Posted inFootball / Sports

Cowboys’ Upset Bid Comes up Just Short Against Boise State

Mason Riding by Mason Riding0

When the Cowboys trotted out for their first drive of the second half, Evan Svoboda wasn’t coming out to line up as a tight end as he has done in spurts for the past two games for the Cowboys. The junior was taking reigns under center once again after losing the starting a few weeks prior.

Kaden Anderson, the Cowboys’ starting quarterback of late, was in concussion protocol for the remainder of the game after halftime after suffering a hard blow just before the break. To say he was sorely missed by Cowboy fans, would be an understatement.

A chorus of boos rang out when Svoboda took to the field on that opening drive of the second half. They rang louder when the Cowboys proceeded to go three and out with Svoboda at the helm.

Still, that didn’t stifle Svoboda’s confidence. His teammates’ confidence wasn’t lost on him either.  The junior signal caller was ready for this moment, as he knew at any moment’s notice he could be under center once again. He was prepared for his deployment when his number was called out of the break.

“It’s the same mindset, it’s the same approach as if you’re the starter, being the backup. It’s one play away from going back in,” Svoboda said.

Two drives later, Svoboda would air out a beautiful spiral to Justin Stevenson for a 63 yard gain on third down. That play would set up a chip shot field goal for John Hoyland, who was true from 35 yards out.

“I’m extremely proud of Evan, especially with everything he’s been going through,” wide out Jaylen Sargent said of Svoboda backing up Anderson. “He’s a great person, great leader. He’s definitely someone I would follow into battle every time.”

Suddenly, with nine minutes remaining in the final quarter of play, the Cowboys were grasping onto a 13-10 lead after holding the Broncos scoreless in the third frame. It certainly helped that Ashton Jeanty, a Heisman Trophy hopeful and star running back for the Broncos, had missed most of the third quarter due to an apparent injury.

An upset seemed like it was in the cards for the Cowboys, who hadn’t beaten the Broncos more than once in program history.

However, a reinserted Jeanty in the fourth quarter was keen on not allowing that to happen. The junior back would proceed to torch the Cowboys for 53 yards on the following drive, leading the Broncos to the end zone in his first series of the fourth quarter.

That would be the final scoring drive of the game for either team, as the Cowboys’ final hail mary attempt at the end of the game would come up short.

While a heartbreaking 17-14 loss wasn’t the result the Cowboys were looking for, given the circumstances of everything leading up to this game, nobody could deny the effort of this now 2-9 squad when taking on the 12th ranked team in the nation. This season may not have devolved in a way this team may have wanted, the Cowboys surely seemed determined to send their seniors out with a bang in their final home game.

The Cowboys played a brand of football we have become all too accustomed to not seeing this season. They played inspired. They played Cowboy tough.

“I’m proud of all of our players, they fought their ass off tonight,” head coach Jay Sawvel said after the game.

The Cowboy defense, which has been inconsistent at best throughout this year, limped into this game after giving up 660 combined rushing yards in their last two contests. A battered front line missing senior Jordan Bertagnole looked poised to give up an unfathomable amount of yards to the nation’s leader in total rushing yards in Jeanty.

Outside of the Broncos’ final scoring drive of the game and a 61 yard touchdown burst at the beginning of the game, the Cowboys limited Jeanty to just 55 yards. Broncos’ quarterback Maddux Madsen, who was made uncomfortable all night by the Cowboys’ defensive pressure, ended the contest going just 14/26 for 167 yards and no touchdowns. He was also sacked twice, both of which coming on critical third down plays.

“We knew going into this week that they a Heisman candidate out there and we knew what kind of mindset we had to have,” senior linebacker Shae Suiaunoa said.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Cowboys’ receivers looked inspired to avenge their last outing that saw that group drop seven passes in the loss to Colorado State. Sargent, who has molded into the Cowboys’ most dangerous receiver threat, impressed yet again with miraculous contested catches, one of which set up fellow wideout Justin Stevenson for a touchdown grab in the second quarter. Sargent finished with four catches for 86 yards, paced by Stevenson who finished with four catches for 82 yards. Still, this offensive unit let a few crucial opportunities slip in this one, including a turnover on downs within the Bronco 10 yard line in the second quarter that would come back to haunt the Cowboys in a one score finish.

“I really want to tip my hat off to the defense, I feel like they just played their butt off. Offensively, we need to help out our defense, and so I wish we could go back into that game and change a few things,” Sargent said postgame.

While this one won’t be a win the Cowboys can tally onto their overall record, it certainly was a moral victory in a season that has been devoid of much of any optimism. The Cowboys proved they still have it in them to hang around with the best of the best in the Mountain West.

With only one game left on the schedule and nothing to play for, the Cowboys can only hope to carry this moral victory with them on the road at Washington State to hopefully pull one more win out of the hat for a senior group that certainly deserves it after all they’ve been through this season.

“Everybody’s been wanting to throw [expletive] on us all year long, right?” Sawvel said. “And we keep coming back and playing, and we keep coming back and battling.”

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