A week removed from a hard fought battle in Austin, Texas, the Wyoming Cowboys return to War Memorial to face off against the Appalachian State Mountaineers (App. St.).
App. St. walks into Laramie with the same 2-1 record as the Pokes. With wins against the FCS squad Gardner-Webb and the 0-3 East Carolina Pirates, some might discount the winning record of the Mountaineers due to easy matchups. However, App. St. was able to hang in with the 17th ranked North Carolina Tar Heels two weeks ago, losing by only one score.
While not from a power five conference, the Mountaineers are becoming notorious for their tendency to upset bigger opponents. Last year, they came up victorious against the 6th ranked Texas A&M Aggies and most famously knocked off 5th ranked Michigan on the road in 2007. The Mountaineer’s win in the “Big House” over the Wolverines is among the greatest NCAA upsets of all time.
For Appalachian State, quarterback Joey Aguilar leads the offense, boasting an impressive 690 yards of passing with 9 touchdowns. Andrew Parker Jr. is the name to look out for against the Mountaineers defense, as he leads the team with 25 tackles after three games.
For the Pokes, Andrew Peasley still remains questionable to return at quarterback after dealing with a shoulder injury. Evan Svaboda stepped up last Saturday against Texas, and would no doubt be comfortable making his second consecutive start tomorrow. However, it might be a game time decision for the Cowboys when it comes to the position.
Harrison Waylee burst on to the scene with a 61-yard touchdown carry last week, and he looks to keep the same amount of production at home. Meanwhile, Wyatt Weiland and Ayir Asante will be the go-to wideouts for the Cowboys.
While they allowed two scores late against Texas, the defense remains solid, and they are poised for another good performance. Wyatt Eckler and Easton Gibbs will continue leading the Pokes defense, which has become the strongest aspect of the 2023 Cowboys so far this season.
App. St. marks the end of non-conference play this season, so the Cowboys expect to wrap up the first stage of the schedule with a W. The game will be broadcast on CBSSN and kicks off at 5:00 p.m. this Saturday, September 23rd.
