NCAA Football Preview (Wyoming-Colorado)
Posted: Sat September 27, 1997 at 6:45 a.m EDT
Wyoming (3-1) at Colorado (1-1) 3:30 pm EDT
Colorado, a week removed from a blowout loss at
Michigan, tries to get back on track against feisty Wyoming.
Colorado (1-1) was a 27-3 loser at Michigan on September 13th
and took a week off. In Wyoming (3-1), the Buffaloes have an
opponent that gave Ohio State all it could handle before falling
24-10 and then demolished Iowa State, Hawaii and San Jose State
by an average of nearly 32 points.
But Wyoming is trying to hand Colorado back-to-back losses for
just the second time since 1986, a span of 130 games. The Buffs
last lost two straight in 1993, when they fell to Stanford and
Miami. Colorado is 22-2-1 all-time against Wyoming, including a
16-2-1 record in Boulder.
This game is a battle of the youngest coach in Division I-A,
34-year-old Wyoming boss Dama Dimel, and the fourth-youngest,
36-year-old Rick Neuheisel of Colorado. Later in the evening,
Louisville and 36-year-old Ron Cooper are playing Oklahoma,
which is coached by another 36-year-old, John Blake. Cooper and
Blake both are younger than Neuheisel.
Colorado, which will be looking for its 14th straight homecoming
win, has not lost to Wyoming since a 24-10 defeat in 1982, the
only time the Cowboys have scored more than 13 points in the
series. The average score has Colorado on top, 27-6. The Buffs
are 136-57-7 all-time against the teams in the Western Athletic
Conference, including seven straight wins and victories in 10 of
their last 11.
The Buffaloes are 34-0-1 in 99 games since 1989 when converting
50 percent or better on third downs. But Colorado needs to
improve on its 97th national ranking in total offense and
passing defense.
John Hessler is 33-of-68 for 364 yards and two touchdowns with
five interceptions, hitting Phil Savoy 10 times for 123 yards
and both scores. Herchell Troutman has been a disappointment
with only 98 yards and one TD on 34 carries. Tavon Cooper's
20-yard run is Colorado's longest this season.
Marques Brigham leads the Cowboys with 320 yards and three TDs
on 57 carries, though Mike Jenkins has scored five times and
gained 255 yards on 47 rushes. Jeremy Silcox is 48-of-100 for
603 yards and three touchdowns with five interceptions.
Wendell Montgomery is on pace to give Wyoming a 1,000-yard
receiver for the eighth straight season, garnering 309 yards on
21 catches with one touchdown. Jenkins adds 200 yards on 12
catches with a pair of scores.
Wyoming's Cory Wedel has made 105 straight extra points and is
44-of-57 for his career on field goals.
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