. UW is 8-6 (.571) when opening MW play at home, and is 4-6 (.400) when opening on the road. The Cowboys have won 6 of their last 10 MW openers and 5 of 9 in the Craig Bohl era.



This year’s MW opener will mark only the third time in the 25 seasons of the MW that the Cowboys have opened Mountain West Conference play against New Mexico.



Wyoming vs. New Mexico in Mountain West Conference Openers

Date Opponent Score


Sept. 30, 2000 at New Mexico L 10-45

Sept. 26, 2015 New Mexico L 28-38



Wyoming and New Mexico to Play for the 76th Time Saturday

This week’s meeting between the Wyoming Cowboys and New Mexico Lobos will be the 76th in history between the old rivals. The Cowboys lead the overall series with 40 wins to 35 wins for UNM. Here is a breakdown of the Wyoming-New Mexico series.



The 2023 Meeting Will be the: 76th

Overall Series Record: UW leads 40-35

MW Series Record: UW trails 10-14

Series Began: Nov. 29, 1930



UW and UNM Have Been Members of the Same Conference Since 1951

Wyoming and New Mexico are meeting for the 25th consecutive season since both became founding members of the Mountain West Conference in 1999. Prior to that, they were founding members of the Western Athletic Conference in 1962. The two schools have been in the same conference since 1951, when they were both members of the Skyline Conference.



Wyoming Hosts 98th Homecoming Game This Week: This week’s game versus New Mexico will mark the 98th Homecoming game in University of Wyoming history, and the 73rd Homecoming game to be played in War Memorial Stadium.



UW’s Overall Record in Homecoming Games:
48-46-3 (.505)

UW’s Homecoming Record in War Memorial: 43-27-2 (.603)



The Block That Won the Game:
The Cowboys had their backs against the wall in the closing minutes against App State. The Mountaineers attempted a field goal to take an eight-point lead. The defense forced pressure up the middle on the FG attempt as defensive end DeVonne Harris blocked the kick and UW cornerback Jakorey Hawkins picked up the blocked kick and returned it 62 yards for an amazing touchdown to give Wyoming a 20-19 lead. It was the first blocked kick returned for a touchdown in school history.



Wrook Brown Named MW Defensive Player of the Week: After helping lead the Cowboys over Appalachian State on Saturday evening, nickel Wrook Brown was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week the league announced on Monday. It marks the first time in his career that Brown has earned a MW Player of the Week honor. Brown, who celebrated his birthday on Saturday recorded an interception that helped seal the victory for the Cowboys in the closing seconds of the game. He also recovered a fumble in the contest that helped set up the first score of the game for the Brown and Gold. Brown finished the night with seven tackles.



Jakorey Hawkins Named MW Special Teams Player of the Week: After helping lead the Cowboys over Appalachian State on Saturday evening, cornerback Jakorey Hawkins was named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week. It is the second time this season that a Cowboy has earned the honor after kicker John Hoyland earned the award following the Texas Tech game. It is the first MW Player of the Week honor for Hawkins. Hawkins, a native of Montgomery, Ala., scooped up the ball after defensive end DeVonne Harris blocked a kick and ran it back 63 yards for the go ahead score in Wyoming’s 22-19 win over Appalachian State. It was the first blocked kick returned for a touchdown by the Cowboys in program history.



Another Note on Blocks:
The block against App State marked Wyoming’s second of the season after tallying one against Texas Tech. Wyoming is tied for the national lead in blocked field goals this season with two.



Back-to-Back Games with Long Rushing TD’s:
Running back Harrison Waylee has found the endzone on long plays in back-to-back games. He recorded a 75-yard touchdown against App State and the previous week added a 62-yard score against Texas. It is the first time since Alvester Alexander in 2010 recorded a 94-yard touchdown run against New Mexico and the following week added a 72-yard touchdown against UNLV that a Wyoming running back has scored on a 60-yard plus rushing touchdown in back-to-back games.



Back-To-Back Game with Long Rushes:
Running back Harrison Waylee has two chuck rushing plays of 75 yards against App State and 62 yards against Texas. It is the first time since Nico Evans recorded a rush of 75 yards against Boise State and 63 yards against Hawaii that a Cowboy running back has had 60-yards or more in a single rush in back-to-back games.



Defending The Home Field:
The Cowboys earned their 10th-straight non-conference home win dating back to 2018 against App State. The Cowboys now have 334 win at home in school history.



Wrook and Take Aways:
Nickel Wrook Brown had quite the birthday on Saturday. He recovered a fumble on a heads up play and recorded an interception to seal the game against App State. It was his second interception of the season, as he ranks fourth in the MW in interceptions. He also added seven tackles for the contest and ranks No. 31 in the conference in tackles per game this season at 5.75 per game. He ranks No. 17 in the nation with his two interceptions this season.



DeVonne Making Plays:
Defensive end DeVonne Harris was all over the field against App State. He tied a career-high with nine tackles, as he also had nine last seasons against Boise State. He also added his second sack of the season, but his biggest play was blocking the field goal in the fourth quarter that helped the Cowboys complete the comeback.



Godbout Has Big Day in Middle:
Nose Tackle Cole Godbout has been a force in the middle of the Cowboy defense in his career. He tied a career-high with 10 total tackles against App State. He had 10 in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in 2021. He has 188 tackles in his career with the Cowboys and is closing in on 200.
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