Wyoming 2012 Recruiting

Wyoming Cowboys 2011 ... Head Coach: Dave Christensen

Wyoming Cowboys

2011 Record: 8-5

Sep. 3 Weber State W 35-32
Sep. 10 Texas State W 45-10
Sep. 17 at Bowling Green W 28-27
Sep. 24 Nebraska L 38-14
Oct. 1 OPEN DATE
Oct. 8 at Utah State L 63-19
Oct. 15 UNLV W 41-14
Oct. 22 OPEN DATE
Oct. 29 at San Diego St W 30-27
Nov. 5 TCU L 31-20
Nov. 12 at Air Force W 25-17
Nov. 19 New Mexico W 31-10
Nov. 26 at Boise State L 36-14
Dec. 3 at Colorado State W 22-19
NEW MEXICO BOWL
Dec. 17 Temple L 37-15

2010 CFN Prediction: 3-9
2010 Record: 3-9

Sept. 4 Southern Utah W 28-20
Sept. 11 at Texas L 34-7
Sept. 18 Boise State L 51-6
Sept. 25 Air Force L 20-13
Oct. 2 at Toledo W 20-15
Oct. 9 at TCU L 45-0
Oct. 16 Utah L 30-6
Oct. 23 at BYU L 25-20
Oct. 30 San Diego St L 48-38
Nov. 6 at New Mexico L 34-31
Nov. 13 at UNLV L 42-16
Nov. 20 Colorado St W 44-0
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Wyoming Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. WR Trent Sewell
6-2, 205, Scout.com 93rd ranked, three-star receiver. As a 2011 senior at Bothell (Wash.), in nine games had 34 catches for 527 yards and had 10 touchdowns. All-league performer as a junior in 2010 with 44 catches for more than 1,000 yards. Also a standout in track, running the 100, 200, 400 and 400 relay. Father ran track at Washington State in the 1990s.

2. DE Justin Bernthaler
6-3, 240, Scout.com two-star JUCO transfer

3. RB Shaun Wick
5-11, 190, Scout.com 127th ranked, two-star running back

4. DT Uso Olive
6-1, 290, Scout.com 116th ranked, two-star defensive tackle.

5. RB D.J. May
5-11, 187, Scout.com 141st ranked, two-star running back

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... Just how much is the needle pointing up? With QB Brett Smith in place for the next few seasons, now it’s about putting in the pieces around him. The 2010 class of receives should be maturing, but now the Cowboys need more running back prospects with Alvester Alexander taking off early for the NFL. Beefing up the secondary with more bodies is a must.

Team Concerns For 2012: Offensive tackle. Both Clayton Kirven and John Hutchins are gone, as is center Brandon Self. UW will get really young really fast, and the depth still needs developing. Defensive end is a mega-concern with Josh Biezuns and Gabe Knapton done, and next year’s projected end pair doesn’t have much in the way of bulk. This is a very, very young team in several areas across the board, so even after last year’s success, patience will be vital.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: After the shocker of a 2011 season, the pressure will be on to do even more. Everything will start with QB Brett Smith, and while Alvester Alexander took off early to the NFL, the running game should be terrific. Both starting tackles are gone as is top receiver Mazi Ogbonna. The defense was one of the worst in America against the run, and now both starting ends are gone along with top linebacker Brian Hendricks. Three starters return in the secondary.

The 2011 Class Was Heavy On … The passing game. The defense wasn’t ignored with several interesting outside linebacker prospects brought in, but with the sudden departure of Austyn Carta-Samuels, doing more for the anemic passing attack was a must, With five true receivers coming in, led by the smallish, quick London Muse, the receiving corps is getting an infusion of bodies. The quarterback gig is open, and Adam Pittser out of Illinois will get an instant shot at the job, while athletic Brett Smith will be part of the mix.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 90. That Class Was Heavy On ... Receiver. Austyn Carta-Samuels has to throw to someone. After hitting the jackpot and getting a quarterback who could play right away last year, the Cowboys now need to upgrade the passing game with more dangerous targets. JUCO transfers Mazi Ogbonna and DeJay Lester need to be a big part of the offense right away, while C.J. Morgan will be a speedy target who could be the No. 1 in the near future. On the other side of the ball, JUCO transfer Austin Daniels might start right away at one corner.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 105. That Class Was Heavy On ... Quarterbacks. The rest of the class is mediocre, at generous best, but the quarterback recruits might be the best in the Mountain West. Austyn Carta-Samuels isn’t big, he isn’t fast, but he’s a player who could be the franchise sooner than later. For now, considering the woes at quarterback last season, the signing of JUCO transfer Robert Benjamin is a nod toward the present.

Gildan New Mexico Bowl
Dec. 17 Temple 37 … Wyoming 15
- CFN Thoughts on the Game 

Wyoming: LB Brian Hendricks led the team with 13 tackles for loss … QB Brett Smith completed 20-of-30 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns with three picks and led the team with 65 rushing yards on 16 carries. … Dominic Rufran caught nine passes for 24 yards. … The Cowboys converted all five of their fourth down chances.

(AP) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Temple came out swinging against Wyoming, jumping to a 21-0 lead in the first half of the Gildan New Mexico Bowl on Saturday. But when Wyoming freshman Brett Smith threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Josh Doctson with 37 seconds remaining in the first half, Temple quarterback Chris Coyer feared that Wyoming found a spark.

"We knew they had swung the momentum their way. It was a big touchdown for them," Coyer said.

Then, moments later, Coyer responded with 61-yarder to Rod Streater to give the Owls a 28-7 lead.

It was never close again.

Bernard Pierce ran for two early touchdowns and Coyer threw for 169 yards and the touchdown to help Temple overwhelm Wyoming 37-15 in the New Mexico Bowl -- the first bowl game of the season.

The Owls (9-4) had three interceptions -- tying a New Mexico Bowl record -- en route to the second bowl victory in school history. The first interception came at the start of the second quarter when Temple's Kee-arye Griffin picked off Smith's pass to setting up Matt Brown's 1-yard touchdown run that gave the Owls a 21-0 lead.

The last one came late in the game to Temple's Kevin Kroboth, resulting in a field goal.

"Our starting point is playing great defense," first-year Temple coach Steve Addazio said. "That's what our program's built around. We lead a lot of statistical categories in the country, and we have a lot of pride in playing great defense."

The New Mexico Bowl was Temple's second bowl game in three years, but that 2009 game -- a 30-21 loss to UCLA in the EagleBank Bowl in Washington -- was the Owls' first bowl in 30 years. The Mid-American Conference East runner-up did not get a bowl invite last year despite going 8-4.

Coyer, who also rushed for 71 yards, was selected the game's offensive MVP.

"Getting on top early, of course, was going to be a big deal in this game," Coyer said. "We knew that they had a very explosive offense, and throughout the year that's been big for us -- to get ahead early."

Meanwhile, Smith was held to just 127 yards by a greedy Owls defensive line that prevented the Cowboys from getting anything started.

"Not his best day," Cowboys coach Dave Christensen said. "But the great news is he's got three more years and he'll work extremely hard in the offseason. He'll bounce back. He always does."

The loss dropped the Cowboys (8-5) to 6-7 in bowl games. It was a disappointed effort by Wyoming after the Cowboys won the 2009 New Mexico Bowl in double overtime, beating Fresno State 35-28.

"They just played physically better than us," Christensen said. "My hat's off to them. They're a good running team. They're a good football team."

Nov. 26 at Boise State 36 … Wyoming 14  

Nov. 19 at Wyoming 31 … New Mexico 10  

Nov. 12 Wyoming 25 … at Air Force 17

Nov. 5 TCU 31 … at Wyoming 20

Oct. 29 Wyoming 30 … at San Diego State 27 

Oct. 15 at Wyoming 41 … UNLV 14
CFN Analysis: After two straight blowout losses, the Cowboys needed an easy win to get back on track. That’s what UNLV is for, and while this was an easy game against bad team, Wyoming can’t ever take wins for granted and it has to take this and enjoy it. Brett Smith didn’t take any chances, letting the running game take control early on while completing 10-of-19 passes for 96 yards and two scores. The pass rush kept the pressure up in the second half to put the game away, and while the run defense gave up a few too many yards, it didn’t matter. Against San Diego State, the linebacking corps needs to be disciplined against Ronnie Hillman and can’t overpursue, while the line has to keep up the pressure after generating four sacks. A bowl game is there for the taking, but it would be nice to come up with a big upset win along the way. Beating the Aztecs would be a huge step forward.  

Oct. 8 at Utah State 63 … Wyoming 19
CFN Analysis: Wyoming got lit up by a hot team. Nebraska ran wild and now Utah State went ballistic with the offensive line owning the Cowboy defensive front at will. UW couldn’t get the defense off the field struggling on third down play after third down play, while the offense couldn’t keep up the pace in the second half despite Brett Smith’s 265 passing yards. This might have been ugly, but it was a non-conference game. A win over UNLV next week is a must with at San Diego State, TCU, and at Air Force coming up next; a loss to the Rebels ends any bowl hopes.
 
Sept. 24 Nebraska 38 … at Wyoming 14
CFN Analysis: Wyoming hung around. The linebackers started to miss in the second half, and the offense wasn’t in place to push the ball deep or hit any home runs, but the offensive line did a nice job of keeping QB Brett Smith clean. The special teams did a decent job with Austin McCoy having a great day punting the ball, and the defense held up for about three quarters, but the Cowboys were overmatched. It wasn’t a brutal showing and it wasn’t an ugly blowout in any way. If they can beat Utah State on the road next week, 4-1 with a bad UNLV coming to Laramie should mean a strong record before dealing with the Mountain West big boys. 

Sept. 17 Wyoming 28 … at Bowling Green 27
CFN Analysis: The Cowboys are 3-0? Beating Weber State and Texas State wasn’t a plus, but beating an improving Bowling Green team on the road could be a huge stepping stone moment for a young team that has to host Nebraska next. The defense collapsed late, but the six takeaway made up for the lack of pass defense with four fumble recoveries and two picks stopping drive after drive. Bret Smith didn’t exactly keep pace with the Falcon attack, but he completed 25-of-38 passes for 267 yards and a score with no picks in his first road test. The running game can’t get Alvester Alexander going; the Cowboys need to have some semblance of a steady ground game to close out games like this. 

Sept. 10 at Wyoming 45 … Texas State 10  
CFN Analysis: It might not be pretty, and Weber State and Texas State aren’t exactly world-beaters, but the Cowboy offense has been tremendous over the first two weeks, averaging 540 yards per game with the running game destroying TSU for 382 yards and five scores. Brandon Miller was good, running for 101 yards and a score, averaging 9.2 yards per carry, but Ghaali Muhammad was better, averaging 12.3 yards per pop with a 56-yard dash. Brett Smith made a few mistakes, throwing two picks, but he ran for two scores and ran the offense extremely well; he kept the chains moving. The punt return game has been awful and the punting game needs to be better, but that’s nitpicking right now. The offense has to keep on rolling with a shootout at Bowling Green up next.

Sept. 3 at Wyoming 35 … Weber State 32
CFN Analysis: Welcome to Wyoming, Brett Smith. The Cowboys are in for a long season and they struggled way too much against Weber State, giving up 541 yards of total offense, but in the long haul, all that matters is that Smith was able to come through in the clutch finishing with 294 passing yards and three scores to go along with 44 rushing yards and a score. Alvester Alexander went nowhere, running eight times for 30 yards, but he scored a touchdown. Punter Austin McCoy was a huge help averaging 44.7 yards per kick, and the defensive front did a decent job of getting into the backfield, but after next week’s Texas State game, it could get really ugly really fast if the D doesn’t start doing more against the pass. 

The 2011 Recruiting Class Is Heavy On … The passing game. The defense wasn’t ignored with several interesting outside linebacker prospects brought in, but with the sudden departure of Austyn Carta-Samuels, doing more for the anemic passing attack was a must, With five true receivers coming in, led by the smallish, quick London Muse, the receiving corps is getting an infusion of bodies. The quarterback gig is open, and Adam Pittser out of Illinois will get an instant shot at the job, while athletic Brett Smith will be part of the mix.

Five Wyoming Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. QB Adam Pittser
6-1, 190, Scout.com’s 25th best quarterback. Offers from several MAC schools.

2. QB Brett Smith
6-2, 195, Scout.com’s 88th best quarterback

3. DE Miraldo Michel
6-3, 250, Two-star JUCO transfer

4. S Luke Anderson
Anderson led Blinn Junior College in tackles with 86 as a sophomore. He also had 16 pass break-ups, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

5. LB Korey Jones
Notched 65 tackles and two sacks as a redshirt freshman in 2009. Has two years to play two following the 2010 football season.

2011 Entire Recruiting Class

Luke Anderson S 5-10 195 Southlake, Texas/Blinn CC, Calif.
Zack Berg LB 6-2 210 Edmonds, Wash./Woodway HS
Alex Borgs LB 6-2 215 Raesfeld, Germany/Dusseldorf HS
Blair Burns CB 5-10 170 Plano, Texas/Plano HS
Josh Doctson WR 6-4 185 Mansfield, Texas/Legacy HS
Zach Ewan LS 5-9 216 Phoenix, Ariz./North Canyon HS
DeAndre Jones CB 6-0 180 Killeen, Texas/Harker Heights HS
Jake Jones OL 6-3 295 Lakewood, Colo./Lakewood HS
Korey Jones LB 6-2 225 Fort Collins, Colo./Garden City CC, Kan.
Rafe Kiely OL 6-3 298 Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North HS
Miraldo Michel DE 6-3 286 Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Ellsworth CC, Iowa
London Muse WR 5-11 185 Sugar Land, Texas/Dulles HS
Trey Norman WR 6-1 170 Texarkana, Texas/Liberty-Eylau HS
Mark Nzeocha S 6-3 220 Neusitz, Germany/FOS Ansbach HS
Adam Pittser QB 6-2 206 Richmond, Ill./Richmond-Burton HS
Chad Reese S 5-11 180 Tyler, Texas/Tyler Lee HS
Kevin Robertson WR 6-4 210 Houston, Texas/Northland Christian HS
Dominic Rufran WR 6-0 185 Colorado Springs, Colo./Palmer HS
Zach Rushing OL 6-3 295 Woolmarket, Miss./Mississippi Gulf Coast CC, Miss.
Brett Smith QB 6-3 195 Salem, Ore./West Salem HS
Daniel Sullivan K 5-10 185 Snohomish, Wash./Jackson HS
Kody Sutton RB 5-8 190 Texarkana, Texas/Texas HS
Austin Traphagan OL 6-5 285 Yuma, Colo./Yuma HS
Eddie Yarbrough DE 6-3 265 Aurora, Colo./Grandview HS