Wyoming vs Fresno State Week 6: The MW Game of the Weekend Kicks off in Laramie this Weekend.

WYOMING VS NEW MEXICO

Location: Laramie, Wyoming (War Memorial Stadium)

Date/Time: Saturday, October 7th at 6:00 (Mountain Time)

Television: Fox Sports

Streaming: You’ll need a cable log-in but the game will be streamed here.

Fresno State and Wyoming will face off this weekend in the elements of Laramie, and there are lots on the line for both of these squads.

Wyoming on the one hand, can prove to people that they are a top team in the Mountain West, and they can hang with the big dogs like Fresno.

For Fresno State on the other, if they lose, they are out of the AP top 25, and while still competing for the top spot in the Mountain West, won’t have too much national traction with a loss.

For the Cowboys, this is the beginning of their toughest stretch of the season. With Fresno this week, then Air Force, and Boise State after that. These are the cream-of-the-crop teams of the conference, and the Pokes went 1-2 against these teams in 2022, only beating Air Force.

Both teams are 1-0 in conference play and had rather disappointing performances against subpar opponents in those games.

How will Wyoming look?

After last week’s win against New Mexico, it’s safe to say Andrew Peasley is still the guy in Laramie. The offensive game plan is clearly molded around him, putting him in the best position to succeed. You can see this from the number of designed runs he takes, and short dinky drop-offs in the pass game.

Harrison Waylee still looks like a top running back in the country, nearly going for 200 yards on the ground. It’s basically a given each week that he will break the 100-yard barrier, and I expect nothing less this week. He’s been the powerhouse of the Cowboy offense thus far and is not showing any signs of slowing down.

On the other side of the ball, Wyett Ekeler won the MW Defensive Player of the Week thanks to his pair of sacks against New Mexico. Both were pivotal plays in that game and yet again, these plays were clearly game-planned to exploit some of New Mexico’s weaknesses.

Playmakers like Ayir Asante shined as well, and I really hope he can get some more work in the passing game against Fresno. A number-one receiver has not really been established in Laramie, and Asante has been proving again and again that he is capable of playing that role.

How will Fresno State look?

It’s no secret that the No. 24 Bulldogs are the best team in the conference. The only ranked team in the conference, with the most passing touchdowns in the conference from Mikey Keene.

They’ve knocked off Power Five opponents like Purdue in week one and shut out Arizona State.

Last year when these two teams met, the Bulldogs laid down the hammer on UW, 30-0. It was late in the season, however, and the Cowboys didn’t really have anything to play for at that point in the season.

Fresno will be intense and for sure a wake-up call for a Cowboy squad that hasn’t made a ton of noise since week one.

The Bulldog defense is one that likes to get to the QB, they had seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss last week against Nevada.

Prediction

Coming in as a six-point underdog according to DraftKings, I think Wyoming has a serious chance. With the offense making serious improvements, and the defense staying elite, it’s a great matchup for Fresno State.

Wyoming’s playmakers have been established at this point in the season, and it's time for Craig Bohl’s team to go out there and execute against the best of the Mountain West.

I think the Pokes are hungry for a win against Fresno, and I’m taking Wyoming 26, and Fresno State 23.