(Wyoming release)
LARAMIE, Wyo. – The Mountain West Conference announced on Monday that Wyoming junior place-kicker Cooper Rothe has been selected as the conference’s Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in Wyoming’s 31-3 win at New Mexico last Saturday. It is the second MW Special Teams Player of the Week award in Rothe’s career. He also earned the honor as a sophomore in 2017 following a 16-13 win over Colorado State.
Cooper Rothe
Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week
Rothe, a junior from Longmont, Colo., made a 37-yard field goal versus New Mexico to give Wyoming a 17-3 lead in the third quarter and improve his field-goal total to 16 of 17 on the season. He was also 4 of 4 in PATs vs. the Lobos, improving his season total to a perfect 28 for 28.
He kicked off six times versus New Mexico for a 61.3-yard average, and he recorded four touchbacks on the day. Rothe helped hold New Mexico to only two kickoff returns for a 17.0-yard average last Saturday.
One of three finalists for the 2018 Lou Groza Award, Rothe ranks No. 1 in the nation in field-goal percentage at 94.1 percent. He also is tied for the No. 1 spot in point-after-touchdown percentage, with his perfect 100 percent mark for the year.
The Cowboys concluded the regular season winning their last four consecutive games and earning bowl eligibility for the third consecutive season, with a 6-6 overall record and a 4-4 conference record. That marks the first time since the 1997, ’98 and ’99 seasons that Wyoming has earned bowl eligibility in three consecutive seasons.
