Taylor Column: Cowboys' D-Line has the potential to lead the MW

The Cowboys have all the key ingredients to go to war in the trenches, including size, athleticism, depth, experience and, most importantly, talent. UW had four defensive linemen named to the preseason All-MW team this summer by Phil Steele, who has Published an annual college football preview magazine since 1995. Defensive tackle Jordan Bertagnole and defensive end DeVonne Harris were selected to the first team by Steele, followed by defensive end Sabastian Harsh on the third team and nose tackle Cole Godbout on the fourth team. Bertagnole, Godbout and Harris will all be heavily considered for the preseason All-MW list. The 28-player roster is voted on by media members and will be announced during the MW Media Days next week in Las Vegas. Bertagnole and Harris were both All-MW players a year ago, with Bertagnole earning second-team honors and Harris being named an honorable mention. Bertagnole, a Casper native and Natrona County High graduate, recorded 51 total tackles, 5½ sacks and 7½ tackles for loss in 11 games. He was also credited with four quarterback hurries and forced two fumbles. Harris led UW in sacks with eight and was second on the team with 13 tackles for loss. He recorded a season-high three sacks in a 28-14 win over Utah State. Godbout collected 33 total tackles in six games, but had his season cut short due to injury. He returned for UW’s 30-27 overtime loss to Ohio in last year’s Arizona Bowl, but played limited snaps in his first game action in nearly three months. Harsh was primed for a key role on last year’s defense, but missed the entire season with an injury. The Scottsbluff, Nebraska, native played in all 13 games for the Cowboys in 2021, finishing with seven total tackles in a reserve role. Defensive end Braden Siders and nose tackle Gavin Meyer should also have big roles this fall. Siders had seven sacks and 44 tackles a year ago, and Meyers finished with 39 total tackles 3½ sacks and a forced fumble. The defensive ends have a new coach this season in Brian Hendricks, who replaced longtime coach Marty English after his retirement in March. Hendricks played linebacker for the Cowboys from 2008-11 and earned second-team All-MW honors twice. “It is a young group,” Hendricks told WyoSports in April. “I think there’s a lot more to tap into in terms of turning an average or a good player into a great one. Right now, coach English did a phenomenal job with them. I think their trend and their trajectory is going up. “I want to be able to help them to learn the ins and outs of not only their assignments, but knowing how it pertains to the guy standing next to them or standing right behind them, and teaching them not necessarily what to do, but why to do it.” UW finished second in the conference in sacks with 37 and ranked No. 73 in the country with 153.5 rushing yards allowed per game. If the defensive line is able to stay healthy, the unit should easily eclipse that success this fall. The NCAA Transfer Portal is an inevitable reality for all teams in today’s college football landscape, and UW lost Oluwayseyi Omotosho, who transferred to Oregon State in December. Omotosho had a big season for the Cowboys last year, finishing with 46 total tackles, 6½ sacks and a forced fumble at defensive end. Still, the defensive line as a whole should return enough experience to replace Omotosho’s production. “We had a key departure with (Omotosho), but he’s the only one that’s gone,” Harris told WyoSports in April. “Otherwise, we have everyone back. We’re gaining (Harsh) back, too, so we’re basically losing one guy while gaining one guy back at the same time. Overall, I think it’s going to be a fun season.” Harris had one of the most memorable plays in recent history for UW. With the Cowboys down 20-17 with 45 seconds left at home against Boise State, Harris returned a fumble 44 yards to the Broncos’ 21-yard line to keep UW’s MW title hopes alive. One play later, backup quarterback Jayden Clemons threw his third interception of the game in the end zone to seal the win for Boise State. Harris has thought back to that fumble recovery every day since. He was chased down by Boise State quarterback Taylen Green on the right sideline, which ended up being a game-saving tackle for the Broncos. If Harris could go back, he’d do one thing differently. “Run left,” Harris said. “Just run left, man. A couple months ago, my mom posted that play on Facebook. It showed back up on my feed one day, and I just remember thinking, ‘Man, just run left. Just run left.’” Despite the outcome, Harris and the other returning defensive linemen are using that Boise State loss as motivation going into a new season. “You always want to help your team win,” Harris said. “That play helped us get to a position to win, but you always want to be in a position to win. Making plays like that is big.” The way UW’s team is built, establishing a presence on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage is what wins and loses games. If the team’s core is able to stave off major injuries, opposing offenses should by no means be looking forward to a matchup with the Cowboys’ defense. While the recognition is always a nice feather in the cap, UW’s defensive line isn’t playing for preseason accolades. The unit has its sights set on winning the program’s first MW championship this fall. “Everyone knows that that’s the goal, and that’s what we want,” Bertagnole told WyoSports in April. “I feel like you really just have to take it one step at a time, one day at a time and one rep at a time. “You just focus on what you have in front of you, and things will work out for themselves.” Alex Taylor is the assistant editor for WyoSports and covers University of Wyoming athletics. He can be reached at ataylor@wyosports.net. Follow him on Twitter at @alex_m_taylor22.