Gear up for gameday: Hawaii

LARAMIE -- I like to use this space each week for football randomness.

Sometimes we take a look back at a famous game in the all-time series. Others, I like to find out what well-known celebrities attended the school Wyoming is playing on that particular weekend.

I also like to share some personal experienced from time to time.

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When it comes to Hawaii, the Cowboys final opponent on the 2021 regular-season schedule, my mind always wanders back to 1996. I realize I write a lot about that season. It was the last time Wyoming won double-digit games in a season. It was also a very impressionable squad for a 13-year-old kid.

Without completely going off the rails here, I feel bad for local kids that have only witnessed mediocrity in Laramie and never caught "Pokes Fever" like so many did in my day. I still cringe when I see a high school kid wearing a shirt with another college team on it.

Any way ...

Back to that beauty in '96. Some people hate blowouts. I'm not one of them.

That team, led by Josh Wallwork, Marcus Harris, Jim Talich, Brian Lee, and many, many others, took plenty of its opponents behind the woodshed that year. Hawaii got the worst of it, falling inside War Memorial Stadium, 66-0.

It was the most-lopsided UW victory since the Cowboys beat Northern Colorado 103-0 back in 1949.

I recall it was a perfect day on the high plains. Warm, a few drops of rain came down in the second half.

Wyoming climbed out to a 35-0 first-half lead.

Wallwork, then the No. 2 passer in the nation, tossed two touchdowns and rolled up nearly 300 yards in less than a half of football. Harris hauled in seven catches for more than 100 yards in the first half, too. UW tallied 509 yards of total offense to go along with 27 first downs while holding the visiting Rainbow Warriors to just 154 yards.

A majority of the starters took the second half off. Still Wyoming tacked on 31 more points.

Now, that was fun.

The game in 2013 brought a different kind of fun -- the stressful kind.

Stuart Williams nailed a 36-yard field goal in overtime to give the Cowboys a 59-56 victory over the winless 'Bows n the home finale in Laramie. That game put a halt to a four-game losing streak. It also featured seven -- yes, seven -- Brett Smith touchdown passes. That is still a school record.

Both offenses that day combined for 1,417 total yards.

Wyoming receiver Robert Herron caught 11 passes for 141 yards and tied the program record with four touchdown grabs. Dominic Rufran also eclipsed the 100-yard mark after catching seven passes.

Smith added to his record-breaking day by bolting through the Hawaii defense for a 51-yard touchdown run. Those eight scores by Smith was the most ever in a single game in Mountain West history.

And who could forget the 2017 meeting in Laramie?

Josh Allen hit a streaking James Price for a score from 25 yards out on the first possession of overtime and Cassh Maluia -- with the use of just one hand -- snagged a game-winning interception to give the Cowboys a 28-21 victory.

Trey Woods added 135 rushing yards and Tyler Hall took a kick 97 yards to the house in that nail biter.

These two teams have had some classic battles. Will Saturday be another one?

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS:
* Paniolo Trophy on the line when UW, Hawaii meet Saturday
* Three keys to beating the 'Bows
* Joshua Cobbs looking to build off breakout performance
* Wyoming tight end Colin O'Brien embraces the art of blocking
* Around the Mtn: It all comes down to this
* Cowboys in the NFL: Week 11
* Wyoming football: News and notes
* Who has eligibility remaining on the Wyoming football team?
* Wyoming linebacker Chad Muma declares for NFL Draft
* Muma selected as one of six national finalists for Butkus Award
* Cam Stone named MW Special Teams Player of the Week

Here is all you need to know -- and the links -- for Saturday's tilt in Laramie:

WHO: Hawaii (5-7, 2-5) at Wyoming (6-5, 2-5)
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 27 at 1 p.m. MST
WEATHER: High of 46, low of 29, partly cloudy, winds at 9 mph
WHERE: War Memorial Stadium, Laramie, Wyo.
TRAVEL: WyoRoad.info
TV: Spectrum Hawaii
RADIO: Cowboy Sports Network
STREAMING: Team1sports app
TICKETS: UW Ticket Central
BOX SCORE: ESPN
ROSTERS: Wyoming / Hawaii
BETMGM ODDS: Wyoming -10.5, O/U 47.5 (Could be subject to change)
HISTORY: Wyoming leads the all-time series 15-10
HEAD COACHES: Craig Bohl / Todd Graham

(This week’s game will be telecast on Spectrum Hawai’i. The only way to watch the game is by downloading the Team1Sports app on your phone or tablet and watch from those devices. Fans can also screen cast to their televisions if they have the right phone and TV. The Team1sports app can also be found Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV and Roku. Make sure you give permission to access your location.)