Some notes and quotes that didn’t make the newspaper on the Cowboys’ football game Saturday with San Diego State.
“He’s really good, but their offensive line is playing well and they have a lot of experience coming back there. They open holes up for him — UW coach Dave Christensen on SDSU sophomore running back Ronnie Hillman.
If there’s one Wyoming football player that wants to play well against San Diego State Saturday it’s Gipson, who was part of a UW secondary burned by the Aztecs’ talented group of receivers last season. Fortunately for the Cowboys, DeMarco Sampson and Vincent Brown are in the NFL. For more on that story, see today’s Wyoming Tribune Eagle and Laramie Boomerang.
Wyoming faces the nation’s leading rusher Saturday in San Diego State sophomore Ronnie Hillman, who averages 138.8 yards per game and has 10 rushing touchdowns.
Do you think he’s the best back UW has faced?
The big news from Monday’s interview session with Wyoming football players and coaches was some of the changes made on defense following last Saturday’s 63-19 loss at Utah State.
Senior Gabe Knapton will move from defensive tackle back to defensive end, where he played last season. I like that move. Despite his tenacity and want-to, Knapton is just too small at 6-3, 263 to play DT.
Junior Korey Jones will move from defensive end/outside linebacker to middle linebacker. He will compete with sophomore Devyn Harris for the starting job. Again, at 6-2, 225 I think Jones is undersized to play DE. Another good move. Jones played linebacker in the spring before UW made the switch in fall camp.
This guy is usually pretty outgoing during interviews, but was more quiet and subdued in this one. Still says some good stuff. Curious to hear what you think.
The Wyoming football coach talks for nearly 10 minutes in his postgame interview session after the Cowboys’ 38-14 loss to No. 9 Nebraska Saturday. Curious to hear your thoughts on what he says.
I thought Wyoming’s mistakes caused it more problems than Nebraska did, for the most part, in the Cowboys 38-14 loss.
Seven penalties, 20-plus missed tackles, a dropped TD pass by Ogbonna (or at least a long pass play), a missed field goal, failed fake punt.
Nebraska is good, and I really liked RB Rex Burkhead. Guy runs hard, man! Not sure, however if the Huskers are top 10 good.
UW players and coaches weren’t happy after the game, and true freshman quarterback Brett Smith said he hates losing more than anything. Good to hear he doesn’t like it.
But I didn’t think UW was over matched and out manned (that’s the basis of my column Sunday). At times it struggled, but this game was nothing like past beatdowns it took to top 10 teams like Texas, Boise State and TCU. To me that’s a little progress. Thoughts?
A few quick notes:
–Sophomore tight end Spencer Bruce, junior safety Kenny Browder and junior defensive lineman Miraldo Michel played in their first games of the season. Browder had a tackle.
–UW had one sack, and has had at least one in 10 straight games dating back to last season.
–Thought senior CB Tashaun Gipson had his best game of the season. Finished with five tackles, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The forced and recovered fumble came on one play.
Will post video later on Sunday from a few postgame interviews. See Sunday’s Wyoming Tribune Eagle and Laramie Boomerang for more coverage.
Here what Bowling Green coach Dave Clawson had to say Monday morning about Saturday’s game with Wyoming. Clawson spoke on the Mid-American Conference coaches’ teleconference.
–On Wyoming’s offense: “They’re very explosive. To have over 600 yards of offense (against Texas State) is almost unheard of. They’re very, very difficult to defend.”
–On UW senior cornerback Tashaun Gipson: “He might be as good as any corner we see this year.”
The Wyoming defensive secondary coach sheds some interesting light into the defense, Texas State and recruiting in Texas. For more on the Texas State team, see Friday’s Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
This is my second video interview with Gipson in less than a week, but he gets into his struggles against Weber State and what needs to happen to fix them heading into Saturday’s Texas State game.
Would love to hear your comments on this interview, and the one I also posted with defensive coordinator Marty English.