Cougars licking chops over reeling Cowboys

LARAMIE, Wyo. — The Cougars and Cowboys are on different wave lengths today when they resume a long and storied battle on the football field.

Wyoming (5-5, 2-4) hosts BYU (7-2, 5-0) today at noon in War Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised live on The mtn.

While BYU can clinch at least a share of the MWC title today, the Cowboys are looking for bowl eligibility, an end to a slide in which they've lost four of the last five games and the purge from their systems of a 50-0 shellacking last Saturday at Utah.

Wyoming's coach Joe Glenn, who was reprimanded by the league this past week for flashing one half of the peace sign at Utah's sideline last Saturday, told reporters this week he's asking his team to keep working harder and harder and bring out the hammer to keep things going in a positive manner.

Meanwhile, BYU's Bronco Mendenhall, whose team is working on extending the league's longest win streak to 14 games, believes the Cougars will get Wyoming's best shot today.

"I expect a refocused, rededicated and an identity type of game from their program," Mendenhall said.

" Not that they need a different identity at home because at home they are 4-1, but they are 1-4 on the road. They have a chance to go back to where they have played well and where they are clear on how they compete and how they execute. They demonstrated that the entire year, so I think this will be a pivotal game for their program in terms of re-establishing."

The Cowboy act at home could get tougher with the absence of one half of its dynamic running duo. Wyoming's leading rusher, junior Devin Moore (874 yards rushing) will not play today, according to the Tribune Eagle, quoting head football trainer Robb Williams.

"I've been nudging Robb (to get him to play) if he feels good on Saturday," Glenn said. "But Robb has told me he is not going to play, and it's his call.

"Robb knows what he's doing, and (Moore) is not going to play games. But that's not going to stop me from lighting a candle at church."

Wyoming's woes would appear to set up the Cougars for a trap game, and BYU players could be looking past the Cowboys and on to next week's rivalry game with Utah.