Richardson Has Coming-Out Party in Pokes’ Spring Game

LARAMIE -- Eric Richardson was targeted 10 times in Saturday's annual spring game inside War Memorial Stadium, matching the number of catches he reeled in during his first full season as a Cowboy.

He hauled in six of those.

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It's the one he didn't hang onto, though, that left the senior shaking his head after the offense found the end zone five times against the defense on a cloud-covered afternoon in Laramie.

"I'm going to sleep on that," Richardson said, flashing his trademark smile. "That's going to haunt me until fall camp."

Facing a 3rd-and-6 at the 10-yard line, the 5-foot-11, 189-pound wideout ran a crossing route, losing the defender in a mishmash of bodies at the second level. Quarterback Tyler Hughes stepped up in the pocket and found Richardson all alone at the five.

Was it a perfect throw? Nope. Was it catchable? Absolutely.

"He had the one drop," head coach Jay Sawvel said. "We had to kick a field goal. And that would be real in a game. You're not gonna go for it a lot on 4th-and-5. So, you drop that ball -- and it was a first down -- and now that seven points went to three."

The griping ends there.

Richardson, who finished with a team-high 55 yards, found soft spots in the zone all afternoon, whether he lined up wide or in the slot. He was Hughes' favorite target. Same can be said for redshirt freshman signal caller Mason Drube.

Richardson's longest reception Saturday was for 11 yards. He also capped this outing with 25 yards after the catch.

"E-Rich has been balling," fellow receiver Jackson Holman said. "I mean, the best ability is availability and he's been available all spring. He's been making plays all spring. Every scrimmage, he's showed up. Every practice, he's showed up. I mean, he's been super consistent. That's just a testament to how he's worked throughout winter and all the stuff that he's put in behind the scenes that no one else sees. He's done really well, and I'm really excited to see what he does this season."

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After spending his first two collegiate seasons at Northwest Missouri State, the Saint Robert, Mo., product finished with just 112 receiving yards last fall while appearing in all 12 games for the Cowboys. More than 40 of those came on his lone touchdown reception in a 37-20 loss at Colorado.

Twice Richardson snagged three catches in a contest. Both of those were victories: one against San Jose State and the other, Border War rival Colorado State. He was also held without a reception five times.

The inconsistency was in lockstep with the team's passing attack, as a whole.

With Kaden Anderson under center, Wyoming averaged just 183 yards per game through the air. That ranks 111th out of 134 FBS programs and was the fourth-worst mark in the Mountain West behind only San Diego State, Nevada and Air Force. The latter implements a triple-option scheme.

Not to be outdone, the offense put just 11.8 points an outing on the scoreboard. Only winless UMass was worse.

Sawvel said last November he was "taking a blow torch" to the old ways of doing business on that side of the ball. That change started with a new playcaller and coordinator, Christian Taylor. He then dipped back into his past, offering graduate transfer Tyler Hughes, who he once recruited to William and Mary back in 2022.

If Saturday is any indication of what's to come, the Cowboy offense found the end zone five times in a 37-21 win over the defense. It could've been six without one untimely mishap from Richardson.

"It feels good, man," he said of the effort and production in the spring game. "We were pretty successful. We had a lot of success moving the ball. It's a group thing, all the guys. Success feels good when it's everybody."

Nico Hamilton led all rushers with 68 yards on 13 carries. The sophomore running back also hauled in a four-yard touchdown pass from Hughes late in the first half. Holman, in stride, snagged a perfect heave from Hughes down the west sideline, cruising into the end zone from 47 yards out.

Those were the highlights.

Richardson provided the consistency.

"Eric had a good day," Sawvel said. "He made some good catches, made some good plays. I like his demeanor. I like how he's approached this spring. He's learned what we need in this program, from him, and I think he's taken that step."

Hughes agrees.

"He's a very good football player," he added. "He loves this. Me and him, the day I got here, we got to the field. He keeps getting better every single day. He's been taking the playbook, and every single rep that he's had, very seriously. It showed today."