Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
LARAMIE, Wyo. — For the longest time, BYU and Wyoming were seemingly inseparable as sibling rivals through four conferences, 79 games, multiple generations, and the turn of the century prior to the Cougars' departure from the Mountain West in 2011.
But days before the Cougars' first trip to Laramie in 15 years, the restless Pokes were stirring — and for once, it wasn't over how to best "welcome" their heated historic rivals to the west to War Memorial Stadium.
"To make matters even worse, four teams have left the Mountain West Conference including Wyoming's archnemesis and Border War rival Colorado State," said Cody Tucker, a Wyoming native and lead writer/publisher of 7220Sports.com. "So not only are the Cowboys 0-2, but we all got to watch those guys take a victory lap all day long. It's been a bitter pill to swallow.
"Wyoming fans went from having that game circled and couldn't wait to get BYU back here, and it's still going to be a sellout, it's still going to be hopping, and have everything you can ever imagine. But there's no question that right now, the luster is a little off — and rightfully so."
Tucker joined the KSL.com Rocking Royal podcast ahead of Saturday's 7 p.m. MT kickoff to discuss the history of the BYU-Wyoming rivalry, the Pokes' 0-2 start to the season after last week's 17-13 home loss to FCS Idaho, and the future of Wyoming and the Mountain West Conference thrown into upheaval.
He also talked about 7220 Sports, which he founded after returning to his home state following a deep journalism career covering Michigan State football in the Big Ten and the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL before moving back to cover the Pokes with news, analysis and interviews with figures like late college football coach, former BYU rugby player and Cody, Wyoming, native Mike Leach.
Listen to it all in the podcast player below, or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts.
