And there was much wet
During the drizzle, gripping the ball became tenuous. Jamaal Williams coughed up just his second career lost fumble. Passes squeezed through receiver’s hands like they were oiled grapes.
Both teams went 0-7 on third downs to start the game as defenses traded punches. The Cougars had the advantage in field position, but couldn’t make any progress through the mud. Wyoming’s bell-ringer at running back, Brian Hill, was mysteriously held out the first quarter. Without him, linebacker Fred Warner and, uh, mostly defensive player Harvey Langi were tackling everything in brown and yellow.
But even with Jamaal rumbling, the weather allowed the Cowboys to stack the box on BYU football. The momentum hovered, daring either team to seize it.
Wyoming blinked first. Specifically, their punter blinked, and at the worst time.