By Jeff Bugher
jeff@pokesnews.com
Wyoming defeated FCS foe Portland State 31 to 17 on a beautiful summer afternoon at War Memorial Stadium. However, Wyoming didn’t put a hammer on the Vikings like Oregon did a week prior (Oregon 81, Portland State 7). In the postgame press conference, head coach Craig Bohl stated, “We did some good things, but there’s a lot of things we can learn from.” Bohl continued, “It will be a great opportunity for us to fix some things, and sometimes these are the best opportunities to do that.” Bohl was unhappy about the fumbles: “We’ve had three fumbles in 2 games, and that’s three too many.” No matter how sloppy the game was, a win is still a win, and the Pokes are now 2-0 in non-conference play.
Why did Wyoming Lay off the Throttle?
Many fans have criticized the coaching staff for not laying on the throttle against an FCS team. One thing to remember is that Bohl is an "old school" coach who would likely see laying 70 points on an opponent as unsportsmanlike and unprofessional. That message was apparent when 2nd-string quarterback Evan Svoboda came into the game at the start of the 4th quarter and didn't throw a single pass. Why would Wyoming want to show their cards and tricks to an FCS team in a game they are already winning? Overall, Bohl was unhappy about how the production tapered off towards the end of the game.
Passing
Andrew Peasley was yet again the star of the show on Saturday. “I thought Andrew was throwing the ball well, we were catching the ball well.” “They did a good job protecting him.” Craig Bohl said. WR Asante Asir also praised his QB, “Andrew has an amazing command over the offense.” “He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve ever played with”. Peasley had 11 completions, 16 attempts, 201 total passing yards, a career-high three passing touchdowns, one interception, and a career-high 223.7 quarterback rating.
Rushing
We all know that Wyoming is a “run first” team, so it was no surprise that there was plenty of running action during Saturday’s game. Wyoming ran the ball for 170 yards and included six rushers. Former linebacker turned running back Sam Scott led the way with 70 yards, followed by QB Andrew Peasley with 43 yards, then DQ James for 33 yards, and Jamari Ferrell with 18 yards.
Kicking
John Hoyland completed a 56-yard field goal, tying his previous personal longest that he made last week against Texas Tech. “Each one of those field goals has come after TFL or a sack,” Bohl said.
Defense
Wyoming’s defensive unit played strong, which helped the team win the game. Wrook Brown and Easton Gibbs both led the team with eight total tackles. Wyett Ekeler, Issac White, and Jordan Bertagnoli all had seven tackles. Ekeler also had his second career interception during the game!
Cole Godbout is Back- and so is the “Sack Dance.”
Nose Tackle Cole Godbout has not had a sack in 627 days, mainly due to an injury that sidelined him for most of the 2022 season. That changed yesterday, Cole had 1.5 sacks against Portland State. "You know, I hadn't done my little dance there for a couple of years and it kind of felt good to be back. I almost got flagged. The ref talked to me about it. I was like, dang, I've been doing it for half a decade now. But it felt good. It was cool." Cole Godbout said. Cole had 2.5 tackles for loss and six total tackles by the end of the game.
Game Summary:
1st Quarter:
Wyoming: 8:03 Ferrell 1-yard rush for TD. 5 plays for 34 yards.
Wyoming: 2:51 Asante 64-yard reception for TD. 3 plays for 67 yards.
Score: Wyoming 14, Portland State 0
2nd Quarter:
Portland State: 8:50 Chachere 2-yard rush for TD. 18 plays, 75 yards.
Wyoming: 4:52 Wieland 29-yard reception for TD. 3 plays, 49 yards.
Portland State: 0:16 Smith for a 45-yard FG. 5 plays, 17 yards.
Score: Wyoming 21, Portland State 10
3rd Quarter:
Wyoming: 6:42 Hoyland for a 56-yard FG. 11 plays, 41 yards.
Wyoming: 1:55 Asante 14-yard reception for TD. 7 plays, 67 yards.
Wyoming 31, Portland State 10
4th Quarter:
Portland State: 7:03 Griffin 10-yard reception for TD. 11 plays, 54 yards.
Final Score: Wyoming 31, Portland State 17
New Personal Single Game Career Highs of Note (Wyoming):
Passing:
Andrew Peasley: 3 total touchdowns, long of 64 yards, highest QB rating at 223.7.
Receiving:
Ayir Asante: 2 Receptions, 78 Yards, 2 touchdowns, 64-yard long catch.
Ryan Marquez: 19-yard-long catch.
John Michael Gyllenborg: 15-yard-long catch
Rushing:
Sam Scott: 11 attempts, 70 total yards, 19-yard-long
Farrell: 1 touchdown, 17-yard-long
Wyatt Wieland: 11 total yards, 11-yard-long
Tackles:
Wyett Ekeler: 2 tackles for loss.
Shae Suiaunoa: 1.5 tackles for loss.
National Rankings:
National Team Rankings NCAA FBS
#1 Winning Percentage (tied with 50 undefeated NCAA teams)
#1 Red Zone Offense (tied with 34 teams)
#1 4th Down Conversion % (tied with 19 teams)
#3 Fewest Penalty Yards
#3 Fewest Penalty Yards Per Game
#7 Fewest Penalties Per Game
#8: Fewest Penalties
#16 Team Sacks
National Individual Rankings NCAA FBS:
#1 Field Goal %: John Hoyland (tied with 42 players)
#2 Field Goal Length (56 yards twice) John Hoyland (tied with 3 others)
#7 Fumbles Recovered: Tyrecus Davis (tied with 6 players)
#16 Forced Fumbles: Tyrecus Davis (tied with 10 players)
#22 Passing TD’s: Andrew Peasley
#25 Field Goals Per Game: John Hoyland
#25 Interceptions Per Game: Wrook Brown and Wyett Ekeler
#27 Points Responsible For, and Points Responsible For Per Game: Andrew Peasley
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