GALLERY: Cowboys Avoid Disaster in Home Opener

LARAMIE -- Thank God for lightning, huh?

Wyoming, dead on its collective feet for more than three quarters of Saturday's home opener, came to life over the last 12:25 of regulation in a 21-13 victory over Northern Colorado.

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A nearly 40-minute delay forced both teams to their respective locker rooms. One emerged focused and motivated. The other, shellshocked.

The Bears, in search of the program's first-ever win over an FBS opponent, floundered late, allowing two touchdown passes and rolling up a grand total of three yards in the final frame.

Charlie Coenen hauled in a perfectly-placed 15-yard touchdown toss from Tyler Hughes with 3:44 remaining. Wyoming capitalized on a Jones Thomas interception -- his second of the afternoon -- one series later when Hughes found Kyle Frendt in that same end zone from 18 yards out. The big tight end laid out for the pass and cradled it before falling to the turf inside War Memorial Stadium.

It wasn't always pretty -- or easy -- but the Cowboys move to 1-1 on the season with a trip to Central Michigan next on the schedule.

You might recall the last time these two teams hooked up. That came in the 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl where Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns and the Cowboy defense forced eight turnovers in a 37-14 rout in Boise.

Our new photographer Hilario Cadena was boots on the ground in Laramie Saturday, capturing Wyoming's 10th consecutive victory over the Bears. Do yourself a favor and check out his shots below.

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS.COM:

* Behind the Numbers: Turnovers Continue to Plague Pokes

* Making the Grade: Hughes 'Steps Up' Late in 21-13 Win

* Cowboys Rally For 21-13 Victory Over Northern Colorado

* Rants and Raves: Northern Colorado Edition

* FINAL LIVE FILE: Wyoming 21, UNC 13

* Gear Up For Game Day: UNC Bears

* Wyoming Couldn't Take Bogar Off The Field During Career Outing

* Panozzo Confident Despite 'Welcome to College Football' Moment

* Wyoming Football Lands On-Field Corporate Logos

* Jayden Williams Issues Apology For Altercations With CSU Fans

* PODCAST: Can't Let Border War Hangover Linger

* Know Wyoming's Foe: UNC Bears

* Bohl Says He Got 'Overzealous' With Fourth-Quarter Blitz

* Wyoming Takes on UNC in Home-Opening 'Stripe Out'

* UNC Notebook: Pokes Still Grumbling Over Self-Inflicted Miscues