Wyoming
LIVE FILE: Wyoming Cowboys vs. Air Force Falcons
LARAMIE — The injury list for this Wyoming team just keeps on growing.
Roughly an hour before kickoff, more bad news cam down the pike.
Right guard Jack Walsh (upper body), wide receiver Devin Boddie Jr. (lower body) and running back DJ Jones (personal) are officially out. Defensive end Braden Siders, who missed the North Texas game with a concussion, is also questionable for tonight’s tilt with visiting Air Force. Safety Isaac White is listed as doubtful. He missed the second half in Denton with a foot injury.
The Cowboys will also be without safety Wyett Ekeler (thumbs), returner Caleb Cooley (ankle), fullback Caleb Driskill (thumb), offensive linemen Luke Sandy and Nate Gieger (both knees) and edge rusher DeVonne Harris (elbow).
Running backs Dawaiian McNeely (knee) and Harrison Waylee (knee) are also sidelined. The latter plans to return at some point this fall and maintain his redshirt status by appearing in four games or less.
The Cowboys (0-4) and Falcons (1-2) are slated to kickoff at 6 p.m. Mountain Time. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Keep refreshing this page throughout tonight’s game for all the latest in-game insights and comments.
PREGAME:
* Wyoming is wearing its traditional uniforms tonight: Brown jersey, gold pants, white helmet. The Falcons are sporting blue lids and pants, along with white tops.
* The weather is absolutely perfect for a late September evening. It’s currently 79 degrees and breezy.
* Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel is wearing the coolest sweatshirt I think I’ve ever seen. It’s an absolute beaut.
* Really nice crowd rolling into The War on this homecoming night.
* Air Force is getting the ball first tonight. Let’s do it. Pokes (0-4) and Falcons (1-2) ready to roll
FIRST QUARTER:
* Senior safety Isaac White is playing tonight despite suffering a foot injury last week at North Texas.
* Pokes defense is getting off the field here. Air Force will punt on its opening possession … we think
* *TURNOVER ON DOWNS* They faked it and Wyoming gets the stop. Pokes will take over at the Air Force 46.
* Bertagnole and Florentine credited with the stop on that fake punt. Nice play from the big fellas in the middle
* Scott with a big gainer on first down. Puts his foot in the ground and goes north. That’s a gain of 18
* Falcons jump offside on a 3rd and 7. Right idea on the free play — Svoboda going deep to Pelissier — but didn’t give him a great chance in bounds.
* Pokes facing a 4th and 1 here from the Falcons’ 20. The offense is coming out after a timeout. Sawvel sent Hoyland on at first
* Svoboda easily picks up the first down. Sam Scott, again, clearing a path as the lead blocker. Ball at the AF 8
* *TOUCHDOWN* Sam Scott bullies his way in from eight yards out and the Cowpokes are on top early here in Laramie. Big fourth-down pickup leads to the score. That was a 6-play, 46-yard drive that took 2:17 off the clock. Wyoming 7 Air Force 0 9:36/ 1Q
* Connor Shay with a nice TFL on first down. That’s a loss of four. Keep the Falcons behind the chains and you’re in great shape.
* There’s a 3-and-out. This defense is playing confident early on. Here comes the punt team. TK King back to receive
* 62-yard punt by Culbreath just flipped the field. That’s a weapon the Pokes haven’t had in a while.
* Isaac White is down on the play. Appears trainers are looking at his foot. That injury kept him out of the second half last week in Denton and had him listed as doubtful today
* Andrew Johnson, despite having a broken right thumb, will replace White in the secondary.
* Dante Drake will get credit with the Sack right there. That’s a loss of 5.
* Cole DeMarzo nearly picked off the pitch right there. Air Force facing a 3rd-and-10 at the Pokes’ 16
SECOND QUARTER:
* Air Force is on the board on the first play of the second quarter. That was a 28-yard field goal. That was a 12-play, 72-yard drive that took 6:34 off the clock. Wyoming 7 Air Force 3 14:56/ 2Q
* Svoboda to Gyllenborg on a 3rd-and-14. Really nice read by the big QB. That was good for 20
* Connor Shay with a 6-yard TFL and it’s wiped out because the Pokes had 12 men on the field. Haven’t seen that bonehead penalty yet this year
* Kade Frew darts into the end zone from five yards out. Air Force is in the lead after that 9-play, 81-yard drive that took 5:42 off the clock. Air Force 10 Wyoming 7 6:47/ 2Q
* Svoboda had a free play on 3rd and 9 there and hits Pelissier with a beauty. Probably his best throw of the year. That’s good for 29.
* Stop me if you’ve heard this one … Fia with a terrible snap. Loss of 13. Pokes will punt. This is crazy
* Luke Sandy is hurt. He’s Fia’s backup. Redshirt freshman Quinn Grovesteen-Matchey is next man up
* Tyce Westland going to get flagged here for a roughing the passer. Busha completed the ball anyway. That was good for 24 yards to Harris. Visitors in biz at the Pokes’ 14 with 1:07 to go in the half
* Pokes’ D stiffens up here. Air Force will attempt the chip shot.
* Some boos raining down on the home team here at half. Rightfully so. Pokes are very lucky to be trailing by only six after two quarters. Air Force 13 Wyoming 7 HALFTIME
* Here’s some first-half stats: Svoboda: 6-10, 46 yards Scott: 6 rush, 35 yds, TD Pelissier: 2 catch, 32 yds Gyllenborg: catch, 20 yds UW offense: 83 yards (46 pass, 37 rush) 2-6 on third down 22 total plays 9:49 TOP (AF: 20:11) Bad snaps: 1
THIRD QUARTER:
* Chris Durr Jr. with some nifty footwork. Big gainer. Pokes in AF territory. That was good for 32
* Really nice toss there from Svoboda to Gyllenborg. Cowboys are inside the AF 10.
* Stevenson just fumbled. This will definitely be reviewed. Might have broke the plane. Might have been down at the goal line anyway.
* Stevenson was clearly down. This should be Pokes ball at the 1.
* You go for it here, don’t you? Pokes trailing by six. The Falcons hold the ball for so long you won’t have many opportunities like this. 4th and goal at the 2, coming up. Wes King is down on the play, not Rex Johnsen. His backup, you guessed it, Quinn Grovesteen-Matchey
* *TOUCHDOWN* Evan Svoboda barrels into the end zone on fourth down. Nice push up front. Pokes back in the lead. That was a 7-play, 76-yard drive that took 2:58. Big catches by Durr and J-Mike. Wyoming 14 Air Force 13 11:54/ 3Q
* Wyoming finally gets points on the board in the third quarter. Had been outscored 52-0 in this frame.
* Cowboys are getting off the field here. Big stop. An answer on this drive would be massive.
* This drive starts at the 6. Sam Scott with a nice 16-yard gainer on first down.
* Svoboda fires an absolute strike to Gyllenborg on 3rd and 8. Big-time throw right there
* Alex Brown is on the ground and appears to be in some pain. Last thing this team needs is another injury. On the bright side, he was held. Pokes have a 1st and 10 at the AF 37
* Svoboda with the keeper. Dude found another gear. Gain of 22. Pokes at the AF 13.
* *TOUCHDOWN* Speedy TK King with the score on the jet sweep. Huge turn of events here for the Cowpokes. Back-to-back touchdown drives in the third. Svoboda is feeling it right now. That was an 11-play, 94-yard drive that took 5:56 off the clock. Wyoming 21 Air Force 13 3:32/3Q
* Svoboda is 6-of-7 throwing for 111 yards in this quarter. He’s also rushed for 39 yards. This crowd is amped up.
* Wyoming’s D forces a quick 3-and-out. This looks like Cowboy football
FOURTH QUARTER:
* Sam Scott show on this drive. Big-boy run right there. Pokes at the AF 12 after that 9-yard gain. We have a starting running back, folks. It’s Sam Scott
* *FIELD GOAL* Hoyland strokes through a 23-yard field goal to extend the Cowboys lead. How about the Pokes with an AF-type drive right there: 13 plays, 61 yards, 6:31. Wyoming 24 Air Force 13 10:36/ 4Q
* Air Force with a big answer, aided by an unsportsmanlike penalty on Bertagnole. That was a 37-yard TD. Two-point conversion no good. Wyoming 24 Air Force 19 7:00/ 4Q
* Durr with a big gainer on the screen. Huge 3rd down pickup for Kaden Anderson, who was in because Svoboda’s helmet popped off.
* Huge penalty on AF on the punt. I’m on the sideline. Didn’t see it. Pokes ball with less than 3 min to go.
* Pokes lead this one 31-19 with 2:13 to go. Huge TD run by Svoboda. Great second half for him.
2024: University of Wyoming Homecoming Parade
2024 University of Wyoming homecoming parade in downtown Laramie
Gallery Credit: Paityn Hulstrom photos
ROCK SPRINGS, Wyoming (KUTV) — A man was hospitalized with critical injuries after he was reportedly shot by a deputy responding to reports of a disturbance.
Deputies with the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and officers with the Rock Springs Police Department responded to the Sweetwater Heights apartment complex in the 2100 block of Century Boulevard just after 4 a.m. on Monday to investigate reports of a disturbance involving an armed individual.
Information that dispatch received indicated that the individual had shot himself. When officials arrived, they found the individual on the balcony of an upstairs apartment “who appeared to have a gunshot wound consistent with the initial report,” a press release states.
MORE | Officer-Involved Shooting
During the encounter, a deputy discharged their weapon and struck the individual.
Emergency medical personnel rendered aid, and the individual was transported to an area hospital in critical condition.
No law enforcement officers or members of the public were injured during the incident.
The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation will conduct an independent investigation.
The deputy who fired their weapon was placed on administrative leave per standard protocol.
_____
by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile
Albert Sommers, former Wyoming Speaker of the House, announced Thursday he will attempt to reclaim a seat he formerly held for more than a decade in the statehouse.
“Leadership matters,” Sommers, a lifelong cattle rancher, wrote in a press release. “Right now, the Wyoming House is too often focused on division instead of solutions. We need steady, effective leadership that solves problems—not rhetoric and political theater.”
Voters in 2013 first elected Sommers to House District 20, which encompasses Sublette County and an eastern section of Lincoln County. As a lawmaker, Sommers largely focused on health care, education and water issues. Over six terms, he rose through the ranks, serving in leadership positions and chairing committees focused on education funding and broadband.
In his announcement, Sommers highlighted his legislative work to establish funding for rural hospitals, prioritize “responsible property tax relief,” as well as the creation of the Wyoming Colorado River Advisory Committee within the State Engineer’s Office, “to ensure our water users have a voice in critical decisions affecting the Green River Valley,” he wrote.
As speaker, Sommers was a frequent target of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus as well as the DC-based State Freedom Caucus Network, even getting the attention of Fox News and other national, conservative news outlets. They often accused Sommers of not being conservative enough, and criticized him for keeping bills in “the drawer,” which has long been code for the unilateral power a speaker has to kill legislation by holding it back. (The practice of holding bills has been used to a much higher degree under Freedom Caucus leadership.)
In 2023, Sommers used the speaker’s powers to kill bills related to a school voucher program, banning instruction on gender and sexual orientation from some classrooms and criminalizing gender-affirming care for minors. At the time, Sommers defended his decision to hold back “bills that are unconstitutional, not well vetted, duplicate bills or debates, and bills that negate local control, restrict the rights of people or risk costly litigation financed by the people of Wyoming.”
He reiterated that philosophy and defended his record in his Thursday campaign announcement.
“I am a common-sense conservative who believes in getting things done. I support our core industries—oil and gas, ranching, and tourism—and I will continue to fight for the people and natural resources of Sublette County and LaBarge. I am pro-gun, pro-life, pro-family, and pro-education,” Sommers wrote. “I also take seriously my oath to uphold the U.S. and Wyoming Constitutions, which means I didn’t support bills that violated those constitutions. I read bills carefully and I voted accordingly.”
Following his term as speaker, Sommers stepped away from the House to run for Senate District 14 in 2024. He lost in the primary election to political newcomer Laura Pearson, a Freedom Caucus-endorsed Republican from Kemmerer, who also won in the general election. Her Senate win coincided with the Freedom Caucus winning control of the House.
“That race didn’t go my way, and I respected the outcome,” Sommers said in a Thursday press release. But “the direction of the Wyoming House,” since then, he said, has “raised serious concerns.”
Sommers pointed to the Freedom Caucus and its budget proposal, which, despite a funding surplus, included major cuts and funding denials. Ahead of the session, the caucus said its sights were set on shrinking spending and limiting the growth of government.
In his Thursday press release, Sommers criticized “decisions that cut food assistance for vulnerable children, reduced business opportunities, slashed funding to the University of Wyoming, eliminated resources for cheatgrass control, denied raises for state employees, and removed positions critical to protecting Wyoming’s water rights.”
Most of those proposals did not make it into the final budget bill.
Sommers also pointed to a controversy that dominated the 2026 session after a Teton County conservative activist handed out campaign checks to lawmakers on the House floor. Lawmakers in both chambers unanimously voted to ban such behavior before a House Special Investigative Committee found that the exchange did not violate the Wyoming Constitution nor did it amount to legislative misconduct. A Laramie County Sheriff’s Office criminal investigation is still underway.
But “controversies like ‘Checkgate’ undermined public trust, and decorum in the House deteriorated,” Sommers said.
“Transparency and accessibility will remain central to how I serve,” Sommers said. “As I’ve done before, I will provide regular updates on legislation, seek your input, and clearly explain my votes.”
Incumbent bows out
Rep. Mike Schmid, R-La Barge, currently represents House District 20, but announced Thursday morning that he would not seek reelection.
“It has truly been an honor to serve as your State Representative for House District 20. When I first ran, I had hoped to serve up to three terms and continue building on what I learned during my first term,” Schmid wrote in a Facebook post. “But life can change your priorities. Over the past year, my family has gone through some difficult times. My wife is dealing with serious health issues, and the death of my brother, Jim, just a few short weeks ago have made it clear to me where I need to spend my time.”
In March, Bill Winney, a perennial candidate and former nuclear submarine commander, announced he would run for House District 20.
The official candidate filing period opens May 14.
This article was originally published by WyoFile and is republished here with permission. WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.
Related
The following is a news release from the Wyoming’s Rock Springs Police Department:
ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. — The Rock Springs Police Department is investigating a fatal incident that occurred early this morning in the parking lot of the Flying J Travel Center.
At approximately 5:00 a.m., a Flying J employee was working to direct commercial vehicle traffic within the lot. Initial findings suggest that as one semitruck began to move, the employee was positioned between that vehicle and a second stationary vehicle. The employee was subsequently pinned between the two units.
Rock Springs Fire Department and Castle Rock Ambulance arrived on the scene and coordinated life-saving measures. Despite the rapid response and medical intervention, the employee was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The identity of the deceased is being withheld at this time pending the notification of family members.
The driver involved in the incident, a resident of Idaho, remained on-site and has been fully cooperative with investigators. Following an initial statement and questioning, the driver was released. While the investigation remains open, the incident currently appears to be a tragic accident.
We extend our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and the staff at Flying J. We also want to commend the rapid response and professional life-saving efforts coordinated by Rock Springs Fire and Castle Rock Ambulance during this difficult call.
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