Questions? Questions? Questions! Answers?

After Saturday’s heartbreaking 34-33 loss at Wyoming, there are all kinds of questions and opinions being asked and offered. The sad, absolute fact is that we lost by one point.

The encouraging thing to me, after so many things had gone wrong, was the amazing 99-yard TD march with just a minute left in the game. Whatever you may feel about the 2-point try, think back to the game at Nevada in 2012. In that one, Rocky’s call for a 2-point was hailed as brilliant because we won. The gamble was the same; the result was different.

Right now the important thing is for our Aztecs to be focused on winning their home game Saturday against an unpredictable Colorado State. The Rams are 6-5 and hot off a big offensive win over New Mexico, 49-31. Two of their losses were to a very good Colorado and Minnesota from the Big 10. In the MW, they lost tough ones to Boise State, 28-23, and Air Force, 49-46. For direct comparison, they lost to Wyoming, 38-17, playing at home.

The Rams are a very good offensive team, with a well-balanced attack -- 2,520 yards passing; 2,385 rushing. They started the season with a brilliant QB in true Freshman 6-5 Collin Hill, who already had passed for 1,096 yards before he tore his ACL against Utah State and is out for the season.  But Nick Stevens, a 6-3 Junior, has stepped in smoothly and has thrown for 1,281 yards, with 64.3% accuracy.

Running the ball, they don’t match our Pumphrey-Penny-Washington trio, but they do have three good backs. Dalyn Dawkins has run for 698 yards; Izzy Matthews, 602; and Freshman Marvyn Kasey, 486, averaging 6.1 a carry.

Questions for this game: Will our Aztec pass defense get back to its old form or let another good passer duplicate Wyo’s Josh Allen and his 282-yard effort? And will our usually impregnable run defense do better than the 205 yards run up by the Cowboys, with Brian Hill leading the way with 131 yards and not one yard lost in 31 carries?

Better be there to find out. 10-2 would be a nice way to end the regular season! With 7-1 in winning the West Division title of the MW. Kick-off is at 6:00 pm.

Rashaad Penny and Juwan Washington both returned KOs for TDs vs. Wyoming. It was the first time in Aztec history that multiple kicks were returned for TDs in the same game. Fifth career KOR TD for Penny (Aztec record); first for Washington (photos by Ernie Anderson)

 GO AZTECS!