Cowboys Tracker

SATURDAY: Wyoming at UNLV.

WHERE: Sam Boyd Stadium.

KICKOFF: 7 p.m.

TV: CBS College Sports.

SERIES: Tied at 8.

STREAKING: UW has won the last four meetings, the longest win streak it owns over any conference opponent. The entire series has been dominated by runs, including another four-gamer for the Cowboys that ended in 1998.

LAST YEAR: It wasn't pretty, but the win at home in Laramie at least provided a break from an otherwise dismal second-half.

Karsten Sween came off the bench to spark a late rally and turn a 17-9 deficit into a 29-24 victory over the luckless Rebels.

The Cowboys

RECORD: 4-6, 1-5 Mountain West Conference.

LAST WEEK: Wyoming didn't run into the finest Tennessee team ever constructed.

But good or bad, the Cowboys hardly seemed to care - and it really did little to diminish the impact of the 13-7 upset at Neyland Stadium.

The Vols had more talent, a huge crowd and ample motivation after a difficult week on Rocky Top, but UW's hard-nosed defense was too much for them to handle.

Mike Neuhaus picked off an early screen pass and set up a four-yard touchdown pass from Chris Stutzriem with his return, and Ward Dobbs provided the eventual winning margin with his interception run back for a touchdown to keep the Cowboys alive for an unlikely bowl bid.

NUMBERS GAME: UW isn't quite where Neuhaus expects it to be in the national defensive rankings, but the Cowboys aren't far away.

The junior defensive lineman touted his unit as a top-25-type unit, and after last week's impressive performance over the Vols, the Cowboys moved up to No. 36 in total defense (321.1 yards per game).

WHO TO WATCH: Pick a guy up front.

Perhaps the most eye-opening aspect of UW's surprising victory was the dominance of its offensive line against one of the best run defenses in the nation.

Devin Moore and Wynel Seldon didn't have huge numbers against the Vols, but they had much more room to operate than expected - and the Rebels won't be confused with Tennessee any time soon.

The Rebels

RECORD: 4-6, 1-5 Mountain West Conference.

LAST WEEK: So much for that alleged improvement.

UNLV finally appeared to have turned the corner competitively after posting back-to-back wins over BCS conference members early in the season, but the Rebels couldn't get a win within the league until Saturday's 27-20 home decision over struggling New Mexico.

Like the Cowboys, the Rebels kept themselves mathematically alive for a possible bowl bid with the win, and the midweek showdown in Sin City is effectively a semifinal game in a three-team race for what could be the fifth and final postseason slot in the MWC - provided Utah goes to the BCS.

NUMBERS GAME: Rebels coach Mike Sanford wasn't hired to lead a defensive renaissance, and he clearly hasn't.

UNLV has given up 40 points in a game five times already this season and ranks 114th in the nation against the run, taxing an offense that hasn't been that bad under the creative Sanford.

WHO TO WATCH: Check with the bookies on the Strip, but surely there would have been long odds in the preseason that a Chris Stutzriem-Mike Clausen quarterback battle could help determine a bowl bid.

The latter made his first career start for the Rebels last week, and suddenly the preseason afterthoughts are a combined 3-0 under center.

- Austin Ward, Star-Tribune