Hill runs for 289 yards, 3 TDs; Wyoming beats Nevada 42-34

Brian Hill had career highs with 289 yards rushing and three touchdowns, quarterback Josh Allen ran for two more scores and Logan Wilson intercepted a pass in the final minute to help Wyoming hold off Nevada for a 42-34 win on Saturday night.

The Cowboys (5-2, 3-0 Mountain West) had a season-high 403 yards rushing and improved to 3-0 in conference play for the first time since 1998, their final season in the Western Athletic Conference.

Hill had runs of 20 and 39 yards during a nine-play, 80-yard drive that was capped by Allen's 7-yard TD run that made it 42-27 with 2:52 left.

On their ensuing drive, the Wolfpack (3-5, 1-3) went 75 yards in 2 minutes, 12 seconds and James Butler recovered his own fumble in the end zone to pull within 42-34.

Nevada recovered an onside kick, but on its next play from scrimmage Wilson's interception sealed it.

Allen leads Wyoming past Air Force 35-26

 Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns and the Wyoming defense put the brakes on Air Force's triple option offense as the Cowboys beat the Falcons 35-26 Saturday.

Allen completed 15 of 27 passes for 173 yards for Wyoming (4-2, 2-0 Mountain West). He had TD passes of 17 yards toTanner Gentry, 20 yards to Jake Maulhardt and 32 yards toJacob Hollister.

After the game, Allen lamented a couple of missed throws to wide-open receivers that would have resulted in big gains.

"We played good enough to win even with those few mistakes that I made," he said.

Allen also rushed for 74 yards, including a 34-yard run to set up a TD that iced the win in the final two minutes.

Falcons safety Weston Steelhammer said Allen is a "very dynamic quarterback both on the ground and through the air."

"He made something out of nothing more than once," he said.

Brian Hill contributed 92 yards and a touchdown on the ground for the Cowboys.

Air Force (4-1, 1-1) was led by quarterback Nate Romine, who passed for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Romine was also intercepted three times after entering the game without having thrown an interception on the season.

"I just don't think we were locked in, especially me," Romine said. "That was probably my worst football I've ever played since I've been here."

Wyoming's defense held the Falcons to 149 yards rushing. The Falcons had been averaging 312.8 rushing yards a game.

THE TAKEWAY

AIR FORCE: The Falcons saw their hopes for starting the season 5-0 for the first time since 2003 dashed.

WYOMING: The Cowboys have won four of the last six meetings between the two teams.

The defense has scored in three consecutive games. On Saturday, linebacker D.J. May picked up a fumble by Jacobi Owens on Air Force's 15-yard line and jogged into the end zone. The Cowboys defense has scored four touchdowns off turnovers this season.

Wyoming coach Craig Bohl attributed the opportunistic defense to better speed and athleticism in the unit this year.

"We're ahead of the curve there, and we just got to keep it coming. I know it helps a lot," he said.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Air Force received votes in last week's AP poll after winning its first four games of the season, but the loss to Wyoming likely will result in voters losing interest in the Falcons.

UP NEXT

AIR FORCE: The Falcons will host New Mexico on Saturday, but the game will be played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas as one of the college games during the annual Texas State Fair.

WYOMING: The Cowboys have a bye week before heading to Nevada on Oct. 22.

Hill becomes Wyoming's all-time leading rusher in 38-17 win

 Brian Hill became Wyoming's all-time leading rusher early in the second quarter and the Cowboys beat Colorado State 38-17 in the Mountain West Conference opener for both teams on Saturday night.

Hill, who finished with 166 yards rushing and a touchdown, surpassed Devin Moore (2005-08) for the program record for career rushing yards on a 39-yard run to the 5. That set upShaun Wick's TD run on the next play, cutting Colorado State's lead to 14-10.

Hill added a 49-yard run to the 1 in the third quarter and followed it with his TD run, bulling through two Rams defenders on a second effort to make it 31-17. Wyoming (3-2) capped the scoring on Josh Allen's 18-yard keeper with seven seconds left in the third.

Collin Hill had 370 yards passing for Colorado State (2-3), which led 14-3 before giving way to Wyoming's 35-3 run to finish the game.

Amid protest, Eastern Michigan beats Wyoming 27-24

Protesters gathered near an end zone and marched on the field after Eastern Michigan's 27-24 victory over Wyoming on Friday night, three days after racial graffiti was found spray painted on a campus building.

The students sat peacefully and talked to EMU President James Smith late in the third quarter. They moved outside the end zone area in the closing moments before walking onto the field chanting, "No justice! No peace!" A Wyoming player joined them for a few moments.

The national anthem was played early while the teams were off the field, with the university citing safety and security concerns.

The graffiti was found Tuesday and included the letters "KKK" and a racial epithet. School officials say another racial slur was found Wednesday in a stairwell. Authorities also are investigating after an SUV pushed through a crowd protesting the graffiti Tuesday.

Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton said the protesters didn't seem "aggressive" but were just "inching closer" near the end of the game. He spoke with the referees, and they told him they trusted security to handle the crowd.

Creighton and the Eagles walked onto the field linking arms Friday after meeting Thursday night to discuss "the things that are going on in our country and on our campus.

"And it was a very positive, very deep, very meaningful, respect-filled conversation among our team," he said. "I was super proud of the dialogue we had."

Eastern Michigan (3-1) rallied to win, taking the lead on Ian Eriksen's 15-yard run with 1:35 left.

Brogan Robach, last year's starting quarterback, guided the winning four-play, 47-yard drive in his first action after being suspended for the start of the season. Eriksen, who had 120 yards on 27 carries, scored untouched on a draw play .

Wyoming (2-2) held the lead most of the game, opening the scoring when Marcus Epps intercepted Todd Porter's pass and returned it 66 yards midway through the first quarter. The Cowboys took a 24-20 lead with 12:45 to go when Logan Wilson returned Porter's interception 27 yards.

"The secondary is playing more explosive," Wyoming coach Craig Bohl said. "It is very encouraging to see their play develop."

After the Cowboys built a 17-3 lead, the Eagles, off to their best start since going 3-1 in 1995, tied it at 17 by the half.Breck Turner went 50 yards for his first career score, and Porter found John Niupalau for a 7-yard score 18 seconds before intermission.

Jeremiah Harris blocked a Wyoming field goal attempt in the final minute of the third quarter.

"It was a hard fought game and we knew we were evenly matched," Bohl said, "We had good things happen, but had also had some things happen that need to be corrected."

Wyoming beats UC Davis 45-22

Wyoming running back Brian Hill says he and the offensive line feed off of each other's hard work during a game.

"If I can give them what they need, they can give what I need," Hill said after rushing for 207 yards and two touchdowns in a 45-22 win over UC Davis on Saturday.

It is the sixth time Hill has rushed for more than 200 yards in a game during his three-year college career. He is now ranked third on Wyoming's all-time rushing list.

Hill carried the ball 25 times for an average of 8.3 yards per carry as the Cowboys (2-1) gashed the Aggies defense for 274 rushing yards.

Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes as Wyoming dominated its FCS opponent on both sides of the ball.

"I thought the keys to the game were our ability to control and maintain the line of scrimmage and it got a running game going," Wyoming coach Craig Bohl said.

Allen completed 11 of 15 passes for 198 yards. He had TD passes of 16, 39 and 37 yards to three different receivers.

UC Davis (1-2) was led by Ben Scott, who completed 18 of 31 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with an injury to his left leg. He also had one interception.

THE TAKEAWAY

After throwing five interceptions and fumbling once the previous week at Nebraska, Allen needed to bounce back for his own sake and for the team. On Wyoming's first possession against UC Davis, Allen connected for 17 yards to Jacob Hollister and on a 16-yard TD to Tanner Gentry. Allen lost a fumble in the second quarter that safety Keleen Culberson returned 21 yards for a score.

Allen said he was upset by the fumble that led to a score by the Aggies.

"As an offense we were able to get past that," he said.

He ended the day with no interceptions and no more fumbles while tossing three TD passes.

UC Davis entered the game averaging 504.5 yards of total offense thanks to running back Manusamoa Luuga, who averaged 120.5 yards a game, and Scott, who was averaging 342 yards passing a contest. However, against the Cowboys defense, the yards didn't come so easily as the Aggies managed just 74 yards on the ground and Scott was held to 178 yards total passing.

"Offensively, we couldn't get the run game going," Aggies coach Ron Gould said. "I knew going in they had a really, really good defense. They got us on our heels a little bit."

NOTABLES

Wyoming junior cornerback Rico Gafford had his first interception as a Cowboy and returned it 32 yards to set up Wyoming's second touchdown of the game. Defensive end Carl Granderson had a sack and a forced fumble and has now recorded a sack in each of the three games this season. He is the first defensive lineman at Wyoming to record a sack in his first three games since 1986.

UP NEXT

Wyoming: The Cowboys spend the next two weekends on the road, beginning with a non-conference visit to Eastern Michigan. It will be Wyoming's second game this season against a member of the Mid-American Conference. In the first game this season, the Cowboys beat Northern Illinois 40-34 in triple overtime.

UC Davis: The Aggies open Big Sky Conference play at home next Saturday when they host Weber State. The Aggies and Wildcats are 2-2 in their all-time series with Weber State winning 23-3 last season.

Huskers eye Ducks after routing turnover-prone Wyoming 52-17

Bring on Oregon.

Nebraska tuned up for the No. 24 Ducks with a 52-17 victory over Wyoming, which trailed by seven points late in the third quarter but saw the game get out of control because of Josh Allen's six turnovers, all in the second half Saturday.

Now a Nebraska program trying to regain national relevance can turn its full attention to one of the most anticipated games in Lincoln in years.

"Oregon, they're no joke," said Jordan Westerkamp, who caught two ofTommy Armstrong Jr.'s three touchdown passes and had 105 yards on four receptions. "They're a top program in the entire nation. This will be our first big test. We have to take them extremely serious and have a great week of practice because they're going to come ready to play.

"If we can get a win against Oregon, that'll be huge for our program. On a national level, just beating a team like that should propel us forward in a lot of people's minds."

Nebraska (2-0), which ran on 51 of 64 plays in last week's 43-10 win over Fresno State, relied on the pass against Wyoming (1-1). Armstrong was 20 of 34 for 377 yards, and the Huskers finished with 412 yards through the air after backup Ryker Fyfe played the last two series.

Armstrong set the school career record for touchdown passes, with his 57th coming on a 9-yard pass to Westerkamp in the fourth quarter. The fourth-year starting QB was presented the game ball in the locker room for his accomplishment.

"I couldn't do it without those guys," Armstrong said. "They did a great job making plays - a bunch of catches and yards after contact. We have a lot of season left, and I'm excited about those guys out wide."

Six of Wyoming's last seven second-half possessions ended with turnovers - five interceptions and a bad lateral by Allen that was counted as a fumble - and the Huskers scored 28 points in the fourth quarter.

"There was a tipping point in the game, and sometimes they get away from you. That one did," Cowboys coach Craig Bohl said. "I don't know where the exact tipping point was, but it was after one of those interceptions. The score started getting tough."

Kieron Williams ran back an interception 23 yards for a touchdown, and Nate Gerry picked off two passes.

"I think it's great to be 2-0 going into this game," Nebraska coach Mike Riley said. "The more you win, the more exciting the next game gets. This one, being who they are and what they mean nationally and where we want to go, this is exciting."

THE TAKEAWAY

WYOMING: The Cowboys hung with the Huskers for three quarters, but there was no way Wyoming was going to survive six turnovers - all in the second half. Allen did show flashes, like when he rolled right and threw a perfect strike on a 35-yard pass to Gentry for touchdown on a fourth-and-12 late in the first half.

NEBRASKA: The Huskers put up some big offensive numbers, but they struggled again with personal fouls and other penalties, which could come back to bite them against better opponents. The defense shut down Wyoming star running back Brian Hill - good preparation for Oregon's Royce Freeman next week.

KEY NUMBERS

WYOMING: Gentry had seven catches for 124 yards with one touchdown and now has five career 100-yard games, including two straight.

NEBRASKA: Alonzo Moore had three catches for a career-high 109 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown. The Huskers' five interceptions were the most since they picked off five passes against Idaho in 2010.

UP NEXT

WYOMING: The Cowboys return home to play UC Davis of the FCS Big Sky Conference for the first time. The teams have a one-game contract, with Wyoming paying a $400,000 guarantee.

NEBRASKA: The Huskers' game against Oregon is especially meaningful to Riley, the former Oregon State coach who was 4-10 against the Ducks with his usually-outmanned Beaver teams (1997-98, 2003-14).

LAST WORD

"We went into the fourth quarter down seven. It was within reach. It just didn't happen... Everyone's hurting. I'm hurting. I take this one completely on myself. I didn't put our team in a position to win," Allen said.

Allen's 7-yard TD run lifts Wyoming over N. Illinois in 3OT

Josh Allen eluded three would-be tacklers on a wild touchdown scramble from 7 yards out in the third overtime to lift Wyoming to a 40-34 win over Northern Illinois in a game that began nearly two hours late Saturday night due to thunderstorms and ended early Sunday morning.

Christian Hagan missed a 38-yard field goal wide left at the start of the third overtime for Northern Illinois (0-1).

Brian Hill finished with 125 yards rushing and two touchdowns, including a 5-yarder in the second overtime for Wyoming (1-0). The junior, who was the 8th-leading rusher in the FBS last year, went over 100 yards for the 12th time in his career. Drew Hare's 1-yard scoring run for Northern Illinois forced a third overtime.

At the start of the first overtime, Hare fumbled the snap on 3rd and goal from the 2 and Wyoming's Logan Wilsonrecovered.

Allen's 2-yard scoring toss to Jacob Hollister snapped a 20-all tie late in the third quarter, but Hare led the Huskies on a 77-yard drive, converting a fourth-and-10 before hitting wide-open Shane Wimann for a 19-yard touchdown with 1:13 left in the regulation.

Wyoming freshman Cooper Rothe missed a 48-yard field goal at the end of regulation and 37-yarder at the end of the first overtime.

"It was a phenomenal win," Cowboys coach Craig Bohl said. "We have steps to go, but we're starting to see the stamp of the program we want to have."

Allen, a sophomore who took only 13 snaps last season before suffering a broken clavicle, made his second career start. His winning run came on a third-down, play-action bootleg right, but Ladell Fleming forced him back to the left and Allen spun away from Jawuan Johnson and Sean Folliard, then cut straight up and ended a game that lasted four hours and 14 minutes.

"Coach told me to be smart about it and I probably should have thrown it away," Allen said. "I looked back and our guys were there (to block), cut it back and made a guy miss and found a hole and dived in. Felt great."

Allen finished 19 of 29 for 245 yards and two touchdowns. Hare was 24 of 39 for 329 yards - the fourth-best output of his career - with three touchdowns, and Kenny Golladay had 10 receptions for 144 yards and two TD catches. He also rushed for 82 yards and another score.

The game was delayed one hour, 50 minutes by a series of thunderstorms. Kickoff didn't occur until 10:20 p.m. and the contest ended at 2:34 a.m.

The late start and three-OT affair was an unusual experience, Golladay said.

"It was new for me," he said. "I'm sure just like everybody else, probably. I've never done that. I don't know who has. It was a fun game. It just didn't come out in our favor."

Northern Illinois coach Rod Carey said his team made too many mistakes. "The kids played hard, but we've got a lot to correct," he said. "I think there's enough blame to go around with all the sloppiness there was. Give Wyoming credit. We knew they were going to be improved, and they were everything we thought they were."

Andrew Wingard, who led Wyoming with 12 tackles, twice stopped Golladay at the 2 in the first overtime when it appeared the fleet receiver would score. Mycial Allen led Northern Illinois with 13 stops.

THE TAKEAWAY

NORTHERN ILLINOIS:

Northern Illinois is the winningest team of the Mid-American Conference over the last decade, so last year's 8-6, injury-plagued campaign, capped by a fourth-straight bowl game loss, left the team hungry for a strong start to 2016 and return to form. The Huskies struggled against an inspired Cowboys team that was among the worst in the FBS last year, at least statistically. Hare appears to be fully recovered from a torn Achilles tendon that sidelined him for the final five games of last season, but his fumble at the end of the first overtime was costly.

WYOMING: The Cowboys won only six games in coach Craig Bohl's first two seasons, but this victory was a major step up for the beleaguered program. Bohl has vowed to restore the program "the right way" which might not be the fastest way, but his team made significant strides in the opener, being competitive throughout the whole game, which didn't occur very often last year. The defense looked much quicker and rose to the occasion at several key points, including shutting out the Huskies in two of the three overtimes and stopped seven of eight drives after giving up two first-quarter touchdowns.

UP NEXT

NORTHERN ILLINOIS: The Huskies visit South Florida, the fourth meeting between the schools. The Bulls won the last encounter 27-3 in the final International Bowl, played in Toronto following the 2009 campaign to lead the series 2-1.

WYOMING: The Cowboys travel to Nebraska, which leads the all-time series 7-0, including a 37-34 win in 2013's season opener in Lincoln. Wyoming racked up 602 yards against the No. 18 Cornhuskers and nearly overcame a late 16-point deficit.