WSU football: Wyoming coach Craig Bohl will need some of his ol’ upset magic against Cougs

PULLMAN – The Wyoming football team faces long odds this weekend when it travels to Washington State.

But perhaps not long enough for Cowboys coach Craig Bohl.

While Bohl’s Wyoming teams have struggled to a 4-10 record since he took over the program last season, the coach made his name as a giant-slayer during the decade he coached FCS power North Dakota State.

Bohl’s NDSU teams won FCS national championships each of his final three years in Fargo, but perhaps gained more notoriety by beating an FBS team on the road in each his final four seasons, including defending Big 12 champion Kansas State in 2013.

Back then, Bohl’s teams had resources every bit as good as their peers, according to WSU head coach Mike Leach.

“I think that’s a really good setup there. That’s like the school with the most resources at that level that there is, and they’ve always been good,” Leach said. “Then, the other thing is he really did a good job as far as coaching them. I think they were just a good, fundamental team. They never lost sight of the fundamentals. They did everything hard, fundamentally, and weren’t fancy.”

Of course, in those heady days the Bison were simply the biggest fish in the lake, one that occasionally jumped into the ocean and won a fight with a shark.

It’s been considerably tougher going at Wyoming, and the Cowboys are off to a rough start, losing to FCS North Dakota – the “other” school in North Dakota – and to Eastern Michigan 48-29.

“Obviously, we’ve gone through some bumps and bruises these last few weeks,” defensive line coach Pete Kaligis said. “There are things we’ve got to get fixed so they can play faster and do what they need to do.”

But there were tough times in Fargo, too. In 2009, the Bison won just three games. Two years later they won the first of their three consecutive national titles. A win in Pullman against a 24 1/2-point favorite could be just what Bohl needs to get things on the right track in Laramie.

His strategy for beating an opponent with a bigger name and more advantages? Barely acknowledge them.

“Washington State is a very good football team and they’re coming off an exciting win at Rutgers, a come-from-behind win,” Bohl said. “They’re certainly well-schooled and have excellent athletes but our real point of emphasis is taking care of the Cowboys.”

Kaligis, who started every game for Washington’s 1991 co-national championship team as an offensive guard, now coaches defensive tackles for Wyoming. Among his pupils is Uso Olive, a native of Federal Way, Washington, who is among the most uniquely athletic linemen in college football.

Olive can bench multiple reps of 555 pounds, his max squat isn’t far from 1,000 pounds, and he is faster than a 6-foot-1, 305-pound person should be. He figures to play a large role in any scenario that ends with a Wyoming win.

So does Brian Hill, a running back that ran for 242 yards on 21 carries last week in the loss to EMU. But ultimately, Bohl’s magic will be required for Wyoming to come away with a win.

Bohl, who played defensive back at Nevada, has always coached defense and his teams are known for their aggressiveness and creativity. The Tampa 2 defense, which is what Wyoming runs, is often considered to be somewhat passive, giving up short passes underneath to prevent more explosive plays, which would seem to play to WSU quarterback Luke Falk and his receivers’ strengths.

But WSU coach Mike Leach points out that Bohl’s version is more aggressive.

“He’s such a competitor, but he’s such a visionary when it comes to being a head coach,” Kaligis said. “He’s always three years ahead in his coaching process.