Cardiac Cowboys Are Able To Beat Florida Atlantic, 20-19

In an amazing finish, the Wyoming Cowboys slipped past the Florida Atlantic Owls, 20-19, on a Stuart Williams 18-yard field goal with 15 seconds left Saturday in Laramie.

Head coach Craig Bohl said you gotta keep believing,

"Sometimes when you think you've seen it all, you haven't. Today (Saturday) was a great example of that; of just the resolve and a belief and of makin' plays, and we certainly needed them... Huge win for us."

Williams, a senior, said of his game-winning heroics, "We practice it. It really comes down to practice reps. Coach Bohl always has me take one from the one-yard line on each hash; just in case we're in those situations where you have to kick an 18-yard field goal."

An 88-yard pass from Colby Kirkegaard to Dominic Rufran put the Pokes in position to get their third win. It almost didn’t happen.

Wyoming (3-1) failed to convert on fourth and 22 from their own 11 yard line with just over two minutes left. The Owls took over and simply needed to run out the clock. On the first play, Florida Atlantic quarterback Jaquez Johnson fumbled after a hit by the Cowboys’ Mark Nzeocha. Jordan Stanton recovered at the 8-yard line, and on the next play Kirkegaard connected with Rufran on the big pass play.

Both teams had scored earlier in the fourth quarter. UW got a 5-yard t-d run from D.J. May on the first play of the final period for a 17-16 lead. The Owls responded at the 8:14 mark of the fourth with a Greg Joseph 33-yard field goal.

Shaun Wick, who ran for 111 yards, capped the Cowboys opening drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Williams made a career long 50-yard field goal early in the second for a 10-3 lead. It was 10-6 at half.

Florida Atlantic (1-3) took their first lead on Johnson’s 14-yard scamper with 8:56 left in the third quarter. That followed a 65-yard punt return by Lucky Whitehead. Joseph kicked his third field goal in the game, from 43 yards, that extended it to 16-10 Owls with less than a minute left in the third.

Kirkegaard was only 10-23 for 161 yards and was sacked five times. UW finished with 334 total yards.

Defensively the Pokes were led by Devyn Harris, who had ten tackles and a pass break-up. Robert Priester added nine total tackles and forced a fumble. The Cowboy defense recovered three fumbles on the day.

Wyoming has come from behind in all three of their wins this season. All of them have been at home.

The Cowboys will play their final non-conference game next Saturday at the 11th-ranked Michigan State Spartans. Kick-off is at 10 a.m., Mountain Time.