Ranking the Top 100 College Football Teams for 2017: No. 79 Wyoming

In the 100 days leading up to the kickoff of the college football season on Saturday, Aug. 26, HERO Sports is ranking the top 100 teams in the FBS. You can find all the rankings and previews here.

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No. 79 Wyoming

Wyoming does have other players besides 2018 NFL Draft golden boy Josh Allen. Still, the junior quarterback powers the Cowboys and holds the key to another successful season.

Allen leads an offense that ranked second in the Mountain West in scoring last year but lost their top three receivers and 1,800-yard rusher Brian Hill. And the Cowboys return nine defensive starters.

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2016 Record: 8-6 (6-2, Mountain West)

Though Wyoming's eight wins –and six in the Mountain West — were worth celebrating, they lost four games by a combined 12 points, each by three points.

The Cowboys beat Boise State during a midseason five-game winning streak — they hadn't lost to the Broncos by fewer than 20 points since 2007 — and nearly engineered a fourth-quarter comeback against San Diego State in the conference championship.

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Head Coach: Craig Bohl (4th year, 14-24 overall)

Craig Bohl entered his third season needing an impressive showing to convince the Wyoming faithful he was the man to deliver stability to a program with just three bowl games in the 23 seasons.

He did just that, winning eight games and beating Boise State for the first time ever.

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Key Returning Offensive Players

QB Josh Allen, WR C.J. Johnson, OT Zach Wallace, OT Ryan Cummings, G Kaden Jackson, C Gavin Rush

Josh Allen has plenty of draft supporters, but the junior — who's arguably not the best quarterback in his conference (Boise State's Brett Rypien) also has a pile of skeptics. He has one year of starting experience, threw 15 interceptions (one per 24.9 pass attempts) and completed less than 54 percent of his passes in seven of 14 games.

Still, the measurables, arm strength and pure talent is there, among many other things. Allen was forced to take responsibly aggressive chances with a mediocre receiving corps that rarely gained separation, and is superb outside the pocket.

The 6-foot-5, 222-pounder only scrambles when necessary, keeps his eyes downfield and ran for 512 yards and seven touchdowns.

C.J. Johnson is the only returning receiver who had 15 catches. He had 85 yards and a score in their one-point win over San Diego State and could be one of at least four underclassmen receivers who have a big role in 2017.

The offensive line lost just one starter (center Chase Roullier). The other four return after leading the Mountain West's second-ranked scoring offense that allowed 26 sacks, 49th nationally. Sophomore Gavin Rush moves over from guard to fill Roullier's spot and has all-conference potential.

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Key Returning Defensive Players

DE Carl Granderson, DE Kevin Prosser, DT Conner Cain, LB Logan Wilson, CB Rico Gafford, CB Antonio Hall, S Andrew Wingard, S Marcus Epps

New defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton has nine returning starters from a unit that allowed more than 34 points per game, including 158 over a three-game late-season stretch that included two losses.

Kevin Prosser, who led the team with 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, is flanked by fellow junior Carl Granderson, a 6-foot-5, 243-pound disruptive force who tore his ACL in the Cowboys' win over Air Force on Oct. 8. He missed spring practice but is expected to return during fall camp.

Wyoming native Logan Wilson returns after earning Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors in 2016. He packed stat sheets with 94 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three interceptions, four passes defended and three fumble recoveries. He moves to middle linebacker this year to replace Lucas Wacha.

“It is a critical position,” Craig Bohl said in March. “And beyond the physical play and the attributes that we ask that Mike to do, he’s really got to take command of moving the defense, setting the check calls. Somebody who’s got experience and not only experience but authoritative command out there."

Four starters are back for a secondary seeking to eliminate big passing plays and provide relief for a run defense that yielded over 200 yards per game.  Andrew Wingard, a 6-foot, 207-pound all-conference safety, led the team in tackles each of the last two seasons. Marcus Epps had a team-high six passes defended and three interceptions.

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Notable Player Losses

RB Brian Hill, WR Tanner Gentry, WR Jake Maulhardt, TE Jacob Hollister, C Chase Roullier, LB Lucas Wacha, LB D.J. May

Wyoming loses most of their offensive production outside of Allen, namely fifth-round draft pick Brian Hill. The all-purpose back left after back-to-back seasons with at least 1,600 rushing yards, including 1,860 last year (third nationally). 

Tanner Gentry is gone after a 1,300-yard season, as are Allen's two biggest targets, Jake Maulhardt (6-foot-6, 230 pounds) and Jacob Hollister (6-foot-4, 239 pounds). The latter pair combined for 154 catches for 2,125 yards and 22 touchdowns the last two seasons.

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Notable Player Additions

WR Parker Dumas, G Jace Webb, LB Ryan Gatoloai-Faupula

Redshirt freshman Jace Webb assumes the starting guard spot with Gavin Rush's move to center to replace Chase Roullier. Fellow redshirt freshman Parker Dumas made the post-spring depth chart at receiver and should have a chance to see the field.

True freshman linebacker Ryan Gatoloai-Faupula, a three-star recruit from Sacramento, could see time on special teams and work his way into the defensive rotation by midseason.

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Schedule

Wyoming's quest for back-to-back eight-win seasons for the first time since 1987-88 begins with a trip to Iowa in the season opener and home date with Oregon two weeks later (in a game that could land College GameDay).

In conference play, they do avoid the best team in the West, San Diego State, but still have trips to Boise State and Air Force and host Colorado State and New Mexico.

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