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Utah looks to avoid emotional letdown against Wyoming

Oct 11, 2008 - 10:18 AM (13) Utah (6-0) at Wyoming (2-4), 2:00 pm EDT

LARAMIE, Wyoming (Ticker) -- Eleven months may not have done much to change the fates of Mountain West Conference rivals Utah and Wyoming.

The 13th-ranked Utes try to keep their unbeaten season alive Saturday when they visit the Cowboys.

As was the case last season, Utah (6-0, 2-0 Mountain West) is in contention for a conference title while Wyoming 2-4, 0-3) is struggling just to stay out of the basement.

But that did not stop Wyoming head coach Joe Glenn from guaranteeing an upset victory before last year's tilt in Salt Lake City in what proved to be a case of misplaced optimism. The Utes erupted for 505 yards of total offense and scored 30 second-quarter points en route to a 50-0 blowout.

The game took an ugly turn in the third quarter, when Utah coach Kyle Whittingham called for an onside kick with his team holding a 43-0 lead. The move clearly did not sit well with Glenn, who was caught on television making an inappropriate gesture to the Utah sideline.

Both coaches later apologized for their respective actions. This year, Wyoming would love nothing more than to play spoiler for a Utah squad chasing a BCS bowl berth.

The Cowboys have scored a total of just three points in three conference games this season, including shutouts at the hands of eighth-ranked Brigham Young and New Mexico.

On the first play from scrimmage of last week's 24-0 loss to the Lobos, Cowboys quarterback Karsten Sween threw an interception that was returned 13 yards for a touchdown.

The Utes, meanwhile, have had little trouble putting points on the board. They enter this contest averaging 37.2 points per game.

But the Utes are coming off a close call from last weekend, when they nearly squandered a double-digit lead in a 31-28 triumph over Oregon State.

Utah's Brian Johnson quarterbacked two scoring drives in the final 2:11 of the game to rally the Utes.