Thorburn: Andrew Peasley finally feeling the love after leading Pokes’ to improbable upset of Texas Tech

LARAMIE – Andrew Peasley felt the love this time.

Let’s not forget the vitriol unleashed on social media at Wyoming’s quarterback following his debut in the brown and gold.

Peasley’s performance was also harshly critiqued in this space after he completed five passes for 30 yards and an interception in the Pokes’ 38-6 loss at Illinois.

A little over a year later, the super senior took another physical beating against a Power 5 opponent.

Peasley nearly had his head taken off by a linebacker, who was called for targeting but not ejected. He was also planted into the new turf at War Memorial Stadium by a 305-pound nose tackle.

But after the captain led a comeback for the ages – Peasley rallied the Pokes from a 17-0 deficit to a 35-33 double-overtime victory over Texas Tech on Saturday night – all 26,450 witnesses at War Memorial Stadium ran down to the field to put their collective arms around QB1.

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“That’s always just how I’ve always been,” Peasley said of playing through pain and adversity. “I don’t think that it’s something new and I think that’s why the guys trust me. It wasn’t just me, man, it was a lot of dudes making plays. It was the defense … they played really well.”

There were plenty of heroes in this drama, which lasted 3 hours, 49 minutes following a 78-minute lightning delay.

During the chaos of the first quarter – as the offensive line started two drives with false starts and ended them with lost fumbles to help the Red Raiders race out to a three-score lead – John Hoyland calmly booted a 56-yard field goal to turn the tide.

Wrook Brown followed with an interception of dynamic Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Shough. Gillette’s own Caleb Driskill showed that fullbacks can have fun too by catching a 4-yard touchdown pass. Then linebacker turned running back Sam Scott knotted the score at 17-17 on a 16-yard scamper in the third quarter.

“I’m really proud of our football team. I think the maturity showed,” UW head coach Craig Bohl said. “We did not start fast. Every check point that I did talk about in the pregame meal of things we were going to do, I was like, ‘Did these guys even listen to me?’”

The message Peasley sent by getting up after every bone-bruising hit came through loud and clear: Cowboys don’t quit.

Peasley found tight end John Michael Gyllenborg for an 11-yard touchdown on fourth-and-ballgame.

Laying on the field after taking one last vicious shot from a blitzing safety, Peasley heard the roar of crowd confirming the game-tying score.

“Seeing your quarterback just be able to take a lot and fight through it, fight through the adversity, makes you want to fight through it even more,” said Scott, who scored the game-winning 2-point conversion after Peasley’s clutch touchdown pass. “He’s the captain.”

Peasley doesn’t have the physical gifts Josh Allen has. And his numbers won’t stack up with a lot of his contemporaries, including Shough who passed for 189 more yards and one more touchdown.

But the 2023 Pokes wouldn’t trade Peasley for anyone. The coaches and players love this guy.

“I’m extremely proud to call that man my quarterback,” left tackle Frank Crum said.

Now it’s time for a fickle fan base to enjoy this last ride with a player that defines the Cowboy Tough culture.

Follow UW beat writer Ryan Thorburn on Twitter @By_RyanThorburn

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