Wyoming Cornerback Wins Mountain West Weekly Honor

The Mountain West Conference announced its weekly honors on Monday, recognizing three Wyoming Cowboys players for their performance in Saturday's game against UNLV.

Cornerback Tyson Shamsid-Deen was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Week after recording two interceptions in a 41-35 win at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Shamsid-Deen secured the first pick late in the second quarter, grabbing a pass thrown by UNLV starter Jackson Arnold after a tip by teammate Gary Rutherford. That interception led to a 35-yard field goal that gave the Cowboys the lead as halftime ended.

With less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Shamsid-Deen read the eyes of UNLV quarterback Alex Orji and intercepted his second pass of the game. The play preserved Wyoming's lead and secured the team's fourth consecutive victory.

The performance moved Wyoming to 5-1 in conference play and made the team eligible for the postseason for the first time since 2023. Shamsid-Deen played the entire game with a heavily taped club on his surgically repaired right hand, an injury sustained during a loss at Central Michigan in Week 3.

Shamsid-Deen was the first member of the Cowboys to earn the weekly defensive honor, but he was not alone in the conference's weekly recognition. Running back Samuel "Tote" Harris received the Offensive Player of the Week award after rushing for 128 yards on 17 carries and scoring two touchdowns. Special teams contributor Erik Sandvik took the Special Teams Player of the Week honor for making both field goal attempts and all five extra point tries.

It is the first time in program history that three Wyoming players have shared the weekly honors. Harris and Shamsid-Deen, who grew up playing youth football together in the San Antonio area, both had strong statistical nights. Harris found the end zone on a 42-yard run in the third quarter, extending the Cowboys' lead to 41-21.

Head coach Jay Sawvel praised Shamsid-Deen's ability to handle the ball despite his injury. "He is uniquely skilled," Sawvel said. "There's a reason why we were using him both ways (on offense and defense), at certain times, though we can't do that right now. He's caught balls regularly in practice with that thing. He's got really good ball skills as it is.. But to get two interceptions with a glove, I don't think I've ever seen that. And that last one was was a really good catch and a really good play."

Shamsid-Deen acknowledged the difficulty of playing with the club but noted his focus on the game. "I was like, 'He's going to throw it. You going to throw it?'" Shamsid-Deen said after the win. "So, hey, I'm T-money. You know, gotta make money plays."

Linebacker Ethan Stuhlsatz expressed admiration for his teammate's resilience. "I couldn't imagine," Stuhlsatz said. "I've never had to play with the club, but especially as a (defensive back), that's really tough. I'm proud of him. He's come a long way."