Know Wyoming’s Foe: BYU Cougars
* A University of Wyoming press release contributed to this report
LARAMIE -- The Wyoming Cowboys welcome longtime rival BYU to War Memorial Stadium for the first time since 2009 on Saturday. The contest is slated for a 7 p.m. start as the game will be a Stripe Out of War Memorial Stadium.
The contest will be televised on CBS Sports Network with Carter Blackburn on the call along with Randy Cross analyzing the action and Brandon Baylor on the sidelines.
Ticket Information
Fans may order tickets online, via email or by phone at:
- Go to GoWyo.com/tickets
- Emailtickets@uwyo.edu
- Call (307) 766-7220
- Stop by the UW Athletics Ticket Office on the West Side of the Arena-Auditorium on the corner of Willett Drive and 19th Street.
Stripe Out Information
The Stripe Out is back! A Stripe Out is again being planned for Sept. 14 as Wyoming takes on BYU. Wyoming Athletics is asking all Cowboy fans to participate in the Stripe Out of War Memorial Stadium by wearing Brown or Gold t-shirts based on their seat location. Use the map to find out what to wear -- all students are encouraged to wear gold.
North Texas Game Time Announced: The Cowboys game against North Texas is set for a 5 p.m. MT start Sept. 21 in Denton, Texas. The contest against the Mean Green will be streamed on ESPN+.
Hoyland Makes History: Senior John Hoyland connected on a pair of field goals against Idaho from 48-yards and 22-yards. That put him at 50 for his career in the Brown and Gold passing Cooper Rothe for the school record. Rothe, who was the kicker prior to Hoyland recorded 59 in his career with the Pokes.
Rivalry Renewed: The Cowboys and BYU will meet once again this Saturday inside War Memorial Stadium. It is the Cougars first trip to Laramie since the 2009 season. It will be the 79th all-time meeting between the two teams with the Cowboys owning a 17-16-3 record against the Cougars in Laramie. The two teams played the first night game in War Memorial Stadium in 1988 with the Cowboys earning a 24-14 win over the Cougars.
Suiaunoa in Double-Digits: Linebacker Shae Suiaunoa recorded 10 tackles for a season-high for a Cowboy against Idaho. It marked his fourth double-digit tackle output of his career at Wyoming. He has now recorded 192 career tackles at UW and is eight away from 200 in his career. Suiaunoa also added 1.5 tackles for loss in the contest, which tied a career high. He is tied for the team lead in tackles with Wyett Ekeler and Connor Shay at 13 for the season.
Getting Harsh: Defensive end Sabastian Harsh was in the backfield quite a bit against Idaho. He finished the game with two and a half tackles for loss which tied a career best. He had 2.5 tackles for loss last season at Nevada. Harsh also recorded his first sack of the season. He had nine tackles for loss last season to lead the Brown and Gold.
Johnson Makes First Start: Safety Andrew Johnson made his first career start against Idaho. He finished the contest with five tackles including a big stop on a fake punt. The Cheyenne, Wyo. native made it three starters from the State of Wyoming in the starting lineup along with Jordan Bertagnole and Will Pelissier.
Parks Settling In: Cornerback Keany Parks had a strong day for the Pokes in his second start at the position. He recorded a career-high five tackles in the contest including his first tackle for loss. Parks came to Wyoming as a running back but was switched to corner last season and play a vital role on special teams as a true freshman.
MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:
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* BREAKING: Four MW programs bolting for the Pac-12
* 'It's Nothing': Dawaiian McNeely not fazed by thumb injury
* UW's Caden Barnett holds himself accountable in loss to Idaho
* Andrew Johnson makes an impact in first-career start
* Wyoming Football: News and Notes Ahead of BYU
* Tuck's Take: Wyoming self-destructs in latest setback
Defense in Second Half: The Cowboy defense was solid against Idaho allowing only 225 yards of offense to the Vandals. The Pokes finished the game with nine tackles for loss and would hold the Vandals scoreless in the second frame allowing only 80 yards of total offense.
Jones Has Career Day: Running back DJ Jones had a career day for the Pokes against Idaho. He recorded80 yards rushing for the Cowboys which was a career-high. He also rushed the ball 17 times, which tied a career best. His previous career high came against Georgia State rushing for 61 yards on Sept. 10, 2022 while at North Carolina.
First for Svobooda: Quarterback Evan Svoboda found Devin Boddie Jr. for a 20-yard reception. It was the first of his career with the Cowboys. He finished the game passing for 124 yards with a career best 45 yards rushing.
Returning Kicks: Wide receiver Tyler King also handles kick return duties. This season he averages 25.3 yards per return. He ranks first in the conference in yards per return. That number also ranks No. 15 in the nation this season.
Boddie Jr. Hauls in Touchdown: Wide receiver Devin Boddie, Jr. hauled in a 20-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter for his first as a Cowboy. It was his first since scoring against Stanford at Vanderbilt during the 2021 season on Sept. 18. He finished the game with two catches for 34 yards.
Bertagnole Note: Defensive tackle Jordan Bertagnole added three tackles and one tackle for loss and a forced fumble against Idaho. He has 187 career tackles, has 24 tackles for loss and has forced five fumbles in his career. He is tied for ninth in career tackles for loss.
McNeely Makes Debut: Running back Daiwaiian McNeely played in his first game since 2022 on Saturday against Idaho. He missed all of 2023 with an injury. He had one rush for four yards in the contest.
Florentine in the Middle: Nose tackle Ben Florentine had a solid day for the Cowboys recording a career-high three tackles for the Cowboys against Idaho. He also added a tackle for loss in the contest.
In the Backfield: The Cowboys recorded nine tackles for loss in the contest against Idaho. It marked a season high for the Brown and Gold and the most in a game since having 12 last season at Nevada. Wyoming also had nine tackles for loss last season two times. Eight different Cowboys recorded at least a half tackle for loss in the contest. UW ranks second in the MW with seven tackles for loss per game this season.
About BYU: The Cougars, coming off a disappointing 5-7 season after making the move from independent to the Big 12, improved to 2-0 with an 18-15 victory at first-year ACC member SMU last Friday in Dallas.
BYU, which pulled off a miraculous 46-45 victory over the Mustangs in the legendary 1980 Holiday Bowl, limited SMU to five field goals to grind out a win in last week’s defensive slugfest.
"They've got a really good football team," Sawvel said. "You know, Coach (Kalani) Sitake is a guy that coach (Craig) Bohl always spoke so highly of, and he's done a great job there. They've put themselves in a good position with a good team this year."
BYU’s defense, which ranks 44th in points allowed per game (14.0) and 32nd in yards allowed per game (246.0), is led by defensive tackle Blake Mangelson and linebacker Harrison Taggart, who combined for 15 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, a sack and a forced fumble against SMU.
Jake Retzlaff has completed 60.3% of his passes for 550 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions this season. Senior tight end Mata’ava Ta’ase is averaging 20.3 yards per catch with two touchdowns.
"He is playing at a really high level," Sawvel said of Retzlaff. "He's got a very good arm. He's very mobile."
The Cougars lead the all-time series with Wyoming, 46-30-3, including winning the previous nine meetings between the former conference rivals. The Cowboys, who most recently lost the matchups in Provo (38-24 in 2022) and at the Poinsettia Bowl (24-21 in 2016), have not defeated BYU since a 13-10 home win in 2003 at War Memorial Stadium.
"They've got experience in their offensive line," Sawvel continued. "They've got size, obviously, which is a staple of their program. This will be a huge, huge challenge for us, defensively and then offensively. The challenge they pose is just, you know, they've got size, they're active, they're good on all levels, all the way through."
Tidbits:
* I know the focus right now is on realignment, losing four members of the Mountain West and what that means for Wyoming's future. I'm told to keep a close eye on Air Force. If they stay in the fold, this league can move forward and possibly even add a program or two. If they bolt for another conference, independence or get scooped up by the Pac-12, that could mean trouble. A source told me Thursday that the remaining schools are unified. We've heard that one before.
* I asked Jay Sawvel earlier in the week if he would be having any former players coming in to speak with the team about the long, storied history between Wyoming and BYU. He did just that. Sawvel didn't. I'm told Galand Thaxton (1985-87), the program's all-time tackles leader, delivered a message earlier in the week. Was also told current offensive analyst and Hall of Fame wideout Jovon Bouknight (2002-05) gave a passionate speech to the group. No doubt current defensive ends coach Brian Hendricks (2008-11) also gave his opinion about the visitors, too.
* The Cougars will be without their top-two running backs this Saturday night. Hinckley Ropati and LJ Martin are both dealing with injuries. That duo has combined for 176 yards on 39 carries. Both have a rushing touchdown. Martin has also added a score through the air.
* Wyoming has lost nine straight against BYU and trails the all-time series, 46-30-3. This will be the 80th meeting between the two rivals.
* Preseason all-conference selection John Michael Gyllenborg has practiced this week, according to a source. Will the tight end finally see action this Saturday after missing the first two games with a high-ankle sprain?
Meet the Cougars:
* Head coach: Kalani Sitake (9th year) 63-41 overall record, 2-7 in Big 12 play
* Offensive coordinator: Aaron Roderick (4th season); Defensive coordinator: Jay Hill (3rd season)
* Record in 2023: 5-7 overall, 2-7 in Big 12 Conference
* Offense in 2024: Average 29.5 ppg, 431.5 ypg (156.5 rush, 275 pass)
* Defense in 2024: Allow 14 ppg, 246 ypg (120 rush, 126 pass)
* Key Returners/ Newcomers - Offense: Jake Retzlaff (QB - 35-58, 550 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT; 18 rush, 51 yds), Miles Davis (RB - 8 rush, 61 yds; 3 catch, 32 yds), Enoch Nawahine (RB - 5 rush, 22 yds, TD; catch, 1 yds), Chase Roberts (WR - 9 catch, 134 yds), Keelan Marion (WR - 5 catch, 83 yds), Jojo Phillips (WR - 2 catch, 70 yds, TD), Mata'ava Ta'ase (TE - 3 catch, 61 yds, 2 TD)
* Key Returners - Defense: Harrison Taggart (LB - 11 tackles, PBU, FF), Jack Kelly (LB - 10 tackles, sack), Isaiah Glasker (LB - 8 tackles, sack, PBU), Blake Mangelson (DB - 8 tackles, sack), Tyler Batty (DE - 7 tackles, PBU), Tanner Wall (S - 7 tackles), Jakob Robinson (DB - 5 tackles, INT, FR)
* Injuries: Hinckley Ropati (RB - 21 rush, 89 yds, TD; catch, 3 yds), LJ Martin (RB - 18 rush, 87 yds, TD; catch, 7 yds, TD)
University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com
- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
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