The Cowboys plan to put on a show for the fans against Texas Tech

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) - The Pokes football team’s season opener is fast approaching, and there is no doubt that it’s a big one.

Texas Tech is making the trip to Laramie, and with a Power 5 team in town it will be a huge test to get the year started. Even though the stakes are high, the players are planning for business as usual come Saturday.

”You know [the Power 5 teams do] the same thing, they wake up every day just like we do. They’re working out, they’re tired just like we are. So the biggest thing is just know to fall back on what you practiced on, stuff like that. Don’t be scared of competition. That’s my biggest thing to tell [the players on our team], like you know they put the same pads on you do when they wake up every day. So like they’re humans just like you are,” senior cornerback (and former Ole Miss player) Jakorey Hawkins said.

“We’re just going to play our game. Play physical, play strong, tire them out because you know they’re not used to the altitude. They do a lot of fast tempo, so we’re going to have to deal with that. But I feel if we keep to the way we played last year, the way we’re going to play this year I feel like we can tire them out and then get the win,” junior defensive end DeVonne Harris said.

Wyoming actually leads the all-time series with the Red Raiders 3-2. The last time the teams met was over 30 years ago in 1992, when Texas Tech picked up a 49-32 win in Lubbock. Before that, the Pokes had won three straight-- including a victory the year before in 1991.

Historically, the Cowboys have also been successful in home openers during head coach Craig Bohl’s tenure; they are 7-2 in that span and have won four in a row.

Wyoming has 10 defensive starters returning while the Red Raiders have 10 offensive starters returning, so that will make for a key battle during the contest. The away team had one of the most productive offenses in 2022; their 461.4 yards per game ranked 22nd in the nation, and 34.2 points per game checked in at 27th.

The players are certainly chomping at the bit to get to gameday, and they’re relying on their Cowboy State supporters to give an extra boost.

”Obviously Power 5, national television, it’s going to be a big game. So I think people are naturally just going to show up to this game because they know what’s at stake, and how big of a deal it is for a team like that to be coming to Laramie,” graduate quarterback Andrew Peasley said.

“Definitely the atmosphere that’s going to be here at the War [is exciting]. You know obviously first game, good weather, it always brings out everyone for that. So I’m definitely excited to play an opponent like that,” graduate offensive tackle Frank Crum said.

“You know Wyoming fans are the best in the business, and the more we have here the more energy we have [as a team]. I mean, we always love playing for them... being a local kid, a Wyoming kid-- one who came to all these games and was part of the fanbase now being on the other side of it-- it’s just one of the most important things for us [having the fans here],” sophomore safety Andrew Johnson said.

The game kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and will be broadcasted on CBS.

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