WYOMING FOOTBALL 2012

Transcription

1 TV-Radio Coverage Television Information Televised By No Television Coverage Play-by-Play Announcer NA Color Analyst NA Sideline Reporter NA Radio Broadcast Information The Cowboy Sports Network (CSN): Every Cowboy Football game is broadcast live on the 25 Affiliates of the Cowboy Sports Network Flagship Station, KFBC 1240 AM, Cheyenne, Wyo. Announcers: Dave Walsh, Play-by-Play (29th year) Kevin McKinney, Color Analyst (15th year) Reece Monaco, Sideline (2nd year) Pregame Show: Begins one hour prior to kickoff. Postgame Show: Begins immediately after the game Weekly Coach s Shows Inside Cowboy Football Delivered by Union Wireless 1. Where and When You Can Watch the Show Wyoming Athletics.com Posted every Tuesday afternoon Beginning the Week of Sept. 6, 2011 Dave Christensen Radio Show Preses nted by First Interstate Bank and Laramie GM Auto Center Show Time and Location 1. Altitude Chophouse and Brewery 2. Mondays from 6:00-7:00 p.m., Beginning Monday, Aug. 27 Game Tracker Coverage Live stats from this week s game are available via Game Tracker on the University of Wyoming Athletics website (). Click on Schedule/Results. Weekly Media Events Mondays Wyoming Football Press Conference Rochelle Athletics Center, WAR Room 3:00-3:30 p.m., Dave Christensen 3:30-5:00 p.m., Requested Players and Asst. Coaches Tuesdays Phone Interviews with Dave Christensen 10:00-10:45 a.m. Arrange 24 hours in advance with Tim Harkins of UW Media Relations Mountain West Conference Media Teleconference 10:50-10:58 a.m. is the time for Dave Christensen Interviews with Players and Coaches After Practice At approximately 6:20 p.m. Dave Christensen and those players and assistant coaches who were requested but weren t available on Monday Wednesday Phone Interviews with Dave Christensen 9:30-10:30 a.m. Arrange 24 hours in advance with Tim Harkins of UW Media Relations Interviews Dave Christensen After Practice At approximately 6:20 p.m. Sept. 3, 2012 Wyoming Football Contacts: Tim Harkins, Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations Andy Chapman, Assistant Media Relations Director Game 2: Sat., Sept. 8, 2012, 2 p.m., M.T. Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium (29,181) Laramie, Wyo. The Wyoming Cowboys (0-1, 0-0 in the Mountain West Conference) Head Coach: Dave Christensen (Western Washington 85) Overall Record: (.462), 4th season Record at Wyoming: (.462), 4th season Conference Record: (.435), 4th season vs. The Toledo Rockets (0-1, 0-0 in the Mid-American Conference) Head Coach: Matt Campbell (Mount Union 02) Overall Record: 1-1 (.500), 1st season Record at School: 1-1 (.500), 1st season Conference Record: 0-0 (-----), 1st season 2012 University of Wyoming Football Schedule Date Opponent (Special Events) Score/Time (M.T.) TV Sat., Sept. 1 at Texas L / 6 p.m. Longhorn Network Sat., Sept. 8 TOLEDO (Buddy Walk) 2 p.m. No TV Sat., Sept. 15 CAL POLY (Hall of Fame, Ag & Band Days) 4 p.m. No TV Sat., Sept. 22 at Idaho 3 p.m. ESPN 3 Sat., Sept. 29 OPEN Sat., Oct. 6 at Nevada* 5 p.m. No TV Sat., Oct. 13 AIR FORCE* (Homecoming, Military Day) 5 p.m. ROOT Sports Sat., Oct. 20 at Fresno State* 8:30 p.m. ROOT Sports Sat., Oct. 27 BOISE STATE* (Breast Cancer Awareness) 1:30 p.m. CBS Sports Network Sat., Nov. 3 COLORADO STATE* 2:30 p.m. KTVD Channel 20 (Denver) Sat., Nov. 10 at New Mexico* 1:30 p.m. (TV Carrier in Wyoming TBA) Sat., Nov. 17 at UNLV* 2 p.m. (TV Carrier in Wyoming TBA) Sat., Nov. 24 SAN DIEGO STATE* (Senior Day) 1:30 p.m. ROOT Sports Game dates are tentative and subject to change. HOME GAMES IN BOLD AND CAPS. Game times and television information will be released at a later date when the Mountain West television partners have finalized their television schedules. *Indicates Mountain West games. A Preview of This Week s Game Wyoming and Toledo will be meeting for only the second time in the two schools histories. Wyoming won the first meeting in Toledo on Oct. 2, 2010, by a score of Saturday s game will feature some of the top quarterbacks in the country. Wyoming s Brett Smith ranks 26th in the nation in passing yards (276.0 ypg) and 26th in total offense (294.0 ypg). Toledo rotates junior QB Terrance Owens and senior QB Austin Dantin. Owens ranks No. 6 in the nation in passing efficiency (169.2 rating), and Dantin ranks No. 20 (149.7 rating). UW head coach Dave Christensen was an assistant coach at Toledo from Cowboy assistant coach Jim Harding played offensive tackle for UT from , and was an All-Conference performer and team captain in Both teams are looking to bounce back from tough opening week road losses. Wyoming lost at No. 15 ranked Texas, by a score of Toledo lost at Arizona by a score of in overtime. Page 1

2 University of Wyoming Fast Facts Location: Laramie, Wyo. Founded: 1886 Enrollment: 13,476 President: Dr. Tom Buchanan Athletics Director: Tom Burman Colors: Brown & Gold Nickname: Cowboys, Pokes Conference: Mountain West Stadium: Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium Capacity: 29,181 Surface: Desso Challenge Pro Team Information Offensive Scheme: Defensive Scheme: Spread 4/3, Multiple Starters Returning: 13 Total (5 Offense, 7 Defense, 1 Special Teams) Starters Lost: 12 Total (6 Offense, 5 Defense, 1 Special Teams Lettermen Returning: 41 Total (16 Offense, 23 Defense, 2 Special Teams) Lettermen Lost: 18 Total (10 Offense, 7 Defense, 1 Special Teams) Other Returners: 32 Total (19 Offense, 12 Defense, 1 Special Teams) 2011 Signings: 24 Total (12 Offense, 11 Defense, 1 Special Teams) 2012 Coaching Staff Head Coach: Dave Christensen (Western Washington 85) Offensive Coaching Staff Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks: Gregg Brandon (Northern Colorado 78) Asst. Head Coach/Offensive Line/RBs: Pete Kaligis (Washington 94) Running-Game Coordinator/Offensive Line: Jim Harding (Toledo 01) Receivers: Jason Ray (Missouri 07) Receivers: Derek Sage (Cal State Northridge 02) Defensive Coaching Staff Defensive Coordinator/Secondary: Chris Tormey (Idaho 78) Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers: Robin Ross (Washington State 77) Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Line: Matt Rahl (Missouri Southern 03) Defensive Line: Derrick LeBlanc (Northwestern State 97) 2012 Wyoming Team Notes Headliners Returning for Wyoming in 2012: Entering the 2012 season, the Wyoming Football team has a number of key personnel back from an 8-5 team that earned a bid to the 2011 Gildan New Mexico Bowl and finished in sole possession of third place in the Mountain West Conference behind 2011 conference champion TCU and second place Boise State. Dave Christensen Head Coach Nick Carlson Senior, Center Luke Ruff Senior, Free Safety Dave Christensen was named the 2011 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year. Nick Carlson has been named to the Rimington Trophy Preseason Watch Lists in each of the past two seasons, and has also been selected to the 2012 Rotary Lombardi Watch List. Luke Ruff has been selected to the 2012 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List. Brett Smith Soph., Quarterback Brett Smith was voted the 2011 Mountain West Freshman of the Year, was named First Team Freshman All-American by CollegeFootballNews.com and is the only sophomore in the nation on the 2012 Manning Award Preseason Watch List. Two 2011 Bowl Teams Meet Saturday When the Wyoming Cowboys Host the Toledo Rockets: Saturday s matchup of the Wyoming Cowboys and Toledo Rockets will feature two teams that both earned bowl appearances a year ago. Wyoming lost to Temple in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl and posted an 8-5 record. Toledo defeated Air Force in the Military Bowl and ended the season 9-4. The Rockets return 12 starters -- four on offense, five on defense and three specialists. They were picked by conference media to win the West Division of the Mid-American Conference entering this season. Wyoming and Toledo will be meeting for only the second time in history. The Cowboys defeated the Rockets in Toledo on Oct. 2, Wyoming Coaching Staff Includes Four Individuals With College Head- Coaching Experience: The combined experience of the Wyoming coaching staff includes not one, not two, not three, but four coaches who have been college head coaches during their careers. In addition to current Cowboy head coach Dave Christensen, offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon, defensive coordinator Chris Tormey and special teams coordinator Robin Ross have all been head coaches during their careers. Dave Christensen has been head coach of the Wyoming Cowboys since 2009 to the present. Gregg Brandon was the head coach at Bowling Green from , and is entering his 31st season as a college coach in Chris Tormey was the head coach at Idaho from and at Nevada from Robin Ross was the head coach at Western Washington from Administrative Staff Director of Player Personnel and Recruiting Danilo Robinson (Utah State 97) Director of Football Operations Brian Wilkinson (Belford 09) Executive Assistant to the Head Coach and Assistant Director of Football Operations Brent Vernon (Missouri 08) Gregg Brandon Offensive Coordinator Chris Tormey Defensive Coordinator Robin Ross Special Teams /LBs Page 2

3 2012 Wyoming Team Notes Three Cowboy Seniors Named by Conference Media to 2012 Preseason All-Mountain West First Team: At this summer s Mountain West Conference Football Media Days in Las Vegas, three Wyoming Cowboy seniors were selected by conference media members to the All- Mountain West Preseason First Team. Those three Cowboy seniors are: Senior center Nick Carlson, who was a Second Team All-Mountain West selection as a junior. Senior defensive tackle Mike Purcell, who has started 24 of 30 games for the Cowboys, including 22 of the last 25. Purcell was somewhat overshadowed in 2011 by two Cowboy senior defensive linemen, Josh Biezuns and Gabe Knapton, who both earned Second Team All-Conference honors. But Purcell recorded 48 tackles, 2.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss as a junior, while also blocking two kicks. Senior free safety Luke Ruff, who was a Second Team All-Mountain West honoree as a junior. Wyoming s Other Top Returning Performers for 2012: Some of the other top returning performers for the Wyoming Cowboys in 2012 are: Senior wide receiver Chris McNeill, who earned Second Team All-Mountain West honors as a junior despite missing the final four games of the 2011 season due to injury. He led Wyoming in receiving yards, with 504, despite playing in only nine games as a junior. Sophomore cornerback Blair Burns, who earned First Team Freshman All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America and CBSSports.com. Burns led Wyoming in interceptions as a true freshman with four. That ranked him tied for No. 2 in the conference and tied for No. 38 in the nation. He was also an Honorable Mention All- Conference selection. Junior offensive guard Tyler Strong, who earned Honrable Mention All-Mountain West honors as a sophomore. Key Losses to Replace in 2012: Five members of Wyoming s 2011 senior class earned All-Conference recognition last season. All five earned Second Team All-Mountain West honors. Those five were: Defensive ends Josh Biezuns and Gabe Knapton Linebacker Brian Hendricks Safety Tashaun Gipson Senior offensive tackle Clayton Kirven Wyoming also had its top running back from 2011, junior Alvester Alexander, declare himself eligible for the 2012 NFL Draft. Alexander signed a free-agent deal with the Chicago Bears, but is currently in camp with the Indianapolis Colts. Cowboys 7-1 in Home Games vs. Teams From East of the Mississippi River Since 2000, the Only Loss Coming at the Hands of Current Cowboy Offensive Coordinator Gregg Brandon While Head Coach at Bowling Green: The Wyoming Cowboys have had a great deal of success hosting teams from east of the Mississippi River. Wyoming is 7-1 since 2000 versus teams from east of the Mississippi. Among the wins were a victory over Ole Miss of the SEC in 2004 and a 23-3 win over Virginia of the ACC in Toledo will be the ninth team from east of the Mississippi that Wyoming will have hosted since 2000, and the fourth member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) to visit Laramie since UW defeated Central Michigan (31-10) and Ohio (21-20) of the MAC before losing to Bowling Green (16-45) in The head coach of Bowling Green at the time of that game is now Wyoming offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon. Date Opponent Score Central Michigan Wyoming Win Furman Wyoming Win The Citadel Wyoming Win Appalachian State Wyoming Win Ole Miss Wyoming Win Virginia Wyoming Win Ohio Wyoming Win Bowling Green Loss to Bowling Green Wyoming Head Coach Dave Christensen and Offensive Line Coach Jim Harding Both Have Close Ties to Toledo: Wyoming head coach Dave Christensen and offensive line coach Jim Harding will be facing a very familiar team for them when the Cowboys face the Toledo Rockets this Saturday. Christensen spent nine seasons at Toledo as offensive line coach and offensive coordinator from During Christensen s nine seasons, Toledo won outright or tied for three Mid-American Conference West titles (1997, 98 and 2000) and captured the MAC title in 1995, advancing to the Las Vegas Bowl where they defeated Nevada Harding was a former standout offensive tackle for the Rockets from He started a school record 46 consecutive games, was a First Team All-Conference performer and was elected a team captain his senior season. In his senior season of 2000, he helped lead Toledo to a road win over Penn State, a 10-1 record and a No. 25 national ranking. Toledo Head Coach Matt Campbell Served as an Assistant Coach Under Current Wyoming Offensive Coordinator Gregg Brandon at Bowling Green: Another tie between the Wyoming Cowboys and Toledo Rockets is the previous coaching relationship between current Wyoming Offensive Coordinator Gregg Brandon and current Toledo Head Coach Matt Campbell. From , Campbell was an assistant coach at Bowling Green on the staff of then Bowling Green Head Coach Brandon. Campbell was the Offensive Line Coach at BGSU in 2007 and was promoted to Run-Game Coordinator in Campbell played his college football at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio where he was a teammate of former Wyoming Secondary Coach Alex Grinch in 1999, 2000 and Wyoming vs. the Mid-American Conference: The Wyoming Cowboys will be playing the Toledo Rockets for the second time in history this coming Saturday. Wyoming has played a number of other Mid-American Conference schools through the years. The last time Wyoming played a MAC school was last season at Bowling Green. UW defeated Bowling Green, 28-27, on Sept. 17, Wyoming is 6-2 (.750) versus current members of the Mid-American Conference. Mid-American Conference West Division Wyoming vs. Ball State 0-0 Central Michigan 1-1 Eastern Michigan 0-0 Northern Illinois 0-0 Toledo 1-0 Western Michigan 1-0 East Division Wyoming vs. Akron 0-0 Bowling Green 1-1 Buffalo 0-0 Kent State 0-0 Miami (Ohio) 0-0 Ohio 2-0 UMass 0-0 Totals 6-2 (.750) com Page 3

4 What They re Saying About the Cowboys: Following last week s seasonopener at Texas, here is what the Longhorns had to say about the Cowboys. Texas Head Coach Mack Brown on Wyoming: I want to brag on their quarterback (Wyoming sophomore QB Brett Smith). I thought he was good. Watching the video, he made more plays against us tonight than I thought he would. He hung in there. We hit him. We blitzed him. He avoided people. I really have to credit him for a really great job. I think it s the best Wyoming team we have seen out of the three times that we played. I told Dave [Christensen] that after the game. More From Texas Head Coach Mack Brown On Wyoming Sophomore QB Brett Smith Keeping the Texas Defense Focused for Four Quarters: I thought he was great for us. He played like a Big 12 quarterback. We said that we re going to see good players like him all the time. And I thought it was a positive point for him that he hung in there. He kept playing, and kept playing, and kept playing, and didn t give up. Other Comments From Mack Brown on the Cowboys: They have more speed at wide receiver than they had in the past. I think they can be a good football team. They re better on defense. I think they ve got some things that will really be positive for them Wyoming Team Notes The Wyoming Cowboys Have Won Their Last Nine Home Openers: The Wyoming Cowboys will be hosting their 116th home opener this Saturday. In the previous 115 home openers, the Pokes have a record of 78 wins, 34 losses and three ties for a winning percentage of 69.1 percent. Wyoming has won nine consecutive home openers dating back to the 2003 season. During that nine-game winning streak in home openers, the Cowboys have defeated Montana State (21-10), Appalachian State (53-7), Louisiana-Monroe (38-0), Utah State (38-7), Virginia (23-3), Ohio (21-20), Weber State (29-22), Southern Utah (28-20) and Weber State (35-32). The last time UW lost its home opener was the 2002 season, when the Cowboys lost to Boise State, Home Openers in the Dave Christensen Era: This week s home opener versus Toledo will mark the fourth home opener under head coach Dave Christensen. In Christensen s previous three home openers, his Cowboys are 3-0, having defeated Weber State in 2009 (29-22), Southern Utah in 2010 (28-20) and Weber State again in 2011 (35-32). Herron s Career Night Earns Him National Wide Receiver of the Week Honors From College Football Performance Awards, Junior Leads Mountain West and Ranks No. 4 in the NCAA in Receiving Yards This Season: Cowboy junior wide receiver Robert Herron has been recognized by CollegeFootballPerformance.com as this week s National Wide Receiver of the Week. Herron caught five passes for a career high 173 yards and tied a personal high with two touchdown receptions versus Texas in the Cowboys 2012 season opener. Herron s previous career bests were 104 receiving yards and two TDs versus Weber State in In that game against Weber State, he caught a personal best seven passes. Herron shares this week s College Football Performance Award as the nation s top receiver with Austin Franklin of New Mexico State, who had eight receptions for 236 receiving yards in a win over Sacramento State. Herron s Week 1 performance ranks him No. 4 in the nation in receiving yards this season. Franklin leads the nation in receiving yards. Honorable Mention selections as College Football Performance Award s Wide Receiver of the Week were: Marqise Lee (USC), Conner Vernon (Duke), DeAndre Hopkins (Clemson), Brelan Chancellor (North Texas), Byron Hankerson (FAU). Korey Jones Records First Career Double-Figure Tackle Game, Leads Mountain West and Tied for 12th in the Nation in Tackles: Defensively, senior Korey Jones led the way for the Cowboys in the season opener versus Texas. Jones registered the first double-figure tackle game of his career, with 13 stops against the Longhorns. Jones is tied for No. 12 in the nation in tackles. Of his 13 stops on Saturday, eight were for four yards or less and five were for two yards or less. Mack Brown on Surprises From the Game: I think the biggest surprise, to me, was their quarterback played better than I thought he d be able to. And we blitzed him a lot. So I really thought he played well. He made a couple of plays with his feet on the option that kept us off our feet. But I thought it was good for us to see. Texas Offensive Coordinator Bryan Harsin: First of all, hats off to Wyoming. Those guys did a great job, they are a great football team. They played hard. Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz: You have to give a lot of credit to Wyoming. You have to give a lot of credit to their quarterback. Their quarterback gained a lot of yards and a lot of those yards were off schedule. Texas Offensive Guard Mason Walters: The thing about playing Wyoming is that they were a good opponent for us. [You have to give] credit to those guys. They played us for four quarters and hopefully got us better. Brett Smith Ranks 26th in the Nation in Passing and Total Offense After Strong Performance at No. 15 Ranked Texas: Wyoming sophomore quarterback Brett Smith put on quite a performance against No. 15 ranked Texas on the opening Saturday of the 2012 college football season. Smith completed 16 of 28 pass attempts for 276 yards and two touchdowns -- both of which went to junior wide receiver Robert Herron for 82 and 22 yards. Smith s 276 passing yards ranked as his third best single-game performance, and his 294 yards of total offense ranked sixth best in his brief two-year career. The sophomore quarterback currently ranks 26th in the nation in both passing yards (276.0 yards per game) and total offense (294.0 yards per game). Cowboys Play in Front of Third Largest Crowd in School History at Texas: Wyoming s 2012 road opener at Texas on Saturday, Sept. 1 saw the Cowboys play before the third largest crowd in school history. A total of 101,142 fans saw the Pokes face Texas in Darrel K Royal- Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. Date Opponent Attendance at Tennessee 107, at Texas 101, at Texas 101, at Tennessee 99, at Florida 90, at Ohio State 89, at Georgia 86, vs. LSU in Sugar Bowl 78, at Auburn 76, at Nebraska 76, at Nebraska 76, at Nebraska 75, at Oklahoma 74,777 Page 4

5 2012 Mountain West Conference Preseason Poll Picks Wyoming Fourth in Ten-Team Conference Race: The 2012 Mountain West Conference Preseason Poll of conference media members saw the Wyoming Cowboys picked fourth in the 10-team race for this year s conference title. Wyoming received 213 total points. Boise State was tabbed as the conference favorite, with 296 total points and 27 of 30 first-place votes MW Preseason Media Poll Rank Team (First-Place Votes) Points 1. Boise State (27) Nevada Fresno State (2) Wyoming San Diego State (1) Air Force Hawai i Colorado State UNLV New Mexico Preseason All-Mountain West Conference Team: Three Wyoming seniors were voted by conference media to the 2012 Preseason All-Conference team. Center Nick Carlson, defensive tackle Mike Purcell and free safety Luke Ruff were all selected to the First Team Preseason All-Mountain West Team Offense QB Derek Carr Jr. Fresno State WR Matt Miller RSo. Boise State WR Colin Lockett Jr. San Diego State RB Robbie Rouse Sr. Fresno State RB Chris Nwoke Jr. Colorado State OL Nick Carlson Sr. Wyoming OL Chris Barker Sr. Nevada OL Joe Kellogg RSr. Boise State OL Weston Richburg Jr. Colorado State OL Jeff Nady Sr. Nevada TE Gavin Escobar Jr. San Diego State Defense DL Mike Purcell Sr. Wyoming DL Mike Atkinson RSr. Boise State DL Paipai Falemalu Sr. Hawai i DL Jack Reynoso Jr. Nevada LB Travis Brown Sr. Fresno State LB Shaquil Barrett Jr. Colorado State LB Alex Means Sr. Air Force DB Luke Ruff Sr. Wyoming DB Leon McFadden Sr. San Diego State DB Duke Williams Sr. Nevada DB Jamar Taylor RSr. Boise State Specialists P Pete Kontodiakos Sr. Colorado State PK Parker Herrington Sr. Air Force RS Mitch Burroughs RSr. Boise State Offensive Player of the Year Derek Carr, Jr., QB, Fresno State Defensive Player of the Year Leon McFadden, Sr., DB, San Diego State Special Teams Player of the Year Mitch Burroughs, RSr., RS, Boise State 2012 Wyoming Team Notes Wyoming Senior Nick Carlson Named to 2012 Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List: Wyoming senior center Nick Carlson has been named to the 2012 Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List. The Rotary Lombardi Award honors the top lineman in the Football Bowl Subdivision at the conclusion of each season. This is the first time in Carlson s career that he has been named to the Rotary Lombardi list. Players eligible for the Rotary Lombardi Award are linemen on offense and defense who line up no farther than 10 yards from the ball and linebackers who line up no farther than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage. Carlson earned Second Team All-Mountain West honors as a junior in 2011, and is a 2012 Preseason All-Mountain West First Team selection. As a sophomore in 2010, he was an Honorable Mention All-MWC selection. He helped lead Wyoming to an 8-5 record, third-place finish in the Mountain West and a bid in the 2011 Gildan New Mexico Bowl. The senior from Arlington Heights, Ill., led an offensive line that allowed only 12 quarterback sacks in 13 games in 2011 to rank No. 11 in the nation in fewest sacks allowed. He also was a key contributor in Wyoming averaging rushing yards per game to rank No. 33 in the nation. He also started eight games as a freshman on Wyoming s 2009 New Mexico Bowl Championship team. This past spring, he was selected as one of four team captains for the 2012 Wyoming Cowboys. An outstanding student, he has earned Academic All-Conference honors twice during his career. Nick Carlson Named to Rimington Trophy Preseason Watch List for Second Consecutive Year: University of Wyoming senior center Nick Carlson was named to the 2012 Rimington Trophy Preseason Watch List in May Carlson was one of 21 student-athletes that returns this season after being selected to the 2011 Rimington Watch List, and is one of 50 centers being considered for this year s award. The Rimington Trophy is awarded each year to the most outstanding center in college football. It is named for former Nebraska All-America center Dave Rimington. Wyoming s Luke Ruff Selected to 2012 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List Senior Safety Among 42 Named to Watch List: Wyoming senior free safety Luke Ruff was selected to the 2012 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List, which was released in early May. Ruff, a product of Castle Rock, Colo., recorded 102 tackles (54 solo), 2.0 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and one forced fumble as a junior in He contributed to a Wyoming defense that ranked third in the Conference in pass defense, allowing only yards per game through the air. Ruff was named as one of four Wyoming team captains for the 2012 season. The Mountain West is one of six leagues (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC) with multiple student-athletes named to the 42-person Lott Watch List for Sponsored by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, the award is given to a student-athlete who exhibits the same characteristics Ronnie Lott embodied during his Hall of Fame playing career: integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity. Voters for the Lott Trophy include selected members of the national media, previous finalists, members of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation Board of Directors, the Legends Coaches and distinguished alumni of various schools around the nation. The winner, who will be announced at the annual black-tie gala in December, receives $25,000 for his institution s general scholarship fund. Wyoming s Brett Smith the Only Sophomore Named to the 2012 Manning Award Watch List: Wyoming sophomore quarterback Brett Smith is one of only 25 college quarterbacks on the 2012 Manning Award Preseason Watch List, and he is the only sophomore in the country. The Manning Award, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, published its complete preseason Watch List on Tuesday, July 31. The list included 25 of the top quarterbacks in the nation heading into the 2012 season. The winner will be announced after the bowls in January and will be honored at a ceremony in New Orleans. This is always an exciting time of year for college football players, coaches and fans, said Archie Manning. It s a time of great anticipation for the upcoming season and we like to add to that by recognizing some of the best quarterbacks returning to the field. It s always a challenge to limit the numbers on our Watch List, but we want to remind everyone that every quarterback in the country is eligible to win this honor and we can t wait to see how another great year plays out. The Mountain West has two quarterbacks on the list. In addition to Smith, Fresno State junior Derek Carr also made the list. This year s Watch List includes players from all eight Football Bowl Subdivision conferences. The Southeastern Conference and the Big 12 lead the way with five honorees, while the Atlantic Coast Conference has four quarterbacks on the list and the Big Ten has three. Page 5

6 2012 Wyoming and Opponent Statistics Wyoming Cowboys Head Coach: Dave Christensen (Western Washington 85) Overall Record: (.462), 4th season Record at Wyoming: (.462), 4th season Conference Record: (.435), 4th season Record Against Opponent: 1-0 (1.000) Team Captains: #60 Nick Carlson, Sr., C, Arlington Heights, Ill.; #5 Korey Jones, Sr., LB, Fort Collins, Colo.; #29 Luke Ruff, Sr., FS, Castle Rock, Colo.: #16 Brett Smith, So., QB, Salem, Ore Team Statistics 2012 Offensive Team Statistics UW Opp. Points Scored Per Game Yards Rushing Per Game Yards Passing Per Game Yards Total Offense Per Game First Downs Per Game Third Down Conversions/Attempts 1/11 9/17 Third Down Conversion Percentage Average Time of Possession 24:48 35: Defensive Team Statistics UW Opp. Total Sacks By 0 1 Sack yardage 0 8 Interceptions 0 2 Interception Yardage Special Team Statistics UW Opp. Net Punting Average Punt Return Average Kickoff Return Average Field Goals Made/Attempted 1/1 1/3 Field Goal Percentage Miscellaneous Statistics UW Opp. Avg. No. of Penalties Per Game Yards Penalties Per Game Fumbles/Lost 1/0 1/ Individual Statistical Leaders Total Avg./ Avg./ 2012 Rushing Leaders Att. Net Gain Rush Game TD # 8 Brandon Miller, rb #16 Brett Smith, qb Comp. Total Avg./ Int./ 2012 Passing Leaders -Att. Pct. Yards Game TD # 8 Brett Smith, qb /2 Total Avg./ Avg./ 2012 Receiving Leaders Rec. Yards Rec. Game TD # 6 Robert Herron, wr #33 Dominic Rufran, wr # 8 Brandon Miller, rb Solo Assisted Total 2012 Leading Tacklers Tackles Tackles Tackles Avg # 5 Korey Jones, lb #29 Luke Ruff, fs #20 Blair Burns, cb Wyoming Schedule/Results (0-1, 0-0 in the Mountain West) Date Opponents Results/Time-M.T. (TV) Sat., Sept. 1 at Texas L (Longhorn Network) Sat., Sept. 8 TOLEDO 2 p.m. (No TV) Sat., Sept. 15 CAL POLY 4 p.m. (No TV) Sat., Sept. 22 at Idaho 3 p.m. (ESPN3) Sat., Oct. 6 at Nevada* 5 p.m. (No TV) Sat., Oct. 13 AIR FORCE* 5 p.m. (ROOT Sports) Sat., Oct. 20 at Fresno State* 8:30 p.m. (ROOT Sports) Sat., Oct. 27 BOISE STATE* 1:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Network) Sat., Nov. 3 COLORADO ST.* 2:30 p.m. (KTVD-20 Denver) Sat., Nov. 10 at New Mexico* 1:30 p.m. (TV Carrier in WY TBA) Sat., Nov. 17 at UNLV* 2 p.m. (TV Carrier in WY TBA) Sat., Nov. 24 SAN DIEGO ST.* 1:30 p.m. (ROOT Sports) *Indicates Mountain West Conference games ti Toledo Rockets Head Coach: Matt Campbell (Mount Union 02) Overall Record: 1-1 (.500), 1st season Record at Current School: 1-1 (.500), 1st season Conference Record: 0-0 (-----), 1st season Record Against Wyoming: 0-0 (-----) Captains: Toledo names game captains 2012 Team Statistics 2012 Offensive Team Statistics UT Opp. Points Scored Per Game Yards Rushing Per Game Yards Passing Per Game Yards Total Offense Per Game First Downs Per Game Third Down Conversions/Attempts 10/23 5/15 Third Down Conversion Percentage Average Time of Possession 46:49 28: Defensive Team Statistics UT Opp. Total Sacks By 2 2 Sack yardage 8 16 Interceptions 1 0 Interception Yardage Special Team Statistics UT Opp. Net Punting Average Punt Return Average Kickoff Return Average Field Goals Made/Attempted 1/2 1/3 Field Goal Percentage Miscellaneous Statistics UT Opp. Avg. No. of Penalties Per Game Yards Penalties Per Game Fumbles/Lost 1/1 4/ Individual Statistical Leaders Total Avg./ Avg./ 2012 Rushing Leaders Att. Net Gain Rush Game TD #22 David Fluellen, rb #19 Cassius McDowell,rb Comp. Total Avg./ Int./ 2012 Passing Leaders -Att. Pct. Yards Game TD # 2 Terrance Owens,qb /1 Total Avg./ Avg./ 2012 Receiving Leaders Rec. Yards Rec. Game TD # 1 Bernard Reedy, wr #17 Dwight Macon, wr # 9 Alonzo Russell, wr Solo Assisted Total 2012 Leading Tacklers Tackles Tackles Tackles Avg #29 J. Robinson, ss #32 Dan Molls, lb #92 Danny Farr, dt Toledo Schedule/Results (0-1, 0-0 in the Mid-American Conference) Date Opponents Results/Time (M.T.) Sat., Sept. 1 at Arizona Lost (1ot) Sat., Sept. 8 at Wyoming 2 p.m. Sat., Sept. 15 Bowling Green* 7 p.m. Sat., Sept. 22 Coastal Carolina 7 p.m. Sat., Sept. 29 at Western Michigan* 7 p.m. Sat., Oct. 6 Central Michigan* 3 p.m. Sat., Oct. 13 at Eastern Michigan* 1 p.m. Sat., Oct. 20 Cincinnati TBA Sat., Oct. 27 at Buffalo* 3:30 p.m. Tue., Nov. 6 BALL STATE* 8 p.m. Wed., Nov. 14 at Northern Illinois* 8 p.m. Tue., Nov. 20 AKRON* 7 p.m. All times local to site *Mid-American Conference Games Page 6

7 2012 Opponent Information Home Record During Dave Christensen Era: During Dave Christensen s four seasons as head coach of the Wyoming Cowboys, the Pokes home record stands at 9-9. That breaks down to a 3-3 home record in 2009, a 2-4 record at home in 2010 and a 4-2 record in 2011 as the Cowboys enter the 2012 season opener this week. UW is 4-3 in non-conference home games under Christensen and is 5-6 in Mountain West home games. Road Record During Dave Christensen Era: During the past four seasons under head coach Dave Christensen, the Wyoming Cowboys are 8-11 in road games. That breaks down to a 3-3 road record in 2009, a 1-5 record on the road in 2010, a 4-2 record in 2011 and an 0-1 record in UW is 3-4 in non-conference road games under Christensen and is 5-7 in Mountain West road games. Toledo 2012 Schedule/Results Date Opponent Result Sept. 1 at Arizona Lost 17-24(1ot) Sept. 8 at Wyoming 2 p.m. Sept. 15 Bowling Green* 7 p.m. Sept. 22 Coastal Carolina 7 p.m. Sept. 29 at Western Michigan* 7 p.m. Oct. 6 Central Michigan* 3 p.m. Oct. 13 at Eastern Michigan* 1 p.m. Oct. 20 Cincinnati TBA Oct. 27 at Buffalo* 3:30 p.m. Nov. 6 BALL STATE* 8 p.m. Nov. 14 at Northern Illinois* 8 p.m. Nov. 20 AKRON* 7 p.m. Nov. 30 MAC Championship Game TBA All times local to site Wyoming Series Record vs. Toledo The 2012 Meeting Will be the: Second Overall Series Record: UW Leads 1-0 MWC Series Record: NA Series Began: Oct. 2, 2010 Wyoming Record in Laramie: 0-0 Wyoming Record on the Road: 1-0 Wyoming Record at Neutral Sites: 0-0 UW Coach Dave Christensen vs.: 1-0 Opponent Head Coach vs. UW: 0-0 Longest Wyoming Win Streak: 1 (2010) Longest Opponent Win Streak: NA Largest UW Margin of Victory: 5 in 2010 Largest Opp. Margin of Victory: NA Most Points Scored by UW: 20 in 2010 Most Points Scored by Opp.: 15 in 2010 Date Score Site 10/2/10 W A About Toledo: The Toledo Rockets compiled a 9-4 record in 2011, and captured a share of the the Mid-American Conference West Division. They earned a bid to the 2011 Military Bowl where they captured a victory over Air Force. In its season opener last Saturday, Toledo lost a overtime road game at Arizona. Toledo held a halftime lead in Tucson. After falling behind in the third quarter, the Rockets tied the game at 17-all in the fourth quarter and that is how regulation would end. In overtime, Arizona took the ball on its first possession of overtime and scored a touchdown on a three-play, 25-yard drive. Toledo s overtime possession saw them gain a first down, moving the ball down to the 13-yard line, but after two penalties the Rockets found themselves facing a fourth down and 20 yards at the 23-yard line. They were not able to convert and Arizona survived with a home win. The Rockets have two veteran quarterbacks in junior Terrance Owens and senior Austin Dantin. In 2011, Owens threw for 2,022 yards and 18 touchdowns. Dantin had 1,404 passing yards and threw 15 TD passes a year ago. While the two shared time throughout the 11 campaign, Dantin was the starter for the first 10 games of the season before he was injured. Owens started the final three games, including the win over Air Force in the Military Bowl. The 2012 season opener at Arizona saw senior Dantin start the game and complete 10 of 25 passes for 63 yards. Owens came off the bench to complete 11 of 22 passes for 134 yards and one TD. Joining the two talented quarterbacks in the backfield is junior running back David Fluellen. Fluellen rushed for 493 yards as a sophomore in He had 72 rushing yards and one TD Saturday at Arizona. The leading returning receiver for the Rockets is junior Bernard Reedy, who caught 40 passes for 758 yards and nine TDs in He caught nine passes for 55 yards at Arizona. The Toledo defense is led by three seniors. Starting linebackers Robert Bell and Dan Molls ranked second and third, respectively, in tackles for the Rockets a year ago. Bell had 78 and Molls 70. Senior strong safety Jermaine Robinson ranked fifth on the team in tackles as a junior, with 55, and led the team in interceptions with three. Against Arizona in the season opener, Molls and Robinson each had nine tackles, and each were involved in generating a turnover each. Molls recovered a Wildcat fumble and Robinson intercepted a pass. Bell had six tackles, and also recovered a fumble against Arizona. Head Coach Matt Campbell: Matt Campbell is in his first season as head coach of the Toledo Rockets after serving as the Run-Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach for the Rockets in 2009 and the Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach for Toledo in 2010 and 11. He is the youngest current NCAA Division I (FBS) head coach in the country at age 32. He served his first game as a college head coach in the 2011 Military Bowl, guiding Toledo to a win over Air Force. In 2007 and 2008, he was an assistant coach at Bowling Green under current Wyoming Offensive Coordinator Gregg Brandon. Campbell served as Brandon s Offensive Line Coach in 2007 and was promoted to Run-Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach in He originally joined Brandon s staff as a Graduate Assistant Coach in 2003 and 04. For the 2004 and 05 seasons, he returned to his alma mater, Mount Union College, as the Offensive Coordinator/ Offensive Line Coach. Campbell was an NCAA Division III All-American defensive lineman at Mount Union in 2001 and 02, and he played on three NCAA Division III National Championship teams in 2000, 01 and 02. One of his teammates on the 2000 and 01 National Championship teams was former Wyoming Secondary Coach Alex Grinch. Recap of the First Wyoming-Toledo Matchup in 2010: The only previous meeting between the Wyoming Cowboys and Toledo Rockets came two years ago in Toledo, Ohio. The game was marked by a series of scoring streaks. The Wyoming offense scored the first 20 points of the game, only to see Toledo score 15 consecutive points in third and fourth quarters. The Cowboys came away with the road win. Wyoming first got on the scoreboard when sophomore running back Alvester Alexander scored on a 13-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Cowboys forced a punt from Toledo s own seven-yard line, taking over on the Toledo 37. On the first play of the series, Wyoming wide receiver David Leonard took the ball on a reverse and hit fellow wide receiver Chris McNeill on a 37-yard TD strike to give Wyoming a 14-0 lead. On its final drive of the first half, the Cowboys went on a 14-play, 65-yard drive that culminated in a 32-yard field goal by place-kicker Ian Watts with no time remaining in the half, and the Cowboys had a 17-0 halftime lead. On its first drive of the third quarter, the Cowboys faced a fourth down and 14 from its own 42-yard line. That is when Wyoming punter Austin McCoy connected with cornerback Marcell Gipson on a 34-yard pass, taking the ball down to the Toledo 24-yard line. Four plays later, Watts connected on a 34-yard field goal to put Wyoming ahead Toledo would begin its comeback late in the fourth quarter, when they would pin the Cowboys on their own one-yard line following a 47-yard punt. Two plays later, Toledo tackled Alexander in fhte Cowboy end zone for a safety. The Rockets would score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull within five at On two later Toledo drives, the Wyoming defense would hold the Rockets on a pair of fourth down attempts to capture the road win. Page 7

8 2012 Wyoming Team Notes University of Wyoming Athletics Online WyomingAthletics.com Follow Us on Twitter Follow Us on Facebook facebook.com/wyoathletics University of Wyoming Ticket Information Tickets to games may be purchased either online or over the phone. For Online Ticket Purchases, go to or call (877) WYO-FAN1, (877) or (307) University of Wyoming Media Relations Staff Contacts for Football Tim Harkins Associate Athletics Director Office: (307) Cell: (307) Andy Chapman Assistant Media Relations Director Office: (307) Cell: (307) Media Relations Staff Assistant Media Relations Director: Amy Dambro Assistant Media Relations Director: Amil Anderson Assistant Media Relations Director: Nick Kinney Media Relations Office Manager: Diane Dodson Graduate Assistants: TBA Media Relations Phone: (307) Media Relations FAX: (307) Press Box Phone: (307) Mailing Address: Athletics Media Relations Office University of Wyoming Department 3414, 1000 E. University Ave. Laramie, WY Overnight Shipping Address: Athletics Media Relations Office University of Wyoming 16th and Gibbon Streets Laramie, WY Thad Jackson, Video Contact for Media Office: (307) Cell: (618) Chris Miller, Video Contact for Coaches Office: (307) Cell: (307) Wyoming Ranked as the Sixth Most Improved Team in the Nation in 2011 Out of 120 FBS Schools, and the Most Improved Team in Mountain West: Wyoming concluded the 2011 season with one of the most improved records in the nation when compared to its previous season in The Cowboys tied for No. 6 among the most improved teams in the nation in That is No. 6 out of 120 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams participating in Wyoming s 8-5 overall record was a significant improvement over its final record in 2010 of 3-9. The Cowboys were also the most improved team in the Mountain West in Team Games Improved 2011 Record 2010 Record 1. Houston Arkansas State Cincinnati La.-Lafayette Western Kentucky Wyoming Rutgers San Jose State Michigan Eastern Michigan Southern Miss Clemson Georgia Virginia Vanderbilt Bowling Green (The NCAA calculates the most improved teams by adding the difference in victories between two seasons to the difference in losses between two seasons and then divides that total by two.) Cowboys Reach Many Milestones During : The Wyoming Cowboys reached a number of milestones during the 2011 season. Dave Christensen became the first Wyoming head coach to earn Coach of the Year honors since Joe Tiller in Christensen is the first Cowboy head coach to be named Coach of the Year since Wyoming joined the Mountain West in With its 8-5 record, Wyoming won eight games in a season for the first time since 1998, when the Cowboys posted an 8-3 record. Wyoming s 5-2 Mountain West record tied for the most MW wins with the 2006 Cowboys. By finishing third in the Mountain West, the 2011 Pokes also tied the 2006 team for the best conference finish since Wyoming joined the Mountain West. Wyoming s appearance in the 2011 and 2009 New Mexico Bowls meant that Wyoming appeared in two bowl games in a three-year span for the first time since Christensen led Wyoming to the 2009 New Mexico Bowl Championship, in double overtime over Fresno State. Christensen s three Wyoming teams became the first to defeat Colorado State in three consecutive seasons since 1987, 88 and 89 under head coach Paul Roach. For the first time since the 1996 and 98 seasons, the Cowboys won back-to-back road games in Fort Collins in 2009 and The 2011 Cowboys defeated both Front-Range rivals Air Force and Colorado State in the same season for the first time since 1996 under head coach Joe Tiller. Wyoming has posted two seasons of at least seven wins during Christensen s three years as head coach at Wyoming. The last time that happened in a three-year period was Christensen s 2009 team won seven games to go with last year s eight wins. Wyoming the Surprise Team of the Mountain West in 2011, Captured Third Place in 2011 MW Race: The Wyoming Cowboys were the surprise team in the Mountain West in Wyoming concluded the regular season by capturing sole possession of third place in the conference, with its only MW losses coming at the hands of league champion TCU and secondplace Boise State. Here are the final 2011 MW standings compared to the preseason rankings MW Football Standings 2011 Preseason Rankings Team Conference Overall Rank, Team (First-Place Votes) Points 1. TCU 7-0 (1.000) 11-2 (.845) 1. Boise State (28) Boise State 6-1 (.857) 12-1 (.923) 2. TCU (3) Wyoming 5-2 (.714) 8-5 (.615) 3. Air Force San Diego State 4-3 (.571) 8-5 (.615) 4. San Diego State Air Force 3-4 (.429) 7-6 (.538) 5. Colorado State Colorado State 1-6 (.143) 3-9 (.250) 6. Wyoming 80 UNLV 1-6 (.143) 2-10 (.167) 7. UNLV 77 New Mexico 1-6 (.143) 1-11 (.083) 8. New Mexico 39 Page 8

9 Brett Smith and Blair Burns Both Earned Freshman All-America Honors: Wyoming freshman quarterback Brett Smith and freshman cornerback Blair Burns were both named to Freshmen All- America teams at the conclusion of the 2011 season. Smith, a native of Salem, Ore., was selected as the Mountain West Freshman of the Year in voting by conference head coaches and media members. Burns, from Plano, Texas, was also named an Honorable Mention All-Mountain West selection. Here are the Freshman All-America Teams the two were named to in 2011: #20 Blair Burns, Cornerback 5-10, 170, Fr., Plano, Texas First Team Freshman All-American as selected by Football Writers of America First Team Freshman All-American as selected by CBSSports.com Honorable Mention All-American as selected by CollegeFootballNews.com #16 Brett Smith, Quarterback 6-3, 195, Fr., Salem, Ore. First Team Freshman All-American as selected by CollegeFootballNews.com Second Team All-American as selected by Yahoo! Sports Wyoming Returns Six Cowboys in 2012 Who Earned All-Mountain West Honors in 2011: The Wyoming Cowboys return six players in 2012 who earned All-Mountain West honors in Leading the way are 2012 seniors Nick Carlson, Chris McNeill and Luke Ruff who each earned Second Team All-Mountain West Conference for the first time in their careers in Cowboy sophomore Brett Smith returns after being named 2011 Mountain West Freshman of the Year. Wyoming Cowboys earning Honorable Mention All-MW recognition in 2011 were current junior Tyler Strong and current sophomore Blair Burns Wyoming All-Mountain West Selections Freshman of the Year Brett Smith, Fr., QB, Salem, Ore. Second Team All-MWC Josh Biezuns, Sr., DE, Prior Lake, Minn. Nick Carlson, Jr., C, Arlington Heights, Ill. Tashaun Gipson, Sr., CB, Dallas, Texas Brian Hendricks, Sr., LB, Burlington, Colo. Clayton Kirven, Sr., OT, Buffalo, Wyo. Gabe Knapton, Sr., DE, Mead Colo. Chris McNeill, Jr., WR, Simi Valley, Calif. Luke Ruff, Jr., SS, Castle Rock, Colo. Honorable Mention All-MWC Blair Burns, Fr., CB, Plano, Texas Tyler Strong, So., OG, Longmont, Colo Wyoming Team Notes Eleven Wyoming Football Players Earned 2011 All-Mountain West Conference Recognition, Head Coach Dave Christensen Named Coach of the Year and Quarterback Brett Smith Named Freshman of the Year: The Mountain West announced its 2011 All-Conference Football Team on Tuesday, Dec. 6 and eleven Wyoming players plus head coach Dave Christensen earned recognition. Wyoming received two of the five conference individual honors in voting by Mountain West head coaches and media members. Head coach Dave Christensen was named Coach of the Year and quarterback Brett Smith was voted Freshman of the Year. Christensen became the first Cowboy head football coach to receive conference Coach of the Year honors since Joe Tiller received the honor in It was also the first time a Wyoming head football coach earned Coach of the Year honors in the Mountain West Conference era. Smith became the second Wyoming freshman to earn MW Freshman of the Year honors. UW quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels earned the honor in While Wyoming had no First Team All-Conference selections, it had eight Second Team honorees, including five on defense and three on offense. Wyoming s defensive honorees on the Second Team included four seniors: defensive ends Josh Biezuns and Gabe Knapton, linebacker Brian Hendricks and free safety Tashaun Gipson. They were joined by junior strong safety Luke Ruff. Biezuns was a Second Team selection for the second consecutive season. Knapton, Hendricks and Gipson were Honorable Mention choices a year ago, while Hendricks earned Second Team honors as a sophomore in It was the first All-Conference recognition for Ruff. The offensive players who earned Second Team All-Mountain West Conference recognition were: senior offensive tackle Clayton Kirven, junior center/guard Nick Carlson and junior wide receiver Chris McNeill. Carlson was an Honorable Mention choice in Kirven and McNeill earned All-Conference honors for the first time. Two young Cowboys received enough votes to garner Honorable Mention All-Conference. Those two were: sophomore offensive guard Tyler Strong and freshman cornerback Blair Burns. It was Strong s first honor, and Burns earned the honor in his first season playing at the collegiate level Home Attendance Ranked Sixth All-Time in UW History: Wyoming s 2011 home attendance ranked No. 6 in school history, with an average of 22,162 Cowboy fans attending home games. Wyoming s first four home games of 2011 attracted over 20,000 fans: 21,492 fans attended the season opener versus Weber State; 23,248 for the Texas State game: 32,617 attended the Wyoming-Nebraska game; and 22,985 watched the Cowboys defeat UNLV. Wyoming s Single-Season Attendance Records Date Attendance No. of Games ,831 5 games ,753 6 games ,965 5 games ,914 6 games ,190 6 games ,162 6 games Wyoming-Nebraska Game Attracts Third Largest Crowd in War Memorial Stadium History: On Sept. 24, 2011, the Wyoming-Nebraska game attracted a crowd of 32,617 fans, which ranks as the third largest crowd in War Memorial Stadium history. Wyoming s Largest Single-Game Crowds Date Opponent Attendance Oct. 18, 1997 Colorado State 34,745 Nov. 10, 1990 BYU 34,231 Sept. 24, 2011 Nebraska 32,617 Nov. 5, 1988 UTEP 32,210 Oct. 18, 1986 BYU 31,742 Sept. 1, 2007 Virginia 31,620 Sept. 12, 2009 Texas 31,017 Bold indicates players returning in 2012 Page 9

10 Cowboy Quarterback Brett Smith Recorded the Third Best Single Season in Total Offense in Wyoming School History: Cowboy freshman Brett Smith accounted for 3,332 yards of total offense his freshman season of That ranked as the third best single-season total in Wyoming school history. Only Josh Wallwork in 1996 and Joe Hughes in 1993 recorded better single seasons in terms of total offense in UW history. See below the best single-seasons in Wyoming history. Wyoming Single-Season Total Offense Leaders Player Season Yards 1. Josh Wallwork ,209 (+877) 2. Joe Hughes ,406 (+ 74) 3. Brett Smith , Casey Bramlet , Randy Welniak , Craig Burnett , Casey Bramlet , Casey Bramlet , Tom Corontzos , Joe Hughes ,843 Wyoming Offense Returns Top Passer, Top Rusher and Top Three Receivers in 2012: When the Wyoming Cowboys open 2012 fall camp in August, they will return their top passer, top rusher and top three receivers from a year ago. In the case of their top passer and top rusher, those are one in the samer person Mountain West Freshman of the Year Brett Smith. As a true freshman, Smith led the Cowboys in passing (2,622 passing yards) and rushing (710 net rushing yards). Along the way, Smith shattered the Mountain West freshman total offense record, accumulating 3,332 yards of total offense. The record was previously held by TCU s Andy Dalton, who accounted for 2,691 yards of total offense as a freshman in Smith s 710 rushing yards edged out former Cowboy Alvester Alexander, who rushed for 695 yards in 2011 prior to foregoing his senior season to declare for the NFL Draft. The Cowboys top three receivers in terms of receptions all return in Dominic Rufran, a true freshman in 2011, led UW with 44 receptions. Robert Herron caught 43 passes as a sophomore in 2011, and Chris McNeill caught 42 balls and led Wyoming in receiving yards, with 504, despite missing the final four games of the season due to injury. McNeill earned Second Team All-Mountain West honors as a junior in Wyoming Team Notes Cowboy Offensive Players Ranked in the 2012 NCAA and Mountain West Rankings: Seven Wyoming offensive players are ranked among the NCAA and Mountain West statistical leaders this week. See this week s Cowboy rankings below Wyoming Players in the NCAA Rankings (Listed Alphabetically by Player) Individual Category Average MWC Rank NCAA Rank Robert Herron, Receiving Yards yards per game No. 1 No. 4 Robert Herron, Total Receiving Yards 173 total yards No. 1 No. 4 Robert Herron, All-Purpose Yards yards per game No. 3 No. 22 Robert Herron, Scoring 12.0 points per game Tie No. 3 Tie No. 25 Robert Herron, Receptions 5.00 per game Tie No. 6 Tie No. 95 Brett Smith, Passing Yards yards per game No. 2 No. 26 Brett Smith, Total Passing Yards 276 total passing yards No. 2 No. 26 Brett Smith, Total Offense yards per game No. 3 Tie No. 26 Brett Smith,Passing Efficiency rating No. 3 No. 32 Shaun Wick, Kickoff Returns 12.7 yards per return No. 7 No. 69 Stuart Williams, Field Goals 1.00 field goals per game Tie No. 4 Tie No Wyoming Players in the Mountain West Rankings (Listed Alphabetically by Player) Individual Category Average MWC Rank NCAA Rank Robert Herron, Scoring (By TDs) 12.0 points per game Tie No. 3* NA Chris McNeill, Receptions 2.00 per game Tie No. 25* NA Brandon Miller, Receptions 3.00 per game Tie No. 16 NA Brandon Miller, Rushing 34.0 yards per game No. 20 NA Dominic Rufran, Receiving Yards 46.0 yards per game No. 12 NA Dominic Rufran, Receptions 3.00 per game Tie No. 16 NA Stuart Williams, Field-Goal Percentage percent Tie No. 1 NA Stuart Williams, Scoring (By Kicking) 3.00 points per game No. 9 NA Mountain West Freshman of the Year Brett Smith More Than Just a Freshman: Wyoming freshman quarterback Brett Smith was honored as the Mountain West Freshman of the Year this season, but he was much more than a freshman by the end of the season. Smith not only put up numbers comparable with the veteran quarterbacks in the Mountain West Conference, but he helped lead the Cowboys to victories over all but Kellen Moore at Boise State and Casey Pachall at TCU. Here is where Smith ranked among Mountain West QBs in Mountain West Quarterback Rankings Passing Yards Player Total Offense Per Game Pass Efficiency Kellen Moore, Sr., Boise State No. 1 (287.2) No. 1 (292.3) No. 1 (175.2) Brett Smith, Fr., Wyoming No. 2 (256.3) No. 4 (201.7) No. 4 (124.6) Ryan Lindley, Sr., SDSU No. 3 (238.6) No. 2 (242.5) No. 3 (125.7) Casey Pachall, So., TCU No. 4 (228.6) No. 3 (224.7) No. 2 (158.0) Pete Thomas, So., CSU No. 5 (174.6) No. 5 (178.6) No. 5 (116.1) Tim Jefferson, Sr., Air Force No. 6 (168.5) No. 7 (125.9) Not ranked B.R. Holbrook, Jr., UNM No. 7 (143.9) No. 6 (135.5) No. 6 (112.4) Caleb Herring, UNLV No. 8 (112.3) No. 8 (100.4) No. 7 (102.8) Brett Smith Ranked Among Top Freshman QBs in the Nation in 2011: Wyoming s true freshman quarterback Brett Smith was among 10 freshmen QBs who were ranked among the NCAA s statistical leaders in The NCAA ranks quarterbacks in five categories: total offense, passing efficiency, passing yards per game, total passing yards and pass completions per game. But the most important statistic is a team s won-loss record. Wyoming s Smith led the Cowboys to an 8-5 record as a true freshman, starting every game for the Cowboys in Louisiana Tech s Nick Isham helped lead his team to an 8-5 record, and Gary Nova of Rutgers helped lead Rutgers to a 9-4 mark, however, both Isham and Nova shared quarterbacking duties at their respective schools. Below are where the nation s top freshmen QBs ranked in the final 2011 NCAA statistics. Each player s NCAA rank is followed by their season average or season total in parentheses NCAA Freshmen Quarterback Rankings Total Passing Pass Yards Total Pass Pass Comp. Team Freshman QB Offense Efficiency Per Game Yards Per Game Record +Brett Smith, Wyoming 33 (256.3) 80 (124.6) 61 (201.7) 54 (2,622) 36 (19.5) 8-5 (Listed Alphabetically) +T. Bridgewater, Louisville 86 (168.9) 57 (132.4) 77 (163.8) 66 (2,129) 73 (14.7) 7-6 +Rakeem Cato, Marshall 91 (160.9) 75 (125.8) 82 (158.4) 70 (2,059) 80 (14.0) 7-6 Cody Fajardo, Nevada 41 (240.1) 44 (138.2) 72 (170.7) 86 (1,707) 71 (15.0) 7-6 +Nick Isham, La. Tech Not ranked 98 (112.8) 90 (145.7) Not ranked 68 (15.5) 8-5 +Chuckie Keeton, Utah St. Not ranked 46 (137.4) Not ranked Not ranked Not ranked 7-6 Sean Mannion, Oregon St. 31 (261.5) 67 (127.1) 17 (277.3) 22 (3,328) 11 (25.4) 3-9 +Braxton Miller, Ohio State 95 (156.2) Not ranked Not ranked Not ranked Not ranked 6-7 +Gary Nova, Rutgers Not ranked 90 (116.6) 85 (155.3) 95 (1,553) 93 (11.6) 9-4 +Taylor Reed, Memphis 92 (160.6) 95 (113.9) 87 (153.6) 87 (1,690) 70 (15.4) Indicates true freshmen com Page 10

11 Notes From Last Week s Game Versus No. 15 Ranked Texas: Below are some notes from Wyoming s 2012 season opener at No. 15 ranked Texas. Team Notes Wyoming began its 116th season of college football Saturday. Saturday s game marked the first time that UW had opened the season on the road under head coach Dave Christensen. He had compiled a record of 3-0 prior to Saturday s loss in his previous three openers. Junior strong safety Andrew Meredith carried the Wyoming state flag out on the field, while sophomore cornerback Blair Burns carried the Special Forces flag. Several Wyoming players saw the field for the first time in their careers, including redshirt freshman linebacker Zack Berg, sophomore wide receiver Josh Smith, freshman running back D.J. May, freshman linebacker Siaosi Hala`api`api, freshman kicker Justin Martin, junior linebacker J.J. Quinlan, redshirt freshman defensive end Eddie Yarbrough, junior defensive end Justin Bernthaler, redshirt freshman offensive guard Jake Jones, freshman punter Tim Gleeson and sophomore wide receiver Justin Berger. Offensive Notes Junior wide receiver Robert Herron had an 82- yard catch and run for a touchdown Saturday, his career-long reception. The 82-yard TD pass was a career-long for sophomore quarterback Brett Smith. His previous long was an 80-yarder in 2011 versus Colorado State. Sophomore wide receiver Justin Berger had his first career reception for the Pokes, catching a 12-yarder in the second half. Freshman running back Shaun Wick saw his first action for the Cowboys, finishing with five rushes for nine yards. Defensive Notes Senior defensive tackle Mike Purcell had eight tackles, to vault him to 122 in his career. Senior free safety Luke Ruff had nine stops to give him 150 for his career. Ruff s nine stops marks the fifth time he has had nine or more tackles in a game in his career. Senior defensive end Miraldo Michel recovered his first career fumble Saturday, scooping up a fumbled snap by Texas quarterback David Ash Wyoming Team Notes Cowboy Offensive Line Continues Strong Play in 2012, After Ranking No. 11 in NCAA in Fewest Sacks Allowed in 2011: The Cowboy offensive line did an excellent job up front during the 2011 season, and they have continued that into the 2012 season. In the 2012 season opener at Texas, UW s O-Line allowed only one sack to the Texas defense. That ranks the Cowboys No. 29 in the nation this week in fewest sacks allowed. Wyoming allowed only 12 sacks in 13 games last season to rank No. 11 in the NCAA in fewest sacks allowed. The Cowboy offense never allowed more than 2.0 sacks in any one game and had four games in which it didn t allow any sacks a year ago. True Freshman Quarterback Brett Smith Ranked Among Mountain West and NCAA Leaders in 2011, Ranked No. 2 in Mountain West and No. 33 in NCAA in Total Offense: Wyoming, true freshman quarterback Brett Smith from Salem, Ore., ended the 2011 season ranked No. 2 in the Mountain West Conference and No. 33 in the nation in total offense (256.3 yards per game). He also ranked No. 4 in the MW and No. 54 in the NCAA in passing yards (2,622 passing yards) for the 2011 season. Smith has had five, 300-yard games in terms of total offense this season (338 vs. Weber State, 309 vs. Texas State, 304 at Bowling Green, 365 vs. San Diego State and 352 vs. New Mexico). Brett Smith s 2011 Statistical Rankings Statistical Category (Averages) Mountain West Rank NCAA Rank Points Responsible for (14.5 per game) No. 2 No. 28 Total Offense (256.3 yards per game) No. 2 No. 33 Pass Completions (19.5 per game) No. 2 No. 36 Total Passing Yards (2,622 total yards) No. 4 No. 54 Passing Yards (201.7 yards per game) No. 4 No. 61 Passing Efficiency (124.6 rating) No. 4 No. 80 Rushing (54.6 yards per game) No. 8 (Not ranked) Brett Smith Game-by-Game Rushing Passing Total Offense vs. Weber State vs. Texas State at Bowling Green vs. Nebraska at Utah State vs. UNLV at San Diego State vs. TCU at Air Force vs. New Mexico at Boise State at Colorado State vs. Temple# Totals 710 2,622 3,332 #2011 Gildan New Mexico Bowl Brett Smith Shatters Mountain West Freshman Record for Total Offense: Wyoming freshman quarterback Brett Smith made his mark on the Mountain West freshman passing and total offense charts in With his 352 yards of total offense versus New Mexico on Nov. 19, 2011, Smith moved past former TCU quarterback Andy Dalton to set a new Mountain West freshman total offense record. Smith concluded his 2011 freshman season with 3,332 yards of total offense. He also ended his freshman season with 2,622 passing yards to rank No. 3 in Mountain West history among freshmen passers. Smith fell just 40 yards shy of the MW all-time freshman passing record of 2,662 yards. Mountain West Freshman Total Offense Leaders Player Yards Year 1. Brett Smith, QB, Wyoming 3, Andy Dalton, QB, TCU 2, Ryan Lindley, QB, San Diego State 2, Pete Thomas, QB, Colorado State 2, Austyn Carta-Samuels, QB, Wyoming 2, Mountain West Freshman Passing Leaders Player Yards Year 1. Pete Thomas, QB, Colorado State 2,662 (+40) Ryan Lindley, QB, San Diego State 2,653 (+31) Brett Smith, QB, Wyoming 2, Andy Dalton, QB, TCU 2, Jake Heaps, QB, BYU 2, com Page 11

12 Wyoming Top Team in the Mountain West and One of the Nation s Top Teams in Turnover Margin in 2011: One of the keys to Wyoming s success in the 2011 season was the ability of the Cowboy defense to force opponent turnovers, while the Poke offense did an excellent job of protecting the ball. The Cowboys ranked No. 9 in the nation in turnover margin in 2011, averaging a turnover margin per game. Wyoming either won the turnover margin or came out even in all but two games during the 2011 season Wyoming Turnover Rankings MW NCAA Turnover Category Rank Rank Turnover Margin (+0.92) No. 1 No. 9 Most TOs Gained (31) No. 1 No. 10 Most Fumbles Recovered (18) No. 1 No. 5 Most Interceptions (13) No. 3 No. 43 Fewest TOs Lost (19) No. 4 No. 32 Fewest Fumbles Lost (8) No. 2 No. 20 Fewest Interceptions (11) No. 7 No Turnover Margin (Game-by-Game) WYO Opp. TO Game TOs TOs Margin vs. Weber State 1 1 Even vs. Texas State at Bowling Green vs. Nebraska 1 1 Even at Utah State vs. UNLV at San Diego State vs. TCU at Air Force vs. New Mexico at Boise State 2 2 Even at Colorado Stae 3 3 Even vs. Temple Total TO Margin Per Game TO Margin Wyoming Team Notes How Important Were Turnovers -- Wyoming Ranked No. 9 in the Nation in Turnover Margin in 2011, 10 of Top 12 Teams in Turnover Margin Earned Bowl Bids: Football coaches always stress the importance of forcing opponent turnovers and limiting their teams own turnovers. Just how important is having a positive turnover margin? Consider the fact that 10 of the Top 12 ranked teams in turnover margin in 2011 earned bowl bids, that two of the Top 3 treams in the final national polls -- No. 3 ranked Oklahoma State and No. 2 ranked LSU -- finished the season No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in turnover margin. Turnover Total Turnovers Total Turnovers Turnover Team Margin Forced Committed Differential 1. Oklahoma State per game in 13 games 2. LSU per game in 14 games 3. Toledo per game in 13 games 4. Houston per game in 14 games Wisconsin per game in 14 games 6. N.C. State per game in 13 games 7. Kent State per game in 12 games Memphis per game in 12 games 9. Wyoming per game in 13 games Cincinnati per game in 13 games Kansas State per game in 13 games San Diego State per game in 13 games Cowboy Offense Featured Balanced Attack Under New Offensive Coordinator Gregg Brandon: Wyoming s first-year offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon utilized a very balanced offense in Wyoming ran 485 rushing plays and threw 430 passes on the season. The rushing attack generated 2,361 net rushing yards (181.6 per game), while the passing game accounted for 2,689 yards (206.8 per game). Individually, four players had 300 or more yards rushing. Leading Rushers Carries Rushing Yards Brett Smith Alvester Alexander Ghalli Muhammad (Injured in Week 8 vs. TCU, missed last 5 games) Brandon Miller Seven different receivers had 10 or more catches. Leading Receivers Catches Receiving Yards Dominic Rufran Robert Herron Chris McNeill (Injured in Week 9 at Air Force, missed last 4 games) Mazi Ogbonna Josh Doctson Brandon Miller Alvester Alexander Wyoming Total Offense Game-by-Game Rushing Passing Total Game Offense Offense Offense vs. Weber State vs. Texas State at Bowling Green vs. Nebraska at Utah State vs. UNLV at San Diego State vs. TCU at Air Force vs. New Mexico at Boise State at Colorado State vs. Temple# Totals 2,361 2,689 5,050 Per-game Avgs MW Rank No. 4 No. 4 No. 5 NCAA Rank No. 33 No. 79 No. 59 Page 12

13 2011 Wyoming Schedule/Results (8-5, 5-2 in the Mountain West) Date Opponents Results Sat., Sept. 3 WEBER STATE W Sat., Sept. 10 TEXAS STATE W Sat., Sept. 17 at Bowling Green W Sat., Sept. 24 NEBRASKA L Sat., Oct. 8 at Utah State L Sat., Oct. 15 UNLV* W Sat., Oct. 29 at San Diego St.* W Sat., Nov. 5 TCU* L Sat., Nov. 12 at Air Force* W Sat., Nov. 19 NEW MEXICO* W Sat., Nov. 26 at Boise State* L Sat., Dec. 3 at Colorado State* W Sat., Dec. 17 vs. Temple# L *Indicates Mountain West Conference games #2011 Gildan New Mexico Bowl Cardiac Cowboys -- Wyoming Won a Series of Close Games in 2011: The Wyoming Cowboys experienced five down-tothe-wire finishes during the 2011 season. UW won all five of those close games Close Games Close Finish Win vs. Weber State UW scores winning TD with 22 seconds Win at Bowling Green Pokes block extra point with 3 seconds left Win at San Diego State UW shuts out SDSU in 4th quarter Win at Air Force Pokes hold Air Force to a season low 17 points Win at Colorado State UW scores a TD and a safety in the final 8:46 UW One of the Least Penalized Teams in Mountain West and Ranked No. 48 in the Nation in 2011: In 2011, the Wyoming Cowboys were one of the least penalized teams in the Mountain West Conference. Wyoming averaged only 46.4 yards of penalties per game to rank No. 3 in the Mountain West and No. 48 in the NCAA. Below are the Mountain West teams and their ranking in the conference and nationally in penalty yards. Team Penalty Yards per Game 1. San Diego State 41.1 (No. 22 in NCAA) 2. Air Force 43.2 (No. 32) 3. Wyoming 46.4 (No. 48) 4. Boise State 47.2 (No. 52) 5. New Mexico 48.5 (No. 55) 6. TCU 52.8 (No. 72) 7. Colorado State 60.8 (No. 96) 8. UNLV 61.2 (No. 97) 2012 Wyoming Team Notes The Veterans -- Wyoming Returns Strong Core of Starters for 2012: Wyoming returns a strong core of starters on both sides of the ball. Below is a list of all Cowboy returners with starting experience, and their current number of games played and games started. Current Players Ranked by Career Games Started Player Career Games Played Career Games Started Nick Carlson, Jr., C/OG Chris McNeill, Jr., WR Mike Purcell, Jr., DT Luke Ruff, Sr., FS Devyn Harris, So., LB Marqueston Huff, Jr., CB Josh Leonard, Jr., OT Brett Smith, So., QB Luke Anderson, Sr., S Daniel Sullivan, So., K Patrick Mertens, Jr., DT Tyler Strong, Jr., OG Korey Jones, Sr., LB Ghaali Muhammad, Sr., LB Blair Burns, So., CB Robert Herron, Jr., WR 23 8 Brandon Miller, Jr., RB 21 6 Mark Nzeocha, So., SS 11 6 Dominic Rufran, So., WR 14 5 Zach Rushing, Sr., OG 14 4 T.J. Smith, Jr., WR 16 3 Riley Lange, So., H-Back 14 3 Kyle Magnuson, Sr., OG 14 4 Oliver Schober, Sr., LB 12 3 Kurt Taufa asau, Sr., DT 13 4 Spencer Bruce, Jr., WR 9 2 Trey Norman, So., WR 14 2 Stuart Williams, So., K 3 2 Texas Was the 11th Top 25 Ranked Opponent in the Dave Christensen Era: In the first four seasons that Dave Christensen has been head coach of the Wyoming Cowboys, his teams have played 11 games against Top 25 ranked opponents, facing four in 2009, four in 2010, two in 2011 and in 2012 Texas marked the 11th. In 2009, Wyoming hosted the highest-ranked team to ever visit War Memorial Stadium, in the No. 2 ranked Texas Longhorns, and also hosted two Top Five ranked teams in the same season for the first time in school history as No. 4 ranked TCU also played in War Memorial Stadium in 09. Wyoming vs. Top 25 Ranked Opponents in the Dave Christensen Era Date AP USA Today Played Opponent Ranking Ranking Sept. 12, 2009 Texas No. 2 No. 2 Oct. 31, 2009 at Utah No. 19 No. 19 Nov. 7, 2009 BYU No. 25 No. 25 Nov. 21, 2009 TCU No. 4 No. 4 Sept. 11, 2010 at Texas No. 5 No. 4 Sept. 18, 2010 Boise State No. 3 No. 3 Oct. 9, 2010 at TCU No. 5 No. 5 Oct. 16, 2010 Utah No. 11 No. 10 Sept. 24, 2011 Nebraska No. 9 No. 9 Nov. 26, 2011 Boise State No. 7 No. 8 Sept. 1, 2012 at Texas No. 15 No. 15 Recent Road Wins Over Schools From Automatic-Qualifying BCS Leagues: While it has been a decade since Wyoming defeated a Top 25 ranked team, the Cowboys have enjoyed a number of wins over schools from BCS Automatic-Qualifying BCS Leagues. Here are some of those big Cowboy wins. Date Opponent Score Sept. 25, 2004 Ole Miss W Dec. 23, 2004 UCLA W (Las Vegas Bowl) Sept. 24, 2005 at Ole Miss W Sept. 1, 2007 Virginia W 23-3 Nov. 8, 2008 at Tennessee W 13-7 Page 13

14 2012 Honors Candidates Luke Ruff, Sr., Free Safety, 5-11, 200, Sr., Castle Rock, Colo Selected to the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List Named to the Preseason All-Mountain West First Team as named by Mountain West media Selected one of four team captains Second Team All-Mountain West Conference Ranked No. 6 in the Mountain West in tackles in 2011, averaging 7.8 tackles per game, and ranked No. 88 in the NCAA in tackles Was credited with 102 tackles. in his first season as a full-time starter at safety Recorded five double-figure tackle games, including 11 vs. TCU and Air Force and 10 against Boise State, UNLV and Weber State. Like having a coach on the field, Ruff was a 2011 and 2010 First Team Capital One Academic All-District VII selection, earning a 3.59 cumulative gpa in civil engineering. Has started the last 16 consecutive games for the Cowboys at safety, and has played in 38 career games. A three-time Academic All-Conference and Conference Scholar-Athlete selection. Mike Purcell, Sr., Defensive Tackle, 6-3, 303, Sr., Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Highlands Ranch) 2012 Named to the Preseason All-Mountain West First Team as named by Mountain West media. Wyoming s top returning defensive lineman in 2012, and a leading All-Conference candidate. Had an outstanding season in 2011 with 48 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 3.0 TFLs, two blocked kicks and one safety from his defensive tackle position Had his best game of the season at Air Force, with seven tackles, including five solo tackles and recovered one fumble Recorded six tackles at Colorado State, including one sack and recording a safety Had six tackles at Boise State to go along with a blocked kick, and was credited with five tackles versus Temple in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl Led Wyoming in blocked kicks with two, blocking PATs versus Boise State and Weber State. Somewhat overshadowed as a junior by senior teammates Josh Biezuns and Gabe Knapton, who both earned Second Team All-Mountain West honors in 2011 as defensive linemen. Started 25 of 31 career games, and has started 23 of the last 26 games at defensive tackle for the Pokes. Korey Jones, Sr., Linebacker, 6-2, 233, Sr., Fort Collins, Colo. (Garden City CC, Kan.) 2012 Selected one of four team captains In his first season after transferring from Garden City Junior College in Kansas, Jones started 11 games and was credited with 59 tackles in Moved back to his natural outside linebacker position midway through the season after beginning the season as a starter defensive end Recorded 4.0 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss in his first season playing at the NCAA Division I level Recorded a personal best nine tackles in season opener versus Weber State Credited with eight tackles versus New Mexico and seven against TCU Had five tackles in four other games -- at Bowling Green, vs. UNLV, at Boise State and at Colorado State His one fumble recovery came at Air Force in a road win. Blair Burns, So., Cornerback, 5-10, 180, So., Plano, Texas (Plano) 2011 First Team Freshman All-American as selected by the Football Writers Association of America First Team Freshman All-American as selected by CBSSports.com Honorable Mention Freshman All-America as selected by CollegeFootballNews.com Honorable Mention All-Mountain West Conference as a true freshman Ranked No. 2 in the Mountain West Conference and No. 38 in the nation in interceptions with four on the season Moved into the starting lineup in the fifth game of his true freshman season at Utah State, recording a personal best nine tackles, and started the last nine consecutive games of the season In the third game of the season, he came off the bench against Bowling Green and intercepted two passes for 65 yards and recovered one fumble to go with six tackles. Had seven tackles and a PBU at San Diego State Had an interception versus TCU at the goal line to end a scoring drive Intercepted his fourth pass of the season at Colorado State. Page 14

15 2012 Honors Candidates Brett Smith, So., Quarterback, 6-3, 195, Salem, Ore. (West Salem) 2012 Selected one of four team captains Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year First Team Freshman All-American as selected by CollegeFootballNews.com. and 2011 Second Team Freshman All-American as selected by Yahoo!Sports. Set a new Mountain West Freshman record for total offense (3,332 yards), breaking the previous record of 2,691 yards set by TCU s Andy Dalton in Ranked 33rd in the nation in total offense as a true freshman last season, averaging yards per game, and ranked No. 2 in the Mountain West behind only Kellen Moore of Boise State Ranked No. 4 in the MW and No. 61 in the nation in passing yards, averaging yards per game He also ranked No. 8 in the Mountain West in rushing, averaging 54.6 yards per game, and No. 9 in the conference in scoring (5.2 points per game) He recorded five 300-yard total offensive games: 338 vs. Weber State; 309 against Texas State; 304 at Bowling Green; 365 at San Diego State; and 352 vs. New Mexico Named MW Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in a win at SDSU Named MW Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in win versus New Mexico. Nick Carlson, Sr., Center, 6-4, 292, Arlington Heights, Ill. (Prospect) 2012 and 2011 Named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List, honoring the nation s top center Named to the Preseason All-Mountain West First Team as named by Mountain West media Selected one of four team captains Second Team All-Mountain West Conference selection Leader of an offensive line that allowed only 12 sacks in 13 games to rank No. 11 in the nation in fewest sacks allowed Helped Wyoming average rushing yards per game to rank No. 33 in the nation Honorable Mention All-MW as selected by MW Coaches and Media. Carlson has started 34 of the 35 career games that he has played, including the last 26 consecutive. An extremely intelligent player, Carlson earned Academic All-Mountain West Conference honors as a freshman in Chris McNeill, Sr., Wide Receiver, 6-1, 180, Simi Valley, Calif. (Notre Dame) 2011 Second Team All-Mountain West Conference. Despite missing the final four games of the 2011 season due to injury, McNeill led Wyoming in receiving yards with 504, and had 42 receptions He had a career high 111 receiving yards and a career high two TD receptions at San Diego State Nearly had a second 100-yard receiving game versus TCU, catching five passes for 99 yards Caught a career best nine passes at Air Force for 67 yards and one TD prior to being injured Had eight receptions at San Diego State, while recording career high 111 yards in receiving yards McNeill also led Wyoming in punt returns, averaging 16.8 yards per return. He returned one punt for 76 yards and a TD versus UNLV. Has started 29 of 35 career games. Tyler Strong, Jr., Offensive Guard, 6-3, 292, Longmont, Colo. (Niwot) 2011 Honorable Mention All-Mountain West Conference as a sophomore Earned Honorable Mention All-Conference honors in his first season playing offensive guard for the Cowboys A leader of an offensive-line unit that allowed only 12 sacks in 13 games in 2011, ranking Wyoming No. 11 in the NCAA in fewest sacks allowed Helped Wyoming average rushing yards per game in 2011 to rank No. 33 in the nation Earned the starting left guard spot in spring practice, after making the move from defensive tackle where he played in nine games as a true freshman in Has started 12 of 22 career games, including the last 12 consecutive games for the Cowboys. Page 15

16 Cowboy Defense Improved Throughout -- Allowed the Third Fewest Points in MWC Conference Games: Wyoming s defense improved throughout the 2011 season. The Cowboys were one of the best teams in the nation in forcing turnovers and in preventing teams from scoring once they reached the red zone. But since the start of Mountain West play, the Cowboy defense allowed the third fewest points of any team in the Mountain West -- only 154 points in seven games. Only TCU, which allowed 107 points in its seven MW games, and Boise State, which allowed only 145, were better. Wyoming s final rankings in some key defensive categories during the 2011 season are below. MW NCAA Statistical Category Rank Rank Most Turnovers Gained (31) No. 1 No. 10 Most Fumbles Forced (18) No. 1 No. 5 Opponent Third-Down Percentage (41.6%) No. 3 No. 79 Red-Zone Defense (77.4%) No. 4 No. 29 Points Allowed in MW Games (154 points) No. 3 NA Pass Defense (199.6 ypg) No. 3 No. 30 Several 2011 Cowboy Defenders Ranked Among the Best at Their Positions in the Mountain West in Tackles: Wyoming had a number of defenders who ranked at or near the top of the Mountain West tackle charts at their positions. Two Cowboys led their respective positions in the Mountain West in tackles in Senior defensive end Gabe Knapton was the leading tackler among all defensive linemen in the conference, averaging 6.2 tackles per game. Junior safety Luke Ruff led all MW defensive backs (7.8 tackles per game). Position Ranking in the MW Player in Tackles (Per Game Avg.) Gabe Knapton No. 1 among DL 6.2 per game) Josh Biezuns No. 3 among DL (4.8) Mike Purcell No. 6 among DL (4.0) Luke Ruff No. 1 among DBs (7.8) Tashaun Gipson No. 3 among DBs (7.3) Luke Anderson No. 5 among DBs (5.8) Brian Hendricks No. 5 among LBs (8.1) Devyn Harris No. 14 among LBs (5.0) 2012 Wyoming Team Notes Cowboy Defenders Ranked in the 2012 NCAA and Mountain West Rankings: Nine Wyoming defensive players are ranked among the NCAA and Mountain West statistical leaders this week. See this week s Cowboy rankings below Wyoming Players in the NCAA Rankings (Listed Alphabetically by Player) Individual Category Average MWC Rank NCAA Rank Blair Burns, Passes Defended 2.00 per game Tie No. 2 Tie No. 20 Marqueston Huff, Passes Defended 1.00 per agme Tie No. 9 Tie No. 77 Korey Jones, Tackles 13.0 per game No. 1 Tie No. 12 Miraldo Michel, Fumbles Recovered 1.00 per game Tie No. 1 Tie No. 1 Luke Ruff, Tackles 9.0 per game Tie No. 6 Tie No Wyoming Players in the Mountain West Rankings (Listed Alphabetically by Player) Individual Category Average MWC Rank NCAA Rank Blair Burns, Tackles 8.00 per game Tie No. 11 NA Devyn Harris, Tackles 8.00 per game Tie No. 7 NA Miraldo Michel, Tackles 6.00 per game Tie No. 31 NA Mark Nzeocha, Tackles 6.00 per game Tie No. 31 NA Mike Purcell, Tackles 8.00 per game Tie No. 7 NA B.J. Sumter, Tackles for Loss 1.00 per game Tie No. 10 NA Double-Figure Tackle Games in 2011: Six Wyoming Cowboys recorded double-figure tackle games during the 2011 season. Those six were junior strong safety Luke Ruff, senior free safety Tashaun Gipson, senior linebacker Brian Hendricks, senior defensive end Gabe Knapton, junior defensive back/linebacker Luke Anderson and sophomore linebacker Devyn Harris. Leading the way was Ruff, who had five double-figure tackle games. He concluded the season with 102 tackles, second only to Hendricks, who had 105 on the year University of Wyoming Double-Figure Tackle Games Player Date and Opponent Tackles Luke Ruff, ss Nov. 5, 2011, vs. TCU 11 tackles Luke Ruff, ss Nov. 12, 2011, at Air Force 11 Luke Ruff, ss Sept. 3, 2011, Weber State 10 Luke Ruff, ss Oct. 15, 2011, vs. UNLV 10 Luke Ruff, ss Nov. 26, 2011, vs. Boise State 10 Tashaun Gipson, fs Nov. 26, 2011, vs. Boise State 12 Tashaun Gipson, fs Oct. 8, 2011, at Utah State 11 Tashaun Gipson, fs Nov. 5, 2011, vs. TCU 10 Tashuan Gipson, fs Nov. 19, 2011, vs. New Mexico 10 Brian Hendricks, lb Dec. 17, 2011, vs. Temple 13 Brian Hendricks, lb Oct. 8, 2011, at Utah State 12 Brian Hendricks, lb Oct. 15, 2011, vs. UNLV 10 Gabe Knapton, de Nov. 12, 2011, at Air Force 12 Gabe Knapton, de Oct. 15, 2011, vs. UNLV 10 Luke Anderson, db Nov. 5, 2011, vs. TCU 11 Devyn Harris, lb Sept. 17, 2011, at Bowling Green 11 Wyoming s Luke Ruff Earns First Team Academic All-District 7 Honors for the Second Consecutive Year in 2011: University of Wyoming junior strong safety Luke Ruff was named a First Team Capital One Academic All-District 7 selection by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Nov. 10, It is the second consecutive year that Ruff has earned First Team Academic All-District 7 honors. The native of Castle Rock, Colo., Ruff has achieved a 3.56 cumulative grade-point average in civil engineering. Student-athletes who earn First Team Academic All-District honors advance on to the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration. The Capital One Academic All-America Football Team will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 8, Ruff has started every game at strong safety for the Cowboys this season. He was named to the Mountain West Conference Academic All-Conference team in both 2009 and 2010, and was also a Mountain West Conference Scholar-Athlete selection both years. The criteria for ESPN Academic All-District honors requires a student-athlete to have achieved a minimum of a 3.30 cumulative gpa, must be a starter or important reserve on his or her team, must have completed one full calendar year at his/her current institution and must have reached sophomore athletic eligibility. CoSIDA selects Academic Teams in 12 sport programs. District 7 consists of the states of: Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. Page 16

17 Wyoming s Future Football Schedules: The future football schedules for the University of Wyoming as of May 2012 are as follows. Wyoming has a future home-and-home schedule with the 2010 National Championship Runnerup Oregon Ducks beginning in All future schedules are tentative and subject to change Date Opponent Sept. 1 at Texas Sept. 8 TOLEDO Sept. 15 CAL POLY Sept. 22 at Idaho Oct. 6 at Nevada* Oct. 13 AIR FORCE* Oct. 20 at Fresno State* Oct. 27 BOISE STATE* Nov. 3 COLORADO STATE* Nov. 10 at New Mexico* Nov. 17 at UNLV* Nov. 24 SAN DIEGO STATE* *Mountain West Conference games Date Aug. 31 Sept. 7 Sept. 14 Sept. 28 Date Sept. 6 Sept. 13 Sept. 27 Date Sept. 5 Sept Opponent at Nebraska IDAHO NORTHERN COLORADO at Texas State 2014 Opponent at Oregon UTAH STATE FLORIDA ATLANTIC 2015 Opponent NORTH DAKOTA at Utah State 2012 Schedule 2012 Wyoming Football Schedule Highlighted by Home Games Versus Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State and San Diego State and Features Six 2011 Bowl Teams, Four of Those Bowl Teams to Play in Laramie: Wyoming s 2012 football schedule will feature a number of home games versus longtime rivals, as well as six bowl teams -- four of whom will play in Laramie. The Cowboys will host Mountain West rivals Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State and San Diego State in Wyoming, coming off its own appearance in the 2011 Gildan New Mexico Bowl, will face a 2012 schedule with half of its 12 opponents having played in bowls in Wyoming will host bowl teams Toledo, Air Force, Boise State and San Diego State in Laramie this coming season. The Pokes will travel to 2011 bowl participants Texas and Nevada. I think the schedule lays out well, said head coach Dave Christensen. It will be a challenging schedule, but I think it is a great home schedule for our fans. I like our bye falling right before we begin conference play. If you are going to have a bye, it is probably best to have it right before we play our first conference game at Nevada. With the addition of Hawai i, Fresno State and Nevada to an already talented group of teams, this league should be very competitive. We re looking forward to the challenge. Wyoming will open the 2012 season on the road at Texas on Saturday, Sept. 1. It will be the final game of a three-game series between the Cowboys and Longhorns. Texas defeated California (21-10) in last season s Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl. The following weekend, UW s home opener will feature the Toledo Rockets on Saturday, Sept. 8. Toledo defeated Air Force (42-41) in the 2011 Military Bowl. The other non-conference home game for the Cowboys this season will be against Cal Poly on Saturday, Sept. 15. Both Toledo and Cal Poly will be making their first trips to Laramie. Wyoming has played Toledo only one other time, defeating the Rockets in Toledo in Wyoming and Cal Poly have never played each other in football prior to this season. Wyoming s other non-conference game in 2012 will be played in Moscow, Idaho, on Saturday, Sept. 22 against the Idaho Vandals of the Western Athletic Conference. The conference slate of home games features longtime rivals Air Force and Colorado State visiting Laramie on Saturday, Oct. 13 and Saturday, Nov. 3, respectively. The Cowboys will also host Mountain West members Boise State and San Diego State in their final year as conference members. The Broncos, who defeated Arizona State (56-24) in the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl, will visit Wyoming s War Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 27. San Diego State, which lost (30-32) to Louisiana-Lafayette in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, will be the Pokes s season-ending game on Saturday, Nov. 24. The Cowboys first Mountain West game of 2012 will be played against first-year conference member Nevada in Reno, Nev., on Saturday Oct. 6. Nevada lost (17-24) to Southern Miss in the 2011 Sheraton Hawai i Bowl. UW will also play road games: at first-year Mountain West member, Fresno State, on Saturday, Oct. 20; at New Mexico on Saturday, Nov. 10; and at UNLV on Saturday, Nov. 17. Fans, who have questions or need additional information on purchasing tickets for 2012 Wyoming football games, may call the UW Athletics Ticket Office at 877-WYO-FAN1 ( ) or , or visit. Date Sept. 10 Sept. 17 Date Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Date Sept Opponent UTAH STATE at Nebraska 2017 Opponent at Missouri OREGON 2018 Opponent MISSOURI Pokes Overtime History: The Wyoming Cowboys have played eight overtime games in their history. The most recent overtime game the Cowboys played was in UW captured the 2009 New Mexico Bowl Championship, defeating Fresno State in double overtime. Two of Wyoming s eight overtime games have been played on neutral sites in postseason -- the 1996 Western Athletic Conference Championship game in Las Vegas, Nev., and the 2009 New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, N.M. The other six Wyoming overtime games have been played on the road. The Cowboys have never played an overtime game at home. Date Opponent, Result Wyoming s Overtime Record 9/7/96 at Iowa State, W (1ot) /7/96 vs. BYU#, L (1ot) /17/98 at UNLV, W (1ot) /2/02 at UNLV, L (1ot) /6/04 at UNLV, W (3ot) 3-2 9/9/06 at Virginia, L (1ot) 3-3 9/30/06 at Syracuse, L (2ot) /19/09 vs. Fresno State*, W (2ot) 4-4 #The overtime game versus BYU was played in the 1996 Western Athletic Conference Championship game in Las Vegas, Nev. *The overtime game vs. Fresno State came in the 2009 New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, N.M. Page 17

18 Cowboy Offensive Attack Enjoys Strong Year in Offense Looking to Continue Tradition of Cowboy Offensive Attacks of the Past: With the hiring of Dave Christensen as head coach, Wyoming fans can t help envisioning the return of a wide-open offense to Cowboy Football. An offense that would resemble those that successful Cowboy teams in the 1980s and 90s were built upon. Christensen has brought to Wyoming his no-huddle, spread offensive attack that made the University of Missouri one of the highestscoring and most productive offenses in the country from In 2007, Missouri ended the season ranked No. 4 in the final Associated Press poll -- the school s highest year-end ranking in history. Prior to the 2011 season, new offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon was added to Christensen s coaching staff. Brandon was previously an assistant at Wyoming from under then head coach Paul Roach. Wyoming fans can remember some highpowered offenses of their own under Roach and Joe Tiller. Those Cowboy offenses of the late 1980s and 1990s were not only among the most explosive and exciting in school history, but they fueled a period of success that resulted in four conference championships, four bowl berths and numerous national rankings for the Pokes. Wyoming Wide-Open Offenses Head Passing Total Offense Coach (Year) Ranking Ranking Paul Roach (1987) 5th 4th Paul Roach (1988) 13th 6th Paul Roach (1989) 42nd 54th Paul Roach (1990) 27th 49th Joe Tiller (1991) 8th 19th Joe Tiller (1992) 17th 30th Joe Tiller (1993) 14th 14th Joe Tiller (1994) 8th 10th Joe Tiller (1995) 13th 12th Joe Tiller (1996) 1st 3rd Missouri Wide-Open Offenses Under Dave Christensen Passing Total Offense Year Ranking Ranking rd 24th th 8th th 5th th 8th Total Head Rush Pass Offense Coach (Year) Ranking Ranking Ranking Dave Christensen (2011) 33rd 79th 59th 2012 Wyoming Team Notes Wyoming Cowboys Post 4-2 Road Record in 2011, Go 3-1 in Mountain West Play on the Road: With a win at Colorado State to conclude the regular season, the Wyoming Cowboys improved their 2011 road record to 4-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play. UW defeated Bowling Green (28-27), San Diego State (30-27), Air Force (25-17) and Colorado State (22-19) on the road this season. Wyoming s only two road losses this year came at Boise State (14-36) and at Utah State (19-63). The Pokes also won their third Mountain West road game of the season by defeating CSU. UW began its 2011 conference road schedule with a road win at San Diego State on Oct. 29. That broke a four-game road losing streak in conference play for UW. The Pokes followed that up with a road victory at Air Force on Nov. 12 before losing at Boise State. Wyoming is 8-10 in road games during the Dave Christensen era, which breaks down to a 3-3 road record in 2009, a 1-5 road record in 2010 and a 4-2 record in UW is 3-3 in nonconference road games under Christensen and is 5-7 in MW road games. Cowboys Continue Recent Success When Traveling East of the Mississippi: It s not often that the Wyoming Cowboys travel east of the Mississippi River to play football, but when they do the Pokes have enjoyed some recent success. On Sept. 17, 2011, Wyoming defeated Bowling Green, 28-27, on the Falcons home field in Bowling Green, Ohio. Wyoming has won five consecutive games when traveling east of the Mississippi. Over the past dozen years, Wyoming has traveled east 12 times and has posted a 6-6 (.500) record in those road games. Date Opponent Score Sept. 17, 2011 at Bowling Green W Oct. 2, 2010 at Toledo W Oct. 3, 2009 at Florida Atlantic W Nov. 8, 2008 at Tennessee W 13-7 Sept. 22, 2007 at Ohio W Sept. 30, 2006 at Syracuse L (2 ot) Sept. 9, 2006 at Virginia L (1ot) Sept. 24, 2005 at Ole Miss W Sept. 3, 2005 at Florida L Sept. 7, 2002 at Central Michigan L Aug. 31, 2002 Tennessee (in Nashville) L 7-47 Aug. 31, 2000 at Auburn L Road Warriors: During the Dave Christensen era, Wyoming has posted a 9-11 (.450) road record, including posting a 4-3 (.571) road record in Below are UW s road games during the Christensen era. Date Opponent Score Dec. 17, 2011 vs. Temple* L Dec. 3, 2011 at Colorado State W Nov. 26, 2011 at Boise State L Nov. 12, 2011 at Air Force W Oct. 29, 2011 at San Diego State W Oct. 6, 2011 at Utah State L Sept. 17, 2011 at Bowling Green W Nov. 13, 2010 at UNLV L Nov. 6, 2010 at New Mexico L Oct. 23, 2010 at BYU L Oct. 9, 2010 at TCU L 0-45 Oct. 2, 2010 at Toledo W Sept. 11, 2010 at Texas L 7-34 Dec. 19, 2009 vs. Fresno State* W (2ot) Nov. 27, 2009 at Colorado State W Nov. 14, 2009 at San Diego State W Oct. 31, 2009 at Utah L Oct. 17, 2009 at Air Force L 0-10 Oct. 3, 2009 at Florida Atlantic W Sept. 19, 2009 at Colorado L 0-24 *Neutral-site games in the 2011 and 2009 New Mexico Bowls Page 18

19 Wyoming Postseason Record All-Time Bowl Record: (.462) All-Time Postseason Record: (.429) Game and Date Result Gator Bowl (Win) Wyoming 20 Jan. 1, 1951 Washington & Lee 7 Wyoming s Final 1950 Record: Head Coach: Bowden Wyatt Sun Bowl (Win) Wyoming 21 Jan. 2, 1956 Texas Tech 14 Wyoming s Final 1955 Record: Head Coach: Phil Dickens Sun Bowl (Win) Wyoming 14 Dec. 31, 1958 Hardin Simmons 6 Wyoming s Final 1958 Record: Head Coach: Bob Devaney Sun Bowl (Win) Wyoming 28 Dec. 24, 1966 Florida State 20 Wyoming s Final 1966 Record: Head Coach: Lloyd Eaton Sugar Bowl (Loss) LSU 20 Jan. 1, 1968 Wyoming 13 Wyoming s Final 1967 Record: Head Coach: Lloyd Eaton Fiesta Bowl (Loss) Oklahoma 41 Dec. 25, 1976 Wyoming 7 Wyoming s Final 1976 Record: Head Coach: Fred Akers Holiday Bowl (Loss) Iowa 20 Dec. 30, 1987 Wyoming 19 Wyoming s Final 1987 Record: Head Coach: Paul Roach Holiday Bowl (Loss) Oklahoma State 62 Dec. 30, 1988 Wyoming 14 Wyoming s Final 1988 Record: Head Coach: Paul Roach Copper Bowl (Loss) California 17 Dec. 31, 1990 Wyoming 15 Wyoming s Final 1990 Record: Head Coach: Paul Roach Copper Bowl (Loss) Kansas State 52 Dec. 28, 1993 Wyoming 17 Wyoming s Final 1993 Record: Head Coach: Joe Tiller Bowl Information Mountain West Has Five Bowl Agreements in Place for the 2012 College Football Season: As a member of the Mountain West, Wyoming has several opportunities for football postseason play. Now entering its 14th year of existence, the Mountain West has five bowl agreements in place for the 2012 season. The 2012 college football bowl season will once again kickoff with the seventh annual Gildan New Mexico Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 15 serving as the first game of the bowl season. The Mountain West is scheduled to play a team from the Pacific-12 Conference, with ESPN televising. Wyoming defeated Fresno State in double overtime in the 2009 New Mexico Bowl, and lost to Temple, 15-37, in the 2011 Gildan New Mexico Bowl. The MW will send a team to the Maaco Las Vegas Bowl for the 14th consecutive year in The Las Vegas Bowl will feature teams from the Mountain West and Pacific-12 conferences. This year s contest will be played on Saturday, Dec. 22, 2011, and will be televised by ESPN. Since entering into its original agreement in 1999, teams from the MWC have posted an 8-5 record in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Wyoming Cowboys won the 2004 Vegas Bowl by a score of over UCLA. Again this year, the host venue for the game will be Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. The 2012 season will mark the eighth year that the Mountain West will have a team play in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego s Qualcomm Stadium. This year, a team from the Mountain West is scheduled to face BYU, if the Cougars qualify for bowl eligibility, on Thursday, Dec. 20 in a game to be televised on ESPN. Once again, the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl will feature a team from the Mountain West versus a representative from Conference USA. The game will be played on Saturday, Dec. 29, and will be televised on ESPN. The newest addition to the Mountain West s bowl games is the Sheraton Hawai i Bowl, which will take place on Christmas Eve, Monday, Dec. 24. A Mountain West team will play a team from Conference USA. The 2012 season will mark the 11th Sheraton Hawai i Bowl, and it will be played on Christmas Eve for the eighth time in its history. ESPN will televise the 2012 game Mountain West Conference Bowl Schedule Bowl Date Location Opponent Television Gildan University Stadium New Mexico Bowl Sat., Dec. 15 Albuquerque, N.M. Pacific-12 ESPN San Diego Co. Credit Union Qualcomm Stadium Poinsettia Thu., Dec. 20 San Diego, Calif. BYU ESPN MAACO Bowl Sam Boyd Stadium Las Vegas Sat., Dec. 22 Las Vegas, Nev. Pacific-12 ESPN Sheraton Aloha Stadium Hawai i Bowl Mon., Dec. 24 Honolulu, Hawai i Conference USA ESPN Bell Helicopter Amon G. Carter Stadium Armed Forces Bowl Sat., Dec. 29 Fort Worth, Texas Conference USA ESPN WAC Championship (Loss) BYU 28 Dec. 7, 1996 Wyoming 25 (OT) Wyoming s Final 1996 Record: 10-2 Head Coach: Joe Tiller Las Vegas Bowl (Win) Wyoming 24 Dec. 23, 2004 UCLA 21 Wyoming s Final 2004 Record: 7-5 Head Coach: Joe Glenn New Mexico Bowl (Win) Wyoming 35 Dec. 19, 2009 Fresno State 28 (2OT) Wyoming s Final 2009 Record: 7-6 Head Coach: Dave Christensen Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Loss) Wyoming 15 Dec. 17, 2011 Temple 37 Wyoming s Final 2011 Record: 8-5 Head Coach: Dave Christensen Page 19

20 2012 Will Feature a New Mountain West: The Mountain West will feature a new 10-team league in Mountain West Alignment Air Force Boise State Colorado State Fresno State (Begins MW membership in 2012) Hawaii (Begins MW membership in 2012) Nevada (Begins MW membership in 2012) New Mexico San Diego State UNLV Wyoming Wyoming Football s All-Time Record: The Wyoming Cowboy Football program has played a total of 1,049 games in its history. Wyoming is 27 games under.500 all-time (497 wins to 524 losses), but has played 51 more road games than home games in its history (491 home games to 542 road games). The Cowboys played their 1,000th game on Sept. 6, 2008, against Air Force. Wyoming All-Time Football Record (.487) -- 1,049 Total Games Wyoming All-Time Home Football Record (.615) Home Games Wyoming All-Time Road Football Record (.373) Road Games Wyoming Neutral-Site Football Record (.438) Neutral-Site Games War Memorial Stadium Enters Its 63rd Season in 2012: The 2012 college football season will be the 63rd season of War Memorial Stadium Wyoming has won 66.9 percent of its games in War Memorial Stadium. The War first opened on Sept. 16, 1950, with UW recording a win over Montana State. War Memorial s original capacity was 20,000 in It was expanded to 25,500 in 1970, and the seating was increased to a capacity of 33,500 in Following reconstruction of the upper deck on the West side of War Memorial Stadium in the summer of 2004, the new capacity of War Memorial Stadium was 30,514. With the construction of the Wildcatter Stadium Club & Suites in , the current capacity is 29,181. War Memorial Stadium by Decade Decade Record in The War 1950s (.744) 1960s (.893) 1970s (.510) 1980s (.733) 1990s (.746) 2000s (.483) 2010s (.500) Total (.669) 328 Total Games 2012 Wyoming Team Notes New Tradition Began for Wyoming Football in 2009 With the Carrying of a United States Army Special Forces Flag and a Wyoming State Flag: The Wyoming Cowboys began a new tradition on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, versus New Mexico. The Cowboys entered the field carrying two flags -- a United States Army Special Forces Flag and a Wyoming State Flag. On Friday, Oct. 9, 2009, members of the Special Forces Association Cowboy Chapter 71 presented the Wyoming Football team with an official flag of the United States Army Special Forces along with a symbolic Green Beret once worn by a fallen Green Beret in Afghanistan The U.S. Army Special Forces Flag is carried onto the field each week by the Wyoming Cowboy who scored the most points as a special forces (special teams) player the previous week. Also the week leading up to the Oct. 10 game versus New Mexico, the Wyoming Football team was sent a package by the 115th Fires Brigade based out of Cheyenne. One of the items in that package was a Wyoming State Flag, which had been flown over Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. The Wyoming State Flag is carried each week by a player who is a native of the state of Wyoming to honor those from Wyoming who are serving overseas. Game Wyoming State Flag Bearer U.S. Special Forces Flag Bearer 2009 Season vs. New Mexico Chris Prosinski, Buffalo, Wyo. Luke Ruff, Castle Rock, Colo. at Air Force Zach Bolger, Casper, Wyo. T.J. Atwater, Wichita, Kan. at Utah Clayton Kirven, Buffalo, Wyo. Ghaali Muhammad, St. Joseph, Mo. vs. BYU Joe Evers, Sheridan, Wyo. Austin McCoy, Winter Haven, Fla. at San Diego State Clayton Kirven, Buffalo, Wyo. Chris Prosinski, Buffalo, Wyo. vs. TCU Zach Bolger, Casper, Wyo. Mitch Unrein, Eaton, Colo. at CSU Chris Prosinski, Buffalo, Wyo. Austin McCoy, Winter Haven, Fla. vs. Fresno State Zach Bolger, Casper, Wyo. Chris Prosinski, Buffalo, Wyo Season vs. Southern Utah Reece Hall, Sheridan, Wyo. Luke Ruff, Castle Rock, Colo. at Texas Zach Bolger, Casper, Wyo. Luke Ruff, Castle Rock, Colo. vs. Boise State Clayton Kirven, Buffalo, Wyo. Oliver Schober, Munich, Germany vs. Air Force Patrick Hartford,Rock Springs,Wyo. Greg Saydjari, Skowhegan, Maine at Toledo Andrew Meredith,Green River,Wyo. Marcell Gipson, Dallas Texas at TCU Zach Bolger, Casper, Wyo. Marcell Gipson, Dallas, Texas vs. Utah Zach Bolger, Casper, Wyo. Austin McCoy, Winter Haven, Fla. at BYU Clayton Kirven, Buffalo, Wyo. Bryson Studnicka, Clay Center, Neb. vs. San Diego State Reece Hall, Sheridan, Wyo. Josh Biezuns, Prior Lake, Minn. at New Mexico Zach Bolger, Casper, Wyo. Oliver Schober, Munich, Germany at UNLV Reece Hall, Sheridan, Wyo. Devyn Harris, Fountain, Colo. vs. Colorado State Zach Bolger, Casper, Wyo. James Caraway, Topeka, Kan. vs. Weber State Clayton Kirven, Buffalo, Wyo. Josh Biezuns, Prior Lake, Minn. vs. Texas State Andrew Meredith,Green River,Wyo. Luke Ruff, Castle Rock, Colo. at Bowling Green Spencer Bruce, Gillette, Wyo. Todd Knight, Aurora, Colo. vs. Nebraska Patrick Hartford,Rock Springs,Wyo. Josh Biezuns, Prior Lake, Minn. at Utah State Andrew Meredith, Green River, Wyo. Austin McCoy, Winter Haven, Fla. vs. UNLV Clayton Kirven, Buffalo, Wyo. Marqueston Huff, Texarkana, Texas at San Diego State Spencer Bruce, Gillette, Wyo. DeAndre Jones, Killeen, Texas vs. TCU Andrew Meredith, Green River, Wyo. Blair Burns, Plano, Texas at Air Force Max Gustafson, Casper, Wyo. Austin McCoy, Winter Haven, Fla. vs. New Mexico Clayton Kirven, Buffalo, Wyo. Chad Reese, Tyler Texas at Boise State Patrick Hartford, Rock Springs, Wyo. Andrew Meredith, Green River, Wyo. at Colorado State Spencer Bruce, Gillette, Wyo. Mike Purcell, Highlands Ranch, Colo. vs. Temple Clayton Kirven, Buffalo, Wyo. Josh Biezuns, Prior Lake, Minn. at Texas Andrew Meredith, Green River, Wyo. Blair Burns, Plano, Texas collegepressbox.com: CollegePressBox.com is the official media website for Division I football. Access and download weekly game notes, quotes, statistics, media guides, headshots, logos and more for the conference and each of its nine member schools. Login information will be distributed to accredited media, or you can apply for a password by sending an to password@ collegepressbox.com. Page 20

21 2011 Final BCS Standings: The 2011 Final Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings had three of Wyoming s 2011 opponents in the Top 25. The Boise State Broncos were ranked No. 7, TCU was No. 18 and the Nebraska Cornhuskers were No. 20. The Final BCS rankings were issued prior to the 2011 bowl season. Team 2011 BCS Avg. 1. LSU Alabama Oklahoma State Stanford Oregon Arkansas Boise State Kansas State South Carolina Wisconsin Virginia Tech Baylor Michigan Oklahoma Clemson Georgia Michigan State TCU Houston Nebraska Southern Miss Penn State West Virginia Texas Auburn.0584 Bold indicates 2011 Wyoming opponents Wyoming Cowboys Faced Three Nationally-Ranked Teams During : The Wyoming Cowboys faced three nationally-ranked opponents on their schedule during the 2011 season. The three 2011 Wyoming opponents ranked in the national polls at the time Wyoming played them were: Boise State, TCU and Nebraska. Here is a summary of where Wyoming s opponents ranked when Wyoming played them during the 2011 season. Date USA UW AP Today Plays Opponent Ranking Ranking Sept. 24 Nebraska No. 9 No. 9 Nov. 5 TCU No. 30 No. 26 Nov. 26 Boise State No. 7 No Rankings 2012 National Polls: Below are the current 2012 national polls from the Associated Press Media Poll, USA Today Coaches Poll and the Harris Interactive Poll. Associated Press USA Today Coaches Poll Harris Interactive Poll (2012 Preseason) (2012 Preseason) (No Poll Yet Released) Team Record Team Record Team Record 1. USC LSU 0-0 (No Poll Yet Released) 2. Alabama Alabama LSU USC Oklahoma Oklahoma Oregon Oregon Georgia Georgia Florida State Florida State Michigan Michigan South Carolina South Carolina Arkansas Arkansas West Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin Wisconsin Michigan State Michigan State Clemson Clemson Texas Texas Virginia Tech Nebraska Nebraska TCU Ohio State Stanford Oklahoma State Oklahoma State TCU Virginia Tech Stanford Kansas State Kansas State Boise State Florida Florida Boise State Notre Dame Louisville Auburn 0-0 Associated Press Others Receiving Votes: Notre Dame 83, Washington 55, Auburn 53, North Carolina 32, Utah 30, Georgia Tech 25, BYU 22, Tennessee 15, South Florida 11, Baylor 9, Texas A&M 5, UCF 4, Missouri 3, N.C. State 3, Cincinnati 3, Houston 1, Louisiana Tech 1, Mississippi State 1, Northern Illinois 1. USA Today Others Receiving Votes: Washington 64, Louisville 46, Georgia Tech 35, Cincinnati 32, Texas A&M 28, Baylor 23, Utah 22, Mississippi State 21, South Florida 12, N.C. State 11, Louisiana Tech 10, BYU 10, Virginia 9, Houston 7, Southern Miss 6, Rutgers 5, UCF 5, Tennessee 3, Missouri 3, Florida International 3, Northern Illinois 2, Texas Tech 1. Harris Interactive Poll Others Receiving Votes: No poll yet released Bold indicates 2011 Wyoming opponents Pokes in the Polls, Through the Years: Below is a breakdown of the Wyoming Cowboys in the four major college polls through the years. The abbreviations below are: Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), USA Today Coaches Poll (USA) and Harris Interactive (Harris). The first column lists a summary of the years Wyoming ended the season in a national poll. The second column lists the highest ranking UW received in any given year. Wyoming s Season-Ending Wyoming s High Rankings Rankings in the National Polls in the National Polls Year AP UPI USA Harris Year AP UPI USA Harris th 14th th 14th th th th th th th th th th 5th th 5th th st th 21st th 10th th th nd 22nd th 15th th 25th th 35th th th 38th th 34th 41st th 37th 39th Page 21

22 2011 Honors 2011 Mountain West All-Conference Coach of the Year Dave Christensen Freshman of the Year #16 Brett Smith, Quarterback 6-3, 195, Fr., Salem, Ore Second Team #44 Josh Biezuns, Defensive End 6-2, 260, Sr., Prior Lake, Minn. #60 Nick Carlson, Offensive Guard/Center 6-4, 292, Jr., Arlington Heights, Ill. # 4 Tashaun Gipson, Free Safety 6-0, 208, Sr., Dallas, Texas # 8 Brian Hendricks, Linebacker 6-1, 223, Sr., Burlington, Colo. #72 Clayton Kirven, Offensive Tackle 6-6, 305, Sr., Buffalo, Wyo. #52 Gabe Knapton, Defensive End 6-3, 263, Sr., Mead, Colo. #80 Chris McNeill, Wide Receiver 6-1, 180, Jr., Simi Valley, Calif. #29 Luke Ruff, Strong Safety 5-11, 195, Jr., Castle Rock, Colo. Honorable Mention #20 Blair Burns, Cornerback 5-10, 170, Fr., Plano, Texas #51 Tyler Strong, Offensive Guard 6-3, 288, So., Longmont, Colo Mountain West Academic All-Conference Alex Borgs, Fr., Raesfeld, Germany 3.03 Kinesiology & Health Promotion Nick Carlson, Jr., Arlington Heights, Ill Geography Clayton Kirven, Gr., Buffalo, Wyo Physical Education Teaching Keenan Montgomery, So., St. Paul, Minn English Luke Ruff, Jr., Castle Rock, Colo Civil Engineering Dominic Rufran, Fr., Colorado Springs 3.00 Kinesiology & Health Promotion Daniel Sullivan, Fr., Snohomish, Wash Undeclared- Business 2011 Wyoming Freshman All-Americans #20 Blair Burns, Cornerback 5-10, 170, Fr., Plano, Texas First Team Freshman All-American as selected by Football Writers First Team Freshman All-American as selected by CBSSports.com Honorable Mention All-American as selected by CollegeFootballNews.com #16 Brett Smith, Quarterback 6-3, 195, Fr., Salem, Ore. First Team Freshman All-American as selected by CollegeFootballNews.com Second Team All-American as selected by Yahoo! Sports 2011 Capital One Academic All-District VII As Selected by CoSIDA First Team #29 Luke Ruff, Strong Safety 5-11, 195, Jr., Castle Rock, Colo GPA in Civil Engineering 2012 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society #72 Clayton Kirven, Offensive Tackle 6-6, 305, Sr., Buffalo, Wyo GPA in Kinesiology and Health Promotion 2011 Mountain West Conference Players of the Week Defensive Players of the Week #44 Josh Biezuns, Defensive End 6-2, 260, Sr., Prior Lake, Minn. For his performance vs. Bowling Green, Sept. 17 # 8 Brian Hendricks, Linebacker 6-1, 223, Sr., Burlington, Colo. For his performance vs. Colorado State, Dec. 3 Offensive Players of the Week #16 Brett Smith, Quarterback 6-3, 195, Fr., Salem, Ore For his performance vs. San Diego State, Oct. 29 #16 Brett Smith, Quarterback 6-3, 195, Fr., Salem, Ore For his performance vs. New Mexico, Nov. 19 Special Teams Players of the Week #80 Chris McNeill, Wide Receiver 6-1, 180, Jr., Simi Valley, Calif. For his performance vs. UNLV, Oct. 15 #28 Austin McCoy, Punter 6-3, 208, Sr., Winter Haven, Fla. For his performance vs. Boise State, Oct National Awards and Preseason Watch Lists Manning Award Player of the Week #16 Brett Smith, Quarterback 6-3, 195, Fr., Salem, Ore. For His Performance in win over SDSU Doak Walker Award Watch List #32 Alvester Alexander, Running Back 5-11, 204, Jr., Houston, Texas Dave Rimington Award Watch List #60 Nick Carlson, Offensive Guard/Center 6-4, 292, Jr., Arlington Heights, Ill University of Wyoming Football Team Awards Coach Paul Roach Team MVP #16 Brett Smith, Fr., QB, Salem, Ore. Brent Schieffer Most Inspirational Player # 8 Brian Hendricks, Sr., LB, Burlington, Colo. Brian Lee Scholar-Athlete #29 Luke Ruff, Jr., SS, Castle Rock, Colo. Gosar Family Walk-On Award #41 Andrew Meredith, So., FS, Green River, WY Gen. Pete Schoomaker Special Forces Award #44 Josh Biezuns, Sr., DE, Prior Lake, Minn. Iron Man (Top Performer in Strength and Conditioning Program) #52 Gabe Knapton, Sr., DE, Mead, Colo. Hammer Award (Player With the Most Big Hits in Games) #44 Josh Biezuns, Sr., DE, Prior Lake, Minn. Freshman of the Year #20 Blair Burns, Fr., CB, Plano, Texas Defensive Back of the Year # 4 Tashaun Gipson, Sr., FS, Dallas, Texas Linebacker of the Year # 8 Brian Hendricks, Sr., LB, Burlington, Colo. Defensive Lineman of the Year #44 Josh Biezuns, Sr., DE, Prior Lake, Minn. Offensive Back of the Year #16 Brett Smith, Fr., QB, Salem, Ore. Receiver of the Year # 2 Mazi Ogbonna, Sr., WR, Westbury, N.Y. Offensive Lineman of the Year #77 Brandon Self, Sr., C, Shawnee, Okla. Page 22

23 Cowboys in the 2012 Mountain West and NCAA Statistical Rankings: Below are where the Wyoming Cowboys rank in the current MW and NCAA statistical rankings Wyoming Team Rankings in the Mountain West and NCAA Team Category Average MW Rank NCAA Rank (120 Teams) Scoring Offense 17.0 points per game No. 7 Tie No. 80 Rushing Offense 69.0 yards per game No. 8 Tie No. 97 Passing Offense yards per game No. 2 No. 33 Total Offense yards per game No. 5 No. 72 Passing Efficiency rating No. 5 No. 34 First Downs 15.0 first downs per game No. 9 Tie No. 89 The Mountain West Conference Enters Its 14th Season in 2012: The 2012 college football season will be the 14th season of the Mountain West Conference MWC Football Standings Conference Overall Air Force 0-0 (-----) 1-0 (1.000) Colorado St. 0-0 (-----) 1-0 (1.000) Fresno State 0-0 (-----) 1-0 (1.000) Nevada 0-0 (-----) 1-0 (1.000) New Mexico 0-0 (-----) 1-0 (1.000) Wyoming 0-0 (-----) 0-1 (.000) Boise State 0-0 (-----) 0-1 (.000) Hawai i 0-0 (-----) 0-1 (.000) SDSU 0-0 (-----) 0-1 (.000) UNLV 0-0 (-----) 0-1 (.000) This Week s Schedule Saturday, Sept. 8 Toledo at Wyoming, 2 p.m. (No TV) Air Force at Michigan, 1:30 p.m. (ABC/ESPN2) South Florida at Nevada, 1:30 p.m. (CBSSN) Fresno State at Oregon, 4:30 p.m. (Pac-12 Net) North Dakota St. at CSU, 5 p.m. (KTVD-20) Army at SDSU, 5:30 p.m. (NBC Sports Network) New Mexico at Texas, 6 p.m. (Longhorn Net) Northern Arizona at UNLV, 8 p.m. (No. TV) Boise State and Hawai i are Idle All times listed are Mountain Time Last Week s Results Thursday, Aug. 30 Minnesota 30, at UNLV 27 (3OTs) Friday, Aug. 31 Boise State 13, at Michigan State 17 Saturday, Sept. 1 Wyoming 17, at Texas 37 Idaho State 21, at Air Force 49 Nevada 31, at California 24 Colorado State 22, vs. Colorado 17 Southern 21, at New Mexico 66 Hawai i 10, at USC 49 Weber State 10, at Fresno State 37 San Diego State 12, at Washington Wyoming Players To Earn MWC Player of the Week Defensive Players of the Week Scoring Defense 37.0 points per game No. 9 Tie No. 89 Rushing Defense yards per game No. 10 No. 98 Passing Defense yards per game No. 1 Tie No. 29 Total Defense yards per game No. 7 No. 80 Pass Defense Efficiency rating No. 5 No. 65 Fewest Opponent First Downs 22.0 first downs per game Tie No. 5 Tie No. 71 Field-Goal Percentage percent (1 of 1) Tie No. 1 NA PAT Kicking Percentage 0.0 percent (0 of 1) Tie No. 9 NA Net Punting 34.8 net yards per punt No. 5 No. 64 Punt Returns 3.0 yards per return Tie No. 6 Tie No. 68 Punt Return Coverage 14.0 yards per return No. 8 Tie No. 57 Kickoff Returns 11.0 yards per return Tie No. 9 Tie No. 90 Kickoff Return Coverage 19.7 yards per return No. 4 No. 48 Turnover Margin turnover margin per game Tie No. 7 Tie No. 66 Most Turnovers Gained 1 total turnovers gained Tie No. 6 Tie No. 57 Most Fumbles Recovered 1 total fumble recoveries Tie No. 4 Tie No. 24 Most Passes Intercepted 0 total interceptions Tie No. 7 Tie No. 70 Fewest Turnovers Lost 2 total turnovers lost Tie No. 5 Tie No. 54 Fewest Fumbles Lost 0 total fumbles lost Tie No. 1 Tie No. 1 Fewest Passes Had Intercepted 2 total interceptions thrown Tie No. 8 Tie No. 94 Time of Possession 24:48 minutes per game No. 8 No. 100 Third-Down Conversion % 9.1 percent (1 of 11) No. 10 No. 106 Opp. Third-Down Conv. % 52.9 percent (9 of 17) Tie No. 7 Tie No. 93 Fourth-Down Conversion% 66.7 percent (2 of 3) Tie No. 5 Tie No. 29 Opp. Fourth-Down Conversion % percent (2 of 2) Tie No. 8 Tie No. 65 Red Zone Offense 50.0 percent (1 of 2) Tie No. 9 Tie No. 89 Red Zone Defense percent (6 of 6) Tie No. 9 Tie No. 58 Fewest Penalty Yards 45.0 yards per game No. 4 Tie No. 54 Sacks By 0.00 sacks per game Tie No. 9 Tie No. 89 Sacks Against 1.00 sacks per game Tie No. 4 Tie No. 29 Tackles for Losses 1.00 TFLs per game No. 10 Tie No. 104 Tackles for Losses Against 6.00 TFLs per game Tie No. 5 Tie No Wyoming Players in the NCAA Rankings (Listed Alphabetically by Player) Individual Category Average MWC Rank NCAA Rank Blair Burns, Passes Defended 2.00 per game Tie No. 2 Tie No. 20 Tim Gleeson, Punting 37.6 yards per punt No. 8 No. 55 Robert Herron, Receiving Yards yards per game No. 1 No. 4 Robert Herron, Total Receiving Yards 173 total yards No. 1 No. 4 Robert Herron, All-Purpose Yards yards per game No. 3 No. 22 Robert Herron, Scoring 12.0 points per game Tie No. 3 Tie No. 25 Robert Herron, Receptions 5.00 per game Tie No. 6 Tie No. 95 Marqueston Huff, Passes Defended 1.00 per agme Tie No. 9 Tie No. 77 Korey Jones, Tackles 13.0 per game No. 1 Tie No. 12 Miraldo Michel, Fumbles Recovered 1.00 per game Tie No. 1 Tie No. 1 Luke Ruff, Tackles 9.0 per game Tie No. 6 Tie No. 91 Brett Smith, Passing Yards yards per game No. 2 No. 26 Brett Smith, Total Passing Yards 276 total passing yards No. 2 No. 26 Brett Smith, Total Offense yards per game No. 3 Tie No. 26 Brett Smith,Passing Efficiency rating No. 3 No. 32 Shaun Wick, Kickoff Returns 12.7 yards per return No. 7 No. 69 Stuart Williams, Field Goals 1.00 field goals per game Tie No. 4 Tie No Wyoming Players in the Mountain West Rankings (Listed Alphabetically by Player) Individual Category Average MWC Rank NCAA Rank Blair Burns, Tackles 8.00 per game Tie No. 11 NA Devyn Harris, Tackles 8.00 per game Tie No. 7 NA Robert Herron, Scoring (By TDs) 12.0 points per game Tie No. 3* NA Chris McNeill, Receptions 2.00 per game Tie No. 25* NA Miraldo Michel, Tackles 6.00 per game Tie No. 31 NA Brandon Miller, Receptions 3.00 per game Tie No. 16 NA Brandon Miller, Rushing 34.0 yards per game No. 20 NA Mark Nzeocha, Tackles 6.00 per game Tie No. 31 NA Mike Purcell, Tackles 8.00 per game Tie No. 7 NA Dominic Rufran, Receiving Yards 46.0 yards per game No. 12 NA Dominic Rufran, Receptions 3.00 per game Tie No. 16 NA B.J. Sumter, Tackles for Loss 1.00 per game Tie No. 10 NA Stuart Williams, Field-Goal Percentage percent Tie No. 1 NA Stuart Williams, Scoring (By Kicking) 3.00 points per game No. 9 NA Offensive Players of the Week Special Teams Players of the Week Page 23

24 Dave Christensen (Western Washington 85) Head Football Coach, University of Wyoming Dave Christensen enters his fourth season as head coach of the Wyoming Cowboys in His third season at Wyoming was his team s best, as he led Wyoming to a third-place finish in the Mountain West Conference and was named Mountain West Coach of the Year. He became the first Wyoming football coach to earn Coach of the Year honors since Joe Tiller in Wyoming s third-place finish in the Mountain West in 2011 placed them behind only No. 13 ranked TCU and No. 6 ranked Boise State. His Cowboys ranked as the sixth most improved team in the nation in 2011, and they were the surprise team in the Mountain West, finishing third after being picked sixth in the conference s preseason poll. UW s 8-5 record was its first eight-win season since The Cowboys third-place finish and 5-2 conference record matched Wyoming s best since becoming a member of the Mountain West in The Cowboys victories in 2011 included road wins over Mountain West rivals Colorado State, Air Force and San Diego State. The Pokes win over CSU marked the third consecutive over the Rams. Wyoming hadn t won three in a row over Colorado State since 1987, 88 and 89, and hadn t won consecutive road games vs. CSU since 1996 and 98. By defeating both Air Force and Colorado State in 2011, the Pokes accomplished a sweep of their Front Range rivals for the first time since The 2011 season concluded with Wyoming earning a bid to the Gildan New Mexico Bowl versus Temple. It was the second time in his three seasons as head coach that Christensen guided Wyoming to a bowl game. The last time that occurred at Wyoming was The only conference teams to defeat UW in 2011 were nationally-ranked TCU and Boise State, who finished first and second in the MW, respectively. Christensen s 2011 team became his second in three seasons to win at least seven games. His 2009 Cowboy squad posted a 7-6 record. On Jan. 12, 2012, it was announced that the University of Wyoming had signed Christensen to a new five-year contract that will run through Dec. 31, You couldn t have asked for much more from a head coach in his first season. Christensen s first year as a college head coach in 2009 was filled with highlights. He led the Wyoming Cowboys to a bowl game in his first season, becoming only the second Cowboy head coach to accomplish that feat -- the other being Paul Roach in Christensen became the first UW head coach to win a bowl game in his first season, as his Pokes defeated Fresno State, in double overtime, in the New Mexico Bowl. He also guided Wyoming to a road win over archrival Colorado State in the regular-season finale, bringing the Bronze Boot back to Laramie. For a team that began the season picked to finish last (ninth) in the Mountain West Conference preseason poll, Christensen s Cowboys ended the season with a 7-6 overall record, a 4-4 league mark and a fifth-place finish in a league that had three teams end the season ranked among the Top 18 in both the Associated Press Media Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll. And his team accomplished all this while playing a schedule that was ranked as the eighth toughest in the nation and included BCS national runnerup Texas. All told, Christensen had seven of his Cowboys earn All-Conference honors his first season at UW. While he delivered on his promise to the 2009 senior class that he would do everything he could to get them to a bowl game, he also built a team with an eye toward the future. In his second season at UW, Christensen s young team faced one of the nation s most difficult schedules, playing three teams that were ranked in the Top 5 in the nation at the time the Cowboys faced them (No. 3 Boise State, No. 4 Texas and No. 5 TCU) and playing a fourth Top 10 ranked team in No. 10 Utah. Wyoming ended Christensen s second season on a high note, defeating archrival Colorado State, 44-0, in the season finale. Eight Cowboys earned All-Conference recognition at the conclusion of the season -- two Second Team selections and six Honorable Mention honorees. Wyoming Football hired its dynamic and innovative new leader on Dec. 1, 2008, as University of Wyoming Athletics Director Tom Burman announced that Christensen, then the Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator at Missouri, had been selected as the new head coach of the Cowboys. Christensen became the 31st coach in Wyoming Football history. While the offensive coordinator at Missouri, Christensen was named the 2007 National Offensive Coordinator of the Year by Rivals.com and was also runner-up for the 2007 Frank Broyles Award, which honors the top assistant coach in the nation each season. He helped lead the Missouri Tigers to the Big 12 Championship game in both the 2007 and 2008 seasons as champions of the Big 12 North. In 2008, Mizzou ranked No. 4 in the NCAA in passing offense (330.4 yards per game), No. 6 in scoring offense (42.2 points per game) and No. 8 in total offense (484.1 yards per game). The Tigers concluded the 2008 season ranked No. 16 in the final USA Today Coaches Poll, No. 19 in the final Associated Press Media Poll and were No. 21 in the final BCS Rankings entering the college bowl season. Missouri defeated Northwestern, in overtime, in the 2008 Valero Alamo Bowl. The 2007 season saw Missouri conclude the season ranked No. 4 in the final Associated Press ranking. That was the highest season-ending ranking in school history for the Tigers. Mizzou finished the season by defeating Arkansas, 38-7, in the Cotton Bowl, giving the Tigers a school record 12th win on the season. His 2007 offense ranked No. 5 in the nation in total offense (490.3 yards per game), No. 8 in scoring offense (39.9 points per game) and No. 9 in passing offense (314.1 yards per game). Christensen earned a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Western Washington in 1985 and a master of science degree in college instruction and sports science from Eastern Washington in He is 51 years old, born Jan. 17, Christensen and his wife Susie have three children, Katie, D.J. and Emily. Page 24

25 Coaching Honors 2011 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year, As selected by MW Coaches and Media 2007 National Offensive Coordinator of the Year, As selected by Rivals.com 2007 Runner-up for Frank Broyles Award as Assistant Coach of the Year Postseason Coaching Experience 2009 New Mexico Bowl Champions, Wyoming defeated Fresno State, in double overtime, on Dec. 19, Valero Alamo Bowl Champions, Missouri defeated Northwestern, in overtime, on Dec. 29, AT&T Cotton Bowl Champions, Missouri defeated Arkansas, 38-7, on Jan. 1, Sun Bowl, Missouri lost to Oregon State, 38-39, on Dec. 29, Independence Bowl Champions, Missouri defeated South Carolina, 38-31, on Dec. 30, Independence Bowl, Missouri lost to Arkansas, 14-27, on Dec. 31, Las Vegas Bowl Champions, Toledo defeated Nevada, in overtime, on Dec. 13, Freedom Bowl Champions, Washington defeated Florida, 34-7, on Dec. 30, 1989 Championship Teams 2008 Big 12 Conference North Champions 2007 Big 12 Conference North Champions 2000 Mid-American Conference West Co-Champions 1998 Mid-American Conference West Champions 1997 Mid-American Conference West Champions 1995 Mid-American Conference Champions College Head-Coaching Record Overall Record Conference Record Conference Postseason Season School W L % W L % Finish Appearance 2012 Wyoming Wyoming rd N.M. Bowl 2010 Wyoming T8th 2009 Wyoming th N.M. Bowl Champions Record at Wyoming (4 years) College Assistant-Coaching Record Overall Record Conference Record Conference Postseason Season School W L T % W L T % Finish Appearance 2008 Missouri st (Big 12 North) Valero Alamo Bowl 2007 Missouri st (Big 12 North) AT&T Cotton Bowl 2006 Missouri nd (Big 12 North) Sun Bowl 2005 Missouri nd (Big 12 North) Independence Bowl 2004 Missouri rd (Big 12 North) 2003 Missouri rd (Big 12 North) Independence Bowl 2002 Missouri th (Big 12 North) 2001 Missouri th (Big 12 North) Record at Missouri (8 years) Toledo Tie 1st (MAC West) 1999 Toledo Tie 2nd (MAC West) 1998 Toledo st (MAC West) MAC Champ. Game 1997 Toledo st (MAC West) MAC Champ. Game 1996 Toledo Tie 2nd 1995 Toledo st Las Vegas Bowl 1994 Toledo th 1993 Toledo Tie 7th 1992 Toledo Tie 3rd Record at Toledo (9 years) Idaho State th 1990 Idaho State th Record at Idaho State (2 years) Washington Tie 2nd Freedom Bowl 1988 Washington th Record at Washington (2 years) Eastern Washington th 1986 Eastern Washington (NCAA I-AA Independent) NA Record at E. Washington (2 years) Western Washington th Record at W. Washington (1 year) Overall Record as a Head Coach (.462) in 4 seasons Football Bowl Subdivision Record as an Assistant Coach (.631) in 19 seasons Overall Record as a College Assistant Coach Dave Christensen (Western Washington 85) Head Football Coach, University of Wyoming (.572) in 24 seasons com Page 25

26 2012 Wyoming Coaching Staff University of Wyoming Coaching Staff in the Press Box Gregg Brandon Chris Tormey Jim Harding Matt Rahl Offensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Running-Game Coordinator Recruiting Coordinator and Quarterbacks and Secondary and Offensive Line and Defensive Line Years as a College Coach: 31st Years as a College Coach: 33rd Years as a College Coach: 7th Years as a College Coach: 11th Years at Wyoming: 6th Years at Wyoming: 1st Years at Wyoming: 4th Years at Wyoming: 4th Alma Mater: Northern Colorado 78 Alma Mater: Idaho 78 Alma Mater: Toledo 01 Alma Mater: Missouri Southern 03 Coaching and Administrative Staff on the Field Robin Ross Pete Kaligis i Derrick LeBlanc Jason Ray Special Teams Coordinator Asst. Head Coach/Offensive Line Defensive Line Receivers and Linebackers and Running Backs Years as a College Coach: 36th Years as a College Coach: 18th Years as a College Coach: 13th Years as a College Coach: 4th Years at Wyoming: 1st Years at Wyoming: 4th Years at Wyoming: 1st Years at Wyoming: 4th Alma Mater: Washington State 77 Alma Mater: Washington 94 Alma Mater: Northwestern St. 97 Alma Mater: Missouri 07 Derek Sage Danilo Robinson Brian Wilkinson Brent Vernon Receivers Director of Player Personnel Director of Football Operations Executive Asst. to the Head Coach and Recruiting and Asst. Director of Operations Years as a College Coach: 11th Years as a College Coach: 14th Years as a College Coach: 9th Years as a College Coach: 4th Years at Wyoming: 3rd Years at Wyoming: 2nd Years at Wyoming: 2nd Years at Wyoming: 4th Alma Mater: Cal State Northridge 02 Alma Mater: Utah State 97 Alma Mater: Belford 09 Alma Mater: Missouri 08 Page 26

27 Defense Cornerbacks 20 Blair Burns (5-10, 180, So., Plano, Texas) 4 DeAndre Jones (6-0, 180, So., Killeen, Texas) Free Safeties 29 Luke Ruff (5-11, 200, Sr., Castle Rock, Colo.) 24 Kenny Browder (5-11, 180, Sr., Round Rock, Texas) Strong Safeties 21 Mark Nzeocha (6-3, 220, So., Neusitz, Germany) 3 Luke Anderson (5-10, 195, Sr., Southlake, Texas) Cornerbacks 2 Marqueston Huff (6-0, 195, Jr., Texarkana, Texas) 13 Darrenn White (6-0, 184, So., Kansas City, Mo.) SAM Linebackers (Outside Linebackers) 8 Zack Berg (6-2, 226, RFr., Edmonds, Wash.) 23 Ghaali Muhammad (6-0, 221, Sr., St. Joseph, Mo.) MIKE Linebackers (Middle Linebackers) 34 Siaosi Hala api api (6-2, 225, Fr., Honolulu, Hawai i) 27 Todd Knight (6-2, 210, Jr., Aurora, Colo.) WILL Linebackers (Outside Linebackers) 5 Korey Jones (6-2, 233, Sr., Fort Collins, Colo.) 53 Alex Borgs (6-2, 231, So., Raesfeld, Germany) Left Defensive Ends 54 Miraldo Michel (6-3, 265, Sr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 55 Eddie Yarbrough (6-3, 253, RFr., Aurora, Colo.) Left Defensive Tackles 50 Mike Purcell (6-3, 303, Sr., Highlands Ranch, Colo.) 58 B.J. Sumter (6-1, 305, Sr., Columbia, S.C.) 2012 Wyoming Depth Chart (As of Monday, Sept. 3, 2012) Offense Quarterbacks 16 Brett Smith (6-3, 195, So., Salem, Ore.) 11 Colby Kirkegaard (6-3, 205, Jr., Phoenix, Ariz.) or Running Backs 8 Brandon Miller (6-0, 193, Jr., Parker, Colo.) 26 Shaun Wick (5-10, 190, Fr., Ventura, Calif.) Receivers 33 Dominic Rufran (6-0, 185, So., Colorado Springs, Colo.) 81 Justin Berger (6-2, 205,So., Danville, Calif.) Receivers 6 Robert Herron (5-10, 187, Jr., Los Angeles, Calif.) 19 Keenan Montgomery (6-1, 180, So., St. Paul, Minn.) Receivers 80 Chris McNeill (6-1, 180, Sr., Simi Valley, Calif.) 88 Jalen Claiborne (5-9, 175, So., Carthage, Texas) Receivers 3 Trey Norman (6-1, 170, So., Texarkana, Texas) 25 Spencer Bruce (6-5, 225, Jr., Gillette, Wyo.) H-Backs 42 Riley Lange (6-3, 247, So., Parker, Colo.) 44 J.J. Quinlan (6-1, 238, Jr., Everett, Wash.) Left Tackles 76 Josh Leonard (6-4, 296, Sr., Helena, Mont.) 71 Austin Traphagan (6-5, 291, RFr., Yuma, Colo.) Left Guards 51 Tyler Strong (6-3, 292, Jr., Longmont, Colo.) 73 Chase Roullier (6-4, 290, Fr., Savage, Minn.) Right Defensive Tackles 98 Kurt Taufa asau (6-2, 284, Sr., Pago Pago, American Samoa) 95 Patrick Mertens (6-5, 287, Jr., Sterling, Colo.) Right Defensive Ends 12 Sonny Puletasi (6-3, 241, So., Lawton, Okla.) 96 Justin Bernthaler (6-2, 245, Jr., Stuttgart, Germany) Punters/Long Snappers/Return Specialists Punters 28 Tim Gleeson (6-2, 195, Fr., Melbourne, Australia) 94 Stuart Williams (5-11, 180, So., Nederland, Colo.) Long Snappers (For Punts/Field Goals and PATS) 40 Zach Ewan (5-9, 216, So., Phoenix, Ariz.) 19D Mason Finnerty (6-0, 185, Fr., West Linn, Ore.) Kickoff Returners 6 Robert Herron (5-10, 187, Jr., Los Angeles, Calif.) (Tandem 26 Shaun Wick (5-10, 190, Fr., Ventura, Calif.) Returners) Punt Returners 20 Blair Burns (5-10, 180, So., Plano, Texas) 88 Jalen Claiborne (5-9, 175, So., Carthage, Texas) Centers 60 Nick Carlson (6-4, 292, Sr., Arlington Heights, Ill.) 63 Rafe Kiely (6-3, 290, RFr., Wheaton, Ill.) Right Guards 62 Jake Jones (6-3, 295, RFr., Lakewood, Colo.) 75 Zach Rushing (6-3, 295, Sr., Woolmarket, Miss.) Right Tackles 65 Kyle Magnuson (6-6, 300, Sr., Elkhart, Ind.) 77 Connor Rains (6-7, 305, Jr., Placerville, Calif.) Kickers/Holders Place-kickers (For PATs and Field Goals) 94 Stuart Williams (5-11, 180, So., Nederland, Colo.) 39 Justin Martin (5-10, 170, Fr., Oakdale, Calif.) Place-kickers (For Kickoffs) 39 Justin Martin (5-10, 170, Fr., Oakdale, Calif.) 94 Stuart Williams (5-11, 180, So., Nederland, Colo.) Holders 80 Chris McNeill (6-1, 180, Sr., Simi Valley, Calif.) 18 Josh Smith (6-3, 209, So., Manchester, N.H.) 11 Colby Kirkegaard (6-3, 205, Jr., Phoenix, Ariz.) Page 27

28 2011 Participation List/Starting Lineups 2011 Player Participation and Starting History Career Weber Texas Bowling Utah Boise Career Cons. No. Players (G/GS) (G/GS) (G/GS) State State Green Neb. State UNLV SDSU TCU AFA UNM State CSU Temple (G/GS) GS 7 Jonathan Aiken, wr JC 6/1 Redshirted 6/1 32 Alvester Alexander, rb HS 13/4 12/12 GS GS GS GS G GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 38/ Luke Anderson, fs JC GS GS GS GS G GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 13/ Zack Berg, lb HS Redshirted 0/0 44 Josh Biezuns, de 8/3 13/12 12/12 GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 46/ Matt Birkeness, h-back RS 13/0 12/0 G GS G G G G G G G G G G G 38/1 68 Travis Bogard, c HS RS 0/0 53 Alex Borgs, lb HS G G G G G G G G G G G G G 13/0 24 Kenny Browder, fs HS 13/0 11/0 G G G G G G G G G G 34/0 25 Spencer Bruce, te HS RS 1/0 GS G G G G G GS G 9/2 20 Blair Burns, cb HS G G G G GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 13/9 9 1 James Caraway, cb RS 12/0 12/0 G G G G G G G G G G G G 36/0 60 Nick Carlson, c Grayshirt 9/8 12/12 GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 34/ Josh Doctson, wr HS G G G GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 12/ Ben Durbin, dt RS 0/0 12/0 G G G G G GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 25/ Zach Ewan, ls HS G G G G G G G G G G G G G 13/0 73 Daniel Fleischman, og HS RS G 1/0 4 Tashaun Gipson, cb 12/12 13/13 12/12 GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 50/ Devyn Harris, lb HS RS 12/8 GS GS GS GS GS G G G G G GS GS G 25/15 9 Patrick Hartford, lb RS 0/0 12/0 G G G G G G G G G G G G G 25/0 8 Brian Hendricks, lb 10/0 11/11 11/11 GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 45/ Robert Herron, wr HS 10/0 GS G GS G GS GS GS GS G GS G G 22/7 2 Marqueston Huff, cb HS 12/0 GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 25/ John Hutchins, ot 2/0 8/3 12/10 GS GS GS GS GS GS GS G GS GS GS GS GS 35/ Brandon James, lb RS G G G G 4/0 16 DeAndre Jones, cb HS G G G G G G G G G G G G G 13/0 5 Korey Jones, de/lb JC GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS G G GS 13/ Nehemie Kankolongo, rb HS 5/0 5/0 11 Colby Kirkegaard, qb JC G G G G 4/0 72 Clayton Kirven, ot 11/11 13/12 12/11 G G GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 49/ Gabe Knapton, dt/de 12/12 13/12 12/12 GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 50/ Luke Knapton, lb HS RS 0/0 27 Todd Knight, lb HS RS 0/0 G G G G G G G G G G G G G 13/0 42 Riley Lange, h-back HS RS G GS G G G G G G GS G G G GS 13/3 76 Josh Leonard, ot Grayshirt 2/0 12/10 GS GS G G G GS G G G G G 25/13 1 DeJay Lester, wr JC 7/0 G G G G G G G G G 16/0 65 Kyle Magnuson, ot RS 0/0 4/1 G G G G G GS GS G G 13/3 28 Austin McCoy, p/k 12/10 13/13 12/12 GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 50/ Chris McNeill, wr HS 13/7 12/12 GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 34/28 41 Andrew Meredith, fs HS RS 6/0 G G G G G G G G G G G G G 19/0 95 Patrick Mertens, dt HS RS 12/12 12/12 54 Miraldo Michel, dt JC G 1/0 18 Brandon Miller, rb HS RS 7/0 GS G G GS GS G G G G G GS G GS 20/ Eric Mitchell, fs 12/0 13/1 11/0 G G G G G G G G G G G G 48/1 19 Keenan Montgomery, wr HS RS G G G G G G G G G G 10/0 84 C.J. Morgan, wr HS RS 0/0 23 Ghaali Muhammad, rb HS 12/2 11/8 G G G G G G G G 31/10 13 Trey Norman, wr HS G G G G G G G G G GS G G G 13/1 21 Mark Nzeocha, lb HS GS GS GS GS GS G G G G G 10/5 2 Mazi Ogbonna, wr JC 11/3 GS GS GS GS G GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 24/ Adam Pittser, qb HS 0/0 12 Sonny Puletasi, de HS RS G G G G G G G G G G G G G 13/0 50 Mike Purcell, dt HS 6/2 12/12 GS GS GS GS GS G G GS GS GS GS GS 30/ Chad Reese, ss HS G G G G G G G G G G G G G 13/0 17 Kevin Robertson, wr HS 0/0 31 Jeff Roueche, lb HS RS 0/0 G G G G 4/0 29 Luke Ruff, ss HS 12/0 12/2 GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 37/ Dominic Rufran, wr HS G G GS G GS G G G G G GS GS G 13/4 75 Zach Rushing, og JC GS GS GS GS G G G G G G G G G 13/4 35 Oliver Schober, lb 12/3 12/3 77 Brandon Self, og 0/0 0/0 7/0 GS GS G G GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 18/ Brett Smith, qb HS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 13/ T.J. Smith, te HS RS 6/3 G G G G G G G G G G 16/3 9 Sam Stratton, wr HS RS G G G G G 5/0 51 Tyler Strong, og HS 9/0 G GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 21/ Bryson Studnicka, h-back 4/0 13/0 12/6 29/6 14 Daniel Sullivan, k HS G GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 13/ Shane Sullivan, h-back HS RS G G G G G G 6/0 58 B.J. Sumter, og JC RS G G G G G G G G 8/0 3 Kody Sutton, rb HS G G G G G 5/0 Page 28

29 2011 Participation List/Starting Lineups 2011 Player Participation and Starting History Career Weber Texas Bowling Utah Boise Career Cons. No. Players (G/GS) (G/GS) (G/GS) State State Green Neb. State UNLV SDSU TCU AFA UNM State CSU Temple (G/GS) GS 98 Kurt Taufa asau, dt JC RS G G G G GS GS GS G G G G G 12/3 13 Darrenn White, cb HS RS G G G G G G G G G G G G G 13/0 94 Stuart Williams, k HS RS GS G 2/1 85 Mark Willis, de HS RS 6/0 G G G G G G G G G 15/0 55 Eddie Yarbrough, de HS 0/0 RS - Redshirted G - Indicates number of games played that season. GS- Indicates number of games started that season. Cons. GS - Indicates current streaks of consecutive games started Game-by-Game Starters Offensive Game-by-Game Starters Game QB RB WR WR WR WR LT LG C RG RT at Texas B. Smith Miller Herron McNeill Rufran Norman Leonard Strong Carlson Jake Jones Magnuson Toledo Cal Poly at Idaho at Nevada Air Force at Fresno State Boise State Colorado State at New Mexico at UNLV San Diego State Defensive Game-by-Game Starters Game FS SS CB CB OLB MLB OLB DE DT DT DE at Texas Ruff M. Nzeocha Burns Huff Korey Jones Harris Berg Michel Purcell Taufa asau Mertens Toledo Cal Poly at Idaho at Nevada Air Force at Fresno State Boise State Colorado State at New Mexico at UNLV San Diego State Captains Team Captains #60 Nick Carlson, Sr., C, Arlington Heights, Ill. # 5 Korey Jones, Sr., LB, Fort Collins, Colo. #29 Luke Ruff, Sr., FS, Castle Rock, Colo. #16 Brett Smith, So., QB, Salem, Ore. Page 29