WYOMING COWBOYS VS. COLORADO STATE RAMS
Location: Laramie, Wyoming (War Memorial Stadium)
Date/Time: Saturday, October 25th at 5:30 p.m. (Mountain Time)
Television: CBSSN
Streaming: CBS Sports App
Radio: KOWB 1290 AM/95.1 FM/KOWB App (Cowboy Sports Network)
Head-to-Head: In one of the most storied rivalries west of the Mississippi River, the Cowboys and Rams have met an astonishing 116 times prior to Saturday’s contest. Colorado State leads the series 60-51-5, winning last year’s game 24-10 in Fort Collins.
However, the Pokes have won seven of the last nine meetings dating back to 2016.
TALE OF THE TAPE
Wyoming: 3-4 (1-2 in MW); CSU: 2-5 (1-2 in MW)
Mountain West vs. Mountain West
WYO: Head Coach Jay Sawvel (2nd Full Year, 6-13 Overall Record)
CSU: Interim Head Coach Tyson Summers (1st Game as Acting Head Coach, 0-0 Career Record)
Last Week
WYO: Lost to Air Force 24-21 in Colorado Springs. Two fourth-quarter turnovers put the Pokes in a tough spot to climb out of after out-gaining the Falcons in total yardage, 409 to 363. QB Kaden Anderson threw for 211 yards and had one of his most efficient games of 2025, finishing with a completion rate of 79%. Running backs Terron Kellman and Samuel Harris combined for 166 yards and two touchdowns.
CSU: Lost to Hawai’i at home, 31-19. The Rainbow Warriors outperformed Colorado State by a wide margin, nearly finishing with 200 more yards of offense via a stupendous effort by UH QB Micah Alejado. Ram QB Jackson Brousseau produced an average performance at best, throwing for 176 yards, but only completing 51.7% of his passes.
What Allows Wyoming to Win Saturday?
Be prepared for some tricks up the Rams’ sleeve and a rejuvenated program.
One would think that, fresh off firing its head coach, a program would fall into disarray and serve as a doormat for the rest of the season.
But we have seen time and time again how teams actually rally together to produce one of, if not, their best performance of the year.
UCLA after DeShaun Foster.
Virginia Tech after Brent Pry.
You could go on and on.
A new voice can liven up the locker room and ignite a spark that has been absent for some time.
Yes – Colorado State played quite poorly to start the year with a narrow four-point win over FCS Northern Colorado and a 17-point loss to Washington State.
But when the Rams are playing well, they have shown that they can compete with the upper echelon of the Mountain West—scoring 24 points against a red-hot San Diego State team, winning by 28 over a Mountain West contender in Fresno State, and being competitive with a vastly-improved Hawai’i.
For Wyoming to elevate its chances of winning the biggest game of the year in Laramie, it will need to make Jackson Brousseau win the game. The Rams have some great talent in the backfield with Jalen Dupree and Lloyd Avant, along with wideout Armani Winfield and tight end Rocky Beers on the perimeter.
But Brousseau has yet to throw for 200+ yards in a single game since taking over for newly departed QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi. The sophomore out of Lehi (UT) has been thrust into an unsavory position, and the Pokes should make sure with all of their effort that he feels the heat at War Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.
If they can do that and pour water on any early-game, new-dawn, rise-from-the-dead energy, then Wyoming should find a way to reach .500 once again with a 4-4 record.
What Allows Colorado State to Win Saturday?
Play loose and fast on both sides of the ball against an offensively inept Wyoming club.
With interim head coach Tyson Summers taking over for the ousted Jay Norvell, there is no reason for the Rams to play conservatively. As alluded to above, they have punched above their record against some formidable Mountain West opponents and caused many in the fanbase and media to reevaluate what they can do for the rest of 2025.
A bowl game seems like a distant dream with UNLV and Boise State remaining on the schedule. However, there is no reason that they can’t scratch and claw their way towards a respectable end to an otherwise tumultuous campaign.
Wide receiver Armani Winfield is a surefire option 1A along the hashes, and freshman running back Jalen Dupree has been a welcome impact player.
It has been documented by myself and others who follow the Cowboys, but Wyoming’s offense has been stagnant, to put it nicely. Against an Air Force defense that has allowed more than 45 points on numerous occasions, the Pokes were only able to manage 21, a season-best for the Falcons.
If Colorado State can find a way to score north of 25 points, it wouldn’t surprise me if they find a way to pull out the win in Laradise.
Who Pulls Out The Win?
While all of the headlines have been focused on Colorado State’s staff adjustments, Wyoming didn’t stand pat either, relieving offensive coordinator Jay Johnson of his play-calling duties and inserting wide receivers coach Jovon Bouknight.
Does this mean that Kaden Anderson and the Pokes will suddenly be flying down the field going up tempo?
I wouldn’t bank on that, but this will serve as an audition for the beloved Cowboy alum if he has any interest in the full-time position.
And to no one’s shock, the site of this rivalry game makes a massive difference.
If this game was in Fort Collins, I would take the Rams.
But, this game is in Laramie.
No hail, rain, or snow is in the forecast, but the magic of War Memorial Stadium always remains.
Give me Wyoming to gut out an emotional win after an emotional week for both programs.
Petterson’s Prediction: Wyoming to Win Outright, Wyoming to Cover, and Take the Under.
FanDuel Odds: Wyoming -4.5, Total of 47.5
Wyoming Cowboys 24 – Colorado State Rams 17
Let us at the Mountain West Connection know your prediction for the 117th Border War in the comments!
