Posted: Tuesday, October 7, 2008 12:00 am
Cowboys Tracker
SATURDAY: Utah at Wyoming.
WHERE: War Memorial Stadium.
HOMECOMING KICKOFF: Noon.
TV: The Mtn.
SERIES: Utes lead 48-31-1.
STREAKING: Utah has won seven of the last eight meetings - three of them shutouts.
LAST YEAR: Joe Glenn famously guaranteed a victory, Kyle Whittingham took exception.
The latter ran up the score in a 50-0 rout in Salt Lake City, and the former responded with a gesture that was the only memorable act by the Cowboys.
The Cowboys
RECORD: 2-4, 0-3 Mountain West Conference.
LAST WEEK: The weather was miserable.
The Wyoming offense was worse.
The lowest-scoring team in the nation was shut out for the second time in six games and held without a touchdown for the third as the Cowboys dropped a 24-0 decision at New Mexico.
UW turned the offense back over to Karsten Sween, but the junior quarterback couldn't create a spark in the rain at University Stadium and he didn't get much help.
Running backs Devin Moore and Wynel Seldon combined for 120 yards on 30 carries, but that was about the only meaningful production the Cowboys would get against the Lobos.
NUMBERS GAME: UW hasn't scored a point against a conference opponent since Jake Scott hit a field goal late in the second quarter against Air Force - a span of more than 150 minutes.
Those three points represent the only offense UW has to show for three games in the league after back-to-back shutouts by BYU and New Mexico.
WHO TO WATCH: Defensive end John Fletcher is finally starting to break out, and he's going to need to be a disruptive force against the high-scoring Utes.
Utah quarterback Brian Johnson had some struggles last week against Oregon State, and Fletcher and the defensive line will need to create pressure to try and force some turnovers.
The Utes
RECORD: 6-0, 2-0 Mountain West Conference.
LAST WEEK: Oregon State nearly added another impressive upset.
This time the Beavers couldn't close the deal, thanks mostly to a rare special teams weapon that almost always takes care of business.
Utes ace Louie Sakoda drilled a 37-yard field goal to cap a wild second half in Salt Lake City, keeping Utah unbeaten and making it the first bowl-eligible team in the nation with a 31-28 win on Thursday.
The All-American and Utah's all-time leading scorer kept the Utes' hopes to bust the BCS again alive with another clutch kick, saving them from perhaps their most uneven performance of the season.
Quarterback Brian Johnson was steady down the stretch, but his two turnovers kept the Beavers in the game and he completed just 10 of his first 22 passes before closing with a flurry.
NUMBERS GAME: The Utes rank 13th in the nation in total defense - and obviously there's no soft spot to try to exploit.
Utah is allowing less than 195 passing yards per game, Paul Kruger is averaging nearly a sack each week and the run defense is even better.
The sixth-best team against the rush in the nation is giving up just 65.5 yards per game on the ground.
WHO TO WATCH: The Cowboys will face yet another talented backfield tandem, and Utah splits the load about as evenly as possible.
Matt Asiata and Darrell Mack rank sixth and seventh in the conference in rushing through six games to lead the balanced attack.
Mack has six more carries - but Asiata has 10 more yards.
- Austin Ward, Star-Tribune