LARAMIE, Wyo. — With no chance for a bowl game this year, Wyoming is playing for pride and the future.
"That's something I think you see in this team, the character," senior safety Chris Prosinski said. "We know we're not going to a bowl, but we know there's a lot of football. Like I said, just do everything we can to get these next three wins and send it off in the right direction."
Entering its game on Saturday against San Diego State, Wyoming had to win its final four games to become bowl eligible.
But the Aztecs ended any chances with a 48-38 win at War Memorial Stadium.
Wyoming dropped to 2-7 overall and 0-5 in the Mountain West Conference.
"Deep down it feels like 2-7 is not reflective how hard we're working out there, what we've done all year," said senior receiver Zach Bolger, who caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Austyn Carta-Samuels against SDSU. "Its hard to be in this position right now. It's frustrating."
Last season, Wyoming finished 7-6 and beat Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl.
But with one of the toughest schedules in the country this year — playing Texas, Boise State, TCU and Utah among its first seven games — the Cowboys have managed only wins over Southern Utah and Toledo so far.
Wyoming can find some consolation in the loss to SDSU with its offensive output.
The Cowboys entered the game ranked last among all 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in total offense at 225 yards a game and 118th in scoring offense at 12.6 points a game.
But against the Aztecs, Wyoming gained 338 yards and its 38 points were its most this season and the most since scoring 42 against UNLV in 2005.
"As far as the points that we put up, I thought we did well," Bolger said. "We were a couple of plays here and there from being in there, being right there at the end."
Wyoming's remaining schedule is more manageable with games against New Mexico, UNLV and Colorado State — all teams with losing records like the Cowboys.
"We can get these last couple of games," linebacker Oliver Schober said.
Bolger said it would be good to finish three wins "especially against CSU to finish it out."