Turning Point, Unsung Hero and What’s Next for UW Football?

FARGO, N.D., -- Tyler Hughes reeled in the waist-high shotgun snap and took an abbreviated three-step drop with a near-perfect pocket to step up into.

He did.

Wyoming's senior signal caller immediately looked to his first option. That was tight end Jake Wilson, who ran a 5-yard button hook to the left. He was bracketed by a pair of North Dakota State defenders.

One of those was middle linebacker Donovan Woolen, who read Hughes' eyes and anticipated the slant.

He was right.

Woolen, who now has three-career interceptions in a Bison uniform, easily snagged that gift that was headed in the direction of Kyle Frendt near the Cowboys' 33-yard line and returned it to the 19.

That all transpired on Wyoming's first snap of the afternoon.

Five plays later, Bison quarterback Nathan Hayes, with pressure coming from his blindside, coasted to his left and out of potential trouble. Keeping his eyes downfield he soon realized there was plenty of green turf between him and the pylon with Wyoming defenders locked in coverage.

Hayes cruised over the goal line, giving NDSU a lightning-quick 7-0 lead and sending the nearly 19,000 inside the Fargodome into a frenzy.

That scenario, unfortunately for the visitors, became a common theme in this one.

"The one thing that you don't want to do is give them an easy score with an offensive turnover or a special teams play," Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel said postgame. "We didn't give up anything with a special teams play, but the first play of the game, when you throw an interception, the ball starts inside the 20-yard line. That's about as bad a start as what you could have."

Hughes finished the day 5-of-14 through the air for 52 yards. He was also sacked three times.

"I put the team in a pretty tough position," he said. "Can't happen. But, you know what, it happened. You've got to move on and just got to play the next play."

Hayes entered this game, the first-ever Battle of the Basins, with just 221 career rushing yards and three scores. He was racking up just 2.5 yards per attempt.

"Was."

The 6-foot-3, 228-pound senior from West Chicago led the Bison with 79 yards on the ground on just 10 attempts. He also found the end zone twice while averaging nearly eight yards per carry.

Sawvel said he wasn't surprised to see Hayes enter the chat.

"He's a good athlete," he added. "I think that the reason that he's not known for (running) is they've not needed that."

Middle linebacker Ethan Stuhlsatz, who capped this outing with 10 tackles, including seven solo stops, wasn't shocked, either.

"We had a feeling they'd do a little bit of that QB power read, a little bit of everything," he said.

It worked for Central Michigan, right?

"Coaches see stuff on film and use it to their advantage," the senior added.

Tim Polasek walked off the elevator deep inside the bowels of his home stadium roughly an hour after the final whistle. With his Wisconsin accent muffled by a scratchy voice, he joked that former Wyoming and NDSU head coach Craig Bohl stole his thunder, sporting the same brown leather jacket.

He said his motivation behind this win was simple: proving he is more than just a play-caller, but an inspiration to his men. Beating the Cowboys certainly didn't hurt, either.

"It's like competing against your brother," Polasek said. "You never want to lose against your brother."

He didn't.

North Dakota State 28, Wyoming 0

UNSUNG HERO

While this outing was an abject disaster for the Cowboys in almost every way -- you have to give the defense some credit over the final two frames -- Therman Williams was again really good.

The rookie cornerback they call "Boogie" broke up a pair of passes and added two tackles on the outside.

The Riverside, Calif., product entered this one with 12 total tackles and a defended pass. That came last Saturday in a mostly-dominant 27-10 victory over Hawaii. He tacked on a career-best six tackles.

Williams is getting better and better, and it's come at a perfect time with Tyson Shamsid-Deen and fellow freshman Kendall Griffin on the shelf after undergoing hand surgeries.

Tip of the cap to fellow corners Ian Bell and Dainsus Miller in this one, too.

Hayes finished just 14-of-25 in the passing department for 187 yards.

QUOTEABLE

"It's been a really interesting 12, 10, six years around here. You know, with all the winning and stuff -- I don't know if people quite understand it on the outside -- but it took some big, big moments for the dome to feel like that. You know, semifinal type games, national title type games. So to see the heightened exposure, the heightened interest in the fanbase with new opponents, tough opponents (is great). A lot of games like that out there in our past would've ended up 52-0, OK? And everybody's mad. That's a credit to Wyoming, and I think their sturdiness on defense and their willingness to fight."

-- NDSU head coach Tim Polasek speaking about the renewed interest from a fanbase that is excited to now be an FBS and Mountain West program.

"I want to do better. I want to do more. I want to bring more for this team. I'm not satisfied at all, I just have to continue to get better."

-- Wyoming QB Tyler Hughes when asked if he has been "indecisive" in his decision making on the field.

"No, not at all, honestly. And you'd expect that to happen with most teams. But, no. We came in here to do what we do, and you know, it didn't work out to our advantage."

-- Wyoming linebacker Ethan Stuhlsatz on whether the sideline deflated after Hughes' opening interception.

"We got outplayed and got outcoached. When you lose 28-0, you got out everything'd."

-- Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel with a blunt assessment of Saturday's 28-0 loss to NDSU.

WHAT'S NEXT?

In just six days, the Cowboys (2-3, 1-1) will strap it up again, this time at San Jose State, a place this program hasn't won at since 1996. That is only four games worth, but CEFCU Stadium has not been a fun venue for the 'Boys from Laramie. Wyoming knocked off the Spartans last October inside War Memorial Stadium, mainly thanks to Deion DeBlanc's 73-yard punt return for a touchdown and a pick-six, courtesy of linebacker Brayden Johnson. SJSU (2-2, 0-0) and Hawaii (1-3, 0-2) will meet Saturday night in Honolulu.

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:

* Miller Brings Energy, Passion to Pokes' Secondary

* Timeline: Polasek to Remain Wyoming OC Until NDSU Called

* Pokes, Bison Meet Saturday in First-Ever Battle of the Basins

* DeBlanc Wants the Ball: 'I Feel Like I'm a Walking First Down'

* Stuhlsatz Has Found His Voice in Pokes' Locker Room

* Wyoming Cowboys in the NFL: Week 3

* PODCAST: Battle of Basins Could be Hot, New Rivalry

* Know Wyoming's Foe: NDSU Bison

* Hawaii Coach Questions Wyoming's Physicality. Pokes Answer

* North Dakota State Notebook: Place Your Bets

* Battle of Basins: Wyoming, NDSU Begin New Tradition