The Wyoming Cowboy football team played a tough game Saturday night but fell short in overtime to Nevada with a final score of 35-28.
It was UW’s second-straight overtime game this season as Wyoming and Idaho went to an extra period in a 40-37 Cowboy win on Sept. 22.
“We were in position to win it, and we didn’t get it done in the end,” Wyoming head coach Dave Christensen said.
UW sophomore quarterback Brett Smith went 21-for-34 for 197 yards and three touchdowns, and junior wide receiver Robert Herron had four catches for 27 yards and two scores. Smith added a score on the ground to account for four TDs, according to Wyoming Athletics.
On defense, senior linebacker Ghaali Muhammad had a career-high 15 stops, a sack and a fumble recovery. Sophomore cornerback Darrenn White had six stops and his first career interception.
Wyoming scored first as Smith hit Herron with a 16-yard strike in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead. But Nevada tied it up shortly after as they scored on a three-yard plunge on a fourth-down play.
The game continued as Nevada took the lead 14-7 in the first half after intercepting a pass thrown by Smith.
Wyoming Athletic reports that the next possession ended as Smith fumbled on the UW 47 and the Pack recovered. Six plays later, Nevada scored and increased the lead to 21-7 with 9:50 to go in the second quarter. Smith then led the Pokes on an 11-play, 51-yard drive and hit Herron for his second TD of the day in the corner of the end zone to make it 21-14 Nevada ending the first half.
Nevada had a good start in the third quarter but UW’s defense stiffened on its own end, and Nevada’s 30-yard field-goal attempt bounced off the upright. The score stayed 21-14 until Smith led the Pokes on a 10-play passing the ball to sophomore wide receiver Jalen Claiborne who then scored a TD. That score made it 21-21 by the end of the third quarter.
Reports from Wyoming Athletics stated that the Cowboys forced a punt on Nevada’s next possession and Smith guided Wyoming on an 82-yard drive. The signal-caller capped it off with an 8-yard run, untouched, into the endzone. That made it 28-21 Wyoming with 13:07 to go.
During the last quarter of the game, Smith was flagged for his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and was ejected from the game with 8:16 minutes remaining.
The Wolf Pack then drove to the Wyoming 6 yard line but freshman linebacker Siaosi Hala`api`api forced a fumble and senior defensive tackle Mike Purcell recovered it to stop the scoring threat. MW reports showed that Hala`api`api perhaps had the best game of his young career as he stopped Nevada’s QB on a scramble on fourth down at the Wyoming 5 with less than three minutes to go.
After a UW punt, Nevada scored again with 1:18 to go to tie things up at 28 which then led the two teams into overtime. Nevada scored on the second play in overtime which was the final margin as Nevada stopped UW on four-straight plays.
Wyoming will host Air Force (2-3 overall, 1-1 MW) for its homecoming game on Saturday in Laramie. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.
