Only the Lobos could see this as the perfect stage.
War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyo., usually is a cold and unforgiving venue for visiting football teams.
It doesn't help that the Wyoming Cowboys (4-1, 1-0) are hot entering Saturday's showdown against the University of New Mexico (3-2, 0-1).
And it happens to be homecoming week for Wyoming faithful.
"They're another really good team, but we've been waiting for a long time to play them," senior wide receiver Travis Brown said. "It was hard going through a bye week after a game you thought you should have won. They have a lot of talent, but we're going in there really hungry."
The Lobos were idle after a disheartening 31-24 loss to BYU on Sept. 29 at University Stadium. The team has been careful to praise the Cougars' efforts but clearly label the game as The One That Got Away.
Wyoming has a completely different splash of momentum powering it to a collision with the Lobos.
The Cowboys are coming off their biggest win of the season, a 24-21 home victory over TCU. The Horned Frogs were the preseason pick to win the Mountain West Conference championship.
Wyoming quarterback Carsten Sween connected with wide receiver Hoost Marsh for two touchdown passes, while running backs Devin Moore and Wynel Seldon combined for 235 rushing yards against TCU's talented defense.
The Cowboys also survived a furious comeback effort by TCU. The Horned Frogs scored back-to-back touchdowns in the fourth quarter
"This is a big win for us," Wyoming coach Joe Glenn said during his postgame interview with the media. "They were the only team we hadn't beaten in the MWC. This win shows where the program is headed. You look back a year ago and we were 1-4, now we are 4-1."
Everything about this Wyoming matchup sounds inhospitable, but the Lobos do strange and spectacular things when they hit the road.
The Lobos own a 3-1 record at Wyoming during coach Rocky Long's tenure.
The Lobos have won three-consecutive games at War Memorial Stadium.
And the Lobos are 8-1 following bye weeks during the Long era.
The coach is quick to dismiss the statistics.
"They're just numbers, and they don't mean anything," Long said.
The numbers do mean something to junior running back Rodney Ferguson.
"If we're working hard and doing our jobs, we should look better during the second half of our season," Ferguson said. "We know our mistakes have been the biggest things getting in the way of reaching our goals and winning every game we've played this season."
The Lobos spent their bye week determined to atone for the BYU loss.
Brown, a team captain, praised the players' intensity during workouts.
"I think guys have been pushing themselves pretty hard, especially when you think that we're out here for a week focusing on how to correct our mistakes instead of getting ready for another team," he said. "I feel like we used our week off the way you should. Were excited about our next game."
War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyo., usually is a cold and unforgiving venue for visiting football teams.
It doesn't help that the Wyoming Cowboys (4-1, 1-0) are hot entering Saturday's showdown against the University of New Mexico (3-2, 0-1).
And it happens to be homecoming week for Wyoming faithful.
"They're another really good team, but we've been waiting for a long time to play them," senior wide receiver Travis Brown said. "It was hard going through a bye week after a game you thought you should have won. They have a lot of talent, but we're going in there really hungry."
The Lobos were idle after a disheartening 31-24 loss to BYU on Sept. 29 at University Stadium. The team has been careful to praise the Cougars' efforts but clearly label the game as The One That Got Away.
Wyoming has a completely different splash of momentum powering it to a collision with the Lobos.
The Cowboys are coming off their biggest win of the season, a 24-21 home victory over TCU. The Horned Frogs were the preseason pick to win the Mountain West Conference championship.
Wyoming quarterback Carsten Sween connected with wide receiver Hoost Marsh for two touchdown passes, while running backs Devin Moore and Wynel Seldon combined for 235 rushing yards against TCU's talented defense.
The Cowboys also survived a furious comeback effort by TCU. The Horned Frogs scored back-to-back touchdowns in the fourth quarter
"This is a big win for us," Wyoming coach Joe Glenn said during his postgame interview with the media. "They were the only team we hadn't beaten in the MWC. This win shows where the program is headed. You look back a year ago and we were 1-4, now we are 4-1."
Everything about this Wyoming matchup sounds inhospitable, but the Lobos do strange and spectacular things when they hit the road.
The Lobos own a 3-1 record at Wyoming during coach Rocky Long's tenure.
The Lobos have won three-consecutive games at War Memorial Stadium.
And the Lobos are 8-1 following bye weeks during the Long era.
The coach is quick to dismiss the statistics.
"They're just numbers, and they don't mean anything," Long said.
The numbers do mean something to junior running back Rodney Ferguson.
"If we're working hard and doing our jobs, we should look better during the second half of our season," Ferguson said. "We know our mistakes have been the biggest things getting in the way of reaching our goals and winning every game we've played this season."
The Lobos spent their bye week determined to atone for the BYU loss.
Brown, a team captain, praised the players' intensity during workouts.
"I think guys have been pushing themselves pretty hard, especially when you think that we're out here for a week focusing on how to correct our mistakes instead of getting ready for another team," he said. "I feel like we used our week off the way you should. Were excited about our next game."
