Wyoming Football: News and Notes Ahead of Bye Week

LARAMIE -- Bloody Tuesday is officially on hold.

Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl said Monday his team will utilize this year's bye week to relax, refresh, recoup and rehab.

In this seven-week stretch, the Cowboys faced three ranked teams. Air Force, which knocked off UW 34-27 last Saturday night in Colorado Springs, is now No. 22 in the national polls.

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Running back Harrison Waylee missed that one with a lower-body injury. Starting quarterback Andrew Peasley and right guard Jack Walsh also suffered ankle injuries' late in the loss to the Falcons. Bohl also said his defensive tackles -- Cole Godbout, Jordan Bertagnole, Ben Florentine and Gavin Meyer, among others -- have taken a beating.

"We're in hopes that we'll have Harrison back," Bohl said. "I don't know the long term status of Jack Walsh. We're in hopes that we'll have him back. But certainly having a week here to get healed up for him is going to be important. We have a lot of other players who have been just grinding through. That was probably one of the more competitive schedules that we've faced since I've been our head coach.

"It certainly made us better, but it was a grind."

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* Wyoming falls late at Air Force, 34-27

* Rants & Raves: Air Force Edition

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Wyoming enters the bye at 5-2 overall and 2-1 in Mountain West play. Air Force is now in the driver's seat at 6-0 overall. Troy Calhoun's team is also 4-0 in conference action. UNLV is also undefeated in league play at 2-0. Boise State, the Cowboys' next opponent, Fresno State and Colorado State all have one loss in the standings.

Here are some other news and notes from Bohl's press conference:

* What is going on in the second half of the last two games? Wyoming has outscored its last two opponents -- Fresno State and Air Force -- 45-24 in the first half. In the second, those teams have dominated the Cowboys, 29-6. That came on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Peasley to tight end Treyton Welch in the fourth quarter last Saturday. That tied the score at 27-27 with 6:14 remaining. John Hoyland's extra point was blocked by Air Force safety Trey Taylor. "We're talking about that, too," Bohl said. "You know, we've had a couple games where we have not come out and maybe performed as well in the second half ... (We're) disappointed about that. We weren't able to maintain that same momentum. So, we're looking at 'OK, are we too static at halftime?' Sometimes you go in and you try to, OK, things are going really well, but then you try to create all these other things and next thing you know, you're making these adjustments that you haven't practiced. But I thought we were a little bit static and didn't have our stinger up in the second half as much as what we needed."

* All-American placekicker John Hoyland has missed three straight kicks, dating back to the fourth quarter of Wyoming's 24-19 victory over then No. 24 Fresno State. The Colorado product also had a point-after attempt blocked last Saturday at the Academy. Bohl, who coached the kickers, said postgame he would encourage Hoyland. Monday, he said he will spend time with the junior this week. "He doesn't get too high and doesn't get too low," Bohl said. "He is an extraordinarily talented kicker. Those kicks didn't go his way -- or our way. I think it's important to know that, you know what, we have great confidence in John, and when he runs out there, he's the best we got. So, we're excited about putting him out there in those situations."

* Bohl said his team is not complacent. He also said if you told him the Cowboys were 5-2 at this point, he would take it. "There's more out there for us to do," Bohl continued.

* Air Force rushed for 356 yards in Saturday night's win. 75 of those yards came on a 17-play drive out of the halftime locker room. Bohl said the Falcons' guard Wesley Ndago, who spent time in Sheridan before moving to Waco, Texas, was a game changer. "Their guard may be the best guard that we've seen, and that includes Texas," he said of the 6-foot-2 senior who won a 4A state title at Sheridan High School. "... He's a heck of a player."

* This week won't only serve as a physical break for this team, it's a chance to rest the mind, Bohl said. "We're going to tailor our practices to not have a hit-fest," he continued. "We need to be really refreshed and focused when we play Boise, and then, you know, as we attack the game after that."

* Wyoming has just five regular-season games remaining. Last year the Cowboys went 3-2 down the stretch. That doesn't include a 30-27 loss to Ohio in the Arizona Bowl, which concluded a three-game losing skid. The year before that, UW lost three of its last five games on the regular season slate. Bohl has been looking for "2% more" from his guys this season in hopes this team can finish strong. "We talked about finishing four quarters," he said. "That's easier said than done."

* Bohl didn't watch the end of Colorado State's miracle win last Saturday night in Fort Collins, but he heard it. He was on the bus on the way home from Colorado Springs when he found out the Rams overcame a 30-10 deficit against Boise State with just 4:01 left on the clock. "A heck of a comeback for CSU," he said of the 31-30 victory that took a Hail Mary at the buzzer. "A big, big win for their program. I'm sure coach (Andy) Avalos will look at that tape and see where they could do better."

* Wyoming isn't quite ready to shift focus to Boise State quite yet. The Cowboys will take on the Broncos inside of Albertsons Stadium Oct. 28. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. Mountain Time and the game will be televised on FS2. Bohl knows Boise State is implementing a two-quarterback system, rotating Taylen Green and Maddux Madsen. "Boise poses a big challenge," he said. "They have prolific players and their running back is dynamic. The quarterbacks are playing well. They've always had good skill players. You know, I know our defensive coaches are in there grinding away through tape right now."

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