By the Numbers: Turnovers Hurt Wyoming, but Several Cowboys Shine in Border War Loss
- Jeff Bugher
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The final score painted an ugly picture in Wyoming’s season opener, but not every number coming out of Saturday's Border War was negative.
Colorado State pulled away in the second half for a 35-13 victory over Wyoming at Canvas Stadium, reclaiming the Bronze Boot after the Cowboys had won eight of the previous 10 meetings.
Wyoming trailed just 14-13 early in the third quarter before the game turned. Four turnovers, a 0-for-8 performance on third downs, and several explosive plays allowed the Rams to score the game's final 21 points.
Still, there were individual performances Wyoming can build on as the Cowboys move forward.
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Here is the Border War by the numbers:
15 - Ethan Stuhlsatz tackles
Ethan Stuhlsatz was very busy in the middle of Wyoming's defense.
The linebacker recorded a game-high 15 combined tackles, including three solo stops and 12 assists. He also added half a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry.
Stuhlsatz finished four tackles ahead of Wyoming's next-leading defender.
11 - Esaia Bogar tackles
Esaia Bogar provided another bright spot for the Cowboys' defense.
The senior defensive end finished with 11 tackles, including three solo stops, and recorded 1.5 tackles for loss. Bogar also registered a quarterback hurry.
Wyoming didn't record a sack against Colorado State, but Bogar was among the Cowboys who were able to create some disruption in the backfield.
63 – Samuel “Tote” Harris rushing yards
Tote led Wyoming's rushing attack with 63 yards on 16 carries, averaging 3.9 yards per attempt.
Harris' longest run went for 15 yards. He also caught one pass and finished with 64 yards from scrimmage.
As a team, Wyoming rushed for 143 yards on 34 attempts and averaged 4.2 yards per carry.
52 Tyler Hughes rushing yards
Hughes had a difficult night throwing the football, but the Wyoming quarterback showed the running ability that helped him win the starting job.
Hughes carried 11 times for 52 yards, averaging 4.7 yards per attempt, and scored Wyoming's only touchdown.
His three-yard touchdown run with 10:59 remaining in the third quarter pulled the Cowboys within 14-13. It was as close as Wyoming would get.
51 - Jake Wilson receiving yards
Jake Wilson only needed two catches to lead Wyoming in receiving yards.
The tight end finished with two receptions for 51 yards, averaging 25.5 yards per catch. His longest reception covered 29 yards.
Wyoming finished with only 130 passing yards, meaning Wilson accounted for nearly 40 percent of the Cowboys' production through the air.
53.5 - Brock Edmiston's punting average
One of Wyoming's best performances came from its punter.
Brock Edmiston Jr. punted four times for 214 yards, an average of 53.5 yards per punt. His longest traveled 59 yards, and he placed one inside the Colorado State 20-yard line.
Wyoming finished with a 45-yard net punting average.
7 - Erik Sandvik's points
Erik Sandvik accounted for more than half of Wyoming's scoring.
The kicker connected on both of his field-goal attempts, hitting from 37 and 48 yards, and converted his only extra-point attempt.
That gave Sandvik seven points on a night when Wyoming's offense struggled to finish drives.
4 - Wyoming turnovers
This was the number Wyoming couldn't overcome.
Hughes threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, giving the Cowboys four turnovers compared with none for Colorado State.
The Rams turned Wyoming's mistakes into 14 points, while the Cowboys didn't score any points off turnovers.
The turnovers were particularly damaging because Wyoming wasn't dramatically outgained. Colorado State finished with 396 total yards compared with Wyoming's 273.
0-for-8 - Third downs
Keeping drives alive proved nearly impossible.
Wyoming went 0-for-8 on third down and 0-for-1 on fourth down.
Put the two together and the Cowboys converted just zero of 9 opportunities on third or fourth down.
Colorado State was considerably more successful, converting seven of its 15 third downs and two of its two fourth downs.
5 - Colorado State passing touchdowns
The Rams never reached the end zone on the ground.
They didn't need to.
Colorado State quarterback Hauss Hejny completed 23 of 33 passes for 214 yards and five touchdowns without an interception. He wasn't sacked.
Reginald Vick Jr. did the most damage, catching five passes for 75 yards and three touchdowns, including a 57-yard score in the third quarter.
21 - Unanswered Colorado State points
Wyoming was very much in the Border War early in the third quarter.
Hughes' touchdown run cut Colorado State's advantage to 14-13, and the Cowboys had an opportunity to take the lead on their next possession.
It never happened.
Colorado State scored the game's final 21 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, while Wyoming was held scoreless over the final 25:59 of the game. The Cowboys went from being one point away from the Rams to suffering a 22-point defeat.
35-13 - Final score
There were positives buried inside Wyoming's first loss of the season.
Stuhlsatz and Bogar piled up tackles. Harris and Hughes combined for 115 rushing yards. Wilson provided a couple of explosive receptions, while Sandvik and Edmiston delivered solid performances on special teams.
But the biggest numbers were impossible to escape.
Four turnovers. Zero third-down conversions. Zero takeaways. Five passing touchdowns allowed.
The biggest number of all wasn’t even a number; it was the Bronze Boot staying in Fort Collins.
*09/06/26 9:56 PM - I made a correction to some of the stats on third and fourth down attempts. I sincerely apologize for this error.
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