2024 Failure Fuels Wyoming in Border War Blanking

LARAMIE -- "No. It's not going to be a challenge."

That was Jay Sawvel's response, accompanied by a smirk and a slight head shake, last Monday to a question about whether it would be tough to motivate his team for this annual meeting with Border War rival Colorado State.

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He meant it, too.

Wyoming's second-year head coach pulled out all the stops this week, inviting newly enshrined College Football Hall of Famer Ryan Yarborough to speak to the team about the importance of winning this game.

What really struck a chord with his roster, one that was coming off a deflating three-point loss at Air Force, was a "cut up" of clips from last November's embarrassing 24-10 loss to these same Rams.

Those lowlights featured a plethora of missed tackles and assignments. It also hammered home another point: They wanted it more.

There was added motivation, too.

"For 344 days, they had to look at an empty trophy case in the weight room every time that they walked in there to work out," Sawvel said. "It was a trophy case where that boot was supposed to be and it wasn't."

Not anymore.

Wyoming's defense picked off three Jackson Brousseau passes and kept the visitors out of their "paint" in a 28-0 blanking Saturday night in front of a capacity crowd inside War Memorial Stadium.

It was the first shutout in this series since 2010 and the second of the season for this new-look unit. That feat hasn't happened since 1966, the same year the Cowboys held Air Force and Wichita State scoreless.

As the dying seconds bled off the game clock, Wyoming players raced across Jonah Field to the visiting sideline and snatched the Bronze Boot, hoisting that coveted traveling trophy high into the air as the student section began to pour into the fray.

Kaden Anderson, who completed 16-of-24 throws for 154 yards and a pair of touchdowns, said it was that exact same scene last November in Fort Collins that fueled him throughout the week.

"We're not shaking hands. We're running over there, because that's what they did to us last year," the sophomore quarterback said postgame. "I still remember Henry Blackburn and Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi running over there -- running past me -- and going to grab that boot.

"... That is ultimately what I wanted to do to them, and that is what I did."

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The video of his forgettable night in Fort Collins last year didn't hurt, either.

"I got thrown on there a couple of times," Anderson added. "... The clips that he showed, gosh, I know I was pissed off. I wanted to play CSU right then and there. I mean, I was so fired up."

Jack Walsh was also bothered by what he saw on the big screen.

"It was them absolutely destroying us: tackling better than us and blocking better than us. You know, doing everything across the board better than us," the senior center said. "It was dead silent, watching that entire tape. You could just sense the anger in the room."

Jones Thomas picked off one of those throws. The sophomore safety hauled in a Brousseau misfire late in the first half. Five plays and 56 yards later, Chris Durr Jr. hauled in a nine-yard corner route to extend the lead to 21-0.

Thomas' grandfather, Earlie Thomas, was a Hall of Fame cornerback at CSU. Jeramie Thomas, his father, was a wide receiver there in the late 90's.

You think that interception didn't mean something to the first-year starter?

"It means a lot, you know, participating in a game that two generations before me have participated in," the Poudre High School product said with a smile. "But I'm glad to say I'm the first Thomas supporting the right side, so I'm glad we got it done today."

Sawvel had some special visitors waiting for the team in the celebratory locker room.

Former head coach Craig Bohl and Gov. Mark Gordon were there. So was 1996 Biletnikoff Trophy winner Marcus Harris, who was asked to speak to the group and "break it down." Andrew Peasley was in attendance, too. So was Wyatt Wieland, Ryan Marquez and Caleb Driskill and others.

This was a family affair.

No wonder that "It sucks to be a CSU Ram" chant seemed a little louder.

"I'm really happy for our players, really happy for everybody associated with our program, really happy for our alumni, really happy for our fans," Sawvel said. "It's a great night for the Cowboys."