Utah Utes football: Cowboys have 'a lot of fight left' but not a lot of points

Wyoming coach Joe Glenn calls it a "double whammy."

Losing is one thing, he explained, but doing so without scoring makes it even worse.

The Cowboys (2-4, 0-3) have experienced both of those frustrating scenarios in two of their last three outings — a 44-0 setback at BYU on Sept. 20 and a 24-0 loss last Saturday in New Mexico.

"We've got work to do in every phase of the game," said Glenn, whose team has been outscored 91-3 in three Mountain West Conference games. "I think we've got good kids, good coaches, good spirit and a lot of fight left in us. We better get ready because we've got a whale of a Utah team coming in here this weekend."

The 13th-ranked Utes (6-0) travel to Laramie for Wyoming's homecoming game Saturday at noon. Last year in Salt Lake City, the Cowboys got trounced 50-0.

As such, Glenn's staff is busy looking for solutions.

"They're searching high and low looking at tape from the beginning of the season through last year trying to find ways to see if there isn't an area where we can scratch a little bit," Glenn said.

Wyoming's biggest concerns, however, are internal. The Cowboys have turned the ball over a whopping 22 times in six games, losing 11 fumbles and throwing 11 interceptions. The miscues have led to a poor start, including lopsided losses at home to Air Force (23-3) and Bowling Green (45-16). Wyoming's only wins have come against Ohio (21-20) and North Dakota State (16-13).

"It doesn't get any easier," Glenn said of a schedule featuring Utah, TCU and Tennessee on the horizon. "Suffice it to say we're pretty disappointed at this point."

In last week's loss to New Mexico, Glenn felt the Cowboys had a good game plan going in.

"It just didn't work out in any area of the game," Glenn said.

"Maybe we punted good. That's not good."

Of particular concern, he noted, was allowing New Mexico to rack up 317 yards on the ground.

"For a team to rush on us for that much yardage ... it's just unacceptable," Glenn said.

The Cowboys face a stiff challenge again this week in Ute running backs Darrell Mack and Matt Asiata.

"Every week we have to establish the run, and we've got the two big horses to do it with," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. "They've done a nice job of getting about 125 a week."

Wyoming also has two tailbacks to watch in Devin Moore and Wynel Seldon. Moore averages 5.3 yards per carry and Seldon nets 4.3.

"Those guys run very hard," Whittingham said.

The Cowboys aren't as consistent at quarterback. Four signal-callers have taken snaps this season, combining for 11 interceptions and just two touchdowns. Karsten Sween, a junior who has completed 20-of-41 passes for 159 yards this season, is the scheduled starter this week.

Recent comments