Rough Day at the Office For Wyoming Pass Catchers

LARAMIE -- Catches weren't easy to come by early in Saturday's scrimmage inside War Memorial Stadium.

Parker Moore snagged one of the first passes of the morning session, hauling in what should've been a completion near the sideline. The redshirt freshman secured the tipped ball and tapped his toes in-bounds on the green turf before cruising into a raucous celebration.

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The issue?

He's a linebacker.

"We dropped way too many balls," Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel said post-practice. "It was poor and we've got to get a lot better with that."

The wide receiver corps, playing without Ke'Lyn Washom (funeral) and Charlie Coenen (injury), had its fair share of mishandles on the perimeter. Tight ends didn't fare a whole lot better. Jake Wilson was limited to "25-to-30" snaps and Kyle Frendt is sporting a bulky black brace on his left leg after suffering an MCL sprain last Tuesday.

After some early drops out of the backfield, Nico Hamilton grabbed a 5-yard dump pass in the flat from Mason Drube, scoring the first touchdown of the outing and capping an impressive 2-minute drill. The 5-foot-10, 207-pound running back also bullied his way into the brown-and-gold paint of the north end zone late in regulation, too.

Quarterback Tyler Hughes found Hamilton in the seam once, too. It was a pretty toss that went for a first down. It was abruptly ended, though, with a violently-timed hit from USC transfer linebacker Anthony Beavers.

Markell Holman, a 1,000-yard back at Western Illinois in 2025, proved to be the most reliable threat in the passing game, serving as a safety blanket for Cowboy signal callers.

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Sawvel, who was busy Saturday afternoon watching today's film, said his QB's were mostly on target throughout the two-hour workout. He also tossed in some additional pressure, limiting all offensive drives to just eight plays.

"Ball placement wasn't the issue," he added. "... We have to finish them."

Wyoming brought in just one transfer at the receiver spot this offseason, inking Justin Popovich, who spent the previous three seasons at Lock Haven, a Division-II program in Pennsylvania. Last fall, the 6-foot-3, 209-pound senior, caught 55 passes for 686 yards and six touchdowns.

Jayden Williams is an early enrollee. The true freshman finished with 162 grabs for 2,898 yards and 35 touchdowns during his prep career at Arbor View High School in Las Vegas.

The Cowboys need to replace their top-four pass catchers from a season ago, including the speedy Chris Durr Jr., who led all receivers with 469 yards. He's now at Maryland.

Who is standing out this spring?

"I think, out of the guys that are just playing fast, playing effective and are just mentally (ready) and flying around, I think Eric Richardson is the one that sticks out," wide receivers coach Jovon Bouknight said last Tuesday. "It's like a change of gear. I could see the improvement just as far as: A, just his ability out there, and then B, like, it's that second year where things slow down a little bit. He's playing faster. So, I'm really pleased with him. Jackson (Holman) has always been pretty steady, but I think, Popovich is coming along, too."

Richardson hauled in one touchdown pass last season. That was a 41-yard grab at Colorado. He finished his first year on the high plains with just 112 yards on 10 catches. Holman, a transfer from Arizona, snagged 13 balls for 139 yards.

"'Slim' has been another one," Bouknight added, referring to Bricen Brantley, who capped his season with only five receptions for 33 yards. "You hope he just continues to build on it. You know, a lot of people forget he started for me that first game against Akron last year. He has the ability, and we all see that. He has the tools."

In the first spring scrimmage, there were few highlights in the passing game. Deion DeBlanc, a sophomore slot receiver, caught a 20-yard pass from Drube down the seam. Brantley and quarterback-turned-tight end Gage Brook hauled in a long ball, too, from the young Gillette product. He also hit Joaquin Sandoval in the end zone from 16 yards out near the end of the session.

Jason Handy almost made the play of the afternoon. If he could've held onto the throw, there weren't many obstacles between him and the pine trees.

The issue?

He's a defensive end.

"Nobody caught the ball very well today, so, I think, even if it would have been right in his chest, he might be dropping that one, too," his position coach Brian Hendricks joked, adding true freshman safety Therman "Boogie" Williams and Beavers also collided and dropped a potential interception.

EXTRA POINTS:

* Parker Moore was arguably the most impressive defender during Saturday's scrimmage. Not only did the Lawrence, Kan., product reel in an interception, he crudely met Dontae Burch in the backfield, again igniting the visiting sideline.

* Linebacker depth was on display all afternoon. Moore and Beavers stood out, but Steven Perez, Dash Bauman, Gary Rutherford and Karson Butts had their moments, too. That is a stacked group. "I think we have a chance for that to be a real positive for us," Sawvel added.

* With the number of dropped passes mounting, Tyson Shamsid-Deen was inserted into the offensive huddle. The sophomore cornerback was on the field for 13 offensive plays after Bouknight took over playcalling duties late in the season. "As far as our skill players and catching passes, you want to know why Tyson will play on offense? You can see an example of it," Sawvel said, adding freshmen sometimes crack the lineup, like Shamsid-Deen, a year ago, because they make plays.

* It was a solid day for junior placekicker Erik Sandvik, who against a live rush, connected on 7-of-8 field goals, including one from 56 yards out. In his first season as a starter, the Steamboat Springs, Colo., native struggled mightily, missing four of his last five attempts.

* Wyoming will be back on the practice field Tuesday and Thursday before taking part in another scrimmage in Laramie a week from today. Sawvel said he will temper the Thursday workload in order to get more out of Saturday's exhibition.

* The annual spring game will take place April 25 inside War Memorial Stadium. It is free and open to the public. Kickoff time has yet to be set.

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