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2012 Wyoming Spring Football: What We Learned

The Road — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:13:20 -0000

With the spring season now in the book it is time to look back and reflect. The football team will now have more then three months till their next official practice. Still this was a very productive spring season and was certainly different then the first three under Coach Christensen.

There are many more established starters on this team compared to previous years. Also less players were switching to new positions. Previous spring camps have felt like the team was desperately trying to find someone to fill a position. The QB battle of 2011 is a thing of the past.

Let's recap some highlights and figure out what all happened during this spring season.

OFFENSE

Colby Kirkegaard is a much better quarterback then he was two months ago. With Brett Smith being kept out of contact drills it meant Kirkegaard took a large majority of the snaps behind center. We don't have a quarterback controversy on our hand by any means. But if Kirkegaard needs to come into a game next year I'd expect him to have much more confidence in the offense and himself. The Pokes are going to be thin at QB next year so having a quality backup will be very important if anything happens to Smith.
The offensive line is still a work in progress. Their improved performance last year was a huge reason for the uptick in scoring. Now the hunt continues to find a solid starting five for the offensive line. A healthy Kyle Magnunson will help this fall. If the pass protection drops in 2012 it could spell trouble.

The running backs that were healthy got a decent amount of reps but none of them really shined. Kody Sutton and Brandon Miller were pretty even this spring. Their production did improve over the three scrimmages but not many flashes were shown. The running game will certainly need to step up in August.
The wide receivers may be deeper then we expected. Despite not having Chris McNeill this spring the receiving crew showed some nice progress. James Caraway is transitioning nicely from cornerback and will certainly see the field. Trey Norman and Dominic Rufran also are making progress while heading into their sophomore years. Eric Nzeocha is great athlete who has caught onto to the speed of the game fairly quickly. Adding Trent Sewell to this group will add some further depth.

DEFENSE

This is basically the same roster on defense as last year but they are performing way better under Chris Tormey. The new DC loves to mix things up and threw a lot at the offense this spring. The vanilla defense of English is gone. You will still see a standard 4-3 but the Pokes will also work out of a 3-3-5 and 4-2-5. There are numerous blitz packages and Tormey hasn't even installed the entire defense yet.
Depth on defense is impressive. The defensive line and secondary are loaded. Some people are concerned about the linebackers but not me. J.J. Quinlan stepped up at MLB with Oliver Schober hurt. Quinlan is a tackling machine and earned himself a scholarship. Zack Berg had an impressive spring at OLB and will get playing time as a backup and at special teams. Don't forget that Ghaali Muhammad will also be playing linebacker in the fall when he is healthy.
Mark Nzeocha is a scary freak of nature at safety. At 6-3 220lbs he has 3 inches and 25lbs on the next biggest player in the secondary. Yet his speed allows him to cover anyone on the field. He is going to make some noise in 2012.
The defensive line is stocked right now and that will get even deeper when the new recruits join the team this summer. It seems like the team has adjusted well after losing Gabe Knapton and Josh Biezuns. Den Durbin has done well in his move to defensive end. Kurt Taufa'asua had a fantastic camp at defensive tackle.

It is amazing that last year the defense performed so poorly but now they look miles ahead of the offense. Great to see them improve so quickly under Tormey. There is some concern for the offense but having a healthy Brett Smith will make the offense improve dramatically.

Here is a video with some highlights from the Spring game. Feel free to post your thoughts and the team as they head into the off-season. Any thing I missed or other concerns you have?

2012 Wyoming Spring Football: Gold Team Wins 20-7

The Road — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:57:37 -0000

The 2012 spring football season is now complete after the annual Brown and Gold game capped off 15 practices. The Gold team lead the entire way in the 20-7 victory. I was predicting a victory by the White team but was certainly wrong. The real stars of the day were the defense on both sides of the ball. The depth and athleticism for the defense was a huge factor in this game.

First off though, why is the spring game called the "Brown and Gold" game but the teams are White and Gold?

Colby Kirkegaard took every single snap for the Pokes since Brett Smith was not competing in scrimmages. Kirkegaard finished 28 of 47 for 324 yards including two touchdowns and two interceptions. He must have been exhausted by never getting a series off. I'm sure that probably didn't help his performance by getting no rest or chance to talk strategy with the coaches between series. He did well with the short passes but missed several deep routes that could have gone for touchdowns. At halftime Kirkegaard was honored as the most improved offensive back for the spring.

The running backs also played for each team due to smaller numbers on the roster. Kody Sutton led the team with 41 yards on eight attempts. Brandon Miller ran 10 times for 32 yards. Zaquoya Parham had two carries for four yards but also had a fumble that was recovered by Marqueston Huff of the White team.

The biggest star of the day on offense was Dominic Rufran who had six catches for 112 yards and one touchdown for the Gold team. This was by far his best performance of the spring. James Caraway had five catches for the Gold team but only gained 14 yards. The White team was led by Trey Norman who had three catches for 52 yards including a thirty three yard touchdown. Robert Herron caught two passes for 33 yards.

The Gold team was leading 13-7 in the fourth quarter. That is when Kenny Browder of the white team intercepted Kirkegaard and returned it thirty four yards for a touchdown. That made the score 20-7 and it stayed that way. Darrenn White of the white team had a 41 yard interception return in the first half that setup a Daniel Sullivan field goal attempt of 41 yards that was missed wide right.

J.J. Quinlan led both teams with 11 tackles. Marqueston Huff had six tackles and a fumble recovery, Blair had five tackles. Zack Berg, Alex Borgs and Patrick Mertens each one sack. Safety Mark Nzeocha had five tackles and got rave reviews from Coach Christensen after the game.

"I think you saw that today with some great hits out there. I really noticed Mark Nzeocha today. I'm really pleased with his progress. There aren't a lot of 6-4, 230-pound safeties that can move like he can. He's the one guy who really stood out to me.

Here is the full list of spring award winners:

MOST IMPROVED

Specialist -- Daniel Sullivan, sophomore place-kicker
Offensive Lineman -- Daniel Fleischman, sophomore offensive tackle
Receiver -- Robert Herron, junior wide receiver
Offensive Back -- Colby Kirkegaard, junior quarterback
Defensive Lineman -- Kurt Taufa'asau, senior defensive tackle
Linebacker -- Zack Berg, redshirt freshman linebacker
Defensive Back -- Mark Nzeocha, sophomore safety

EARN YOUR SPURS - "Extra Effort"

QB - Colby Kirkegaard

QB/WR - Josh Smith

LB - Zack Berg

S - Mark Nzeocha

Coach Christensen also announced that walk-on LB J.J, Quinlan and QB/WR Josh Smith will both be put on scholarship. Both have had solid springs and worked very hard the last couple years to earn their scholarships. Great to see their hard work payoff.

We will more thoughts on the entire spring football season and insight on the 2012 season this week. Here are the full list of stats from the spring game.

Wyoming To Draft Teams For Annual Spring Football Game

The Road — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 13:00:40 -0000

The Brown and Gold game takes place on April 21st at War Memorial Stadium. Coach Christensen broke down the rules for the spring game and how teams will be determined.

"We will draft teams for the Spring Game," Christensen added. "Our plan is to play four quarters, probably with a running clock except for the last two minutes of each half. We’ll score it like a regular game. The quarterbacks and running backs will play for both squads since we have some injured guys sitting out the spring at those two positions."

That got me thinking about how I would build a team if I was in charge of drafting a team. Christensen didn't go into specifics about the draft but let's say it is a basic draft where each team gets one pick per round. None of that second team gets two picks in the first round junk.

Forget the NFL draft and all that talk about Andrew Luck and RGIII. We've got more important things to figure out here.

The big question is: Who would you take with the #1 pick in the Wyoming Spring Football Draft??????

We breakdown some of the contenders and let you make the pick.

With the quarterbacks and running backs and playing for each team it makes the process somewhat easier. With so many injuries to starters the pool of athletes is smaller right now. So basically you can pick from any player that is healthy and has played this spring. Check out the spring depth chart if you want to glance at the roster.

Here are some of the top candidates for the first pick.

WR Robert Herron - With quarterbacks and running backs playing for the both sides the difference makers on offense will either be a receiver or a linemen. Herron is not only the most experienced receiver available, he has also been the most consistent this spring. With the lack of depth at WR grabbing Herron would help give your offense an edge.

C Nick Carlson - If you want to make sure your offense runs smoothly then grabbing Nick Carlson will be the way to go. Locking down the veteran center will ensure quality snaps and great chemistry with Colby Kirkegaard. There isn't much depth on the offensive line right now and grabbing Carlson would be a great anchor.

LG Tyler Strong - If you decided to pass on Carlson but still wanted to get some quality protection on the line then look no further then left guard Tyler Strong. He was All Mountain West Honorable Mention as a sophomore.

There is a lot more depth on defense which will give us more players to consider.

DT - Mike Purcell - If you want to secure the trenches and grab a veteran tackle then three starter Mike Purcell is your man. He has been having a solid spring so far.

DT Kurt Taufa'asua - If you wanted to go with the hot-hand then Taufa'asua is your pick for defense tackle. He has had a breakout camp and played at a much higher level this spring.

DE Ben Durbin - Since the d-line has plenty of depth at tackle and you wanted to gain an advantage on the edge then you may consider Durbin. He has had a strong spring at end after moving over from tackle. Knowing there is plenty of depth at defensive tackle may it worth grabbing Durbin early to fill that spot.

MIKE LB J.J. Quinlan - This guy has endured plenty but he is now healthy and having an incredible spring that really came out of nowhere. Quinlan has been among the leading tacklers in each of the first two scrimmages and this middle linebacker is a hard hitter at 6-1 238.

WILL LB Korey Jones - If you want some speed and versatility in an outside linebacker then Korey Jones is your guy. He can help in pass rush and run stopping or drop back in coverage if needed.

CB Blair Burns - The freshmen All-American has been the most consistent performer in the secondary. He has shown how he became the top cornerback on the team as a freshmen. Burns has had a very strong spring and you can almost take away one side of the field by grabbing him.

Your turn: Vote in the poll and tell me in the comments who you would draft. What kind of strategy would you use when picking your team?

Think I left anyone out who could be a top pick? Let me know!

It would great if all the players got dressed up in suits and were to walk up on a big stage after they are picked for this draft. Pose for a few pictures, shake hands with a coach and then get interviewed by Rich Eisen or Kevin McKinney. Whoever is available that day.

Poll

Who would take with first pick of the Wyoming Cowboy football draft?

Robert Herron

11 votes

Nick Carlson

18 votes

Tyler Strong

1 votes

Mike Purcell

8 votes

Kurt Taufa'asua

10 votes

Ben Durbin

2 votes

J.J. Quinlan

32 votes

Korey Jones

6 votes

Blair Burns

13 votes

Other

9 votes

110 votes | Poll has closed

Breaking Down The Wyoming Cowboys Spring Football Depth Chart

The Road — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:28:59 -0000

After seeing the team compete in the first scrimmage the football staff was able to create the first new depth chart since December. The Pokes still have another two scrimmages left this spring and then the depth chart may shuffle again. Now we can see who has made an impact so far this spring and moved up at their position.

Here is the full PDF of the depth chart.

Injured players are listed at the bottom of the depth chart, so don't freak out to see Brett Smith listed as the #3 QB. This depth chart is based on roster of active and healthy players.

Here are a few highlights that we noted.

OFFENSE

Brandon Miller is the #1 RB and is followed by Kody Sutton and Tedder Easton. Easton got the most reps in the first scrimmage. None of the running backs had a great performance in week one. We will certainly watch them closely in tommorow's scrimmage.
Eric Nzeocha is listed a starter at WR right now with Chris McNeill out. Great progress for the young German.
TE T.J. Smith is not listed on the depth chart. He is still listed on the roster. After playing a significant role in the second half of the 2010 season we've seen diminished playing time for Smith.
Washington sophomores making impact on the right side of the offensive line. Daniel Fleischman is healthy and is listed as the starting right tackle. Travis Brogard is holding down the starting guard spot. Fleischman will battle with Kyle Magunson when the senior is healthy.

DEFENSE

Kenny Browder is listed ahead of Luke Anderson at free safety. The two seniors from Texas could be on the field at the same time as Tormey has used a 3-3-5 scheme multiple times.
Mark Nzeocha is the starting strong safety with Luke Ruff out. At 6-3 220lbs Nzeocha presents a dangerous player in the secondary. His learning curve will determine how much playing time he will see.
J.J. Quinlan is the starting MLB with Oliver Schober injured. Quinlan has made a number of nice plays this spring and I am very excited for the depth at this position this year. He and Schober are very hard hitters.
Ben Durbin seems to be doing well in his move to defensive end and is the #1 left end. Coming off the edge seems to work better for the 6-3 272lb senior who used to play defensive tackle.
Sonny Puletasi is holding the #1 right end spot with highly rated redshirt freshmen Eddie Yarbrough listed as second.
Junior defensive end Mark Willis is not listed on the depth. His name was shown in the first spring scrimmage though he didn't record any stats. Willis has been a backup at defensive end the last two seasons.
Kurt Taufa'asua is the starting right defensive tackle. He had a huge game in the first scrimmage. Former starter Patrick Mertens is second on the depth chart.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Daniel Sullivan and Tim Gleeson are your respective starters at kicker and punter. No big surpise there. Stuart Williams is the backup at both positions.
Kickoff returners are Trey Norman and Dominic Rufran. Punt returners are Blair Burns and Rufran.

The second spring scrimmage takes place at War Memorial Stadium on Wednesday April 11th. We will post up the results after it is completed.

Reaction to the passing of Ruben Narcisse

The Road — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:00:31 -0000

Like a bolt out of the blue the news struck on Monday that a car accident involving four University of Wyoming football players had turned fatal for freshman LB Ruben Narcisse, 19. These events are truly hard to write about because just thinking about the bright future of Narcisse that ended so quickly really gets to me. As a new father I could not fully grasp what his family is going through right now.

Imagine your 2,000 miles away from home and finally out on your own, your first college football game is a win and then you have a long weekend to enjoy that victory and take in the college lifestyle. One split second event can shatter all of this euphoria that has been building over the last few weeks.

The thing is we've all been in a similar situation, driving late at night is risky and anything can happen. There are countless times in our lives where a split second decision can have lasting impacts positive for negative.

Here are a few stories from around the country with details:

A must read from Greg Aumen of TampaBay.com who got to know Ruben during his recruitment by USF. Even though he went to Wyoming the two kept in touch and Aumen helped him with an assignment that required he contact a journalist.

Some insight into Ruben as a student with comments from his English Professor.
A detailed report of the accident according to the Colorado State Troopers that first arrived at the scene. Out of respect for the family I won't post those details here.
C.J. Morgan was in seriouscondition after the crash and airlfited to Loveland. He is still listed in fair condition and there have no further updates on the extent of his injuries or his condition.

J.J. Quinlan was in the wreck and has been releasedfrom the hospital. He was actually roommates with Narcisse and is "shaken up but physically ok. Quinlan and Coach Christensen are both natives of Everett, WA.
Two updates from ESPN blog writers that can't fact check: you can't be in Colorado and NORTH of the Wyoming border. Andrea Adelson lists Narcisse as a wide receiver after linking to another ESPN articles him correctly as a linebacker.

Texas Coach Mack Brown released a statement about the accident:

"Our hearts pour out to the University of Wyoming community, its football program and especially the families involved in the tragic accident that happened earlier today. It's such a sad day to see a life taken so early. Our thoughts go out to Ruben’s family, and we pray for them and the families of the injured young men."

The Cowboys travel to Austin to face the Longhorns this Saturday. I can say for certain that I am not a fan of the University of Texas and probably never will be. However, I will say this about Texas and their fans. They have been incredibly supportive of Wyoming during this tragic event and have posted their heartfelt thoughts on this blog as well as numerous Wyoming message boards. For that I say "Thank you Texas".

Tragedy strikes Wyoming Football team: One player died, three others injured in early morning auto accident

The Road — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 22:20:05 -0000

LB Ruben Narcisse

Breaking news out of Wyoming indicates that four football players were involved in one car accident at 5:27 am this morning. The University of Wyoming Football team has cancelled their weekly Monday press conference and the Athletic department should be releasing a statement this afternoon.

The vehicle was a 2005 Toyota Tundra and the Colorado State Patrol confirmed that one of the four passengers died but would not confirm any of the passengers were UW students or student athletes.

Early reports from KGWN in Cheyenne indicate that freshman LB Ruben Narcisse of Miami, FL was killed in the accident. Freshman WR CJ Morgan was also involved in the car as well as two walk on's.

One source says no alcohol was involved and that the Wyoming football team had a team meeting with counselors early this afternoon. The source also says two of the passengers were okay, and that a third was airlifted and may lose an arm.

The Accident took place on Highway 287 that runs from Fort Collins, CO to Laramie and is shortcut that drivers use when they want to avoid I-25. The road is a twisty one that is very scenic but can also be very dangerous for drivers. Two lane most of the way drivers make poor decisions when passing other vehicles on a road where conditions can change quickly.

Image courtesy of the Coloradoan

This is a truly tragic event for the family of Ruben Narcisee and his family. After only being on campus for a month this is travesty to happen to a young man with so much in not just football but also his life after school.

Update - The University of Wyoming has now released a statement detailing the accident.

One University of Wyoming student was killed and three were injured Monday when the vehicle they were in went off Highway 287 in Colorado shortly before 5:30 a.m.

Killed was Ruben Narcisse, 19, of Miami, Fla. Injured were Trey Fox, 19, of Glenwood Springs, Colo.; C.J. Morgan, 18, of Aurora, Colo.; and J.J. Quinlan, 19, of Everett, Wash.

The four were in a Toyota Tundra pickup traveling north approximately six miles south of the Wyoming state line when the driver of the vehicle apparently fell asleep at the wheel, according to the Colorado State Patrol. Colorado State Patrol spokesman Sgt. John Hahn said there is no evidence that drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash.

Narcisse and Morgan were taken to the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colo. Morgan remains in the hospital there in fair condition.

Quinlan and Fox were taken to Ivinson Memorial Hospital, in Laramie, Wyo., where they were treated and released.

All students involved in the accident are on the UW football team.

"The loss of any student saddens us immeasurably," UW President Tom Buchanan says. "My condolences go out to Ruben’s family and friends. The entire university community grieves his loss."

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ruben’s family," Athletics Director Tom Burman said. "Our thoughts are also with the students who were involved in the accident and their families as well. Sadly, this athletics department has experienced this kind of loss before, and we know how difficult it is for all involved."

Counseling support is being offered by University Counseling Center professionals, who are available to speak to team members and coaching staff, as well as any UW student who seeks counseling support.

"We’re reaching out to our entire team and coaching staff," Coach Dave Christensen said. "It’s a terrible tragedy, and a terrible loss. Our focus now is helping our team and staff deal with this tragedy and making sure the families of the young men involved know that we are here to support them in any way we can."

This event happens just short of 9 years from another tragic accident that killed eight Wyoming Cross Country runners on the same stretch of road. These events are never expected and never easy to handle. Our thoughts are with family of all the players involved especially Ruben Narcisse.

Wyoming Football Player Dies In Car Accident

Jeremy Mauss — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 22:17:49 -0000

Some very terrible news today coming from the Wyoming football program as one of their players died in a car accident early this morning:

CHEYENNE - University of Wyoming freshman linebacker Ruben Narcisse, 19, died early Monday morning in an automobile accident on U.S. Highway 287 south of Laramie.

Three other UW football players were in the vehicle: freshman receiver C.J. Morgan, 18, freshman cornerback Trey Fox, 19, and redshirt freshman linebacker J.J. Quinlan, 19.

The Colorado State Patrol said the accident happened shortly before 5:30 a.m. at mile maker 382, about six miles south of the Wyoming border. The vehicle was a 2005 Toyota Tundra. Colorado State Patrol spokesman Sgt. John Hahn said that alcohol or drugs were not a factor in the crash.

The driver of the vehicle apparently fell asleep at the wheel.

Narcisse and Morgan were taken to Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colo. Morgan remains there in fair condition.

Football means nothing compared to this tragic event.

UPDATE: Our Wyoming site Cowboys Altitude has some more information on the site of the accident which apparently is a stretch of road that has had over thirty fatalities since 1998.