Texas Tech football: Wyoming Cowboys that Red Raider fans need to know

Sep 3, 2022; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Wyoming Cowboys head coach Craig Bohl leads his team out before the game against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2022; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Wyoming Cowboys head coach Craig Bohl leads his team out before the game against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 30, 2022; Tucson, AZ, USA; Wyoming Cowboys quarterback Andrew Peasley (6) warms up prior to facing the Ohio Bobcats in the 2022 Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2022; Tucson, AZ, USA; Wyoming Cowboys quarterback Andrew Peasley (6) warms up prior to facing the Ohio Bobcats in the 2022 Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

Can Texas Tech keep Andrew Peasley from taking the next step as a starter?

Bohl said on Monday that he is excited to have QB Andrew Peasely back because it will mark the first time in recent years that Wyoming has had the same starter in consecutive seasons. However, let’s not act like the senior is the second coming of former Cowboy Josh Allen.

In fact, Peasley has a long way to go as a passer.  That’s why Tech needs to make sure that this game rests on his shoulders and not the Cowboy ground game.

After three years at Utah State and two at Wyoming, the Oregon native has yet to put up any statistics that would suggest he’s more than just a bus driver.  Last year, his first as a starter at the NCAA level, he completed only 52.4% of his passes for 1,574 yards and 10 TDs while being picked off nine times.

In the three seasons in which Peasley has attempted over 50 passes, he’s yet to have a completion percentage over 55%.  Also, last year, his yards-per-attempt average was a woeful 5.7 suggesting he threw a ton of check-downs and short passes.  By contrast, Tyler Shough’s average was 7.4.

One element that Peasely does bring to the table is the ability to use his feet to pick up yards.  Rushing 81 times in 2022, he amassed 339 yards and found the endzone twice.  So the Red Raider linebackers and safeties will have to make sure he isn’t able to break free on improvised plays this week.

Still, Peasley doesn’t seem like the type of QB who can out-duel Shough.  One reason why is that he’s never performed well against a Power 5 team.  In 2021, he was just 6-12 for 76 yards against Washington State and last year at Illinois, he completed only 5-20 passes for 30 yards while also being picked off.

Hopefully, he doesn’t take the next step as a passer against Tech.  If his history holds form and he is just a bus driver for the Cowboys on Saturday, it will be tough to imagine the home team having enough firepower to pull off the upset.