Wyoming plays at UNLV on Saturday
LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) - Wyoming's defense has seen its fair share of quarterbacks, including backup quarterbacks, this season.
Eastern Michigan backup Brogan Roback, Colorado State backup Collin Hill, Nevada backup Ty Gangi and Utah State backup Damion Hobbs all faced the Cowboys, with only Hill starting the game.
All four backups were successful against the Cowboys to varying degrees.
"You just feel like the next guy comes in (and) sometimes his tempo on things, where he's going to take the ball is going to change, and you kind of get used to a rhythm of one guy and then a new guy comes in and it changes things up a little bit," head coach Craig Bohl said. "It's a challenge."
Wyoming will face another backup Saturday in UNLV's Kurt Palandech.
"He just has a little bit better grasp of the offense," Rebels coach Tony Sanchez said in his weekly news conference. "A little bit more understanding and part of that comes with his maturity and understanding and experience. He's started games before. He's had success before. He's just a lot calmer in those situations, especially when things break down.
"... We have to do a better job of getting away from the breakdowns, making sure that we're running our offense smoothly, and we're not just kind of ad-libbing out there. And I think Kurt gives us the best chance to do that."
Palandech hadn't thrown more than one pass in a game this season before last week. He was 10-of-21 against San Jose State for 161 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He started three of the 11 games he played in last season for UNLV.
"We've watched a lot of tape on all their quarterbacks, and one thing is consistent," Bohl said. "They're all ultra-competitive guys."
UNLV's other quarterbacks, Johnny Stanton and Dalton Sneed, have thrown for 676 yards on 50-of-107 passing with six touchdowns and six interceptions and 632 yards on 39-of-88 passing with five touchdowns and two interceptions, respectively.
"It seems like every time we play them, their quarterback situation is in flux," Wyoming defensive coordinator Steve Stanard told the Casper Star-Tribune (http://bit.ly/2fIjJjY). "We've got to be prepared for whoever, but I know (Barney) Cotton, the offensive coordinator. He and I are lifelong friends, coached together at New Mexico State, Nebraska, and he does what he does offensively. He's a good offensive coach, and he'll put his guys in the best situation to be successful. I don't think you'll see a tremendous change in either style of offense based on who's at quarterback, but what they do with run and pass may be different based on who's on the field."
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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, http://www.trib.com