Nerves? What Nerves? ‘It’s Just Football’

LARAMIE -- Keany Parks, admittedly, bit on the double move.

Before Wyoming's sophomore cornerback could recover, teammate Will Pelissier hauled in the pass and threw it in cruise control, coasting down the sideline. He was destined to reach the end zone last Friday afternoon on the North 40 practice field.

Get our free mobile app

To make matters worse, the team was running one final two-minute drill.

"I won't completely blame it on the grass, but I kind of slipped," Parks said, flashing his trademark grin. "He cooked me for like 70 to the house."

On second thought.

"Actually, no he didn't. I actually got back up and ran him down."

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:

* Know Wyoming's Foe: Arizona State Sun Devils

* Wyoming Football: News and Notes Ahead of Arizona State

* Aaron Bohl is writing his own story at Wyoming

* How do you prepare for ASU's new-look offense, 30 incoming transfers?

* Wyoming's unknown pass rusher looking to become household name

* Get to know all the latest college football rule changes

* Q&A with Wyoming's new offensive coordinator Jay Johnson

* Wyoming's new OC very familiar with Arizona State's starting QB

* Wyoming Cowboys in the NFL: Preseason Week 2

* Harrison Waylee on the mend after Wednesday knee surgery

* Nic Talich: 'I couldn't love Wyoming football more'

* Tuck's Take: Wyoming has the horses to compete right now

The news hasn't been all bad for the Kenosha, Wisc., product. He's picked off his share of passes this offseason, too, including stepping in front of an out route in an earlier two-minute scenario.

"That felt really nice," he added. "Just to have all those guys behind me, everybody patting my head. I think that was that highlight moment from fall camp."

It's that type of resolve Jay Sawvel said he is looking for from Parks during his first-career start next Saturday night at Arizona State. He vaulted to the top of the depth chart because of his consistency in camp, but Wyoming's rookie head coach wants to see it play out in prime time.

"I think the thing is, look, when you boil it all down, you just have to go play," Sawvel said Monday during his weekly press conference. "You know, you just have to go do the things that you're supposed to do and just concentrate."

He is also expecting the same type of outing from Nate Geiger, who will be making his college debut in the desert. The Highlands Ranch, Colo., native beat out fellow redshirt freshman Jake Davies for the starting left tackle assignment. His task is to protect Evan Svoboda's blindside.

No pressure, kid.

Sawvel again simplified the process: Have a short memory.

"Look, it's one play at a time," he said. "Just do your best on that one play. When that one play is over, then we go to the next one. You can't fix something. If you got beat on a route, or you got beat for a sack, and it's now 2nd-and-14. Well, you know what? You can't fix that. Now, you can learn from it, but you better go on to 2nd-and-14, so we have a chance to get it to 3rd-and-six, as opposed to being 3rd-and-20 now, you know?"

Connor Shay, who appeared in all 13 games a season ago, will also make his first start Saturday night against the Sun Devils.

The senior from Danville, Calif., will line up at the weakside linebacker spot, replacing Shae Suiaunoa, who is now in the middle. He capped the 2023 season with 15 tackles, including eight solo stops while helping lead the Cowboys to the 47th-ranked defense in the nation.

Parks played in a dozen games during his true freshman season. Once named the No. 2 recruit in the state of Wisconsin by 247sports.com, the three-star running back made the move to the secondary during last year's fall camp. The move came out of necessity. Wyoming needed corners.

Parks not only accepted the move, he embraced it.

"I wouldn't say the nerves have hit me yet, I'm more excited than anything," he said, referring to his debut in Tempe. "I'm excited to get this thing going. I feel like I've been waiting for this my whole life. I'm born to do this, and I'm excited to go out there and ball.

"I've had a couple of guys come up to me and say, 'It's just ball. We've been doing it all of our life.' It's something that I love and something that I love playing, so I'm excited more than anything."

That same mindset applies to Geiger.

The 6-foot-5, 295-pounder, who was ironically recruited by ASU, spent the 2023 campaign on the scout team. It's not lost on him that in just a few short days he will be in a three-point stance, playing against an Autonomous-4 program on the road while attempting to fill the rather large shoes left behind by Laramie native Frank Crum.

Yes, all of that has crossed Geiger's mind, but in the end, he added, it's just football.

"It's just me against another person, and I'm ready for it," he said. "Obviously there's going to be some nerves, but, I mean, for me, whenever I get nervous before a game, just once I get a little pop in the pads, once I get hit, I'm like, OK, I'm here. I'm just locked in."

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:

* Wyoming Cowboys in the NFL: Preseason Week 3

* Justin Stevenson is ready to take next step, become playmaker

* Pokes' D Shifting Focus to ASU's versatile running back

* When will we see Dawaiian McNeely back on the field?

* PODCAST: Recapping Mountain West Media Daze

* Bohl: 'He was proud to be the coach at Wyoming'

* 'Cheat Code': UW QB Evan Svoboda has heard Josh Allen's Praises

* Sawvel reiterates trash talking is 'banned substance'

* Pokes Practice Report: 'This looks like football'

* Wyoming's Keany Parks eying starting cornerback role

* Wyoming's young defensive tackles held to higher standard

* Pokes Practice Report: Is Wyoming's Starting Lineup All Set?

Both Parks and Geiger said they were never specifically told by the staff they would be starting the opener. The former learned the news Monday after seeing the depth chart. The latter said his workload has increased and he had a good idea the job was his.

Now, it's time to go to work.

"That's a big part of the lesson for any new player. Really for everybody, solely," Sawvel said about simplifying the process. "That goes into kind of how we've approached offseason workouts, how we approach everything -- take it one day at a time. Take it as the smallest common denominator.

"When we get on the field, it's one play at a time. That's what we have to do."

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players