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GAME #51
Saturday, October 26, 2019

Nevada Wolfpack: 4-3
@ Wyoming Cowboys: 5-2

Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium
Laramie, Wyoming


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Trip Dates 10/25/2019 – 10/27/2019
School University of Wyoming
Visiting Team Nevada Wolfpack
Pre-game Record: 4-3
Home Team Wyoming Cowboys
Pre-game Record: 5-2
Game Time (ET) 2:00 PM Eastern (12:00 local)
Weather 55, Sunny & Windy
Attendees Jarrett & Al
Jarrett’s Pick Wyoming Cowboys
(33 and 17 record)
Al’s Pick Wyoming Cowboys
(27 and 23 record)
Attendance 16,126
Capacity 29,181
TV None
Length of Game 2:49
Seat Location Press Box
Miles Traveled 1,812 (split with Colorado)
Photo Album Click here for the Wyoming Photo Album

This trip report is a continuation from the Colorado trip report.

The Drive to Laramie
After the game, we had a drive to Laramie to make. When we schedule these trips, we never know the times of the games and most of the time it does not matter. But for this doubleheader, it would have been nice if the Saturday game in Laramie was at night or even late afternoon. But no, they had to schedule the game at noon. So since it was a 2:15 drive from Boulder to Laramie, we were faced with a very early wakeup on Saturday or doing the drive after the game Friday. After much deliberation, we decided on Friday night for the drive.

Al, as navigator, decided we would take I-25 to I-80 on Friday night and then we would take the scenic route on Saturday. We normally let Google be navigator, but tonight was different. Even though Google said this route was slower, Al bet on the highway system. Plus he wanted to see Cheyenne at 1:30 am. Good luck with that.

Somewhere at sometime, we made a pit stop at McDonald’s. But we did eventually make it to Laramie at 2:30 am or something like that. So this day started with a wakeup, train ride to JFK, flight to Denver, bus to rental car, drive to Boulder, football game, and a drive from Boulder to Laramie. Factoring in the time difference, almost a 24 hour day. Such is life on the Quest and I would not want it any other way. Actually I would but Beth won’t let me complain about Quest stuff. Beth adds, “Exactly what I was thinking as I read all of this, poor Jarrett!”

University of Wyoming
It was an early wakeup after the late drive to Laramie. With a noon kickoff, there was not much time to see campus and Wyoming pregame activities.

We headed out to pick up our tickets and parking pass and while waiting for them to arrive, heard a very frightening story from the student we were picking them up from. As we were discussing the cold weather and the Cowboys future schedule, he informed us that he remembered a time from high school (which was probably last year) when the temperature changed 100 degrees in a 24 hour span. From -50 degrees to 50 degrees or vice versa. I forget which way but not the point. I do not know which is more nuts, the 100 degree change or that -50 is even in the story. Do I need to say, I could not live here?

The tickets arrive and we head out. First stop, was to drive over to the bookstore and the main part of campus. We did eventually find the bookstore, although it was not easy. It was located in a building that looked like it should contain classrooms and not the bookstore and student union. See the picture of a very confused Jarrett looking at the map. Sorry Al, no Starbucks in the union, but at least they have a Starbucks vending machine. I had warned Al about the Cowboys color combination but some of the clothes in the bookstore really brought the vivid brown and yellow to life. Check out some of the pics. I had flashbacks to the early 80’s Vancouver Canucks.

After the bookstore, we quickly checked out the campus. The University of Wyoming is a small campus arranged into a rectangle all arranged directly off of the main quad. The main quad is quite nice and very picturesque. We even stumbled upon a time capsule. If not for the extreme cold and lots of snow, this would be a nice place to go to school.

Pregame
We left the main quad and drove over to the stadium. It is walking distance, but since we had parking passes we decided to drive. We made a pit stop at another bookstore that was recommended and I was able to find a Jarrett shirt (not to be confused with an Al shirt) that Beth would find acceptable (meaning it was gray and not black and yellow).

We wandered around the stadium and pregame tailgates. Wyoming has a lot of statues. A lot. And eventually went inside War Memorial Stadium. At 7,220 feet above sea level, War Memorial Stadium is the highest D1 college football stadium.

We did our usual pregame scouting and analysis and we both picked Wyoming. The pregame schedule listed a flyover so we were both prepared and were positioned to get a good view right at the end of the national anthem. The flyover was a tad late making us wait until well after the national anthem ended and if I did not know it was coming it would have been quite a surprise, but I do love a flyover in any form.

The Game
Wyoming won the toss and deferred. The Wyoming kickoff was a touchback so Nevada began on its own 25. After 3 plays, Nevada was punting from its 18. It would take Wyoming one 53 yard pass, to take a 7-0 lead. A lead that they would never relinquish. Nevada’s second possession was another 3 and out. This time, Wyoming took 7 plays to go 52 yards for the TD and a 14-0 lead. Nevada’s 3rd possession would be another 3 and out. Wyoming would go nowhere on this 3rd drive, losing 8 yards and having to punt. Nevada would then go for its only score of the game, a 9 play 71 yard drive for a 28 yard field goal and it would be 14-3 Wyoming. Wyoming would score 10 more points in the 2Q to lead at halftime 24-3.

Wyoming opened the 3Q with an 8 play 75 yard drive to go ahead 31-3. There would be no more scoring for the rest of the game and Wyoming would have itself a very convincing win.

Postgame Drive
After the game, we did our usual hang around and field logo picture. But we did eventually leave and head out on the 2.5 hour drive to Denver. We both had early flights the next day, me home and Al to Vegas, so the decision had been made awhile back that we would drive and stay by the Denver airport on Saturday night.

Al in his role as navigator decided that this would be the time to take the scenic route,  so we took 287 down into Fort Collins before jumping to the Interstate. It was a scenic drive with vast open spaces of nothingness through very pretty rock.   Lots of animals, not many people and no idea where the houses were. This drive would never be the picture in Oxford’s dictionary.

On the drive, Al was responsible for finding us a steak place to eat at.  Passing all those cows…Hi Debra!

Dinner
We decided against going into downtown Denver and tried to stay close to our airport hotel.  Al determined that Old Hickory Steakhouse located in the Gaylord Rockies Resort was our best option.  We could only get a late reservation, so we did a bit of R&R (watching more college football) at our hotel before heading out. 

I will say that Al picked well.  The steak was cooked perfectly and was excellent.  I will not do a review of Old Hickory because for some reason I was not in good note taking mode on this trip, but this was a most excellent meal.  And highly entertaining as for some reason there was an attempt to convince Target (Beth adds, “Who is Target? LoL”) we were having dinner at Dick Cheney’s lodge.  I think it had something to do with the Wyoming thing. Anyway, a great steak! I will need to look at the rankings page and see if we need a steakhouse section.

Sunday Travel
Sunday morning came and we headed out to the airport for the conclusion of our trip to the Mountain time zone. What we did not expect was the quarter inch thick sheet of ice on the car. We had an inkling Denver was getting bad weather on Sunday, but it was snow we expected, not ice. Ice is not good for flying. But Denver should be good at this.

We returned the Silvercar and arrived at DIA. BTW Silvercar, you need better car return signage. Haley will be pleased to know that DIA has tornado shelters but upset to know that Denver gets tornados. Al and I headed off in different directions until the next Quest trip. I did like his destination though, Vegas baby! After a bit of a delay to go through extensive de-icing, my Southwest flight took off and arrived safely back in New York.

Postscript
Nevada finished the 2019 regular season with a 7-5 record, 4-4 in the Mountain West West, which was good for 3rd place. This earned the Wolfpack a spot in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl where they would lose 30-21 to the Ohio Bobcats.

Wyoming also finished the regular season at 7-5, 4-4 in the Mountain West Mountain division, which was good for 4th place. The Cowboys played in the Arizona Bowl, beating Georgia State 38-17.


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Photo Gallery
For our Wyoming photo album, Please click here. You can view as a collage or run as a slideshow. There are comments to explain what is in the photo but most are self explanatory. Thanks to Google, I can no longer embed the slide show with comments.

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