New site launches tommorow!

I know I posted that the preview for Southern Utah was going to be posted today. Well our new at SB Nation is expected to be up and running tomorrow! So I'm still going to work on the article but you will have to check it out tomorrow.

I'll post up the link as soon as everything is set.

Week 1 Depth Chart Released

Just five days now and we will finally see what the Cowboys are made of this year. The staff released their updated depth chart before the season opener. Any players that are suspended for the first game are not listed on the depth chart.



Not a ton of surprises here on the roster that goes three deep for most positions. A few highlights:

• Robert Herron listed as 3rd RB and KR.


• Mark Willis and Matt Birkeness grabbed the backup DE spots.
• Alexander is #1 RB with James Davis at #2.


• Justin Dire is #2 at Right Tackle. Only true frosh listed above 3rd on the O Line.
• Both JUCO D linemen are third string as they adjust to the altitude and competition.
• Keith Lewis won the starting job at Left Outside Linebacker

So not reall groundbreaking but by looking at the depth chart it is still amazing of how young team still is this year. Only three starters on defense and offense are listed as seniors. The areas that will be hit hardest are the secondary who will lose Chris Prosinksi and Marcell Gipson. Wide Recievers will lose David Leonard and Zach Bolger

What I'm watching this weekend

With games starting on Thursday and no NFL yet this actually quite a treat for College football fans this weekend. College football for five straight days and a three day weekend to make the most out of enjoying the proceedings.

Here is day by day listing of what games I'll be checking out:

Thursday:

#15 Pittsburgh at Utah - The Utes host the Panthers in a game that has big implications for both teams. An early loss could hurt both teams chances of playing in a January Bowl game. As a Chicago Bears I enjoy watching Dave Wannstedt fail so.... Go Utes! 6:30PM on Versus.

Friday:

Arizona at Toledo - Only two games on Friday and why would someone be interested in watching this odd matchup? Why, future scouting of course! The Pokes travel to Toledo on October 2nd and we know the Rockets have a good offense but they gave up over 37 points a game last year. 6PM on ESPN.

Saturday:

Washington at BYU - I don't care if the Cougars stay or leave the Mountain West I'm hoping they go down big to the Washington Huskies. For one I live in the state of Washington just a few miles away from Washington QB Jake Locker's home town of Ferndale. Locker is great person and great athlete just as everyone reports and I would love for him to make it to a bowl game this year. Plus it would also deflate the ever increasing ego of the Cougar fans to lose on their sacred turf in Provo. 5:00PM.

#24 Oregon State at #6 TCU - The Horned Frogs and Beavers are playing at Jerry's World and are putting their season on the line early. Hopefully TCU put together a strong performance in front of the national telecast. 5:45PM on ESPN.

Southern Utah at Wyoming - Won't be televised so you can either attend the game, listen on the radio or follow the stat tracker. I'll be watching the updates that happen every 30 seconds - yippy!

Couple late games if you want - Cincinnati at Fresno State on ESPN2 - 8:00PM and #12 Wisconsin at UNLV on Versus - 9pm.

Sunday:

SMU at Texas Tech - Only two games today and this is the better of the two. Interesting story lines here... can SMU knock off the Red Raiders in just their second year under June Jones? How Tommy Tuberville do in his debut at head coach after replacing Mike Leach? Find out at 1:30pm on ESPN.

Monday:

#3 Boise State at #10 Virginia Tech - The big enchilada this weekend pits these top ten teams in Fed Ex Field. Basically a home game for the Hokies this "nuetral site" game will be the toughest for the BCS busting Broncos all year (except for Wyoming..!) and big win here will hopefully shut up the ESPN naysayers for at least a few days. Very excited for our future conference mates and hope they come out firing. 6PM on ESPN.

Counting down the days

We're down to single digits days before the Cowboys kickoff their season on September 4th. The actual college football season starts off on Thursday with 18 games with the highlight being Utah visiting Pittsburgh and USC flying out to Hawaii.

This has been a very long offseason and all of the conference realignment drama is starting to wear on everyone. After the June craziness settled down it seemed we could focus on football. Then BYU and the WAC started courting each other till the Mountain West snagged Nevada and Fresno State. BYU has till September 1st to decide if they are leaving the Mountain West to go independent or otherwise.

So playing some football would be a really nice change of pace right now. And that wish is finally going to come true.

So what to expect this week on Cowboy Altitude?

Monday - Mountain West News

Tuesday - Preview of Southern Utah @ Wyoming

Wednesday - Wyoming Offense Breakdown

Thursday - Wyoming Defense Breakdown

Friday - Pre Game Information

Saturday - Game Time!

Also, incase you missed it Eric Schmoldt of the Casper Star Tribune did a great job of the season preview that debuted today featuring articles on several great topics. Here are the links to each story: stadium upgrades, crazy summer for mwc and uw, offense is expected to rise up, new team slogan, veteran secondary, schedule breakdown, o-line says they aren't weak, new 4-3 defense.

Cowboys schedule four game series with Utah State starting in 2011

The University of Wyoming renewed their "rivalry" with the Utah State Aggies by scheduling four games start next season. In 2011 the Cowboys will travel to Logan on October 8th, after a two year break the Aggies will then head to Laramie in 2014. Following games will take place in 2015 and 2016.

Utah State finished 4-8 last year in the WAC but everyone seems high on second year coach Gary Anderson and hope that he can turn the team around. Former Poke standout WR Jovon Bouknight is now the WR coach for Aggies after spending last year as the Offensive Grad Assistant.

This now completes the Cowboys 2011 OOC schedule with home games involving Weber State and Nebraska and road trips to Bowling Green and Utah State. This sets up much quite nicely for Wyoming to have a breakout season with ACS in his junior year and Knapton and Hendricks will be seniors.

"The Cowboys have won the last four meetings with Utah State--games in 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2007. However, Wyoming trails in the all-time series 24-34-4. Wyoming and Utah State first played one another on Nov. 21, 1903."

The only question is what conference will Utah State be a member of next year? Or will they even have a conference.

Wildcatter Suites nearly complete

After nearly a year of construction the final steps of completing the new Wildcatter Suites and Club at War Memorial Stadium are fast approaching. The project will be completed and ready for the season kickoff on September 6th.

The extensive project added 10 luxury suites that cater to corporations as well 250 club seats. Membership has it's privileges as alcohol will served in the Stadium club as well a game day buffet that is updated for every game. Check out the full buffet menu for the 2010 season.

All 10 suites are already sold out at $40,000 a pop and only a handful of the club seats remain at $2,500 per seat. This additions will greatly increase the revenue stream for the program and enhance the game day experience at the War. With the indoor seating it will also help actual attendance in the stadium in late October and November when the temperatures drop. They are season tickets so the seats are "sold" no matter what but now there will be more butts in the seats. These butts can also stay warm and enjoy a brew while watching the Pokes take the field.

There are number of other other renovations being completed at the War. These include enhanced concessions and renovated restrooms on the East part of the stadium, and and updated entrance on the west side that features a large bucking horse logo. Check out the live webcam to see the most up to date view.

More info on the updates and well as photo galleries check the UW site for the most up to date details.

The improvements were designed by HOK who an impressive resume:

World-renown HOK Sport Venue Event is serving as the architecture firm for the
design of the Wildcatter Stadium Club & Suites at War Memorial Stadium. HOK
Sport has designed athletic facilities around the world for the past 25 years.
Included in its recent projects are: the University of Phoenix Stadium, home of
the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL; Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers;
a renovation of the University of Oklahoma Stadium; an expansion of Penn State
University's Beaver Stadium; the new Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis
Cardinals; AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants; the new Yankee
Stadium; and the London 2012 Olympic Stadium.

Cowboys release basketball schedule (finally)

Well the Pokes finally realized that the season was just around the corner and it might be a good idea to let the fans know when to show up. With the full schedule finally released today we can see who the team will face.

First impressions look like the Pokes will have no excuses if they don't improve on their 10-21 mark a year ago. The Pokes are taking part in the Cancun Challenge which does feature some decent teams including: Missouri, Providence, North Florida, Western Illinois and Lasalle. Not necessarily powerhouses but decent matchups. Indiana State will be a good matchup in the MWC-MVC challenge when the Sycamores come to Laramie.

The toughest non conference/non tournament team looks to be the Wisconsin Green Bay Phoenix who finished 22-13 last year. Other teams include UC Irvine (14-18) which the best part is their nickname: The Anteaters!! South Dakota finished 22-10 last year and Pokes travel there in December.

Watchout out the Gentlemen out of Centenary a school in Louisiana who posted a 8-21 record. Yes, their nickname is the Gentlemen. What is their mascot? Some nice guy that finishes last?

Houston Baptist Huskies finished 12-21 last year. Western State is a Divison 2 squad, Kean University looks to be Division 3. Kennesaw State went 13-20 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

At least the Cowboys are playing an exhibition against Peru State (NAIA D2) instead of the regular season like last year.

Here is the full schedule. Just two and a half months till hoops season kicks off!


Date Opponent Site Time/M.T. (TV)
November
Sat., Nov. 6 Peru State (Exhibition) Laramie, Wyo. 8:00 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 13 Kean University Laramie, Wyo. 8:00 p.m.
Tue., Nov. 16 at Northern Colorado Greeley, Colo. 7:00 p.m.
Thurs., Nov. 18 North Florida ^ Laramie, Wyo. 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 20 Western Illinois ^ Laramie, Wyo. 7:00 p.m.
Tue.-Wed., Cancun Challenge + Cancun, Mexico
Nov. 23-24 Nov. 23 vs. Missouri TBA
Nov. 24 vs. Providence or La Salle TBA
December
Wed., Dec. 1 at South Dakota Vermillion, S.D. 6:00 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 4 Mountain West Conference/Missouri Valley Conference Challenge
Indiana State Laramie, Wyo. 5:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Fri., Dec. 10 at UC Irvine Irvine, Calif. 8:00 p.m.
Tue., Dec. 14 Denver Laramie, Wyo. 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 17 Western State Laramie, Wyo. 7:00 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 20 Centenary Laramie, Wyo. 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 22 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Laramie, Wyo. 7:00 p.m.
Tue., Dec. 28 Kennesaw State Laramie, Wyo. 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 31 at Houston Baptist Houston, Texas 1:00 p.m.
January
Tue., Jan. 4 at Colorado State* Fort Collins, Colo. 7:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Sat., Jan. 8 New Mexico* Laramie, Wyo. 4:00 p.m. (CBS C)
Wed., Jan. 12 at TCU* Fort Worth, Texas 5:30 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Sat., Jan. 15 Utah* Laramie, Wyo. 1:30 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Sat., Jan. 22 at Air Force* Colorado Springs, Colo. 1:30 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Tue., Jan. 25 UNLV* Laramie, Wyo. 8:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Sat., Jan. 29 at San Diego State* San Diego, Calif. 8:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
February
Wed., Feb. 2 BYU* Laramie, Wyo. 6:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Sat., Feb. 5 Colorado State* Laramie, Wyo. 6:00 p.m. (CBS C)
Wed., Feb. 9 at New Mexico* Albuquerque, N.M. 6:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Sat., Feb. 12 TCU* Laramie, Wyo. 1:30 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Wed., Feb. 16 at Utah* Salt Lake City, Utah 7:00 p.m. (CBS C)
Wed., Feb. 23 Air Force* Laramie, Wyo. 8:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Sat., Feb. 26 at UNLV* Las Vegas, Nev. 8:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
March
Tue., March 1 San Diego State* Laramie, Wyo. 8:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Sat., March 5 at BYU* Provo, Utah 1:30 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Wed.-Sat., Mountain West Conference
March 9-12 Basketball Championships$ Las Vegas, Nev.
Wed., March 9 No. 8 Seed vs. No. 9 Seed 3:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Thurs., March 10 Quarterfinals 1:00 p.m., 3:35 p.m. (The (Mtn.)
7:05 p.m., 9:35 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Fri., March 11 Semifinals 7:05 p.m., 9:35 p.m. (CBS C)
Sat., March 12 Championship 5:05 p.m. (VERSUS)

Breaking down the 2010 Schedule

We are just eight days away from the start of the Wyoming Cowboys 2010 season and this season has plenty of intrigue. The Pokes have one of the toughest schedules this year and earning a repeat bowl berth will not be an easy task by any means.

I've post the schedule below so take a look and my full analysis will be posted afterwards.

Date Opponent Time
Sat, Sep 4 Southern Utah 7:00 pm
Sat, Sep 11 at (5) Texas 5:00 pm
Sat, Sep 18 (3) Boise State 6:00 pm
Sat, Sep 25 Air Force 12:00 pm
Sat, Oct 2 at Toledo 5:00 pm
Sat, Oct 9 at (6) TCU 1:30 pm
Sat, Oct 16 Utah 4:00 pm
Sat, Oct 23 at Brigham Young 12:00 pm
Sat, Oct 30 San Diego State 12:00 pm
Sat, Nov 6 at New Mexico 4:00 pm
Sat, Nov 13 at UNLV 8:00 pm
Sat, Nov 20 Colorado State 12:00 pm

A few important things to take note of this season. The Cowboys play all their games on Saturdays this year including the Border War which has been played on the Friday following Thanksgiving the last few years. Also there is no bye week in the season this year. Last year the Pokes had a week off between trips to Air Force and Utah. A bye week can be vital to help players get over nagging injuries and refresh themselves... not happening this year.

Cowboys start the season on September 6th versus FCS Southern Utah. The Pokes should roll in the opener and start on a great note in front of the home crowd under the lights. The next two games are brutal traveling to Texas and then hosting Boise State. Both teams are ranked in the top 5 and aiming towards a National Championship. The Pokes played the Longhorns tough last year in Laramie for the first half. It will be tough knock off Boise but at least they aren't playing on the smurf turf. Boise will be used to the elevation so that won't be much of a factor.

The next two games are the most pivotal of the season. Hosting Air Force and then traveling to Toledo to face the Rockets of the MAC. Last season the Zoomies held onto a 10-0 win in Colorado Springs and the crowd really effected the Cowboys offense. Being at home should be a big boost and the growth of the offense will be vital here. A win against Air Force will give Wyoming a great start of conference play and a shot at returning to a bowl game.

Last year the Cowboys split their OOC schedule with wins over Weber State and Florida Atlantic. The road victory over Owls was huge ACS and the Cowboys. A similar feet over Toledo is needed this year. Toledo isn't ranked very high in the MAC but they have a prolific offensive attack. If Wyoming can slow down the air attack of the Rockets and exploit their porous defense they can grab that precious second OOC victory.

The MWC gauntlet starts after Wyoming returns from Toledo with trips to TCU and BYU sandwiching a home game against the Utes. This same schedule ruined Colorado State last year and they ended the season 3-9. Of the three games the Utah matchup should be the closest - Wyoming fans won't be able to yell at the Utes for awhile with them heading to the Pac 10 next year.

The final four games are all winnable - SDSU at home, New Mexico and UNLV on the road, then the Border War in Laramie. If Wyoming can start the season 3-2 and keep their heads together after the TCU-Utah-BYU plague then they should have a great shot of going at least three for four and earning a back to back bowl berth!

Chargers RB Ryan Mathews has nose cauterized

Not Wyoming related but the Cowboys faced Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl last year and I like to keep up with him. I think he'll have a great career in the NFL but still very glad that he couldn't get past the Pokes Defense Line in overtime of the NM Bowl. Plus the Bulldogs are joining the Mountain West.

So apparently Mathews has had an issue with nose bleeds throughout his career and the his most recent gusher occurred after taking a hit against the Dallas Cowboys over the weekend. So the solution to this problem was to have his nose cauterized in what is described as an "uncomfortable" procedure.

So what exactly does it mean to have one's nose cauterized? Well since you asked...

According to Wikipedia:

If a person has been having frequent nose bleeds, it is most likely caused by an exposed blood vessel in their nose. Even if the nose is not bleeding at the time, it is cauterized to prevent future bleeding. The different methods of cauterization include burning the affected area with acid, hot metal, lasers, or silver nitrate. Such a procedure is naturally quite painful. Sometimes liquid nitrogen is used as a less painful alternative, though it is less effective. In the few countries that permit the use of cocaine for medicinal purposes, it is occasionally used topically to make this procedure less uncomfortable, cocaine being the only local anesthetic which also produces vasoconstriction, making it ideal for controlling nosebleeds.

So I doubt they coked him up to help deal with the pain since that would violate the leagues drug policy. I'm sure it hurt plenty to have a white hot poker or acid stuck up your nostril. Yes, I would say that does qualify as uncomfortable.

Big Impact Recruits

The 2009 recruiting class was a bumper crop of fresh talent that made huge contributions on the field right away. Names like Carta-Samuels, Alexander, Gary, Muhammad all stepped up big time for the Pokes.

This year the depth is greater for the Cowboys and it will be harder for some of these new roster additions to make an impact. Here is a ranking of the 2010 recruiting class members that will see the field this Fall.

1. Oliver Schober - Came in as a linebacker and found himself handling kickoffs for the Pokes. This German born player has a soccer background and the leg the prove it launching kickoffs several yards into the endzone. Schober should become a special teams dynamo for the Cowboys as well seeing some time at MLB when Brian Hendricks needs a breather.


2. Robert Herron - The last addition to the Cowboys roster joined the team on the second day of practice. This speedster out of Cali started out at WR but also seen reps at RB recently. Herron has big play ability and if he finds any opening in the defense he should find the endzone.


3. Jonathon Aiken - Another late addition to the Pokes roster, Aiken has earned himself a scholarship with work after walking on initially. At 6'4 and 208lbs "Slim" looks to be the big target that ACS was missing last year. He is still adjusting to the speed of the game after playing the last two years at Ellsworth CC in Iowa. Aiken should do a lot for the Cowboys and could have a bigger impact than Herron.


4. Mazi Ogbonna - After coming out of of Snow College last year Ogbonna looks more polished then Herron and Aiken but not sure if he has the game changing ability of either one. Should see plenty of balls thrown his way this season.


5. Justin DiRe - Of the linemen that were recruited for this year Dire recieved the least press while coming out of San Diego. He is a very mobile bigman and great at blocking past the line of scrimmage. DiRe has worked his way onto the second team spot at Tackle and expect him to see several reps on the line each game.


6. Nehemie Kankolongo - Came into camp as the starter at RB but after a one game suspension and a knee injury we're not sure how much of an impact he will make this year. If the knee proves stable (MRI was negative) then he could see time at RB this year.
7. Dejay Lester - Lester came in with Ogbonna but has limited so far this Fall due to a concussion suffered early on. He is back and did participate in the scrimmage grabbing a couple passes. Lester is a solid reciever but he doesn't have the size or speed of those listed above him.
8. Marqueston Huff - Huff will be a playmaker for the Pokes. Whether that happens this year or not is to be determined. Huff is currently second at the CB spot behind the Gipson's so he should see some time in dime formations. Expect him to be a starter next year.
9. Kurt Taufa'asau - The DT from JUCO New Mexico Military Institute has shown improvement during camp but the altitude and competition have slowed down his adjustment. Expect him to see sometime on the DLine this year but not right away.

Back to Wyoming News - Scrimmage #3!

Just two weeks till kickoff and things are starting to come together for Wyoming offense. The defense dominated the first two scrimmages but things finally started clicking this morning.

For the full stats from the scrimamge click here.

Here are few highlights that Robert Gagliardi posted on his site:

• Austyn Carta-Samuels can feel very good about his performance today after going 11 for 13 for 115 yards plus two touchdowns. ACS also added 26 yards on four carries. ACS is really starting to get into a groove with his recievers as evidenced by the TD passes to Aiken (11 yards) and Leonard (15 yards).
• The offense had a total of 345 yards on the day and improved greatly on turnovers and penalties.
• Robert Herron saw reps at RB and showed off his speed and ability to cut back. Herron had 17 yards on 4 attempts plus a 27 yard catch. I expect Herron to be utilized at wideout and running back this year. Should be very dangerous when on end arounds.
• Oliver Schober had an amazing 59 yard pick six off Dax Crum. Schober started in place of Brian Hendricks who dealing with an ankle injury suffered on Wednesday.
• DeJay Lester saw some action for the first time this year catching two passes for 17 yards. Lester has missed several weeks with a concussion suffered at the beginning of camp.
• Austin McCoy was 3 for 6 on field goals with one blocked. McCoy will handle the kicking duties in the opener while Ian Watts sits out a one game suspension.

The WAC set it self up for failure with outliers

Even when the WAC had every lined perfectly:

• BYU joining in all other sports - playing for four five games in football
• $5M exit penalty for any school that leaves the conference early

They still couldn't keep things together and Fresno State and Nevada both jumped at the chance to abandon ship. Why would they leave when the conference was on the verge of getting a big boost?

They could actually end up SAVING money every year in travel expenses. Both schools mentioned this important factor in their press conferences. The main reason expenses were so high were because of the extra large footprint of the conference.

The outliers for the WAC are Hawaii and Louisiana Tech, schools stat are seperated by a mere 4,000+ miles. Bear in mind it's only 3,299 miles to drive from Seattle to Miami. The closest school to Louisiana Tech is New Mexico State a mere 935 miles. The shortest flight for any WAC school to Hawaii was San Jose State with a mere 2,3oo mile flight.

According to the Idaho Statesmen the travel distance for Boise State reduced by 18% with their switch to the Mountain West. This article also details the other financial benefits the MWC carries over the WAC.

****

So what do I think will happen now?

I believe BYU will stay in the Mountain West for a couple years at least. The Mountain West will add the University of Houston to make it an even 12 teams. Conference USA adds Louisiana Tech to replace Houston and this officially kills the WAC as they drop down to just five football teams.

This could be way off but the addition of Houston just makes too much sense. Large media market, travel partner for TCU, potential for a Top 25 team.

Craig Thompson did meet with the CUSA last night though not all the details are known.

Thompson said the commissioners discussed issues such as BCS access and possibly
pooling resources for more lucrative media contracts.

The one major thing that both conferences share in common is CBS College Sports who broadcasts several Mountain West games and ALL Conference USA games. Perhaps a joint network that both conferences share?

Men's Basketball TV Schedule released

The Mountain West Conference released their full Men's basketball television for games that will be broadcast on the conference family of networks: The Mtn, CBS College and Versus.

Any out of conference games that would appear on the ESPN network of stations are not listed here. Last year Wyoming played at Tennessee and the game was broadcast on ESPNU. The Cowboys have been dragging their feet on releasing their full schedule this year. Hopefully it will come out sometime in the next week now that the Mountain West has at released this TV schedule.

For those of you who don't have access to the Mtn (like me!) looks we'll have three chances to watch the Pokes live.

January 8th, New Mexico at Wyoming - CBS C
February 5th, Colorado State at Wyoming - CBS C
February 16th, Wyoming at Utah - CBS C

Wyoming will have 15 other television appearences that will all be broadcast on the Mtn.

Also according to the schedule Wyoming will be hosting the Indiana State Sycamores on December 4th as part of the MVC-MWC Challenge. The game will be broadcast on the Mtn.

The Mountain West welcomes two new members

With news that BYU was headed indy in football and taking the rest of their sports to the WAC the Mountain West Conference has signed, sealed and delivered two new insitutions. The University of Californa, Fresno State the University of Nevada, Reno will both join the Mountain West in as soon as 2011.

This will ensure that the MWC stays at least a 10 team conference and could signal a death blow to the WAC the former home of both schools. Will these schools help the Mountain West automatic qualifying as a BCS conference? Not right away but the potential is there. Fresno State has 22 wins over the past three years and Nevada has 21. The great thing is that the Mountain West will have at least 10 teams and a solid foundation.

Are these new additions perfect? No but they are a great fit geographically and will be great travel partners for UNLV and San Diego State.

What are they missing? Fresno needs to starting winning some bowl games once they join :P And their bulldog logo bugs me. Nevada needs to starts packing their stadium, their attendance is terrible at home and hardly any fans support the team on the road. Hopefully this will all change with the stiffer competition.

So what does this mean for BYU? Do continue their way out and join the scraps of the WAC or perhaps the WCC? Or do they come back and play nice in the Mountain West.

Thompson was just in Philadelphia meeting with Comcast and CBS College discussing the tv deal. Will these new markets mean a boost to the viewership of the Mtn? I would stoked by any improvement in the current deal.

Right now I'm view MWC Commisioner as a bad ass.


Craig Thompson does his best impersonation of Jules from Pulp Fiction

And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers.

Screw you Utah!

Image courtesy of screwthey.com

First Utah leaves for the Pac 10 (12) and now BYU leaves the Mountain West to go independent in Football and have all others sports play in the WAC????


After the last three years have been going so well for the Mountain West and the conference was so close to gaining a BCS berth. Now this happens? Who would have guessed that the state of Utah would ruin a good time that was being had by all the members of it's conference. The "no fun allowed" state just kicked it up a notch.

This could have huge ripple effects for the entire conference and the Mountain West may cease to exist if Boise decides to go back to the WAC which they can still do until September with no penalty.

When Utah was picked to join the Pac 10 it set off the BYU loyalists who felt left out. This reaction to become independent is coming to quick and they should have waited to see how the MWC is with Boise joining.

Well guess Wyoming doesn't have to worry about traveling to Utah anymore after this year.

Second Scrimmage and DC on the SVP Show!

Coach Christensen appeared on the SVP show today and did a great interview with Scott and Ryen. If you missed it earlier here is the full interview.

Throughout the interview they played footage from the New Mexico Bowl.

A few highlights topics were the tough schedule, benefit of making to the New Mexico Bowl, the helmet on the desk and the possible formation "Wild Crum". If the Pokes are up big in a few games and need to deploy the Wild Crum I would be very excited.

Speaking of Crum he had a 48 yard touchdown pass to WR Jonathon Aiken in the scrimmage this morning. The defense was the big winners again today but they offense did show a few more signs of life.

Here are some of Eric Schmodlt's thoughts from the second scrimmage.

A few key points:

• Brian Hendricks suffered an ankle injury. It most likely just a sprain.
• Marcell Gipson had a pick six off Crum on the final play of the scrimmage.
• TE David Tooley is back with the team after leaving the team last week.
• Justin Dire maybe making a move at starting spot on the O-Line.

Who you calling cupcake????

Image courtesy of g1-news.com


Darren Everson of the Wall Street Journal wrote an article about how the growing trend in college football is to schedule premier neutral site games for buckoo bucks. This is a very interesting story however the downside is that he started off the article by saying that BCS teams have been scheduling to many "cupcake" non conference games and used Wisconsin vs. Austin Peay and Texas vs. Wyoming as examples.

His example is correct with Austin Peay and Wisconsin. AP is an FCS school that only managed a 4-7 record last year on a schedule filled entirely with FCS oppononents. I'm not saying that Wyoming and Texas are equals but the Pokes play in the Mountain West and won the New Mexico Bowl last year. Plus the Cowboys and Longhorns have a three game commitment and this is the second year of that series.

Even if some people consider Wyoming a cupcake the Pokes have shown that they can play with elite teams. Last season the Cowboys were even with Texas for almost the entire first half. There will be plenty of chances for upsets on the schedule this year.

We are killer cupcakes (pictured above)!!!!!

***UPDATE***

After writing this post I rechecked the article and the author has now removed his reference to Wyoming and Texas. It has since been replaced with Auburn and Arkansas State. Perhaps he read this post (doubtful) or he wised up.

Don't tread on us!!! Go Pokes!

New Mexico Bowl Replay!

Image courtesy of infowyo.com

If you like staying up late and have ESPNU then Tuesday is your lucky day! ESPNU will be rebroadcasting the 2009 New Mexico Bowl from Midnight to 2a.m. MST. Obviously the game will be shorter than the original broadcast they are condesing four quarters and two overtimes into just two hours.

The nice thing is that the two hour broadcast will fit much nicer on my DVR. Watching the New Mexico bowl is the perfect way to show what the Pokes are capable of and get you ready for the 2010 season!

*****

In other Poke news walkon JUCO WR Jonathon Aiken has earned a scholarship this year after three players left the program and Aiken proved himself in practice. This is really a win - win situation for the Aiken and the Cowboys who kept in touch during a lengthy recruitment process. Aiken was initially declared ineligible after accepting a scholarship offer from Wyoming in the Fall. He worked on his grades and had offers from other schools but liked the relationship the Wyoming staff so much that he was willing to walk on and pay his way if needed.

True freshman QB Sam Stratton has moved to RB to help with depth at the position. Stratton is a very quick and mobile runner but was limited in his plays at the new position due to a pulled hammy. Seems like Stratton is doing well in practice despite coming back from a massive knee injury but I would still expect him to end up redshirting this year.

Let there be light!

Image courtesy of KNOE.com

There is a rarity happening in Laramie this season. Not just one but two football games that will played in the evenings and under the lights. There have been only three games played underneath the lights since the Wyoming joined the Mountain West back in 1999.

Robert Gagliardi broke down some history on the lights at War Memorial. The season opener on September 4th versus Southern Utah kicks off at 7pm and will be untelevised. Two weeks later the Cowboys return home to host Boise State with a 6pm kickoff that will be aired on CBS College.

According to the article AD Tom Burman has been pleased with ticket sales so far. But some fans are concerned about travel times after the game. Heading back to Casper can take around 3 hours and conditions could be tougher at night. I'm glad that the Boise game will be on CBS C and I'm sure that every hotel in the area will be booked that weekend.

Van Pelt opens up about Wyoming

Image Courtesy of ESPN

Eric Schmodlt posted a question on his blog earlier this week on what Wyoming fans thought of the Scott Van Pelt Show and their admiration for Poke QB Dax Crum or at least his name. Well the show emailed Schmodlt and expressed that they don't mean to make any slight of Wyoming or their players.

Here are the comments from Van Pelt and Ryen:

From Russillo, who pointed out that the origin of the Dax Crum bit came when Crum was starting for UW two seasons ago: "At first I just thought it was a
different name, his story was interesting and I was rooting for a comeback. So I
started following him a little. ...

"I have never had the intention of making fun of the team" and feel terrible if the players feel that way. I know that Austyn is the starter and he had a great season, we like Wyoming. That's it. I don't know a ton about Wyoming football, I'd be lying if I said I did, but we kind of adopted the team. I love the helmet, I think you have
a great coach, a lot of fans have told us that they love seeing the helmet on
our set and I thought it would be cool to show some support for a program that
doesn't get any national publicity."

I think it does help to have the helmet on the show fairly often. I have watch the SVP show on ESPNU on weekdays that I have off and I love seeing the Wyoming helmet there. If they would actually mention Wyoming or any Mountain West School once a week that would be great. It drives me nuts they spend some much time talking about Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, USC, Texas etc...

From Van Pelt: "We have gotten a ton of love from
the Wyoming coaches,
specifically Coach Christensen who sent a note that they seemingly enjoyed their
status, along with Idaho, as the helmets on our desk during the show.

..." The irony here is, we KNOW who [Carta-Samuels] is. I watched him in
several games last year and he (and the whole team) were great in the bowl win
over Fresno."

Van Pelt also mentioned that he wanted to interview Carta-Samuels at some point during the season. I would love to have either member of the show come to Laramie and actually experience a game in person.

Stats from the first scrimmage

Want the full break down on the scrimmage. Well the UW Athletic department posted the final stats for fans to check out.

Check out the photo gallery of the first scrimmage. If you want the pdf version of the stats click here.

In other Cowboys news looks like DT Alex Stover has seen his last snapas his nagging groin injury has ended his career. He will stay on with the team as a volunteer assistant. Nehemie Kankolongo got the results back on his MRI and he should be back in time for the September 11th game at Texas.

Passing
Player Comp.-Att Yards TD Interceptions Long
# 5 Austyn Carta-Samuels, qb 9-17 (.529) 89 0 1 17
# 18 Dax Crum, qb 8-19 (.421) 73 1 0 23
# 11 Emory Miller, Jr., qb 3- 5 (.600) 28 0 0 23
# 16 Austin Woodward, qb 2- 3 (.667) 10 0 0 5
# 9 Sam Stratton, qb 0- 2 (.000) 0 0 0 NA
Totals 22-46 (.478) 200 1 1 23


Receiving
Player Receptions Yards TD Long
# 80 Chris McNeill, wr 4 23 0 15
# 6 Robert Herron, wr 3 32 0 14
# 33 David Leonard, wr 3 31 0 17
# 89 Zach Bolger, wr 2 16 0 9
# 81 Brandon Miller, wr 2 3 0 5
# 4 Drew Martinez, wr 1 23 0 23
# 83 T.J. Smith, wr 1 23 0 23
# 2 Mazi Ogbonna, wr 1 16 0 16
# 22 Tedder Easton, rb 1 10 1 10
# 84 C.J. Morgan, wr 1 7 0 7
# 3 Travis Burkhalter, wr 1 6 0 6
# 32 Alvester Alexander, rb 1 5 0 5
# 35 Vincent Bobbitt, rb 1 5 0 5
Totals 22 200 1 23


Rushing

Yards Yards Net
Player Attempts Gained Lost Yards TD Long Fumbles
# 35 Vincent Bobbitt, rb 16 81 12 69 0 49 0
# 5 Austyn Carta-Samuels, qb 8 70 7 63 0 16 0
# 32 Alvester Alexander, rb 10 69 8 61 0 39 0
# 18 Dax Crum, qb 6 32 4 28 0 12 1
# 25 James Davis, rb 6 29 6 23 1 10 0
# 22 Tedder Easton, rb 14 27 11 16 0 5 0
# 16 Austin Woodward, qb 1 7 0 7 0 7 0
# 9 Sam Stratton, qb 4 12 5 7 0 7 0
# 11 Emory Miller, Jr., qb 4 0 16 - 16 0 - 2 0
Totals 69 327 69 258 1 49 1



Defensive Highlights

Player UT AT TT Sacks TFL Broken Up FF FR Int
# 1 James Caraway, cb 2 0 2 2
# 2 Marcell Gipson, cb 0 1 1
# 3 Patrick Hartford, lb 1 1 2
# 4 Tashaun Gipson, cb 1 0 1 1
# 6 Alex Toney, lb 3 3 6 1 1-16
# 7 Shamiel Gary, ss 0 1 1
# 8 Brian Hendricks, ilb 4 3 7
#11 Dylan McElveen, fs 1 1 2
#14 Marqueston Huff, cb 3 1 4
#15 Ben Durbin, dt 0 2 2 0.5-0.5
#17 Keith Lewis, lb 1 0 1 1
#23 Ghaali Muhammad, lb 2 4 6 0.5-1.5 1
#24 Chris Prosinski, fs 2 1 3
#27 Todd Knight, lb 0 2 2 0.5-0.5
#29 Luke Ruff, cb 3 1 4 3-6 1
#31 Jeff Roueche, lb 0 1 1 1
#34 Matt Birkeness, de 1 1 2 1-2 1-3.5
#35 Oliver Schober, lb 0 2 2
#36 Eric Mitchell, fs 1 0 1 1-1.5
#38 Julian Hawkins, db 1 0 1 1-2
#41 Andrew Meredith, cb 3 0 3
#43 Devyn Harris, lb 4 0 4 1-2
#44 Josh Biezuns, de 0 5 5 1
#45 Bryson Studnicka, dt 2 0 2 2-4
#50 Mike Purcell, dt 2 2 4 0.5-0.5 2.5-2.5 1 1-0
#52 Gabe Knapton, de 0 3 3 0.5-1.5
#54 B.J. Sumter, dt 1 1 2
#55 Sonny Puletasi, de 2 0 2 2-12 2-12
#59 Reece Hall, lb 2 1 3
#90 Tyler Strong, dt 0 2 2 1-2.5
#91 Riley Lange, de 2 0 2 1-2 1-2
#92 Spencer Bruce, de 0 2 2 0.5-1
#93 Eric Brooks, dt 1 3 4 1-5 1.5-6
#95 Patrick Mertens, dt 3 3 6 0.5-0.5 1.5-3.5
#96 Brian Caggiano, dl 1 1 2 2-8.5
#98 Kurt Taufa’asau, dt 1 2 3 1-5 1-5
Totals 50 50 100 7-27 24-66 10 0 1-0 1-16

Defense dominates in first scrimmage!

Robert Gagliardi did a live blog of the Cowboys first scrimmage this morning in which the defense showed it's preparedness. Last time the score was updated the Defense led 48-25. How can a defense score points you ask?

Here is how the scoring works in the scrimmage courtesy the UW press release:

A scoring system will be utilized that will award the offense and defense points
based on certain plays. The offense will earn a normal six points for a
touchdown, one point for a point-after-touchdown, two points for a two-point PAT
and three points for a field goal. In addition, the offense may earn one point
for each play of 20+ yards and one point for each first down.

The defense may earn five points each for an interception or a recovered fumble. If
they return an interception or fumble recovery for a TD, the defense will
receive 12 points. The defense will earn three points for forcing a punt,
blocking a field goal or by stopping the offense on a fourth-down play on the
offense's side of the 50. Two points will be awarded to the defense for a
safety, a quarterback sack, stopping the offense on a fourth-down play on the
defense's side of the 50 or stopping a two-point conversion attempt. Finally one
point will be earned by the defense for forcing a missed field goal, tackling a
ball carrier for a loss of yardage, blocking a point-after-touchdown attempt or
when holding the offense to a field goal after the offense began its series in
the red-zone (inside the defense's 20-yard line).

The scrimmage paired the #1 offense versus the #2 defense, #2 offense versus the #1 defense. The third and fourth teams matched up against their equals.

MVP for the defense would most likely be Mike Purcell who had a couple sacks as well as several tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. The experience of the secondary showed as it was hard to complete passes for any of the quarterbacks.

ACS had a fairly decent day but focused mainly on shorter passes. He did have one interception that due to throwing into double coverage.

Oliver Schober booted two of his three kickoffs into the endzone. Austin McCoy could only reach the 10.

McCoy also took some reps at kicking field goals, he will be assuming those duties for the first game while Ian Watts sits out due to a one game suspension.

Backup DE Mark Willis blocked two consecutive field goals after the first one was called back due to a penalty.

DE Sonny Puletasi got a sack by simply pushing his blocker into the QB.

Alvester Alexander had a 39 yard run from scrimmage. Walk on RB Vincent Bobbitt had the longest play of the a day a 49 yard run. First time I'd heard his name mentioned this season.

James Davis had a 10 yard touchdown run. Dax Crum found Tedder Easton for a 10 yard score late in the scrimmage.

Kurt Taufa'asau seems to be developing the quickest of any of the defensive linemen though he didn't make any standout plays today.

The next scrimmage will be on Tuesday the 17th. Hopefully the offense will be able to pick things up in the weeks to come.

Here is an article on new WR's Aiken and Herron who have labeled themselves "Thunder and Lightning 2.0". The original Thunder and Lightning were running backs Devin Moore and Wynel Seldon. Hopefully they can have similar success.

Home Grown

The Green River Star put together a couple pieces on former Wolves who are playing at UW this year.

WR Drew Martinez is a true freshman who adjusting to a new playbook and teammates. With the depth at wideout this year it is most likely that he will redshirt to help ease his transition and save a year of eligibility.

Andrew Meredith redshirted last and has bounced all around the roster. During the spring he moved to running back due to a lack of depth. The coaches let him choose where he wanted to compete this Fall. He initially chose DB and has now focused on the safety position. Meredith also gained 25 pounds in the past year and is now listed at 205.

First Scrimmage is tommorow

After a week of practice it is time to stop drills and see what some of these players can really do. Wyoming will have it's first scrimmage on Friday, August 13th starting at 8:45am.

Check out Robert Gagliardi who will be posting live during the scrimmage.

So what are we hoping to learn from this first scrimmage?


Here are a few key things to focus on:

The defensive line. The bookends are set at DE with Greg Knapton and Josh Biezuns. The backup DE spots are up for grabs with RS Freshman Mark Willis having the inside track to backup Knapton.

Who will fill the middle of the line? Alex Stover was expected to start but is already hitting the medical tent with his recurring groin issues. Mike Purcell, Patrick Mertens and Burbin are fighting for a starting spot at DT.

Will any of the newcomers make an impact on the line? Kurt Taufa'asau has been getting some reps with the second team. There hasn't been much news on BJ Sumter or Tyler Strong yet. Sonny Puletasi and Riley Lange are two freshman DE's that have been staying low on the radar so far.

With David Tooley gone that leaves T.J. Smith to take over as the #1 TE. Who will take over the #2 spot. Jonathon Aiken has the size at 6'4 208lbs but can he block when needed?

There hasn't been much news on the O-Line so far. Freshman Skyler Hinton and Justin Dire have been seeing some time with the second team at center guard respectively.

Who sees the most reps at running back. Kankolongo will miss the opener against Southern Utah but does that make Alexender the starter in week 2 as well?

WYO RUMBLINGS

News from across Poke Nation!

Two starting LB spots are taken by Ghaali Muhammad and Brian Hendricks. Keith Lewis and Devyn Harris are locked in a tight battle for the third spot.

Schroyer has the basketball team making huge improvements in the classroom. Over the past three years UW has turned around their men's teams academics that previously was the worst in the history of the Mountain West. Most fans will grumble about more wins but I'm glad Wyoming has changed the atmosphere and students make the most of their scholarships.

Junior CB Tashaun Gipson has been a force the past week and is making a big impression on the coaching staff. His growth in ability could help the Cowboys plan more man defense this year.

WR Mazi Ogbonna is starting to hit his stride after joining the Pokes in the spring from Snow College. His teammates have been impressed so far.

Former Poke John Fletcher signed on with the Arizona Cardinals. Fletcher went undrafted after graduating but deserves a shot with an NFL team. Hopefully he can make the most out of it.

Three players suspended? Three players gone?

It seemed like it was all good news that was coming out of camp until now... ESPN is reporting that three players have been suspended for the first game of the season against Southern Utah and three players dismissed.

The suspended players are sophomore cornerback Kenny Browder, freshman running
back Nehemie Kankolongo and sophomore place-kicker Ian Watts. They will miss the
season opener against Southern Utah on Sept. 4.

Freshman wide receiver
Turmour Battle has been dismissed from the team.

And Christensen says
redshirt freshman free safety Larry Mitchell and sophomore wide receiver David
Tooley have decided to leave the team for personal reasons

This is a huge shock to lose three players and have three players miss the openers. The fact that David Tooley left is a huge deal - he was considered a bright spot at TE for this year. More reaction on this later.

New WR shows up in Laramie

New players keep popping up in Laramie and I guess you never know what to expect Coach Christensen and his crew. After JUCO WR Jonathon Aiken was reported on the practice field on Sunday, news comes out that a true freshman wideout out of Los Angeles had accepted a scholarship with the Pokes.

Robert Herron a speedster WR/KR out of Dorsey HS. There is not a lot on info on Herron or how he ended up in Wyoming. The main thing is he has plenty of speed and could be a dangerous weapon for the Pokes. On the track Herron has run 10.81 for the 100 meters and 21.93 for the 200. Herron could a tremendous weapon on kick returns and end arounds as well as stretching the field on passing situations.

So does this fall in the category of "early" Christmas present to Pokes nation OR late arrving gift? Either way I'm happy.

Below is his highlight video from Youtube. Here is a photo gallery from his Senior Year.




In other news....

What started out as a two man competition at RB just increased as Junior RB James Davis has started taking some reps from the first and second team. Freshman Nehemie Kankolongo and Sophomore Alvester Alexander were initially battling for the starting spot. Coach Christensen is staying mum on his plans for the position. They could end up with aa running back by committee situation if everyone steps up the challenge. There is still plenty of time for things to work themselves out. We'll keep you posted on any changes with the depth chart.

A new WR in the midst

Wyoming seems to have landed a walk on JUCO WR named Jonathon Aiken out of Ellsworth CC in Iowa. It was orginally reporteded on Cowboy Altitude that Aiken had signed with Wyoming but this later changed when the two wideouts out of Snow College signed. It seemed that Aiken would be headed to Akron where his other offer came from.

No mention was made of Aiken being on campus until today when Robert Gagliardi reported that Aiken made an impressive catch in the team's first full practice in pads.

At 6'4 205 lbs with a 4.4 time for the 40 I full except Aiken to become a dangerous weapon for the Pokes this year. Ranked three stars by Rivals, Aiken should see plenty of balls thrown his way. The blend of size and speed will be a great asset to ACS when he is looking downfield. I was bummed when Aiken didn't sign with the Pokes earlier but now that he is onboard it helps take away some of the sting of RB Evan Williams not qualifying.

From Deutschland with skill

Picture from WyomingNews.com

Back in the winter the Cowboys landed a very unique recruit out of Germany, 23 year old LB Oliver Schober (#35 in the picture). The true freshman never lived in the United States but played football for the local Munich Cowboys team and German national team.

At 6'0 240 lbs Schober is an intimidating figure that will has all the intagibles that coaches look for in a player. Size, strength, skill, instinct and smarts. Originally thought to be competing for the backup spot at MLB, Schober may have also earned himself a spot on the kickoff team. Special teams tackler? Nope. Actual kickoffs.

Christensen was looking for anyone who wanted to give it a shot in the second day of practice and Schober routinely knocked kicks "6 or 7 feet" deep into the endzone.

Most kick returners are probably happy when the kicker is trying to tackle them. With his size and strength this may be the exact opposite with Schober.

For more info on Schober check out this article that appeared in WyomingNews by Robert Gagliardi.

Fall Camp has started!

Yesterday the Cowboys hit the field and the countdown to the opening game versus Southern Utah is on! Even though there weren't any pads the workouts were still intense.

DC says the depth and competition will be at a much higher level this year at every position.

The incoming freshman are now on campus and ready to show off their stuff.

A few names to keep your eye on over the next month:

• RB Nehemie Kankolongo who practiced with the first team after Alvester Alexander suffered a knee injury back in the spring. Kankolongo practiced with the first team this spring after enrolling early. Should be a great battle at halfback.
• A couple recruits didn't make the grades during their senior year and weren't academically eligible to play this season. RB Evan Williams out of Minnesota and JUCO DB Austin Daniels won't be on the roster this year. I had high hopes for Williams who has a pretty impressive highlight video and also played QB.
• LB Oliver Schrober had a pick already and is an impressive physical speciman. It will be hard to keep off the field this Fall.
• ATH Darrenn White practiced with the DB's. White played QB in HS but could also see time at RB if needed.
• WR Mazi Obgonna brings a nice burst of speed and will help open the field up for ACS.

I'll keep you posted on any other news that pops up as the camp progresses. And when the new site is ready to launch you can expect much more news and activity. I'm sure you'll be very impressed with the new digs.

Cowboy Altitude is coming back this Fall!!

I'm sure many folks wondered what happened to this blog back in March when I stopped posting all of a sudden. Well family duties called as our first child was born. Things have been pretty crazy the last few months I now have a 4.5 month old daughter that is lots of fun and still kept my passion for the Wyoming Cowboys.

When I first started my blog my main goal was bring up to a level where I had solid readership and join SBNation the webs premier sports blog portal. Well my dream is coming true and I am in the midst of restarting Cowboy Altitude and launching it as part of the SBNation network.

A big shout out goes to Jeremy of Mountain West Connection who let me cover the Cowboys on his site and helped me become part of the SBNation family.

This blog has always been a one man show before but the Cowboys deserve as much coverage as they can get. As part of this relaunch I'm looking to add two or three other writers to the fold. If you have a passion for Wyoming and an interest in blogging let me know. If you're interested just send me a quick email. My contact information is in the right hand toolbar.