The Wyoming Cowboys got off to a hot start in Texas tonight, but a collapse in the fourth quarter led to the Pokes coming up short.
The Wyoming Cowboys took their first road trip of the season to Austin, Texas this Saturday to take on the number 4 ranked Texas Longhorns. With a sold out crowd, Texas Memorial Stadium was packed with over 100,000 fans, a daunting environment to play in as a visitor.
To much surprise, Wyoming fans saw a whole new backfield for the Pokes to start the game. Evan Svaboda began the contest under center, replacing Andrew Peasley. Peasley was suited up to play, but appeared to be sidelined due to an injury. Harrison Waylee took a majority of the carries for the Pokes throughout the night, a new face for the Cowboys at running back.
It only took five plays for Waylee to get to work, grabbing a handoff and running 62-yards to the house on the opening drive. Hoyland added an extra point, and Wyoming, despite being a heavy underdog, was up 7-0.
Over the next few Texas offensive drives, the Longhorns were able to add a field goal and touchdown. With 12-minutes left in the first half, Texas led 10-7. Wyoming’s defense was able to limit big plays, but QB Quinn Ewers and the Longhorn offense slowly wore down the Pokes, their touchdown coming on a 17 play, 90-yard drive.
Evan Svaboda looked calm in the pocket despite the big stage. While Wyoming relied on the rushing attack, Svaboda was smart with the football and was 10/16 with 61 yards before the half. He headed into the locker room with his team only trailing by 3-points.
Waylee continued his solid play at running back to start the second half and was complemented by Svaboda’s efficient passing. The Cowboy’s took 17 plays on their only drive of the third quarter, tacking on a Hoyland field goal that tied the game at 10 heading into the final period.
A short 4 plays later, the Cowboys gave up their first big play of the evening, a 44-yard touchdown to Texas receiver Xavier Worthy. After an unsuccessful Pokes drive, Texas regained possession with 12 minutes to go. A 61-yard rush set up a Quinn Ewers touchdown scramble that made it 24-10, Texas.
On the ensuing Cowboy drive, Svaboda’s throw to Ayir Asante was intercepted by the Longhorns and taken 27-yards to the end zone. A late fumble recovery for Wyoming gave the Pokes a shot to repair the damage, but the clock ran to zero before anything could materialize. The Longhorns were able to defend their home turf, coming up with a 31-10 victory.
Despite the loss, Wyoming was able to show a strong defensive presence against the high-powered Texas attack. Failing to remain consistent proved to be the downfall for the team. Evan Svaboda stepped up big and for the most part handled the pressure well. On top of this, Harrison Waylee ran for 110-yards and a touchdown in his first career start, a great performance on the road.
The Pokes have a lot to be proud of in this hard fought battle, but they return to Laramie with some work to do. Appalachian State pays a visit to Laramie next Saturday to take on the 2–1 Cowboys.
