Tag: Wyoming

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson (55) rushes Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) as he throws a pass in the third quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. The Chargers won 34-27.

Bengals postseason hero Logan Wilson retires at age 29

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Cincinnati Bengals star linebacker Logan Wilson announced his retirement at age 29 on Wednesday.

Wilson was a key cog in Cincinnati’s run to Super Bowl LVI, where the Bengals lost to the Los Angeles Rams to end the 2021 season.

“When I look back on my career, I just feel grateful,” Wilson wrote on Instagram. “Not many Wyoming kids get the chance to live out their dream in the NFL, and I never took a single snap for granted.”

Wilson recorded four straight 100-tackle seasons with the Bengals from 2021-24. He was voted a team captain for 2025 before being traded to the Dallas Cowboys midway through the season.

Wilson joined the Bengals as a third-round selection in 2020. He starred in the 2021 playoffs with a postseason-leading 39 tackles and a big interception.

“That 2021 playoff run was something special — the interception in Tennessee to send us to the AFC Championship, beating Kansas City to win the AFC, and taking the field in the Super Bowl,” Wilson said. “Those moments and that locker room are something I’ll carry with me forever. And the best part of all, my daughter was born there.”

Wilson had 70 tackles in 15 games last season while splitting the campaign with the Bengals (eight games) and Cowboys (seven). Wilson didn’t receive a single snap in a Week 17 matchup against the Washington Commanders.

Dallas waived Wilson on Feb. 20 to save $6.5 million in salary cap space.

Overall, Wilson had 565 tackles, 11 interceptions and seven forced fumbles in 83 games (66 starts) over his six NFL campaigns.

At Wyoming, Wilson was college teammates with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. He intercepted 10 passes, returning two for touchdowns from 2016-19.

–Field Level Media

Josh Allen’s jersey retired by Wyoming

Posted on | by Field Level Media

With his NFL team, the Buffalo Bills, off this weekend, quarterback Josh Allen had his No. 17 Wyoming jersey retired Saturday at halftime of the Cowboys’ game against Nevada in Laramie, Wyo.

Allen played for Wyoming from 2015-17, throwing for 5,066 yards and 44 touchdowns in 27 games. His best season was 2016, when he passed for 3,203 yards and 28 TDs. He also compiled 767 rushing yards and 12 scores on the ground.

Allen was taken by the Bills with the seventh overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. With Buffalo, Allen — who still wears a No. 17 jersey — is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and 2024 NFL MVP who has thrown for 29,143 yards and 213 touchdowns in his eight seasons in the league.

On Saturday, at the jersey ceremony at sold-out War Memorial Stadium, Allen, 29, was joined on the field by his parents and former Wyoming coach Craig Bohl. Allen returned to Laramie for the first time since his Pro Day in 2018.

“First off, I just want to say thank you for everybody coming out tonight. This is such an amazing honor, a huge blessing,” said Allen, the first former Wyoming football player to have his number retired. “There’s so many people that I can thank for this achievement. A lot of teammates here. Love you guys. … The fans, and the support here in Wyoming. I’m so honored and blessed to represent this university and this beautiful state. I love you guys. Thank you.”

The Bills (7-4) are off this weekend after losing to the Houston Texans 23-19 on Thursday night. Allen’s alma mater, Wyoming (4-7), fell to Nevada 13-7 on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Sep 13, 2025; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) carries the ball in the first quarter against the Wyoming Cowboys at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Devon Dampier tosses 2 TDs as No. 20 Utah takes down Wyoming

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Devon Dampier threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns to help No. 20 Utah pull away in the second half for a 31-6 victory over Wyoming in Laramie on Saturday night.

Dampier added 86 yards on the ground, pacing a third straight game for the Utes with at least 200 rushing yards. Utah (3-0) finished with a season-high 311 rushing yards and averaged 6.9 yards per carry. For the Utes, it was their highest single-game total on the ground since churning out 352 rushing yards in a 55-3 win over Arizona State in 2023.

Kaden Anderson threw for 108 yards and an interception for Wyoming, which suffered its fifth straight loss to Utah and ninth in the last 10th meetings between the two former conference rivals. The Cowboys (2-1) committed two turnovers and avoided a shutout on Terron Kellerman’s 15-yard run with 4:23 left.

After struggling to finish drives for an entire half, Utah’s offense finally came to life in the third quarter.

NaQuari Rogers plowed across the goal line from a yard out on his third try for Utah’s first touchdown of the game to cap its opening drive of the second half. Then the Utes made it 17-0 going into the fourth quarter after Dampier capped a 19-play, 80-yard drive by picking up a dropped snap and hitting Larry Simmons with an 8-yard dart.

Utah gained 181 yards on 29 total plays in the third quarter while limiting Wyoming to just seven plays over that 15-minute stretch.

Dampier threw his second touchdown pass — a 14-yard strike to JJ Buchanan — early in the fourth quarter to make it 24-0. Jackson Bennee set up the score after returning an interception 57 yards to the Cowboys’ 18-yard line.

During the first half, Utah moved the ball downfield with ease until crossing the Wyoming 30. Five of six first-half drives for the Utes died inside the 30-yard line.

Utah scored the only points for either team before halftime when Dillon Curtis capped their opening drive with a 43-yard field goal. Then the Utes’ kicking game unraveled.

Curtis missed from 45 yards out on each of Utah’s next two drives, opening the door for the Cowboys to hang around and keep the game close. Aneesh Vyas blocked a fourth field-goal attempt by Curtis — from 46 yards out — with three seconds left before halftime.

–Field Level Media

UTEP head football coach Dana Dimel before facing Liberty on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, at the Sun Bowl Stadium.

Illinois assistant Dana Dimel, longtime college coach, dies

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dana Dimel, an assistant coach at Illinois and formerly the head coach at Wyoming, Houston and UTEP, died Tuesday morning, his family announced. He was 62.

Dimel’s agent, Pete Roussel, said on social media that Dimel passed away in his sleep.

The coach spent this season as a senior offensive assistant on Bret Bielema’s staff at Illinois. He also was a longtime assistant coach for Bill Snyder at Kansas State.

“Obviously, we are very saddened by the passing of Dana. He was a special friend and coaching companion,” Snyder said in a statement. “I admired his passion for helping his players and fellow coaches. He was a big part of the development of the Kansas State football program, and along with his wife Julie, very meaningful in the Manhattan community.”

Dimel began his coaching career in 1987 at Kansas State, his alma mater, and was on staff there until Wyoming (1997-99) named him its head coach. He also was the head coach at Houston (2000-02) and returned to Kansas State before being hired to lead UTEP (2018-23).

Dimel had a career head coaching record of 50-88 before joining the Fighting Illini.

“Today is a difficult day for college football and our Illini (family),” Bielema said in a statement. “Dana was an exceptional person, husband, father, friend, and football coach. He affected the lives of countless coaches, players, and staff members for more than three decades in college football.

“His influence on our program was incredible to witness and be a part of. His infectious positive energy had a major impact on me, our players, and everyone in our building every day. He will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Boise State Broncos running back and Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty (2) runs for a touchdown against the Wyoming Cowboys during the first quarter at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-Imagn Images

Ashton Jeanty hits 2,000-yard mark as No. 12 Boise State tops Wyoming

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Ashton Jeanty became Boise State’s first 2,000-yard rusher by collecting 169 yards on 19 carries as the 12th-ranked Broncos beat Wyoming 17-13 on Saturday night in Laramie, Wyo.

Jeanty, who also found the end zone once on the ground, entered the contest as the nation’s leading rusher with 1,893 yards. His big performance on Saturday helped Boise State (10-1, 7-0 Mountain West Conference) clinch a berth in the conference championship game.

The Broncos got 53 rushing yards from Jeanty during their penultimate drive of the game, which ended with Jambres Dubar rumbling across the goal line from 2 yards out for a 17-13 lead with 5:02 to go.

Wyoming (2-9, 2-5) turned the ball over on downs on its ensuing possession. It had gone up 13-10 earlier in the fourth quarter when John Hoyland made good on a 35-yard field goal with 9:03 remaining.

Maddux Madsen completed 14 of 26 passes for 168 yards for Boise State. Cameron Camper had five catches for 74 yards, while Dubar rushed for 22 yards and the touchdown on five touches.

Kaden Anderson started under center for the Cowboys, but he did not play in the second half because of an apparent injury. He had 116 yards and a TD on 9-of-14 passing prior to exiting. Evan Svoboda took over and hit on 6 of 13 passes for 87 yards.

Wyoming’s Justin Stevenson had four catches for 82 yards and a touchdown, and Jaylen Sargent finished with four receptions for 86 yards.

Boise State took a 7-3 lead on a 61-yard Jeanty touchdown run with 3:40 to go in the first quarter. Jeanty cut back and sprinted down the wide side of the field for the score.

Early in the second quarter, Anderson launched a pass from the Cowboys’ logo at midfield and found a leaping Sargent for a 41-yard completion. Two plays later, Stevenson grabbed a 5-yard TD for a 10-7 lead with 9:36 to go.

As time ran out in the first half, Jonah Dalmas’ 24-yard field goal tied the game at 10.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs for a touchdown against the San Jose State Spartans in the third quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Ashton Jeanty, No. 12 Boise State ‘big challenge’ for Wyoming

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Running back Ashton Jeanty and No. 12 Boise State try to maintain their grip on a bid to the 12-team College Football Playoff on Saturday night when they visit Wyoming in Laramie, Wyo.

Based on the most recent CFP rankings, the Broncos would be a No. 4 seed and receive a first-round bye.

Jeanty, the nation’s leading rusher, helped the Broncos (9-1, 6-0 Mountain West) overcome a slow start and post their eighth straight win, 42-21 at San Jose State last week. Jeanty compiled a game-high 159 rushing yards and three touchdowns while Maddux Madsen completed 22 of 30 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown.

After falling behind 14-0 in the second quarter, the Broncos reeled off a 42-7 run.

“We are down 14-0 and we drop the kickoff and they are on the 2-yard line to make it 21-0,” Danielson said “You can’t find a way to start a game worse than we did. We missed a fake field goal. We had a bunch of different stuff either self-inflicted negatives — we call them S.I.N.S. — or things they did to attack us. We just didn’t start fast. But being able to go from that starting point to finish the game on a 42-7 run, that is a testament to these kids.”

With 1,893 rushing yards, Jeanty broke the previous Boise State rushing record held by Jay Ajayi (1,823) since 2014. It was also the 10th straight 100-yard rushing game for the junior running back, breaking the Mountain West record set in 2016 by former San Diego State running back Donnel Pumphrey.

“Ashton Jeanty continues to be the best football player in the country,” Danielson said. “Testament to our (offensive line coach Tim) Keane and (co-offensive coordinator Nate) Potter for finding ways to rotate guys, moving guys around and staying consistent in the run game and pass game even with injuries.”

The Cowboys (2-8, 2-4) lost a rivalry trophy road game at Colorado State 24-10 last week. The teams play The Border War annually for the Bronze Boot.

Kaden Anderson hit 13 of 30 passes for 120 yards and had a rushing touchdown. Jamari Ferrell rushed for 74 yards on just six carries, while Wyoming only had nine first downs and 237 yards of total offense.

First-year coach Jay Sawvel elevated Anderson to starting quarterback after the Cowboys’ 1-7 start. The move paid immediate dividends in a 49-45 win against New Mexico on Nov. 2.

“Look, there’s a lot of things that go into this,” Sawvel said. “We have not established momentum in our season because of losing close games at home.”

The Cowboys won’t qualify for a bowl game, so they are relegated to playing spoiler against a team for which Sawvel had high praise.

“This is probably the best Mountain West team that I’ve seen in the five years that I’ve been in this conference coming here this week,” Sawvel said. “So, it’s a big challenge when you’re playing a team that right now is on track to play in the playoff.”

–Field Level Media

ASU running back DeCarlos Brooks (25) celebrates a touchdown against Wyoming in the first quarter during a game at Sun Devil Stadium on Aug. 31, 2024, in Tempe.

Arizona State jumps out early, demolishes Wyoming 48-7

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Sam Leavitt passed for 258 yards and two touchdowns in his first college start and Arizona State steamrolled Wyoming 48-7 in the season opener for both teams on Saturday night at Tempe, Ariz.

Leavitt, a transfer from Michigan State, completed 14 of 22 passes. The Sun Devils dominated from the outset, outgained the Cowboys 499-118, and had a 27-8 edge in first downs.

Zyrus Fiaseu and Justin Wodtly scored defensive touchdowns for Arizona State, which played its first game as a member of the Big 12 after leaving the Pac-12 following last season.

Evan Svoboda struggled for the Cowboys and completed 6 of 15 passes for 42 yards and two interceptions. Kaden Anderson tossed a 3-yard scoring pass to Chris Durr with two seconds left as Wyoming averted the shutout.

The Cowboys were playing their first game under Jay Sawvel, the defensive coordinator who was promoted to head coach after the retirement of Craig Bohl.

Arizona State’s first score came just 41 seconds into the game when Fiaseu intercepted Svoboda and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown.

Ian Hershey booted a 29-yard field goal with 6:19 left in the quarter and DeCarlos Brooks scored on an 8-yard run on the final play for a 17-0 lead.

Cam Skattebo took a direct snap and scored from the 3 to make it a 24-point margin with 9:17 left in the first half. Hershey tacked on a 24-yard field goal with 4:28 left as the Sun Devils took a 27-0 lead into the break.

Leavitt tossed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Chamon Metayer with 11:03 left in the third quarter before Arizona State tacked on another defensive score.

Svoboda threw a lateral pass that was slightly behind Tyler King and the receiver couldn’t catch the ball and didn’t attempt to cover it. A scramble ensued and Wodtly grabbed the ball and ran 6 yards for a touchdown to make it 41-0 with 6:07 left in the period.

A short time later, Kyson Brown caught a short pass from Leavitt and turned it into a 68-yard score to boost the margin to 48.

Anderson, a freshman, drove Wyoming 74 yards on nine plays late in the contest to spoil Arizona State’s shutout bid. The Cowboys had four of their eight first downs on the drive.

–Field Level Media

Dec 30, 2023; Tucson, AZ, USA; Wyoming Cowboys place kicker John Hoyland (46) celebrates with offensive MVP trophy after the Wyoming Cowboys beat the Toledo Rockets in the Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

John Hoyland’s FG lifts Wyoming over Toledo in Arizona Bowl

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John Hoyland kicked a 24-yard field goal with one second remaining to lift Wyoming to a 16-15 comeback win over Toledo in the Arizona Bowl on Saturday evening in Tucson, Ariz.

Hoyland’s kick capped a game-winning, 12-play, 87-yard drive for Wyoming (9-4). Andrew Peasley completed 20 of 25 passes for 168 yards for the Cowboys, who won their final game under coach Craig Bohl before his retirement.

Tucker Gleason completed 14 of 34 passes for 184 yards and one interception for Toledo (11-3). Jacquez Stuart led the team with 99 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Wyoming trailed 15-13 when it got the ball on its own 6-yard line with 4:11 to play. Peasley set the tone with a 26-yard completion to Ayir Asante on the first play of the drive.

A 13-yard run by Evan Svoboda put the Cowboys in the red zone at the Toledo 10-yard line with 1:05 to go. Wyoming called one more running play before setting the stage for Hoyland’s short kick.

Wyoming was first on the scoreboard with a field goal, which proved to be the only scoring play for either team in the first quarter. Hoyland made a 34-yard kick to give the Cowboys a 3-0 lead.

Hoyland struck again, this time from 52 yards, to make it 6-0 with 11:20 remaining in the first half.

Toledo pulled within 6-3 on a 33-yard field goal by Luke Pawlak on the next possession.

The Rockets grabbed a 10-6 lead on the biggest play of the game less than four minutes later. Stuart darted through the left side of the line, evaded a diving defender and outraced the rest of the Cowboys defense to the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown.

A safety by Toledo’s defense made it 12-6 with 6:31 to go in the third quarter. On third-and-7, Peasley dropped back to pass, and Esean Carter sacked him from the blind side in the end zone.

Pawlak made a 33-yard field goal to boost Toledo’s lead to 15-6 with 2:04 left in the third quarter.

Wyoming cut the deficit to 15-13 with 8:37 to go in the fourth quarter. Svoboda barreled into the end zone for a 1-yard rushing touchdown.

–Field Level Media

Oct 7, 2023; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Wyoming Cowboys quarterback Andrew Peasley (6) warms up before game against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports

Wyoming holds on for 24-19 upset over No. 24 Fresno St.

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Cole Godbout’s tipped-ball interception with 46 seconds left Saturday night quashed Fresno State’s last-ditch comeback as Wyoming upset the No. 24 Bulldogs 24-19 in Laramie, Wyo.

Godbout, a defensive lineman, tipped Logan Fife’s pass at the line of scrimmage and returned it 23 yards to the Fresno State 25. Two kneel downs later, the Cowboys (5-1, 2-0 Mountain West Conference) had snapped Fresno State’s 14-game winning streak, the second-longest streak in FBS prior to game time, dating to last year.

Andrew Peasley completed 19 of 27 passes for 183 yards and three second quarter touchdowns for Wyoming, which also got 83 yards on 22 rushes from Harrison Waylee.

Mikey Keene threw for 218 yards on 23 of 35 accuracy for the Bulldogs (5-1, 1-1) before leaving with a leg injury in the fourth quarter. Fife was 7 of 11 for 68 yards, including a scrambling 8-yard touchdown pass to Mac Dalena with 5:17 left in the game that got Fresno State within one score.

While Fresno State entered with the high-powered offense, it was Wyoming that executed flawlessly when it had the ball in the first half. The Cowboys held the ball for more than seven minutes on their first drive, getting a 34-yard field goal from John Hoyland.

They started scoring touchdowns after that, beginning with Peasley’s 14-yard strike to Wyatt Wieland on the first play of the second quarter. The Bulldogs responded with Keene’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Moss at the 11:17 mark that got them within 10-7.

But the half’s remainder was all Wyoming.

Peasley and Wieland hooked up again for a 4-yard scoring strike to cap a 75-yard drive with 6:42 remaining. That was followed by an 88-yard march that saw Peasley find Treyton Welch with a 12-yard touchdown pass with 31 seconds left for a 24-7 lead at the break.

And the stats made it look even more one-sided. The Cowboys owned a 249-107 advantage in total yardage, plus a 22-4 advantage in first downs.

–Field Level Media

Sep 30, 2023; Fresno, California, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs quarterback Mikey Keene (1) throws a pass against the Nevada Wolf Pack in the first quarter at Valley Children's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Bolstered by dominant defense, No. 24 Fresno State visits Wyoming

Posted on | by Field Level Media

If the first thing fans want to think about with No. 24 Fresno State is offense, that’s fine. With UCF transfer Mikey Keene throwing for an average of nearly 300 yards per game, the Bulldogs are chipping in 36.4 points a game.

But if fans want the real reason why Fresno State is undefeated and has a legitimate possibility to earn the Group of Five’s New Year’s Day bowl berth, one might want to look at the defense. In the last three games, all blowout wins, it has permitted only 19 points, with a shutout of Arizona State starting that stretch.

The Bulldogs (5-0, 1-0) will try to make it six wins in a row and take a big step toward a Mountain West Conference title Saturday night when they visit Wyoming (4-1, 1-0) in Laramie.

Making Fresno State’s recent stretch of dominance even more impressive is that the defense was missing three starters last week at home in the team’s conference opener against Nevada. Fresno State didn’t allow a touchdown until 11 seconds remained in a 27-9 win.

Over the past three contests, the Bulldogs have been on the field for 35 possessions. They have forced 11 three-and-outs and 10 turnovers — eight against Arizona State — while permitting only two touchdowns. Opponents are averaging only 282 total yards per game.

“The defense played excellent the whole game,” Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford said after the win over Nevada. “I thought they did a nice job pressuring the passer and played good in the secondary … got two picks, so that was nice. They did a nice job of flying around.”

Keene contributed 269 passing yards and tossed his 13th and 14th touchdown passes of the year. Both scoring strikes went to Jaelen Gill, a Boston College transfer whose 28 receptions are one more than he had all of last season.

Meanwhile, Wyoming started Mountain West play last week by stopping New Mexico 35-26. The Cowboys exhibited good offensive balance, running for 239 yards and throwing for 194, and used explosive plays to break open a close game in the third quarter.

Harrison Waylee ran for a 46-yard touchdown, and Andrew Peasley hooked up with Ayir Asante on a bubble screen for a 66-yard score. Asante ran across the field to find open space and then evaded multiple tacklers to give Wyoming a 29-12 lead after three quarters.

“There were some explosive plays we made today, which I was really pleased with,” Cowboys coach Craig Bohl said. “The game had a lot of ebbs and flows, and so we are going to take this win. I was really concerned coming into this game.”

One thing that doesn’t concern Bohl is kicker John Hoyland, who hit four field goals against New Mexico, the fourth time in his career he’s done that. Bohl said Hoyland, who has hit 53 of 61 attempts while at Wyoming, is the best kicker in the country.

Fresno State leads the teams’ series 9-5, including a 30-0 win last November in California.

–Field Level Media