PODCAST: Can’t Let Border War Hangover Linger

LARAMIE -- Situational awareness has been absolutely abysmal around these parts.

My mind immediately goes to the cluster you-know-what that transpired at the end of the Nevada game last November. The situation really was a simple one: Throw a touchdown or toss the ball out of bounds.

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Of course, neither one of those options panned out as Kaden Anderson fired a check down to running back Sam Scott, who was immediately met in the backfield. Even if that last snap would've counted -- and keep in mind, this isn't Ann Arbor -- it was a dud, too.

I think back even further to the Cowboys' final drive of the first half against Utah State in 2024. With just 35 ticks remaining on the game clock, Evan Svoboda launched a third-down pass down the west sideline inside War Memorial Stadium in the direction of Justin Stevenson. That gift was easily picked off and returned to Wyoming's 44-yard line.

Two plays later, Rahsul Faison was standing in the north end zone after an 8-yard scamper.

That mistake gave the Aggies a 17-10 advantage at the break. The visitors would go on to boot a 40-yard field goal at the buzzer to leave Laramie with a win and Jim Bridger's rifle.

All of that nightmare above brings me to last Saturday night in Fort Collins. Despite two early interceptions, one of which came inside the Colorado State red zone on a 4th-and-3, the Cowboys were still very much in the 118th Border War meeting between these two hated rivals.

With 5:21 left in the third, Tyler Hughes evaded a blitz and rolled to his right, firing his most-impressive pass of the afternoon, right into the chest of a sliding Charlie Coenen. It was a 21-yard hookup -- on a 3rd-and-16 -- just inside the Rams' 20-yard line.

Trailing just 14-13, at that point, Jay Sawvel admitted that he told himself his team was not only about to take the lead, but also add a two-point conversion.

That didn't happen.

Yellow hankies back near the line of scrimmage erased that completion. Starting right tackle Braylon Jenkins was the guilty party, caught "meandering" downfield on a pass play. That's not permitted.

The coaches know that. The fans know that. The player knows that.

To make matters even worse, Hughes, for the third time, was picked off on the ensuing snap. A throw that should've easily been hauled in by running back Nico Hamilton, was instead bobbled into the air and right into the hands of CSU linebacker Oumar Diomande.

Quarterback Hauss Hejny threw a perfectly-placed 57-yard touchdown pass toa wide open RJ Vick Jr. two plays later. That was the result of another failed "check" at the line, Sawvel added postgame.

There were other instances of maddening mistakes, too.

Bart Edmiston Jr. booted the opening kickoff out of bounds. Jones Thomas, a veteran starting safety, from Fort Collins, of all places, roughed the punter midway through the fourth quarter. Ian Bell didn't reel in what could've been a pick-six. Jack Dunkley failed to bring down CSU running back Mel Brown in the backfield. The senior transfer from Duquesne had him dead to rights. He whiffed and Brown scampered 37 yards down the east sideline inside Canvas Stadium.

These types of blunders can't continue to happen or major changes will be on the horizon.

Every game I've mentioned resulted in a loss, the most recent being an embarrassing 35-13 setback down south. If watching CSU players -- along with most of the student section -- run to the Bronze Boot with "Mamma Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys" blaring over the speakers doesn't motivate you, I don't know what will.

It's gut check time on the high plains.

We broke it all down on the latest Roaring Repeater Podcast, which you can find right HERE. Yes, we relived the disaster in FoCo, but we also looked ahead at the home opener Saturday and what it will take to actually put an FCS team away early.

Crazy thought, right?

Northern Colorado is in town for a 2 p.m. kickoff. The game will be streamed exclusively on MW+. Yes, that costs money.

This wasn't all doom and gloom. Like many of you, we pointed out the positives. Pessimists don't want to hear that, but there were glimpses of what could be coming. The good kind.

If you haven't caught up with our coverage from the Border War, you can do that below. As always, thank you, the fans, for reading and listening. Though we may not always agree -- or ever agree, looking at you @Flo4Wyo -- we can still navigate this 2026 campaign together.

Thank you for choosing us.

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS.COM:

* UNC Notebook: Pokes Still Grumbling Over Self-Inflicted Miscues

* Wyoming Takes on UNC in Home-Opening 'Stripe Out'

* GALLERY: Wyoming, CSU Tangle in 118th Border War

* Behind the Numbers: Third-Down Thud in Opener

* Making the Grade: Wilson Pokes' Top Pass Catcher in FoCo

* Mistakes, Miscues Derail Pokes in 35-13 Border War Loss

* Rants & Raves: CSU Rams Edition

* Turning Point, Unsung Hero and What's Next for UW Football

* Final Live File: Colorado State 35, Wyoming 13

* Tuck's Take: UW Title Drought Nearing 40 ... Time to Fix That

* UW Head Coach: 'This is What College Sports is All About'

* Gear Up For Game Day: CSU Rams