Tanner Conley
Staff Writer
Two states, two teams, separated by 65.6 miles of highway. One rivalry spanning over a century. It is time for the latest iteration of the Border War.
It all began back in Nov. of 1899 when the University of Wyoming and Colorado Agricultural squared off for the first time. The rivalry did not start well for the Cowboys, only finding their first win 12 years later. But then, the teams had more to play for than just their pride.
In 1968, the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) detachments for both schools met and initiated the Bronze Boot. This traveling trophy was worn by Captain Dan J. Romero during the Vietnam War. After all, a difficult competition deserves a prize equally tough.
This year will be the 103rd meeting of the two teams and promises to be one of the most impactful of the season. Both teams are currently tied for fourth place in the Mountain West. A win today means locking down fourth place and keeping each team’s bowl dreams alive.
This year’s competition is only heightened by the recent drama surrounding the Colorado State University (CSU) side of the competition. The Rams have been training with Wyoming’s celebration video from their 56-32 victory earlier this year playing on the stadium’s jumbotron, according to a recent tweet from Jessica Mendoza.
Alongside this, the Cowboy’s traditional chant ‘It sucks to be a CSU Ram!’ could be heard reverberating throughout the facility.
With a rivalry so intense, it is no surprise that students and graduates on each side are quick to weigh in with their support.
“Sheep week. They’re not the Rams, they’re the sheep. It sucks and always will suck to be a CSU Ram. Never lost to them,” current Buffalo Bills quarterback and former Wyoming star Josh Allen said, according to Mike Klis on Twitter.
Current students are also expressing their support publicly.
“I’m pretty confident personally. I think we have a good football team this year and have the potential to win this game,” said Andrew Pray, a junior at UW. “It’s not that we hate each other, it’s just that we want to beat each other so bad.”
“I feel pretty confident, especially defensively,” said Ben Kearney, another student of UW. “We’ve been forcing a ton of turnovers and running the ball well. Hopefully that will continue into the next game. So, I’m not too worried.”
If the Cowboys pull through and get a win tonight, this will be their fourth in a row. For one Wyoming student, it goes to show how far the program has come.
“The biggest thing (that says) to me is how Craig Bohl has turned the program around. They knew coming in, it would take time for him to turn around a losing program and then this just proves the team has gotten progressively better. They thought the team would drop off this year, but they’ve actually improved. It just shows the team is going in the right direction,” said Scott Herman, a life-long Cowboy Football watcher.
Despite big wins early in the season, this was always for the focus for the fans, Herman said.
“I feel like even if there are big non-conference games at the beginning of the season, this is what the whole season leads up to. Even though Missouri was a huge game, CSU is even bigger in a way,” Herman said.
Fans and players alike have big expectations for the rivalry matchup.
“I feel very confident. I think we have a good game plan set and that we will be able to score a lot of points and not let them score,” said Jack Lookabaugh, a freshman on the team.
But Lookabaugh said, the difference between the teams is not only on the field.
“In Wyoming, we play ‘Cowboy Tough’ football. You don’t see us being soft or anything. We will go out there and hit and be very physical. Honestly, that’s what you have to do to play for Wyoming,” Lookabaugh said.
As for the final score, only time will tell who gets to keep the Bronze Boot this year. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the War Memorial Stadium in Laramie today.
