Head coach Craig Bohl’s third year turned out to be a charm. Wyoming surprised their fans and prognosticators alike. The Cowboys finished 6-2 in Mountain West games and earned a spot in the conference championship. As a result of their efforts, Wyoming faced-off against the BYU Cougars in last season’s Poinsettia Bowl. They came up short 24-21, but easily covered the 10 point spread.
Wyoming has a quarterback that NFL scouts are starting to keep on their radar. For that to stay the case, new players will need to step up around him. The Cowboy’s defense struggled all throughout 2016. Fortunately, they have but nine starters back and a new coordinator. Laramie’s squad should be able to keep up in the Mountain Division if their defense can put together a better 2017 campaign.
Offense
Quarterback Josh Allen made a good impression in his first full term as Wyoming’s starting quarterback. The 6’5″, 230-pound Allen completed 56 percent of his passes for 3,203 yards with 28 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Even more impressive, is that the big signal-caller was the Cowboy’s second-leading rusher.
Last year, Allen rumbled for 523 yards and seven TDs. Allen toyed with the idea of turning pro but decided to come back to Laramie to hone his skills while trying to lead UW to its first back-to-back bowl berths since 1987-88. He could be a first-round pick in 2018.
The senior quarterback thought about forgoing his last season and entering the NFL Draft. Instead, he opted to come back to hone his skills and lead his team to their first back-to-back bowl berths since the 1987-88 season. If he meets his lofty expectations, he could become a first-round pick in 2018.
A lot of new weapons will be at Josh Allen’s disposal in 2017. Nevertheless, the Cowboy’s did lose their career rushing leader Brian Hill. Hill ranked third nationally with 1,860 yards on the ground. To make things even more challenging, Wyoming’s top three pass catchers also have departed.There could be a three-headed monster at running back consisting of junior Nico Evans and sophomores Kellen Overstreet and Milo Hall. The top returning wide receiver is sophomore C.J. Johnson, who caught 21 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns last season.
Now, the offense will be running the ball by committee. Tail backs There Nico Evans, sophomores Kellen Overstreet and Milo Hall all should see their time in the back field. The best returning wide out is sophomore C.J. Johnson. Johnson looked good at times, catching 21 passes for 304 yards and three scores last year.
Defense
The Wyoming Cowboys return nine starters from a unit that surrendered over 34 points a game in 2016. Teams moved the ball through the defense like butter. The Cowboys allowed 453.1 yards per game against them, and there was no way to stop the bleeding. New defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton is hoping that the players coming back have learned from their experience.
On a positive note, the Cowboys lost only one defensive lineman, and junior end Carl Granderson is back. Before going down with an ACL in the sixth game, the 6’5″, 243 pounds was a force to be reckoned with.
The linebacking corps also brings Logan Wilson. In his first season, Wilson was the Mountain West Freshman of the Year at outside linebacker. Scottie Hazelton has moved him to middle linebacker and Wilson has adapted well throughout the spring. Sophomore Cassh Maluia replaces him at one outside linebacker spot. UCLA transfer Jalen Ortiz is the favorite to hold down the weak side.
The back half of the defense is ready to go. The Cowboy’s return their entire secondary. The unit is led by safeties Andrew Wingard and Marcus Epps. Wingard was a first-team All-Mountain West performer in 2016. He also was an All-American as a freshman. Combined, Wingard and Epps have 447 tackles and eight picks.
Prediction
The Cowboys were picked last in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West last season. By the end of the year, Wyoming found themselves in a three-way tie first and played in the league title game. Pretty darn good.
This season, the offense could be good once again, but Josh Allen still has to improve while making those around him better. The one thing that the Cowboy’s defense achieved last year was their ability to take the ball away. In 2016, they created 27 turnovers compared to just 10 in 2015. But it must cut down on points and yards allowed per game. Hazelton figures to mix coverages in the secondary, which should take pressure off the Cowboys’ corners, who played exclusively man last season. If Allen has a big season and the defense improves, Wyoming will be in the hunt for another division title.
To combat the porous numbers that teams put up last year, Scottie Hazelton will try mix coverages in the secondary. That should free up their talented back field who strictly played man-to-man last season. The bottom line is, If Allen has another solid year and the defense improves, the Cowboys will be in the hunt for another division title.
Odds gurus have the Cowboys at 9 to 1 (+900) to win the Mountain West. They also have Wyoming’s team win total set at 8. It took me a few weeks into the 2016 season to become a believer.
Once again I enter this year full of doubt. Losing Brian Hill is a big deal. He was the anchor that kept the Wyoming offense steady. Josh Allen is good, but not good enough to get them back in the Mountain West title game.
Stay away from the +900 value bet, it’s at that for a reason. Let’s not forget, even with the solid season last year, the Cowboys finished 8-6. Now, the defense must vastly improve and Allen has less to work with. I’d also recommend that under 8 team total. The Cowboy’s play Iowa on the road and on the blue turf in Boise. They also get home affairs against the Oregon Ducks and the Colorado State Rams.
Schedule
Sept. 2: at Iowa
Sept. 7: Gardner-Webb
Sept. 16: Oregon
Sept. 23: Hawaii
Sept. 30: Texas State
Oct. 7: OPEN DATE
Oct. 14: at Utah State
Oct. 21: at Boise State
Oct. 28: New Mexico
Nov. 4: Colorado State
Nov. 11: at Air Force
Nov. 18: Fresno State
Nov. 25: at San Jose State
The getmoresports.com NCAA College Football Throwdown Podcast will be returning to the air on August 24th. We will be highlighting the first five games on August 26th of the 2017 NCAA College Football season. That will be the first of three installments leading into the first week of the season. We also we will be covering our expectations for the Heisman Trophy front runners as well as predictions for conference winners and team totals.
Our second NCAA College Football Throwdown is penciled in for August 29th. In that installment, we will be discussing all the games that will be played on August 31st and the 1st of September.
Our third segment will officially be airing on August 31st. In this edition of the NCAA College Football Throwdown, we will be covering all the relevant games for Sept 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.
Keeping with tradition, EJ the Rainmaker and Erik the Hun will give their predictions for the contests. On top of that, we will be providing our dog play of the podcast as well as cash money plays for the week. Join us for all three opening episodes and improve your college football knowledge while increasing the size of your sports book betting account. Come join us and help everyone make it rain. #moneytreesgrow
