Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Running back Brian Hill has been a workhorse for the Cowboys this year and is feeling the effects as his carries pile up.
LARAMIE – Brian Hill looks forward to Thursdays.
That's when the University of Wyoming sophomore running back says his body bounces back from the hits he takes during games from the previous week.
"I'm sore every week," Hill said with a laugh. "I go through practice with my body hurting all week until Thursday."
Hill said it's "just soreness, with a few nicks and bruises after games." He also said the level of soreness is about the same from week-to-week.
UW (1-8 overall, 1-4 Mountain West) plays its 10th straight game of the season when it hosts Border War rival Colorado State (3-5, 1-3) at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Cowboys' bye week comes after next week's game at San Diego State.
The 6-foot-1, 211-pound Hill gets plenty of opportunities to receive those hits.
Hill's 205 carries is the most among the top 100 rushers in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
San Diego State junior running back Donnel Pumphrey (202) and Utah senior running back Devantae Booker (200) are the only other FBS players with 200 or more carries this season.
Hill is second in the FBS with 1,262 rushing yards, behind only LSU sophomore running back Leonard Fournette (1,352).
Hill also is sixth with 140.2 rushing yards per game, 14th in all-purpose yards (150.1 per game) and 27th with 6.16 yards per carry.
Hill's running style doesn't shy away from contact, especially since UW's pro-style offense emphasizes running between the tackles.
Second-year UW coach Craig Bohl said earlier this week he thinks Hill is "one of the best running backs in America."
One of the reasons why: "Anytime Brian gets the football he has an opportunity to get some yards after contact," Bohl added.
Maulhardt on the rise
Junior wide receiver Jake Maulhardt leads UW with 46 catches and seven touchdowns.
He is second on the team with 472 receiving yards. Maulhardt's seven touchdowns in nine games is tied for the 14th-most in the FBS.
"It's not something I look at," Maulhardt said of his individual accomplishments this season.
"What shoots out is our team record. When the season's over I can look back on it. Next year I want to get even better and win."
Maulhardt and junior wide receiver is the MW's best receiving duo.
Prior to UW's game last Friday at Utah State they combined to average 152.1 receiving yards per game.
However, Gentry will miss his third straight game this week with a shoulder injury.
Gentry is still 15th in the FBS with 96.9 receiving yards per game.
In the two games Gentry has missed, Maulhardt's caught 10 passes for 106 yards and three touchdowns.
The 6-6 Maulhardt isn't as fast as Gentry or some of UW's other wide receivers, but Bohl doesn't view him as strictly a possession receiver.
"He's a big, strong guy. You can throw the ball up and he has an opportunity to bring it down."
Bohl would like to see more contributions from UW's other wide receivers, where five guys have combined for 15 catches through nine games.
