Seeing an unbeaten team go down is one thing. Seeing them lose on a safety in the final minutes is something else.
That’s what happened to the previously 7-0 and thirteenth-ranked Boise State Broncos Saturday, though. In a road game at Wyoming, they were tied at 28 inside the final two minutes and had the ball, but Cowboys’ defensive end Chase Appleby’s strip-sack of Broncos’ quarterback Brett Rypien in the end zone led to the ball rolling out of bounds for a safety. Here’s the play:
.@ChaseAppleby with the strip sack and the ball goes out of the endzone for a safety! Pokes 30, #13 Boise State 28! 1:25 left! #GoWyo pic.twitter.com/Dvpclf6kHr
— Wyoming Cowboy Football (@wyo_football) October 30, 2016
The Broncos were hoping for an incomplete pass call there, but it was ruled a fumble and a safety on the field, so conclusive evidence would have been needed to overturn that, and it didn’t seem forthcoming. What was conclusive was this impressive safety dance from Cowboys’ defensive end Josiah Hall:
The Wyoming Safety Dance! pic.twitter.com/RtuhgYn7hZ
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) October 30, 2016
Wyoming then picked up a first down on the ensuing possession to pull off the 30-28 win, and their players started doing celebratory flips:
Missed em, but RT @insomniacslounj @cjzero did you get the back handsprings in celebration? pic.twitter.com/3oJlryV4I3
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) October 30, 2016
This is a huge win for the Cowboys, who improved to 6-2 with the victory and now led the Mountain West’s Mountain Conference and control their own destiny in their quest for a conference title. They haven’t had a winning season since 2011, haven’t won a conference title since winning the WAC in 1993, and had never beaten Boise State before. That’s worth dancing about for sure. They should just make sure to be careful:
[CJ Fogler on Twitter]