LARAMIE — Lightning struck all around War Memorial Stadium on Saturday, but the Wyoming running backs known as “Thunder and Lightning” were kept bottled up all day.
The Cowboys have relied on Wynel Seldon and Devin Moore, but the duo combined for only 38 yards in a 20-3 loss to New Mexico.
“Really, nothing sparked us. We didn’t have ‘Thunder and Lightning’ going to spark us like they did against TCU,” Wyoming coach Joe Glenn said. “(The Lobos) made a big play in their passing game and we did not. Somebody’s got to step up, catch the ball and make a big play for us.
“I’m not throwing in the towel, I’m just depressed about today. I didn’t see it coming. to be honest with you.”
The electrical storm forced the teams into the locker rooms with 2:36 left in the first half, and the delay, which lasted 1 hour, 43 minutes, wound up serving as halftime. Play resumed with the scored tied at 3, as the teams finished the rest of the second quarter and went right into the third quarter.
About half of the 22,301 fans returned in the cold and sleet.
The Lobos (4-2, 1-1 Mountain West) returned from the delay and lit up the Cowboys’ defense, which ranked eighth nationally coming into the game. New Mexico wide receiver Travis Brown took a Donovan Porterie pass 63 yards for a 10-3 lead with 43 seconds left in the second quarter.
New Mexico coach Rocky Long said the delay was a “positive” and helped swing the momentum to his squad.
“Wyoming had just stopped us when we went for it on fourth down, and then they put together a 16-play drive, and we made a nice play to force them to kick the field goal,” Long said. “At the moment, I would say they had the momentum.”
On the Cowboys’ first drive of the second half, quarterback Karsten Sween fumbled at the Cowboys’ 2. Defensive back Ian Clark scooped it up and scored for a 17-3 lead.
Wyoming backup quarterback Ian Hetrick came in after Sween took two hits to the head. Neither resulted in a concussion, but Sween, who threw for 176 yards, said he felt slow.
After the Lobos scored another field goal at the end of the third quarter, the Cowboys (4-2, 1-1) failed to get past the New Mexico defense. Wyoming’s finishing drives ended on a fumble and three punts and the Cowboys turned the ball over twice when they could not convert on downs.
“New Mexico has a great defense and they were running all over the place,” Moore said. “They were just coming to the ball. Hats off to them. New Mexico came out and played a great game. We should have come out and done a little something better.”
