Border War Glory: Bricen Brantley Outruns Everyone to Claim the Bronze Boot
- Jeff Bugher
- Oct 30
- 3 min read
LARAMIE, Wyo. - When the clock hit zero at War Memorial Stadium last Saturday night, the Wyoming Cowboys stormed the field following their 28–0 shutout win over Colorado State in the 117th edition of the Border War. But before the sea of black uniforms completely took over, one Cowboy led the pack to the CSU sideline.
Sophomore wide receiver Bricen Brantley was the first to reach the Bronze Boot.
“Honestly, throughout the whole game, I was telling everybody on the sidelines I was going to be first,” Brantley said. “So when it got to like the last little…I’d say minute, 40 seconds - we were all on the sideline. I remember Evan Eller and a few other guys. Evan went to jump. He jumped it. So I was like, oh, I was behind everybody. And all I did was just run. I don’t think anyone knew where the boot was besides me. So once everybody slowed down, I just kept running and getting in first.”
Brantley told us he scouted out the location of the boot earlier in the game. “I think it was around halftime that I really figured out where it was. Then, towards the end of the game, all I did was sprint over there,” he said.
While some players charge the field in the moment, Brantley admits he had been playfully joking with teammates that he would be the first one to the boot. “It was more of a joke, but it was also a goal. I definitely wanted to be the first one to throw it up,” he laughed.
When he reached the Boot, the feeling was just as you would expect… pure joy.
“Just running across the field, I was smiling ear to ear, and then when I ended up being the first one, I couldn’t stop smiling. I was so excited. I was jumping up and down. I just remember Jackson Holman looking at me and pointing at me because I didn’t know I was going to get it first.”
The Boot made its way across the field to the midfield; meanwhile, fans stormed the field. Several chants rang out, with words we will not put on this site, but if you grew up around Wyoming football, you know the words 😉 Following the celebration, the trophy made it back into the locker room. “Then we grabbed the Boot and put it back on the pedestal in the locker room,” Brantley said. He added that it was teammate, senior safety Andrew Johnson, who “slammed it on that pedestal to make a point.”
The Houston native enjoyed the moment, yet he remains focused on honing every aspect of his game. “Be more consistent, be better in the run game, running routes and stuff. When I get the chance, make the best out of every opportunity I get,” Brantley said.
Yet, for one unforgettable Saturday night in Laramie, Brantley made the most of his moment when he sprinted towards Wyoming’s rivalry prize and grabbed a hold of the Bronze Boot.
“I was smiling ear to ear,” Brantley said again with a grin. “It was one of the best moments I’ve had here.”
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Jeff Bugher is a third-generation Wyomingite living in Casper. He is a sportswriter and Wyoming Cowboys/Cowgirls enthusiast who is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA ) and the National Sports Media Association (NSMA). Jeff's work has been cited by Sports Illustrated, one of the world's leading sports publications.
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