Wyoming Football: Levi Williams Named Starting Quarterback vs. San Jose State on Saturday
The Wyoming Cowboys are making a change under center.
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The Pokes hope to turn things around.
After failing to find the end zone on offense for a second straight week, the Wyoming Cowboys will make a change at quarterback and turn to sophomore Levi Williams on Saturday afternoon against the San Jose State Spartans, a move first reported by Ryan Thorburn of the Casper Star-Tribune.
Williams takes over for Sean Chambers, who has struggled since the calendar turned to October. After leading the Cowboys to a 4-0 start in non-conference play, Chambers failed to complete 50% of his passes in consecutive losses to Air Force, Fresno State, and New Mexico. He also averaged 4.7 yards per attempt with one passing touchdown and four interceptions in the last three games, prompting head coach Craig Bohl to send him to the bench.
This isn’t the first time in Williams’ young career that he has assumed the QB1 mantle, though he does so this time under different circumstances. In 2019, Williams won his debut as a starter against Georgia State in the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl by completing 11-of-26 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns with an interception. That capped a freshman campaign in which he saw playing time during Wyoming’s last three games and finished with a 48.7% completion rate (19-of-39), 343 passing yards, and three touchdowns against two interceptions.
Former @SV_RangerFB standout Levi Williams (@leviwilliamqb) throws his first touchdown pass of his career for Wyoming in the Arizona Bowl! pic.twitter.com/hc8ERUnovb
— John Elizondo (@johndelizondo) December 31, 2019
In the abbreviated 2020 season, Williams started the last five games after Chambers was lost for the year with injury in Wyoming’s opener and had his fair share of ups and downs, finishing with a 49.6% completion rate, 877 passing yards and one touchdown against three interceptions on 119 pass attempts. He also pitched in with 100 rushing yards (not adjusted for sacks) and six touchdowns on the ground.
In three games so far this season, Williams is 4-of-14 for 83 yards and an interception. He’ll start against a Spartans team that has had to adjust its own quarterback plans this season, as well, after incumbent starter Nick Starkel suffered a left arm injury back in late September. Wyoming and San Jose State will kick off from CEFCU Stadium at 1:00 PM on Saturday, October 30, with the game to be televised on FS2.
