LARAMIE — The Wyoming Cowboys will take a four-game winning streak into Saturday’s matchup at UTEP, looking to extend their run of Mountain West victories and strengthen their position in the conference race as the regular season enters its final weeks.
Wyoming has won four consecutive games, all against Mountain West opponents, to improve to 6-3 overall and 5-1 in conference play. The Cowboys can make it five straight wins for the first time since the 2016 season when they visit the Miners at 8 p.m. Mountain Time Saturday at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
The game will air on FS1 and be available on the FOX One app. It will also air on the Cowboy Sports Network. In Sweetwater County, you can listen to the game on KUGR 104.9 FM and 1490 AM
The Cowboys have two conference games remaining, with Saturday’s trip to UTEP followed by a Nov. 20 home matchup against New Mexico. The Lobos are 8-1 overall and 5-0 in Mountain West play, making the final stretch especially important as Wyoming works toward a potential conference championship appearance and the opportunity to host the title game.
Wyoming enters the matchup coming off a 41-35 road victory over UNLV. The Cowboys put together 485 yards of total offense, including 353 rushing yards, and had two players surpass 100 yards on the ground.
Sophomore running back Samuel “Tote” Harris led the way with a career-high 128 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 7.5 yards per carry, including a 42-yard touchdown run, while Markell Holman added 110 yards on 16 carries. Holman averaged 6.9 yards per carry and broke loose for a 49-yard run late in the game to help secure the win.
The Cowboys also turned in a strong defensive performance, recording six sacks against UNLV. Wyoming has 24 sacks this season, including 17 during its four-game winning streak, ranking third in the Mountain West and 21st nationally.
That recent performance helped three Cowboys earn Old Trapper Mountain West Player of the Week honors. It marked the first time during Wyoming’s membership in the conference that three players received weekly awards in the same week.
Harris was named Offensive Player of the Week after his career performance against UNLV. The sophomore recorded his third career 100-yard rushing game and first of the season, finishing with two touchdowns. His final 22-yard run helped him surpass 1,000 career rushing yards.
Cornerback Tyson Shamsid-Deen earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after recording the first two interceptions of his career. His first interception set up a Wyoming field goal just before halftime, while his second came in the end zone with 50 seconds remaining, preserving the Cowboys’ six-point lead. Shamsid-Deen made the plays while wearing a club on his injured hand.
Junior kicker Erik Sandvik received Special Teams Player of the Week honors after connecting on field goals from 43 and 35 yards and making all five of his extra-point attempts. He scored 11 points against UNLV and has converted 12 of 13 field-goal attempts this season. It was his second time receiving the conference honor this year.
Saturday’s game will renew a series that has not been played since 1995. Wyoming and UTEP will meet for the 34th time, with the Cowboys holding a 12-5 record in games played in El Paso. Wyoming won the most recent meeting, 42-19, at the Sun Bowl in 1995.
UTEP is looking for its first Mountain West victory after falling 17-13 to Hawai‘i last Saturday. The Miners outgained the Rainbow Warriors 179-121 in rushing yards but were held to 23:25 in time of possession compared with Hawai‘i’s 36:35.
Running back Lamar Sperling led UTEP with 63 rushing yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Quarterback Raymond Moore III completed 9 of 18 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown while adding 41 rushing yards. Moore connected with Carver Cheeks for a 15-yard touchdown, while Sperling scored on a 5-yard run.
The Miners have faced challenges offensively and defensively this season. UTEP is averaging 14.1 points and 281.1 yards per game, while allowing 34.3 points and 399.2 yards per contest.
UTEP joined the Mountain West on July 1 after spending the previous 21 years in Conference USA. The Miners and Cowboys were conference rivals in the Western Athletic Conference from 1967 to 1998.
Wyoming will look to continue its conference winning streak Saturday before returning home for its final two games of the regular season, including the pivotal matchup with New Mexico.
