Gold Out Turns Sour: Wyoming's Celebration Dampened by Potential QB1 Injury

Jeff Bugher
5 days ago
2 min read

Wyoming quarterback Kaden Anderson (12). Photo by Ian Cadena, PokesNews.com Staff

It was a picture-perfect fall day at War Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon, as War Memorial Stadium was filled with a sea of gold for “gold out” day to kick things off in the freshly renovated stadium. Starting quarterback Kaden Anderson had an outstanding start to the day, passing for 17 completions on 23 attempts for 167 total yards and two touchdowns.

Then everyone gasped. With 1:12 left in the third quarter, Kaden Anderson went down on a violent midsection hit by UNI cornerback Jonathan Cabral-Martin, which caused Anderson to lose the football in the process. Anderson was escorted to the sideline by medical staff. Backup quarterback Landon Sims took over quarterback duties for the remainder of the game.

What head coach Jay Sawvel said postgame:

“Kaden's getting checked out. I don't have full information on everything, but it's not a concussion type of deal...we'll see. He'll be sore. Somewhere in the upper body. I don't know exactly…I know exactly, but until I know what it is, it's in the upper body.” “Hopefully, Kaden is alright and back.”

Additionally, Sawvel mentioned that some preliminary checks came back good. Sawvel said he will have an update on Monday. Backup Landon Sims will be QB1 if Anderson cannot play on Saturday against the #20 Utah Utes.

Here's what I saw from the press box:

Medical staff evaluated Anderson on the field for several minutes, then brought him to the medical tent. Jay Sawvel went onto the field where Anderson was lying and stood next to medical personnel with a concerned look on his face as the team brought the quarterback up onto his feet.

After about five to ten minutes in the tent, I observed Anderson standing outside the tent speaking to a family member in the stands, then he was escorted by training staff into the locker room.

Anderson high-fived fans on his way to the locker room, so if the injury is an extremity, it likely isn’t his right hand.

Multiple sources told me Anderson was taken to the hospital after the injury.

I do want to take a moment to give a shoutout to Wyoming's training staff; they do a phenomenal job and work very hard outside the public eye.

The Pokes secured a 31-7 victory over the Panthers, but the excitement began to wane with unsettling news about Anderson's status. Obviously, everything reported above is based on what I saw and sources. So for now, everything is speculation until we get a better report from Jay Sawvel on Monday afternoon.