Smith Leads Cowboys Past Idaho, 21-16
Trey Smith ran for a career-best 152 yards and two touchdowns to help the Wyoming Cowboys escape the Idaho Vandals, 21-16, Saturday in Laramie.
Smith, a Grad Transfer from Louisville, had never enjoyed a 100-yard rushing game in his college career. His 80-yard touchdown run with 10:16 left in the game proved to be the difference. It put the Pokes ahead 21-13 at the time.
Wyoming (3-0) ran for 237 yards but struggled through the air again with just 50.
Idaho (1-2) was a 25-point underdog but challenged UW all game. The Vandals got out to a 10-0 lead with 12 minutes left in the first half.
The Pokes led 21-16 and survived a late drive by Idaho. The Vandals took advantage of two big personal foul penalties called against Wyoming and had first down at the Cowboys 19-yard line. After a run of one-yard and an incomplete pass, Idaho was called for offensive pass interference on a ball that was caught for a TD. Solomon Byrd sacked Vandals’ QB Mason Petrino, which forced a punt. UW got two first downs and ran out the clock.
Down 10-0 in the second quarter, the Cowboys first score was a 12-yard touchdown run by Raghib Ismail Jr. After an Austin Conway 43-yard punt return to the Idaho 14-yard line, Wyoming scored on Smith’s 10-yard run. It gave the Pokes their first lead at 14-10 with 4:57 left in the first half. That was the score at halftime.
Idaho got a field goal in the third that cut it to 14-13 UW. The teams punted three times apiece before Smith broke tackles near the line of scrimmage and out-raced defenders down the Wyoming sideline for the 80-yard TD. The Vandals added a field goal with 7:20 left, which was the final scoring for the game.
Titus Swen added 52 yards on the ground for the Cowboys. Quarterback Sean Chambers was just 4-12 for 50 yards passing. Defensively, Logan Wilson had 11 tackles, which included one for a loss and two pass breakups. Garrett Crall added eight tackles with two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Wyoming is 3-0 to start a season for the first time since 2011. This was their seventh consecutive win. That last time the Cowboys won seven straight was in 1998.
UW returns to action next Saturday at Tulsa. The game starts at 1:30 p.m., Mountain Time.