Poke Preview Week 10: Border War

What: Colorado State Rams @ Wyoming Cowboys

When: 1:30 p.m. MT

Where: Jonah Field @ War Memorial Stadium, Laramie, WY

Network: CBSSN

Head-to-Head: In this long, storied college football rivalry, the Colorado State Rams lead the all-time series vs. the Wyoming Cowboys with a record of 54-48-5. However, when the Bronze Boot has been up for grabs, the Pokes have won more times than not, holding a record of 28-25. In the last matchup the Rams bested the Pokes in front of an empty Canvas Stadium, winning the game by a score of 34-24 and snapping a previous 4-game skid.

Line: Wyoming +3 ½ , O/U 40 ½ (via William Hill SB)

The Bronze Boot will be up for grabs once again this Saturday afternoon when the Wyoming Cowboys welcome in their long-time rivals from Fort Collins, The Colorado State Rams. So far this season, the Cowboys have earned a record of 4-4 while losing every one of their conference matchups. On the Colorado State side, the Rams have totaled a record of 3-5 while winning their lone conference matchup vs. the New Mexico Lobos in Week 7. With not a whole lot of positives involved so far in either one of these schools’ respective seasons, both will look to salvage a small portion by claiming the rights to this year’s Bronze Boot.

Three keys to a Wyoming victory:

1. The running game will need to persist

It’s now been four straight weeks with a loss for Wyoming. In three of their past four losses, the Poke backfield was unable to rush for more yards than their opponent, with last week against San Jose State being the only exception. The Pokes will need to continue to run the ball efficiently in order to maintain possession, and take the pressure off of Levi Williams and the passing game.

2. Force turnovers

The biggest issue over the past few weeks has arguably been the interceptions thrown by the quarterback, for Wyoming. However, not only has the quarterback (whether it be Chambers or Williams) turning the ball over become a regular occurrence on offense, but the Wyoming defense has neglectfully not forced any turnovers to balance out that discrepancy. The Pokes as a whole have turned the ball over thirteen times in the past five games and have forced a whopping three. That combination will not win you many games, as we’ve seen. I know it’s a topic that I have harped on in the past, however it is directly relevant to the result and has become a major topic of concern. Turnovers are momentum starters, and momentum is something that the Wyoming Cowboys will desperately need to keep ahold of if they want to reclaim the Boot on Saturday.

3. Feed off of energy from the fans

It’s no secret that Cowboy fans in Laramie haven’t had a whole lot to cheer for as of late, but when the Colorado State Rams come to town, everything that has happened beforehand goes right out the door. If there’s one thing that can help shift the narrative of the season, it’s a victory against the Rams. So, if the Cowboys are able to feel the energy, find the end-zone a few times, and shut down the Centeio to McBride connection, they should walk away with the Bronze Boot this Saturday.

Prediction:

There won’t be a lot of scores. Though it seems that both of these teams’ respective offenses have been able to find more of a groove as of late, I don’t trust the consistency of either one. The Rams and Pokes are both solid defensively. I think the Pokes and their fans will force Centeio out of his element, contain him, and force a turnover or two. Levi Williams will need to be a better decision-maker and X will need to be the biggest offensive factor, but I can see Wyoming salvaging a bit out of their season and collecting their first conference victory in this year’s Border War.

Wyoming 20

Colorado State 17