LARAMIE – What is it about Albuquerque and Wrook Brown?
 
During the 2022 season, Wyoming's wide-eyed nickel back made his first career start at New Mexico due after Keonte Glinton suffered a season-ending injury.
 
Brown finished with 10 tackles during his debut in the Cowboys' 27-14 victory over the Lobos. He has been a fixture in the lineup since.
 
Last Saturday, UW was trailing New Mexico 45-35 in the fourth quarter when Brown made a break on the ball and returned an interception for a 29-yard touchdown to flip the game.
 
The Pokes, despite struggling defensively for three quarters, escaped the Land of Enchantment with a 49-45 win.
 
"The first one was just getting out there, playing hard and running around. I was just excited to be out there," Brown said of his memorable performances at University Stadium. "This one I think I was due to make a play. There weren't a whole lot of plays being made on defense, especially by me, so I was glad we could turn it around at the end."
 
UW's defense allowed 576 yards of total offense, including 412 rushing yards. New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier rushed for 207 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 164 yards and a touchdown.
 
Then on the next play after John Hoyland pushed a 40-yard field goal attempt wide right, Brown delivered the first pick-six of his career with 12:55 remaining.
 
"I feel like that flipped a switch for all of us and turned the momentum of the game," defensive end Tyce Westland said. "That led us to the win I feel like."
 
The 5-foot-11, 187-pound Brown knew he was about to make the big defensive play when Dampier made his first mistake of the game.
 
"I did as soon as I saw the ball out of his hands," Brown said. "I had pretty good coverage on that one and on those (throws) out there to the field there's a little more space and there wasn't anybody in front of me. So, I knew if I catch this one, I should take this one to the house."
 
The Cowboys forced a punt on New Mexico's next drive and Kaden Anderson, making his first career start, threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Stevenson on second-and-27 with 4:54 remaining.
 
Westland stripped Dampier and recovered the fumble. Then the offense picked up two first downs to run out the clock.
 
Anderson passed for 343 yards and three touchdowns and Harrison Waylee and Jamari Ferrell combined for 259 yards rushing and two touchdowns as UW piled up 604 yards of total offense.
 
"Huge shout out to the offense for keeping us in that one. They're the only reason we won that game," Brown said. "You get in there (at halftime) and it's a tie ball game at 35 up and you're like that can't be all for nothing. If we had played like we normally do (on defense) we would have been up multiple scores. I'm just glad that great offensive performance wasn't for nothing."
 
UW head coach Jay Sawvel said Brown, who rarely comes off the field on defense, will have his practice reps reduced this week to get his body recharged for the Colorado State rivalry game on Nov. 15 in Fort Collins.
 
Injuries to Wyett Ekeler and Isaac White have greatly impacted the secondary this season and put even more pressure on Brown's shoulder pads to perform well. Both safeties gutted it out against New Mexico and should be available against the Rams.
 
A Border War win would take some of the sting out of a disappointing 2-7 start.
 
"You feel bad for some of these guys that are playing their last games in the brown and gold because this is not how anybody drew up the season," Brown said. "Especially with some of the injuries and not being able to be out there with like Isaac and Wyett you feel for them. But their presence, even when they're hurt, they're still injured and they're still out there coaching everybody up.
 
"They were helping a lot even when they weren't able to strap it up. It's even better now that they're playing again."
 
The Cowboys took a couple days off to recover from the shootout in Albuquerque and will practice Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week before CSU week begins next Monday.
 
UW has some much-needed momentum with Anderson taking over at quarterback and Waylee returning to the backfield.
 
"We should build on it for a couple reasons. One, the offense we saw them playing like we know they're capable of playing," Brown said. "They played great, and I think they're going to take that momentum into next week and put up another offensive performance.
 
"And on defense, because we played so poorly, we're going to have an edge, and we will be going out there with something to prove next week."
 
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