AUSTIN WARD Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Thursday, August 28, 2008 12:00 am
LARAMIE - Devin Moore knows what Wyoming needs from him.
The Cowboys running back just wants to give more.
There's no doubting Moore's speed, his talent or his game-breaking ability, but the senior occasionally runs as if he has to prove it on every down - driving his coaches crazy in the process.
"I saw some of the (problems from the scrimmage), and I sat down with the coaches last week," Moore said. "They told me all they want from me is four yards a pop, and I kind of grinned at them. I said, 'Four yards? That's insulting to me.'
"But I told them if they wanted four yards, I'd get them six."
UW will surely take that compromise, provided Moore is banging away inside the tackles and not trying to squeeze out extra yardage by bouncing to the outside too often.
After veering off the north-south course regularly during last week's final scrimmage, Cowboys coach Joe Glenn publicly called out Moore for not running with "toughness" - then reiterated it to the media the next day.
"A picture's worth a thousand words and (somebody) handed me a black-and-white (photo) of a hole you could drive a truck through and D-Mo's jump-cutting to the outside," Glenn said. "He knows he needs to play within the system, and he will."
Moore thrives on tough coaching and can handle the criticism, which is part of the reason he's a two-time team captain.
He'll still probably get creative at times against Ohio on Saturday, but the message seems to have sunk in this week at practice. During Wednesday's session Moore looked as sharp as ever, running hard with a purpose and, more important, up-and-down the compass.
"Last week I was focusing and pressing, trying to impress the crowd or whatever with a touchdown," he said. "I know they were waiting for it, and not only them, I was waiting for it. I was pushing too hard, and I just need to let the game come to me sometimes.
"They're still coaching me a little hard, and I have to get used to it. I want them to know that I'm going to be there, I'm not going to get down in the tank. I want them to know that I'm planning on being a leader, and when they call my number, I'll be there."
UW will probably dial him up plenty against the Bobcats, a team he absolutely torched last year.
Moore piled up a career-high 198 yards rushing - 145 in the second half alone - to help lead a comeback win on the road, and that was at less than full-speed.
The medial collateral ligament injury that slowed him down for the latter part of the season was still under wraps then, which makes the performance ever better in hindsight.
Obviously he didn't gain all that ground four yards at a time, but that's a perfectly fine bar to set.
"That's fine. I'll run between the tackles and I'll get that," Moore said. "But Ohio's a good team. It's going to be a good game.
"I heard they were talking a little trash though. That's expected from other teams, you know, but they're not going to get it from me this year. I'm not going to say much, but I will say this, when they saw me last year I had a torn MCL. This year I'm healthy, and they plan on stopping the run. We'll see."
If Moore sticks to the script, the Bobcats will have plenty of chances to try and stop him.
CAUTION FLAG: The yellow jersey is designed to keep the Wyoming quarterbacks healthy.
Junior Karsten Sween might need a brighter shade.
Protecting the passers gets trickier when they turn into receivers downfield, particularly since defensive backs rarely have to worry about hitting them in the first place - a lesson Sween learned Wednesday.
Scout team cornerback David James leveled Sween on a gimmicky throwback pass late in practice, a hit that seemed to stun the Cowboys for a moment until the intended target bounced back up in one piece.
Sween's only complaint was he didn't make the play.
"I've got to catch that," he said on the way back to the huddle.
Even without the reception Sween got to break the team at the end of practice for his efforts.
"He was playing the ball and Karsten was too, all of a sudden David went up and bang," Glenn said. "Karsten lost his no-hitter. I don't think he's been hit all camp."
BUMPS AND BRUISES: Nose guard Marcus Felker practiced again with a massive brace protecting his right elbow, and both he and linebacker Zeb Whipp have been cleared to play on Saturday.
Felker might not be needed on the defensive line, but the return of Whipp from a neck sprain would be a boost to the depth of a linebacking corps that's already solid.
"They're getting close," Glenn said. "I think they both have injuries that kind of have (trainer) Robb (Williams) perplexed a little bit. I think maybe they want a little more time, but they're pushing to play, the kids want to play, but we won't put them out there if they're not ready.
"There's a fine line between getting ready or is he now ready for full speed. The trainers would like to hold them back and the coaches would like to push them the other way."
Contact sports reporter Austin Ward at (307) 266-0634 or austin.ward@trib.com.
Cowboys Tracker
WEDNESDAY: Wyoming practiced at War Memorial Stadium in preparation for Saturday's season opener against Ohio.
MOORE YARDAGE: UW has set the bar for Devin Moore at "four yards a pop," but that doesn't seem like enough for the senior running back.
Occasionally he's too eager to top that mark, and the Cowboys have tried to reign him in since last week's scrimmage.
NUMBERS GAME: Moore blitzed Ohio last year on the road, capping off a career-high 198-yard performance with 145 in the second half.
HE SAID IT: "They told me all they want from me is four yards a pop, and I kind of grinned at them. I said, 'Four yards? That's insulting to me.'" - Moore.