Wyoming defensive tackle Mike Purcell waits out the final seconds in the
team’s 42-28 loss to San Diego State on Saturday during an NCAA college
football game in Laramie.
Although the University of Wyoming’s football team was not able to compete at a bowl game this year, the Cowboys were not discouraged as they played their hardest at their last game Saturday against San Diego State University.
Both teams entered the stadium coming off winning streaks. San Diego won its previous six games while Wyoming had won three. The game also was the last scheduled meeting between the two teams as San Diego State will be joining the Big East Conference in football in 2013.
Although it was Thanksgiving weekend, Poke fans managed to fill War Memorial Stadium in brown and gold. The game started out strong as the Cowboys tied up the score with the Aztecs then continued to lead the game for the remainder of the first half. However, the Aztecs claimed their victory with a final score of 42-28. Despite the loss, the Pokes do not intend on looking back at their past performances but rather will focus on achievement for next year’s season.
As the team’s season came to a close, so did the careers of 14 senior athletes on the team. According to the Wyoming Athletics department, the 2012 seniors honored were: Luke Anderson from Southlake, Texas; Nick Carlson from Arlington Heights, Ill.; Patrick Hartford from Rock Springs; Korey Jones from Fort Collins; Josh Leonard from Helena, Mont.; Kyle Magnuson from Elkhart, Ind.; Chris McNeill from Simi Valley, Calif.; Miraldo Michel from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Ghaali Muhammad from St. Joseph, Mo.; Mike Purcell from Highlands Ranch, Colo.; Luke Ruff from Castle Rock, Colo.; Oliver Schober from Munich, Germany; B.J. Sumter from Columbia, S.C.; and Kurt Taufa’asau from Pago Pago, American Samoa.
The seniors had their share of accomplishments during their Wyoming careers. Some of these triumphs included two New Mexico Bowl appearances in 2009 and 2011, with the Cowboys the New Mexico Bowl Championship in 2009. The seniors are Wyoming’s first class since 1973 to capture four consecutive wins against CSU, according to the athletics department. The class also was the first to win eight games in a season since 1998.
