SAN JOSE, Calif., -- The gifts kept on coming.

Points, on the other hand, did not.

Wyoming turned four takeaways Saturday into just seven points in a 24-14 loss inside CEFCU Stadium. Wrook Brown picked off a tipped pass. Wyett Ekeler, despite playing with a pair of broken thumbs, also hauled in an errant wobbler off the right arm of Walker Eget.

7220 Sports logo
Get our free mobile app

San Jose State's quarterback gashed the defense with his legs early in the second quarter.

He weaved, spun and eventually landed inside the Cowboys' 10. The only issue with that 32-yard jaunt is Eget fumbled the ball. Tyrecus Davis caused the damage. He never gave up on the play. His running mate at the corner spot, Keany Parks, scooped up the loose change.

"Yeah, I know the defense got some turnovers today, but I don't think anybody on the defense is satisfied with how we played overall," junior nickelback Wrook Brown said postgame. "Too many yards and not enough plays made, even with the turnovers."

Then there was the muffed punt.

Matthew Coleman was camped under the Jack Culbreath boot. He just forgot to actually catch it. Wyoming's long snapper Carson York pounced, giving the visitors the ball at the Spartans' 26-yard line with 6:07 remaining in the first half.

This game felt like it was lopsided. The scoreboard said otherwise.

Trailing by just seven, Evan Svoboda and Co. trotted back on the field, looking to put the previous possession -- three net yards on five snaps -- even further in the rear-view mirror.

 

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:

* Cowboys can't capitalize on takeaways in 24-14 road loss at San Jose State

* Rants and Raves: SJSU Edition

LIVE FILE: Wyoming vs. San Jose State

7220sports.com Kickoff Show: Show Me Something Good

Nick Nash a beneficiary of 'spread and shred' offense

Show us your picks: Week 8

Wyoming's Harrison Waylee: 'I'm going to stay here"

Wyoming Cowboys in the NFL: Week 6

Mountain West Officially Invites Hawaii as Fulltime Member

Around the Mountain: Take a bow, Tory

Know Wyoming's foe: San Jose State Spartans

Midterm Report: Wyoming's defense at the midway point

Midterm Report: Wyoming's offense at the midway point

Wyoming Football: News and notes ahead of San Jose State

 

After picking up a quick first down on the ground, the Cowboys faced a 3rd-and-15 from the 26. A holding penalty aided in that scenario. Svoboda snagged the shotgun snap and patiently rolled backward, waiting for the screen pass to develop.

It didn't.

Still, the junior signal caller lofted a pass to Sam Scott, who was draped by edge rusher John Ward and defensive back DJ Harvey. The play resulted in a 10-yard loss. Jay Sawvel opted to punt instead of sending placekicker John Hoyland out for a 53-yard attempt.

"The defense played a heck of a game," said Wyoming tight end John Michael Gyllenborg, who caught five passes for a game-high 137 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown toss from Kaden Anderson in the dying seconds of regulation. "They gave us several opportunities, and again, we just didn't execute. We had the ball in their territory several times when we punted. That just comes down to penalties or whatever it was, and just can't happen.

"I know it's week seven or eight or whatever now, and we're still talking about this, but we're going to continue to improve."

The decision to punt, though conservative, paid off. Culbreath pinned the Spartans inside their own 3-yard line with just 2:13 to go.

Could Wyoming really get this game to the locker room trailing just 7-0?

Nope.

Eget heaved a perfectly placed 46-yard strike to Justin Lockhart to jump start the drive. Wyoming's rookie head coach called the play "inexcusable." Davis was the victim. The 6-foot-3 junior connected on five of his next seven throws, including a 17-yard dart to Nick Nash with 21 ticks remaining in the half.

"You down a punt at the 3-yard line before halftime and you're thinking, OK, we're going to get to the locker room at 7-0 at worst," Sawvel said. "The goal is, hey, we get a stop right here, now we're on a short field and maybe we can at least get a field goal. You know, then we allow that to happen."

Sawvel has harped on his team's play during the "middle eight" of games this fall. Again, his defense couldn't get the job done.

"We didn't take advantage of the fact that we could have caught them a little bit flat footed, making some mistakes, things of that nature," Sawvel added. "We let that go and. essentially pissed that away. We can't do that."

San Jose State 24, Wyoming 14

 

UNSUNG HERO

His final stat line wasn't exactly eye-catching -- two tackles, one solo stop -- but the fact Wyett Ekeler played in this game was nothing short of impressive.

As it states above, the senior safety played this game with two broken thumbs. He sported two large white casts. Despite that, the Windsor, Colo., product picked off an Eget pass with 8:56 remaining in the second quarter. He snagged the pick at the 12 and returned it to the 23-yard line.

This was Ekeler's first action since the BYU game back in Week 3.

"For Wyett to come back and play every snap defensively today after not playing for how many weeks and get an interception with two clubs on, I mean, I'm proud of the kid," Sawvel said. "I love him."

Ekeler now has 18 tackles and an interception this season.

 

 

QUOTABLE

"When we threw that pick in the red zone, that was tough. We just have to find ways when we get in their territory, which you had so many opportunities today to put points up, and to just stay consistent in these long drives, or even the short drives where we get the ball, starting in their territory. So, we'll get back to it on Monday. Like I said, we have good leadership."

-- Wyoming tight end John Michael Gyllenborg on all the missed opportunities Saturday in San Jose, including an Evan Svoboda interception inside the Spartan's 15-yard line midway through the fourth quarter

 

"Yeah, it's frustrating, but every loss hurts the same ... There's not a losing culture in the locker room. Like, everybody knows it's not OK. The coaches are harping that this can't go on. We still have a winning mindset, even though the games haven't been going our way."

-- Wyoming nickel corner Wrook Brown on the Cowboys' 1-6 start to the season

 

"We left a lot of plays on the field. You know, we did enough things to keep us in a situation that we could have won that game. The one that killed us in the end was, you know, we're in the fourth quarter, we're in a 17-7 game, we're in field-goal range and we're going to run a screen on that series. Just put the ball in play, and at worst, we kick a field goal and we're in a one-score game. We threw an interception. Then, defensively, we didn't answer it. There was the end of the game."

-- Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel on one of the many mistakes Saturday that once again kept the Cowboys out of the win column

 

WHAT'S NEXT?

Utah State (1-6, 0-3) pays a visit to War Memorial Stadium this Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 5 p.m. Mountain Time and the game will be televised on CBS Sports Network. The Aggies lost their sixth straight game Saturday, falling at home to New Mexico, 50-45. Senior quarterback Spencer Petras completed 32-of-47 throws for 360 yards and two touchdowns in that loss to the Lobos. He also rushed for another score. USU owns a 40-28-4 advantage in the overall series, but the Pokes (1-6, 1-3) have won four of the last six meetings in this rivalry. These two teams play for the traveling trophy, Jim Bridger's rifle.

University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players

During the summer of 2021, 7220Sports.com counted down the Top 50 football players in University of Wyoming history, presented by Premier Bone & Joint Centers, Worthy of Wyoming.

The rules are simple: What was the player's impact while in Laramie? That means NFL stats, draft status or any other accolade earned outside of UW is irrelevant when it comes to this list.

This isn't a one-man job. This task called for a panel of experts. Joining 7220's Cody Tucker are Robert GagliardiJared NewlandRyan Thorburn, and Kevin McKinney.

We all compiled our own list of 50 and let computer averages do the work. Think BCS -- only we hope this catalog is fairer.

Don't agree with a selection? Feel free to sound off on our Twitter: @7220sports - #Top50UWFB

Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players

More From 7220 Sports