Wyoming Football: 3 takeaways from the win over New Mexico State

Nico Evans ready to break out and turn heads for Wyoming this year

For the past three years, Nico Evans has basically been buried on the Wyoming depth chart. It made sense when he was a freshman and sophomore, as the Cowboys rode Brian Hill on the ground. Last year, though, the Pokes were listless in their ground game as they struggled to find a successor for Hill.

Given how he performed against New Mexico State on Saturday night, it is amazing that Evans was handed the ball for only 11 carries over the entirety of the 2017 season. He broke out as the feature back for the Cowboys in Week 0, ensuring that Wyoming opened the year with an eye-opening win to effectively head into the post-Allen era.

In the first half, Evans posted 14 carries for 86 yards and a touchdown. He consistently helped move the ball downfield, as he added a 10-yard reception before halftime. His production in the passing game wasn’t dramatic, but Evans remained a force on the ground in the second half. Midway through the third quarter, he ripped off a 56-yard touchdown run for his second score of the game.

It was an impressive display from the backfield by a player that had previously been buried on the depth chart. Nico Evans asserted his place atop the pecking order at running back for Wyoming, finishing the night with 190 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. His reception put him at an even 200 yards on 25 touches for the night before ceding the backfield to backups Jevon Bigelow and Xazavian Valladay.

While those two performed respectably, Evans is going to remain the catalyst on the ground as Wyoming sets themselves up as a potential dark-horse contender in the MWC Mountain this season.