The Wyoming Cowboys completed a remarkable turnaround at home.
Now a road breakthrough would do wonders for their Mountain West Conference standing.
The Pokes responded to a disappointing conference opener with an epic, come-from-behind victory against San Diego State on Saturday.
But, although they hung tough for at least 20 minutes with each of their three stingy nonconference road opponents, they have yet to finish one off, and the Cowboys will get their next opportunity to do just that tonight at TCU.
"I think any time you can win on the road in this league, you're really doing something," UW coach Heath Schroyer." [Road victories] are very big; they're hard to get. But we'll go down there and play as well as we can.
"If you go down and execute and make some shots, you've got a chance to win."
The Cowboys had one of their best chances at a road victory -- they had just two in league play last season -- at TCU last year.
After scoring 22 first-half points, UW erupted for 50 after halftime, led late but couldn't seal the deal, losing by one point in overtime to the Kevin Langford-led Horned Frogs.
Langford's gone, but TCU does have three returning starters, including preseason all-MWC pick Zvonko Buljan.
"I think that Buljan and Tuffy Moss and [Evdvinas Ruzgas], they play like veterans," Schroyer said of the Horned Frogs' second-year players. "They really shoot the ball well ? and then they add some athletes around those guys.
"Offensively, they're very deliberate and they want to play 35 seconds and make you defend for that long."
Thus, the two teams have arrived to identical records -- 8-8 overall and 1-1 in the league -- in very different fashions.
The Cowboys have made their mark with an up-tempo style at both ends, particularly defensively, while the Horned Frogs would love to grind it out.
The result has been a topsy-turvy season to this point.
"Obviously it's a big week for us at home," TCU coach Jim Christian said. "We're still trying to find ourselves. At times we've played really and at times we have not. We still have two freshmen and they're learning while going through conference for their first team.
"We've been a little inconsistent and it's hurt us at times."
That same quote could have and has come out of the mouth of Schroyer this season.
But he and the Cowboys hope that their furious finish -- they trailed by 14 with less than five minutes left -- was just what they needed to jumpstart a consistent stretch of play.
"This business and this game is the ultimate highs and the ultimate lows and our guys were pretty up and feeling good about themselves," Schroyer said. "At the same time, we've got to put it behind us.
"Our guys came in and were ready to work [Sunday] night ? and we'll go out and play."
If they play anything like they did on Saturday, and particularly in the second half, tonight's game should be just as close as last year's in Fort Worth.
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ROAD TRIP: The Pokes, 0-3 on the road in nonconference games, will take on TCU in their first conference game tonight.
HE SAID IT: "Any time you can win on the road in this league, you're really doing something." -- UW coach Heath Schroye
Now a road breakthrough would do wonders for their Mountain West Conference standing.
The Pokes responded to a disappointing conference opener with an epic, come-from-behind victory against San Diego State on Saturday.
But, although they hung tough for at least 20 minutes with each of their three stingy nonconference road opponents, they have yet to finish one off, and the Cowboys will get their next opportunity to do just that tonight at TCU.
"I think any time you can win on the road in this league, you're really doing something," UW coach Heath Schroyer." [Road victories] are very big; they're hard to get. But we'll go down there and play as well as we can.
"If you go down and execute and make some shots, you've got a chance to win."
The Cowboys had one of their best chances at a road victory -- they had just two in league play last season -- at TCU last year.
After scoring 22 first-half points, UW erupted for 50 after halftime, led late but couldn't seal the deal, losing by one point in overtime to the Kevin Langford-led Horned Frogs.
Langford's gone, but TCU does have three returning starters, including preseason all-MWC pick Zvonko Buljan.
"I think that Buljan and Tuffy Moss and [Evdvinas Ruzgas], they play like veterans," Schroyer said of the Horned Frogs' second-year players. "They really shoot the ball well ? and then they add some athletes around those guys.
"Offensively, they're very deliberate and they want to play 35 seconds and make you defend for that long."
Thus, the two teams have arrived to identical records -- 8-8 overall and 1-1 in the league -- in very different fashions.
The Cowboys have made their mark with an up-tempo style at both ends, particularly defensively, while the Horned Frogs would love to grind it out.
The result has been a topsy-turvy season to this point.
"Obviously it's a big week for us at home," TCU coach Jim Christian said. "We're still trying to find ourselves. At times we've played really and at times we have not. We still have two freshmen and they're learning while going through conference for their first team.
"We've been a little inconsistent and it's hurt us at times."
That same quote could have and has come out of the mouth of Schroyer this season.
But he and the Cowboys hope that their furious finish -- they trailed by 14 with less than five minutes left -- was just what they needed to jumpstart a consistent stretch of play.
"This business and this game is the ultimate highs and the ultimate lows and our guys were pretty up and feeling good about themselves," Schroyer said. "At the same time, we've got to put it behind us.
"Our guys came in and were ready to work [Sunday] night ? and we'll go out and play."
If they play anything like they did on Saturday, and particularly in the second half, tonight's game should be just as close as last year's in Fort Worth.
=========
ROAD TRIP: The Pokes, 0-3 on the road in nonconference games, will take on TCU in their first conference game tonight.
HE SAID IT: "Any time you can win on the road in this league, you're really doing something." -- UW coach Heath Schroye
