LARAMIE — Wyoming’s win Saturday at War Memorial Stadium relied on two first-timers who were ready to seize their opportunities.
The Cowboys (2-1) rallied to beat North Dakota State (2-1) 16-13 as Jake Scott kicked his first career game-winner with a 29-yard field goal with four seconds left. That was set up by free safety Derrick McMahen’s first career interception, which he returned 15 yards to the Bison 28 with 1:28 left.
Scott’s winning kick finished off a 3-for-3 field-goal performance.
“This is a real confidence builder for him,” Wyoming coach Joe Glenn said. “He knocked them right down the middle. We really needed him.”
The Cowboys also needed a play on defense to save the game from loss or overtime, and McMahen said the defense was waiting for its chance.
“Everyone on D was looking for that big opportunity,” McMahen said. “Whoever it came to was going to take it, and it came to me.”
Wyoming free safety Chris Prosinski didn’t wait until the final moments for his two interceptions. His first 8-yard pick accounted for more yards than Wyoming’s offensive output in the first quarter (7 yards).
The first half for Wyoming looked similar to last Saturday, a 23-3 loss to Air Force.
NDSU took a 10-0 lead into the locker room after Tyler Jangula’s 3-yard touchdown catch 16 seconds before the break.
The Cowboys were down and Glenn said the outlook wasn’t positive.
“This is the first time since 2,008 years ago that somebody else rose from the dead,” Glenn said. “We were out, and there was hardly anything left in our locker room. Then we came out and got a little rhythm.”
After a 32-yard field goal to start the second half gave NDSU a 13-0 lead, the momentum turned to the ‘Pokes.
Keyed by a 44-yard burst by Devin Moore, who gained 145 yards, to the Bison 10-yard line, Moore got the Cowboys on the board with a 2-yard run. It was the Cowboys’ second touchdown of the season.
The Wyoming defense forced three consecutive three-and-outs, and the offense scored twice on 28-yard field goals by Scott, the second tying the game 13-13 with 10:28 left in the game.
With the 16-13 Wyoming lead, the Bison tried a multiple-lateral kick return, but Wyoming running back Darius Terry ended the game by recovering a fumble on the NDSU 7-yard line as time expired.
“It was no cupcake,” Prosinski said. “We needed a win bad. We just need to get this team on the right path.”
No. 18 BYU awaits Wyoming on Saturday in Provo, Utah.
