Two UW players hold the Bronze Boot after defeating CSU 22-19 last season. This year will mark the 104th annual meeting between the two rivals.
Wyoming and Colorado State will take the field against one another for the 104th time on Saturday at Wyoming’s War Memorial Stadium. The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. The series dates back to the first meeting on Nov. 30, 1899. The series has been played in three centuries. Saturday’s game will mark the 67th consecutive year that the Cowboys and Rams will play on the gridiron. They have played uninterrupted since the end of World War II.
Since 1968, the two arch rivals have played for the Bronze Boot. This year will mark the 45th time the traveling trophy has been contested. Wyoming has won the last three meetings. Prior to these past three seasons, the Cowboys had not won three straight since 1987, ‘88 and ‘89. UW will be going for its fourth consecutive win on Saturday. Winning four straight in the series is something Wyoming has not accomplished since 1970-73.
The Cowboys, 1-7 overall and 0-4 in Mountain West Conference play, are looking for their second win of the season, and first conference win of the year. Colorado State will enter the game with a 2-6 overall mark. The Rams are 1-3 in MW play, having captured their first conference victory last week, with a 42-27 home win over Hawai’i.
The annual running of the game ball by the ROTC detachments of the University of Wyoming and Colorado State University will take place on Friday, Nov. 2. Colorado State ROTC members will begin the run in Fort Collins. They will deliver the game ball to University of Wyoming ROTC members at approximately Noon on Friday at the Wyoming-Colorado state border on U.S. Highway 287. After a brief ceremony and exchange of the game ball, Wyoming ROTC members will run the game ball from the border to Laramie, arriving at War Memorial Stadium at about 5 p.m.
A year ago, Wyoming came away with a 22-19 road win over CSU to conclude the regular season with eight wins. Wyoming quarterback Brett Smith threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 90 more yards in last year’s victory. Smith’s second TD pass put the Cowboys up 20-19 midway through the fourth quarter. Cowboy defensive tackle Mike Purcell came up with a sack of Colorado State’s quarterback in the end zone for a safety later in the fourth quarter to increase the Wyoming lead to 22-19. UW cornerback Blair Burns intercepted a pass on CSU’s last drive to seal the victory for the Pokes. Senior Purcell and sophomores Smith and Burns all returned for the Cowboys this year.
Saturday’s game will be broadcast on radio over the Cowboy Sports Network, beginning at 1:30 p.m. The game will also be televised by KTVD Channel 20 of Denver.
