FORT COLLINS — Wyoming coach Dave Christensen would like to introduce one of the most misleading statistics in the game, down there with time of possession and record while wearing different Nike-issued uniforms.
Total defense.
Case in point: his Cowboys. Wyoming is 98th in the country in total defense at 432.3 yards per game. That’s right below North Texas. Yet Wyoming’s 22-19 win over Colorado State here Saturday polished off an 8-4 regular season and a ticket to the Dec. 17 New Mexico Bowl against Temple (8-4).
Don’t bother looking at the offense for explanation. Sure, true freshman quarterback Brett Smith has been a boost. But look somewhere else.
The defense.
“Total defense means nothing,” Christensen said. “The only thing that matters is scoring defense and turnovers.”
Wyoming’s most important stat next to 8-4 is its turnover margin. In that department, the Cowboys are BCS bowl quality, fourth nationally and first in the Mountain West at plus-1.25 a game. Their 18 recovered fumbles trail only the 19 by Oklahoma State and Michigan. With 13 interceptions, they have 31 takeaways against only 16 of their own.
“It’s coaching,” Christensen said. “We emphasize it. We do it every single day. It’s in every system in our program. It always has been.”
When Christensen arrived from Missouri two years ago, he incorporated turnover drills into every practice. In that first year, Wyoming jumped from 118th in the nation at minus-1.83, ahead of only 2-11 Washington, to 17th at plus-0.62.
Every day, the Cowboys go through a 10-15-minute turnover circuit. They practice stripping, punching, tipping, anything to dislodge a ball. They even drill on the proper way to fall on a fumble.
“People have lost the art of hitting the ground anyway, whether you’re diving to pick one off or getting down on the ground,” defensive coordinator Marty English said. “We do a lot of leverage and strips and a lot of tackle and fumble recoveries. It’s something we think is important, and more times than not it’s going to pay off for you.”
You can follow the pattern in key wins. Wyoming had three fumble recoveries and an interception in the victory at Air Force and three interceptions against CSU on Saturday.
“That’s just a result of playing fast and violent,” said Brian Hendricks, the senior linebacker from Burlington. “A lot of balls have fallen our way. We just fly around. It hasn’t just been two or three guys making plays. It’s been a whole handful.”
The value of turnovers is obvious. Oklahoma State has been skewered for a defense that ranks 107th at 445.7 yards a game. So why is it 11-1 and ranked No. 3? A big reason is it’s second in turnover margin at plus-1.67. Who’s first?
Louisiana State (plus-1.69). It has had a decent year too.
“I don’t even know how many yards our defense gives up,” said Christensen, whose team is also third in league games in scoring defense at 22.0 points.
While fumbles can bounce funny, errant passes do not. Wyoming’s 13 interceptions are its most in six years. Cornerback Blair Burns leads the way with four.
“You do work at it, but you recruit athletes and those guys should have them,” English said. “You just keep refining the skills. You don’t let those things go away.”
The best part of it for Wyoming? Burns is only a freshman, and next season seven starters return on defense.
John Henderson: 303-954-1299, jhenderson@denverpost.com or
‘Pokes masters at take-aways
A look at the NCAA leaders in turnover margin:
Rank, Team W-L RF Int T Margin
1. LSU 13-0 12 18 30 1.69
2. Okla. St. 11-1 19 23 42 1.67
3. Toledo 8-4 15 13 28 1.33
4. Wyoming 8-4 18 13 31 1.25
5. Wisconsin 11-2 9 15 24 1.23
RF — recovered fumbles
Source: NCAA
