Nov. 8, 1999

LARAMIE - Wyoming coach Dana Dimel had tried more things than a kid in a candy story to get his football team to go north and south on the field. Mostly, during this season, the Cowboys had been going south when facing north.

So on Saturday night, Dimel climbed into the press box at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. And from his perch on high, Dimel watched as the Cowboys produced a season-high 539 total yards in a 43-29 upset of Utah.

He'll be back on high when the Cowboys host Mountain West Conference leader Brigham Young this Saturday. One doesn't change the socks after such a success.

Dimel is seasoned enough to know he hadn't invented the wheel after the Utah game. He did say:

"I was able to see more of what was happening. Sometimes, when you're on the field, you have to rely on experience and instinct." It helps when your quarterback throws for 349 yards.

It also helps when your two senior wide receivers combine for seven catches worth 171 yards. And it helps when the freshman wideout you moved to running back two weeks ago runs for 60 yards on 12 carries, catches four passes (all inside screens) for another 59 yards and scores two touchdowns.

The Cowboys, with their season hanging in the balance, did not quit on this game or this year.

They could have when Utah, an 8 1/2-point favorite, jumped to a quick 10-0 lead. They could have when Aaron Elling's attempted field goal was blocked and returned 58 in the third quarter to give the Utes a 17-13 lead and heaps of momentum before the home crowd. Yet, the Cowboys (5-3, 2-2) played on.

Wyoming quarterback Jay Stoner seems to have found a rhythm after two months of being hurt and confused. Maybe it does teams no good to play powerhouses like Tennessee. The Bill Snyder method at Kansas State - playing a soft schedule early and working your team into the meat of the season - is the best path. Wyoming, however, with a fan base of fewer than 20,000, must play the money games.

Stoner was hurt early in the second quarter of the season opener at Tennessee and never really recovered until the Colorado State game in late October. His absence, especially in the upset loss to NevadaLas Vegas at home, was crucial. Had the Cowboys not stumbled there, they would be playing the 15th-ranked Cougars (8-1, 5-0) on Saturday for a share of the MWC lead.