Wyoming Suffers Stunning Upset to Texas State, By 42-21 Score

Wyoming uncharacteristically struggled on offense while on the road against Texas State, losing big by a score of 42-21. Quarterback Brett Smith failed to move the ball through the air with much consistency, and his accuracy failed him nearly the entire game. The Bobcats controlled the entire pace of the contest, holding onto the ball for over 37 minutes, while tallying over 450 yards of offense. Up until this game, the Cowboys had looked very impressive in nearly every aspect of the game, winning three straight following a close toss to Nebraska.

While the passing game was disappointing, where Wyoming really had an issue was in the running game. The Cowboys average over 225 yards on the ground, but had just 64 in this one. Such a one-dimensional attack -- compared to 292 yards through the air -- spelled doom for the upstart BCS contender. Texas State, in comparison, looked like the team gaining some national buzz, dominating the contest on the ground and putting up the most points it has all season.

Game MVP

Robert Lowe, RB/Texas State

The aforementioned Texas State running game is led by Lowe, who tallied 138 yards and three scores against Wyoming. Lowe had an extremely strong second half that helped the Bobcats put the game away, Tied 14-all at halftime, it was still anyone's game until he helped break things open and gradually pull away from an ineffective Wyoming attack. Compared to the Cowboys' non-existent rushing attack, it was obvious how the final score came about.

Second Star

Robert Herron, WR/Wyoming

Smith had a few targets to work with, and at least one of them decided to help out (with varying success). Herron pulled in seven passes for 94 yards and a touchdown, though much of his work came from the first half. He was among the keys to why Wyoming was still in the game come halftime, and him getting shut down was one of the main reasons they were defeated.

Final Takeaways

Wyoming had their eyes set on a potential surprise BCS bid, and instead, they were defeated by 21 against a less-than-impressive Texas State squad. The Mountain division championship and MWC are both still up for grabs since both of the team's losses were outside of league play, but this game certainly points out some greater issues for the team. The defense has been continually exploited and for a stretch in the second, Texas State downright embarrassed them. Meanwhile, the offense (supposed to be the team's bread and butter) let them down for the first time all season. Texas State won't be the best defensive team they face all season, which could create a serious issue against several future opponents. Lucky for them, they get two weeks to sort things out, before jumping into league play.