Wyoming spring football highlights: The rush

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) – It’s no secret that the Cowboys under head coach Craig Ball have been and will always be a top team.

While they lost last year’s leading rusher in Titus Sven, the back room is pretty much stocked for the upcoming fall. One notable addition was Northern Illinois transfer Harrison Whaley, who said he feels at home with the other linebackers.

“They brought me alone, welcomed me with open arms and that’s all. DQ is really shifty, Davai is between the shifty cage and heavy, and the other guys who they are, we all build each other up. I like that they teach me things that I can probably do in the game. So I can put it in my arsenal if I need it or if I need it, Whaley said.

The Pokes ranked in the top third of FBS schools last year in rushing yards per game at 44th; they were also third in the Mountain West in that category. However, a large part of this production was fired from Swen. He accounted for nearly half of the team’s rushing yards and exactly half of their rushing touchdowns last season, but there are three guys waiting in the wings who have shown they can make the most of their touches.

Last year with the Huskies, Waylee rushed for 899 yards at a clip of 5.4 yards per carry while scoring 5 touchdowns; he joins forces with returning quarterbacks Dwayne McNeely (5.7 YPC in 2022) and DQ James (8.7 YPC).

As experienced guys in Laramie, McNeely and James are confident that next year’s ground attack could be something special.

“Best in the country. Best in the country, we’re really there. We’ve got the guys to get it done, everybody’s buying into the program. We’ve got all the intangibles and everything we need to do , to just go out there and do it,” McNeely said.

“It is different. It’s a lot of us, but I feel like we’re going to have a big challenge against rivals and things like that. Because not so many opponents have seen our running back in action. So this year is going to be a big year,” James said.

Next week’s edition of “Focus Points” will cover rushing defense.

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