LARAMIE, Wyo. — Karsten Sween didn't begin the season as Wyoming's starting quarterback, but it's looking more and more like he'll end the season in that role.
He could be this year's Jeff Ballard (see TCU circa 2005).
The redshirt freshman's performance against the Utah defense certainly bought him at least one more week as the Cowboys' go-to guy behind center.
Starting just his second game for the Pokes, the 6-foot-2, 204-pound lefty had an efficient and effective outing while guiding Wyoming (3-4, 2-1) to a convincing 31-15 win over Utah (4-3, 2-1).
Sween threw for 202 yards on 17-of-24 passing. His touchdown pass — a 24-yard strike to Michael Ford — gave the Cowboys a commanding 24-0 lead with 2:35 left in the first half.
"He beat the nation's best," said Wyoming coach Joe Glenn, regarding Utah star defender Eric Weddle. "He was pretty special today."
Sween took over for struggling Wyoming quarterback Jacob Doss in the third quarter of the Cowboys' game against Syracuse a few weeks ago. The Pokes ended up losing that game in double overtime, but Sween boosted them to a come-from-behind win in his first start last week against New Mexico. He had 204 yards and two TDs passing in that 14-10 road victory.
Those outings persuaded Wyoming coaches to hand the keys to their offense over to him despite his inexperience.
"He's getting a chance in practice to get the lion's share of the reps, and it is showing in his play," Glenn said. "He understood what we were trying to do today."
ONE IN, ONE OUT: Cornerback Shaun Harper returned to play after missing four games with a broken right wrist. Linebacker Kyle Brady did not make the trip with a shoulder stinger suffered in the TCU game. Linebacker Sylvester Stevenson sprained an ankle on the game's first play, tried to play some more but was lifted, leaving Utah without two of its starting linebackers.
OLD RIVALRY: The Utes and Cowboys have now met 79 times. It's the second longest-running series for Wyoming (behind Colorado State) and the third for Utah (trailing only Utah State and BYU).
Since the first meeting in 1904, the Utes hold a 47-31-1 advantage over the Cowboys.
DESSO TURF: The new synthetic turf at Wyoming's War Memorial Stadium, which cost about $1 million and was installed in May, is called Desso Football Pro football turf. That and a new indoor practice facility that is slated for northeast of the stadium — ground is already cleared — came courtesy of two Wyoming families, whose $5 million donation was matched by a like amount from the Legislature. The families helped develop a productive natural grass field in Sublette County, and the football field is named for that facility — Johah Field.
FAMILY AFFAIR: Utah left guard Zane Beadles had fans in both cheering sections. His mother, Jamie Legerski, joined her ex-husband and Zane's father, Brad Beadles, and his parents in the Utah crowd. Meanwhile, Zane's stepfather, Wyoming women's basketball coach Joe Legerski, sat in the Cowboys' cheering section with Zane's siblings, Madison and Joseph.
Despite the different locales, the whole family wished Beadles well.
"There would have been nothing better for his mother and I than to have Zane be a Cowboy," Legerski said in Saturday's Laramie Boomerang. "But we are very happy for him and how he is doing there at Utah."
Beadles' parents are both Wyoming graduates.
EXTRA POINTS: Middle linebacker Joe Jiannoni led the Utes with a game-high 15 tackles. Teammate Steve Tate finished with 13 stops ... Jiannoni, Kelly Talavou, Martail Burnett and Gabe Long were credited with sacks ... Brent Casteel topped Utah with 34 yards rushing ... Derrek Richards wound up with a game-high seven receptions ... Wyoming is now 40-39-3 in homecoming games.
E-mail: jody@desnews.com
Contributing: Dirk Facer, Linda Hamilton