The Wyoming Cowboys finished off their season with a bowl game victory against the Georgia State Panthers. The win capped a successful 2019 season for the Cowboys, leaving them with a record of 8-5 overall and 4-4 in league play. They finished fourth in the Mountain West league behind Air Force, Utah State, and Boise State, but were selected for a bowl game after becoming eligible with their win against Nevada.
The past 2019 season has had a lot of highs and lows that took Cowboy fans on the ride. From their first game against the Missouri Tigers to Chambers falling to injury in the game against Nevada.
Their first game of the season came as a bit of a shock. The Cowboys faced an SEC opponent with a promising quarterback and running back at home and pulled off a 37-31 victory after coming back from the first quarter. This win gave Wyoming momentum up until Tulsa where they lost in a close game 21-24.
Our rushing game grew and developed throughout the season as evolved with Xavain Valladay and Sean Chambers. Valladay showcased his ability as a young sophomore running back, going over 1,000 yards for the season. He rushed for his first 200 yards during the Nevada game, setting a career-high as well as the first 200 yards since Brian Hill’s 289 yards in 2016. He finished out the season with 204 rushing yards against the Panthers and 1,265 rushing yards overall.
Their passing game in the meantime suffered a bit throughout the season. Sean Chambers proved himself more like a rushing quarterback as he went 567 rushing yards on the season. He averaged just 114.4 yards per game going until Chambers was injured in the Nevada game, clearly a pivotal game for Wyoming who was headed into November with a hard schedule.
With Chambers out, Wyoming was left to rely on their second and third-string quarterbacks, one of which was a true freshman. They still had yet to face Utah State, Boise State, and Air Force. Although the Cowboys struggled against all three powerful teams, one thing came out of it. Levi Williams, the true freshman quarterback gained more experience as he played in both Colorado State and Air Force. He showcased his throwing ability, something that had been missing earlier in the season with Chambers. The Bowl game proved to Wyoming fans his arm throwing capability after throwing over 200 yards. With a healthy Sean Chambers and Levi Williams, there might be a quarterback contention come next fall.
But it wasn’t just their offense that had improved. Their defense caught the attention of the nation as they became a force to be reckoned with against the rush. Coming into the bowl game, the Cowboys were ranked sixth in the nation against the rush and 35th in the nation for sacks after recording 31 sacks overall. Senior Logan Wilson also earned an invite to the senior bowl after having a successful career for Wyoming, recording 414 sacks overall. He also ranked No.3 in the MW and No.51 in the nation for interceptions
The Wyoming Cowboys will return next season in search again for the MW championships. Their first game will be against a tough Weber State followed by Utah in the month of September.
