Cowboy Defense Struggles at San Jose State

A career rushing day from sophomore running back Shaun Wick wasn’t enough for the University of Wyoming football team to overcome a powerful San Jose State offense, as UW fell 51-44 on Saturday.

Wyoming (4-4 overall, 2-2 Mountain West) tied things up at 44-all with 5:17 to go, but San Jose State (4-3 overall, 3-1 MW) used a lengthy drive and scored on a 1-yard TD plunge with just 8 seconds to go for the win.

The defeat overshadowed a stellar performance from Wick, who had a career-high 234 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries. His 15-yard rush TD with 11:47 left in the game gave UW a slim 37-36 lead. That was the most yards for a Cowboy on the ground since 2008, when Devin Moore had 234 versus San Diego State.

Another highlight for the Pokes came halfway through the first quarter, when junior quarterback Brett Smith (22-for-34, 267 yards and three TDs) found senior wide receiver Robert Herron on a quick out from the UW 7. Herron made one defender miss and raced 93 yards for a score that gave Wyoming a 10-0 lead. The pass play was the longest in school history, surpassing the previous high of 91 yards.

The UW offense tallied 599 total yards, including 332 on the ground, but the Wyoming defense surrendered 642 yards, including 65 on 12 plays on the final drive. A 22-point third quarter pushed San Jose State to the 36-30 lead heading into the final frame, but senior running back Tedder Easton tied things up with a 1-yard TD rush with 5:17 to go in the game.

Defensively, Wyoming got 17 tackles from junior linebacker Jordan Stanton and 14 from junior linebacker Mark Nzeocha.

UW will have a bye week before its next game, a Nov. 9 matchup in Laramie with Fresno State.