You won't find Mike Thompson's name anywhere in the University of Wyoming's football media guide. Nor will you find it in the Western Athletic Conference brochure. A freshman from nearby Cheyenne, Thompson walked onto the team and earned a spot on the roster this season as a fifth-string safety. Now here it is two months later and he's first string.
When the Cowboys take the field Saturday afternoon in War Memorial Stadium, Thompson will start at strong safety. He wasn't considered good enough to earn a scholarship, and he has a total of just six tackles this season, but then, Wyoming - the Red Cross Team of the Year - is in no position to be choosy at the moment.Count them up. So far, 13 Wyoming players - eight of them starters - have been sidelined for the season by injuries, which has forced the Cowboys to play Thompson and a number of other inexperienced players. Another half-dozen starters have missed playing time this year because of injuries. Nine starters will miss Saturday's Utah game.
"It's getting ridiculous," says first-year head coach Joe Tiller. "Injuries are part of the game. You just don't like having this many in one particular year."
The injuries began in training camp, when as many as 26 players were on the injured list at one time, and they show no sign of letting up. Six more players went down with injuries last week against Air Force. If you're scoring, there have been three concussions and four broken bones, but knee injuries have been the most popular. Some 17 players have undergone surgery.
Things have gotten so out of hand that even Wyoming coaches and staff members have become victims. Running back coach Mark Tommerdahl suffered two broken teeth when he collided with a runner while demonstrating a play. Secondary coach Dave Butterfield must undergo neck surgery to repair an injury from his own playing days at Nebraska. Equipment manager Mike Anonsen had an emergency appendectomy just before the season opener. Tiller himself was bothered by a pulled calf muscle for a time.
"I'm kind of afraid to step outside," Tiller told one reporter. "It's an unbelievable set of circumstances."
The defense has been the hardest hit, which might explain the 400 yards and 29 points the Cowboys are surrendering each game. Seven defensive starters are out for the season. The Cowboys will start their fifth middle linebacker this week - junior Tom Kramer. He replaces Cory Talich, the team's leading tackler who incurred a knee injury last week.
To cover for injuries, Wyoming has shuffled some positions, moving, among others, Brent Schieffer from tight end to linebacker, where he is now second on the depth chart.
Needless to say, the Cowboys, the second winningest team in the WAC the past four years, have not been the Cowboys of old. They are 2-3-1 overall, and 0-2-1 in Western Athletic Conference play. Actually, their slide began last season, when they won their first nine games and lost their last four. They haven't been the same since then. In conference play this season they have tied Texas-El Paso (28-28) and lost to Hawaii (32-17) and Air Force (51-28).
Asked about the Air Force game, Tiller says, "It was worse than a tough game . . . Our inability to slow them down, yet alone stop them, was a problem."
It hasn't been all bad news for Wyoming. Senior quarterback Tom Corontzos, who has been criticized the past two years for his erratic play, is having a solid season. He has thrown for 1,527 yards and 10 touchdowns and completed 56 percent of his passes. Interceptions have been a problem in the past, but he has just 4 this season. He has thrown 91 consecutive passes without an interception. Corontzos directs many of his passes to wideout Robert Rivers, who has turned 34 catches into 466 yards and 4 touchdowns.
The Cowboys have been considerably more effective with the pass than the run. Their best running back, Dwight Driver, is out for the season with a knee injury. His replacement, freshman Terrance Hendricks, has rushed for 276 yards on 66 carries, but he also has been playing with an injury - a broken hand. Air Force held Wyoming to minus-7 yards rushing last week.
Wyoming appears to be down, but Utah coach Ron McBride is having none of it. "This is homecoming for them, and they're coming off a tough loss," says McBride. "Whatever they got, we'll see their best."
On the other hand, given the state of the Cowboys these days, maybe they won't.