Over the past three seasons, Wyoming Football has risen to become one of the consistent contenders in the Mountain West Conference.  A large part of the credit for that resurgence in Cowboy Football goes to the members of the 2018 senior class.
     
This year's senior class is a special group of players, who developed themselves into one of the most successful senior classes in University of Wyoming Football history.
     
Wyoming's climb to a prominent position in the Mountain West did not come easy.  During the 2015 season, which was the freshman season for the 2018 seniors, Wyoming won only two games.  But of those two wins the second one, which came in the final game of the season, was significant.  If there is a game that you can look back on as a turning point in Cowboy Football, it was likely that final game of 2015. 
     
The Cowboys defeated UNLV, 35-28, in that season finale.  The game generated confidence heading into the offseason, and it featured 14 members of the 2015 freshman class. 
     
Of the starters in that game, six were freshmen.  On offense, James Price started at wide receiver and Zach Wallace started at right tackle.  On defense, Andrew Wingard at free safety, Marcus Epps at strong safety, Antonio Hull at cornerback and Sidney Malauulu at nose tackle all started that game.  Eight other freshmen played in the win over UNLV.  Those eight were: Adam Pilapil (free safety), Nico Evans (running back), Chavez Pownell Jr. (strong safety), Josh Harshman (tight end), Kevin Prosser (defensive end), Kaden Jackson (offensive guard), Tyree Mayfield (tight end) and Carl Granderson (defensive end).
     
All of the freshmen contributed that day in a critical victory that laid the foundation for the three successful seasons to follow.
     
While two key members of that 2015 freshman class, Harshman and Hull, have one year of eligibility remaining next season due to injuries they suffered during their careers, the remainder of the class who they began this journey with have concluded their Wyoming careers.  They will be remembered for their many successes and for the excitement they brought back to Wyoming Football.
     
We can't thank them enough! 
 
Accomplishments of the Class of 2018
•Won 22 games in final three seasons (2016-18), the most of any Cowboy teams since the 1997-99 seasons.
 
•Earned Wyoming's first berth in the Mountain West Conference Championship Game in 2016, and earned the right to host the championship game as the highest rated team in the Mountain West.
 
•Led Wyoming to consecutive bowl appearances (2016 and '17) for the first time since the 1987 and '88 Cowboy teams.
 
•Achieved bowl eligibility for three consecutive seasons (2016, '17 and '18) for the first time since 1997, '98 and '99.
 
•Defeated two Top 25 teams in the same season in 2016.  One of those victories led to Wyoming being named the National Team of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).
 
•Won the Mountain West Mountain Division title in 2016 and finished second in 2017.
 
•Recorded three consecutive victories over archrival Colorado State in 2016, '17 and '18 to retain the "Bronze Boot".
 
•Won three consecutive games versus Front Range rival Air Force in 2016, '17 and '18.
 
•Concluded their careers winning their last four games, including wins over CSU and Air Force during that streak.
 
•Ended the 2018 season tied for the ninth longest winning streak in the nation, with their four-game streak.
 
Memorable Moments Involving the Senior Class of 2018
•Nov. 28, 2015, Win over UNLV, 35-28, in War Memorial Stadium
     
•Sept. 3, 2016, Triple-overtime win over Northern Illinois, 40-34, in a game that didn't kick off until 10:20 p.m. due to a lightning delay and didn't end until 2:34 a.m. the next morning in War Memorial Stadium
 
•Oct. 1, 2016, A 38-17 victory over Colorado State in the final game the Cowboys and Rams would play against one another in CSU's Hughes Stadium
     
•Oct. 29, 2016, A 30-28 home victory over No. 13 ranked Boise State, highlighted by a game-winning safety that would lead to the memorable "Safety Dance"
     
•Nov. 19, 2016, Win over No. 24 ranked San Diego State by one point, 34-33, in a game that would see Wyoming fans storm the field only to have to return to their seats after replay awarded SDSU a late touchdown.  One play later, Cowboy fans stormed the field a second time when the Pokes stopped the Aztecs' two-point conversion attempt.
 
•Dec. 3, 2016, Wyoming hosted the 2016 Mountain West Championship Game in front of a national television audience on ESPN, before losing a heart-breaking game by a score of 24-27 to San Diego State.
 
•Dec. 21, 2016, San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl vs. BYU
 
•Sept. 23, 2017, Single overtime win over Hawai'i by a score of 28-21
 
•Nov. 4, 2017, A come-from-behind "Border War" victory over Colorado State, 16-13, in the "Snow Game"
 
•Dec. 22, 2017, A dominating, 37-14 win over Central Michigan in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
 
•Oct. 26, 2018, The Cowboys won 34-21 in their first game in CSU's Canvas Stadium, and recorded their third consecutive win over their archrival.
 
•Nov. 17, 2018, In the final home game for the 2018 seniors, the Cowboys scored 21 points in the final 4:32 of the game to capture a 35-21 victory over Air Force -- their third straight over the Falcons.
 
•Nov. 24, 2018, In what would be their final game as Cowboys, the senior class would record a convincing 31-3 road win at New Mexico.
 
Honors Received and Records Achieved by 2018 Seniors
•Cowboy senior strong safety Andrew Wingard concluded his Wyoming career with 454 career tackles.  That tied him for the Mountain West Conference record, ranked him No. 2 on the Wyoming career list and ranked him No. 20 in NCAA history.
 
•Wingard became the first Cowboy in school history to earn First Team All-Mountain West honors in three different seasons.  He was also a 2018 Associated Press Second Team Preseason All-American, and was named to the 2018 Chuck Bednarik, Bronko Nagurski and Jim Thorpe Award Watch Lists.
 
•Senior free safety Marcus Epps was selected one of three national finalists for the 2018 Burlsworth Trophy, which is awarded to the top college player who began his career as a walk-on.
 
•After walking on to the Wyoming Football team five years ago, Epps went on to become the first three-time captain in Cowboy Football history.  He ended his career with 325 career tackles.
 
•Senior Nico Evans was one of the nation's most dynamic running backs in 2018, ranking No. 3 in the nation in rushing yards (132.5 yards per game).  He also ranked 12th in the nation in all-purpose yards (139.10 yards per game) and earned First Team All-Mountain West honors.  Evans became only the 10th Cowboy to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season.  He rushed for 1,325 yards in 2018, which was the fourth best single season in school history.
 
•Defensive end Carl Granderson was named to both the Chuck Bednarik, Bronko Nagurski and Ted Hendricks Award Watch Lists in 2018.  Granderson earned All-Mountain West honors as both a junior and senior.  He ended his career with 35.5 career tackles for loss to rank third in Wyoming history.
 
•Senior tight end Tyree Mayfield ranked No. 6 in the nation in average yards per catch (16.2) in 2018 among tight ends with 20 or more catches.
 
•Senior quarterback Nick Smith was one of the semifinalists for the 2018 National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy, which annually recognizes an individual as the best football scholar-athlete in the nation.
 
The 2018 senior class included 16 Cowboys who contributed to returning Wyoming Football to prominence during their careers.  Here are those 16 Cowboy seniors (listed alphabetically):
 
Player, Position, Notes
Conner Cain, NT/DT, 2018 Team Captain, 44 games played, 17 games started
Marcus Epps, FS, Only three-time team captain, 50 games started, 49 consecutive starts
Nico Evans, RB, 2018 Team Captain, First Team All-MW, 3-Time Academic All-MW, 47 games played, 10 games started
Austin Fort, TE, 2018 Team Captain, Academic All-MW, 30 games played, 8 games started
Carl Granderson, DE, 2017 1st Team All-MW, 2018 2nd Team All-MW, Academic All-MW, 42 games played 30 games started
Kaden Jackson, OG, 47 games played, 37 games started
Sidney Malauulu, NT, 42 games played, 23 games started
Tyree Mayfield, TE, 51 games played, 28 games started
Adam Pilapil, LB, Three-time Academic All-MW, 38 games played
Chavez Pownell Jr., N/LB, 48 games played, 3 games started
James Price, WR, 48 games played, 26 games started
Kevin Prosser, DE, 47 games played, 13 games started
Pahl Schwab, OT, Academic All-Mountain West, 29 games played
Nick Smith, QB, Three-time Academic All-MW, 15 games played, 4 games started
Zach Wallace, OT, Two-time Academic All-MW, 51 games played, 49 consecutive starts
Andrew Wingard, SS, 2018 Captain, 2016, '17 and '18 First Team All-MW, Academic All-MW, 51 games played, 50 consecutive starts