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Wyoming vs. Boise State: Keys for a Cowboy victory
Can Wyoming get an upset at home?
Contact/Follow @AdamWyo & @MWCwire
Wyoming can spoil Boise hosting
Where: War Memorial Stadium Laramie, Wyoming
When: 4 pm MT
TV: CBS Sports Network
Streaming: FuboTV – Get a 7-day free trial
Odds: Boise State -9.5 (odds via BetMGM)
Radio: Boise State | Wyoming
Wyoming will play conference juggernaut Boise State on Saturday in War Memorial Stadium. This will be the Pokes last game of the 2020 season, a season that has been marred by uncertainty, and has failed to live up to many expectations.
With a 2-3 record on the season, including a loss to Colorado State in the Border War, Wyoming will need to find a way to pull out a victory Saturday night in Laramie if they want to finish the season .500 or better.
Beating Boise State may be easier said than done. With a 4-1 record the Broncos are one of the top teams in the conference, a distinction that they have held since joining it nearly a decade ago.
Wyoming will need to play their best game of the season on Saturday if they don’t want to finish the season with a losing record for the first time since 2015.
Here are a few keys that should help lead Wyoming to victory in the snow on Saturday.
Play calling
In recent weeks Wyoming coaches have been receiving much of the blame for the lackluster season, and perhaps that criticism is rightfully placed.
In the games that the Cowboys have won, they were able to do based on their physical abilities. Besting teams that were younger, and smaller, let the play calling issues not be as pronounced. But in their losses, while the Cowboys were able to keep up physically with their opponents, they were simply out-coached, against a team like the Broncos this can’t be the case.
Wyoming will need to have their best called game of the season if they want to beat Boise. The Broncos will find ways to exploit any weakness they can find, so having a week executed plan will be imperative.
Weather may be in Wyoming’s favor
The good news is that with game-time temperatures expected to be 19 degrees and a 75 percent chance of snow, means that a passing attack may not be available, leading to Wyoming having a slight advantage as a run heavy offense that won’t be affected by the poor throwing weather.
Running has, and at least for this week, been the Cowboys favorite method of advancing the ball, and in a game where throwing the ball may prove to be difficult the pokes may be at an advantage.
Wyoming currently ranks 13th in the country in rushing yards per game, while Boise State comes in a little further down the list at 115th.
Wyoming also has a core group of running backs who are all capable of breaking for long runs, as well as fight for yards up the middle.
If the weather does affect the passing game, leaving both teams to have to move to the run, Wyoming may be at a slight advantage.
Prediction
Wyoming has had a tough time competing to the level that they should this season, while Boise State has, more or less, been the same old team that they always are. I think that Wyoming will play hard as they don’t want to have a losing record, but I’m not sure it will be enough against the Broncos. In a perfect world, I would say that Wyoming returns to their old selves and wins this game easily, but as we have been reminded over and over again this year, we do not live in a perfect world, which is why I believe Boise State will be too tough for the Cowboys to overcome.
Final: Wyoming 14 – Boise State 24
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