Northern Iowa Notebook: Pesky FCS Opponent on Deck

LARAMIE -- The question is a simple one: Why does Wyoming seem to play down to its FCS opponents inside War Memorial Stadium?

The answer? Well, that's not quite as obvious.

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Since Jay Sawvel arrived on campus back in 2020, the Cowboys are 3-1 in these matchups, including a still-hard-to-believe 17-13 loss to a scrappy Idaho squad last September.

Jack Wagner, a third-string quarterback, did just enough on that sun-splashed day in Laramie, completing 12-of-21 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. The Vandals turned a pair of fourth-down attempts into scores and played keep away, holding onto the ball for 31:20.

Wyoming's second-year head coach said one of the reasons for the struggles is the opponent.

"We've played some pretty good ones, OK? And I think we'll play a pretty good one this week, too. So let's just start there," Sawvel added.

AKRON GAME COVERAGE VIA 7220SPORTS:

* Behind the Numbers: Just How Good Was Wyoming's Defense in Akron?

* Rants and Raves: Akron Edition

* Tuck's Take: Panic Button? You're Kidding, Right? It's Early

* Cowboys Pitch 10-0 Shutout in Soggy Season Opener

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

* LIVE FILE: Wyoming Cowboys at Akron Zips

Idaho climbed all the way to No. 7 in the national polls last fall, before falling to Montana in the FCS Quarterfinals. You might also recall, Jason Eck's squad gave third-ranked Oregon a scare the week prior inside Autzen Stadium. The Ducks held on for the 10-point victory.

Despite not playing a single game during the COVID-19 pandemic, Montana State waltzed onto the high plains in the 2021 season opener and nearly pinned a loss on Wyoming. Quarterback Sean Chambers, who ironically would cap his college career in Bozeman, fired a 21-yard touchdown strike to tight end Treyton Welch in the north end zone with just 47 ticks remaining to lift the Cowboys to a 19-16 win.

The Bobcats, led by former UW offensive coordinator and first-year head coach Brent Vigen, would march all the way to the FCS Championship game that January.

Portland State cut Wyoming's lead to just seven early in the second quarter of its 2023 meeting. The Vikings refused to go away all afternoon, threatening to make it a one-score game with less than a minute remaining in regulation.

Remember, it was the Cowboys who just a week later took a 10-10 tie into the fourth quarter at No. 4 Texas.

"I also think there's been a couple hiding in there," Sawvel said, referring to that win over PSU, specifically. "We came off that Texas Tech game and I thought maybe we didn't handle the following week the right way. We were bang, bang, bang, practice wise. Next thing you know, I thought we were a step slow, going into that game."

Is this also simply a case of overlooking what's perceived to be a lesser opponent?

Aaron Bohl didn't shy away from that one.

"I think one, it is them playing their Super Bowl. You know, this is such a big game to all of those guys," Wyoming's defensive coordinator said. "You look at our recruiting structure and -- we have a lot of really talented players -- but, you know, there are a lot of guys we have that are one offer away from being FCS players.

"So, the thing that we do really well and, we have to make sure we always do well is, we have to play with an extremely hard chip (on our shoulder) all the time. We need to play extremely hard and extremely physical. If you don't show up ready to play, you're going to get caught."

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* Behind the Numbers: One Last Look at Wyoming's Defense in '24

* Tuck's Take: Hallelujah, Wyoming is Finally Returning Punts

* Landon Sims Defies Odds, Lands Back-Up QB Role

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* Another Rookie Could Be Joining Wyoming's 'Four Game' Crew

The atmospheres, Bohl added, also make a difference. Sawvel agrees, wholeheartedly.

Wyoming played in front of an announced attendance just north of 9,000 during last Thursday night's season opener in Akron. The atmosphere, drab. Intimidation? You're kidding, right?

That won't be the case this Saturday afternoon in Laramie when the Cowboys play host to Northern Iowa in front of what is expected to be a capacity crowd.

"Playing at home, we're going to get everybody's (best shot)," Sawvel continued. "I mean, this is a great atmosphere. Just look at what we just played in this past week. You know, a lot of people don't get excited to go on the road and play in that. People will get excited to come here because it's going to be a great atmosphere. We're going to get a great shot from Northern Iowa."

Here's some other news and notes from Sawvel's weekly press conference:

* Where was Jaylen Sargent last Thursday night? Well, like you, he was watching. The senior wideout played just 18 of the Cowboys' 77 offensive snaps in the opener. Why? "He's got to play better," Sawvel said bluntly. "There were some plays that he didn't play to the standard of what we wanted and coach (Jovon) Bouknight pulled him from there ... There's no injury situation, he's got to play better. He knows it. I talked with him on Saturday, you know, at length about the fact that what the expectation is for you and what that needs to be. He'll respond. So, I think you'll see a completely different Jaylen Sargent this week, which is a very good thing." The Logan, Utah product was on the field for nine pass plays and wasn't targeted one time.

* Wyoming's defense, fresh off its first shutout since 2017, is actually getting a boost this week with the 1-0 Panthers coming to town. Esaia Bogar, a junior edge rusher from Riverside City College, will be back in the mix after undergoing surgery on his right hand. He will play in a cast. The visitors were also without arguably their best defender in linebacker Gary Rutherford, who suffered a knee injury late in fall camp. The redshirt freshman, who did appear on four special-teams snaps, should also be a full-go this Saturday.

* We took a deeper dive into that 10-0 blanking inside InfoCision Stadium. You can find that right HERE. Was Sawvel even more impressed, though, after watching the tape? "I was really, really, really pleased, defensively, with the effort, No. 1, but the execution," he said. "... There were just a lot of different things that they were working on and trying to get done. You know, as we talk all the time, defensively, you can take a 200-pound athlete that is a special athlete, and the whole deal, and what really determines whether he's a good player or not, typically weighs about six ounces and they're on either side of the nose -- It's your eyes. It's how good your eyes are, and our eyes, in the secondary the other day, were outstanding. We would've lost that game a year ago."

* "I feel like we should make ginormous improvement in our program from Week 1 to Week 2," Sawvel said. Why? Experience. It's easy to forget that center Jack Walsh, guard Caden Barnett and tight end Evan Svoboda, for instance, are all playing new positions. "They're going to get better," he added. "That's the expectation, that we get better all the way across the board."

* Something that must improve this week is short-yardage scenarios. Wyoming was 3-of-7 on 3rd-and-2 or less and 4th-and-2 or less at Akron, Sawvel said. "We didn't finish enough drives," he added, referring to a pair of turnovers on down deep in Zips' territory. "... You can't live in that space."

* Sawvel acknowledged tight end John Michael Gyllenborg needs to get involved much earlier against Northern Iowa. The senior was targeted seven times and came down with just three grabs for 19 yards. He was on the field for 72 snaps. Sawvel mentioned the offensive staff has a sheet of plays drawn up for Gyllenborg and Chris Durr Jr. The latter "had things hitting" in that one, catching a team-high seven passes for 146 yards and a 35-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

* Andrew Johnson capped his night with six tackles and a violent hit from behind that just might have saved a touchdown. "That was the best he's ever played, you know, in terms of from a physicality standpoint," Sawvel said of the senior safety from Cheyenne. "... I thought Andrew did really well the other night. It was really good to see."

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* Andrew Johnson Eyeing Starting Job in Swan Song at Wyoming

* Wyoming Linebacker Evan Eller Mashed the Reset Button in '24

* Wyoming to Host Open Scrimmage inside War Memorial Stadium

* Pokes Practice Report: How Aggressive Will Sawvel be on Fourth Down?

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* Wilson's Announce $90,000 in Donations to Wyoming Non-Profits

* Northern Iowa rolled up 448 yards of total offense at home last Saturday in a 38-14 victory over Butler. Matthew Schecklman completed 15-of-25 throws for 214 yards and four touchdowns, all to different receivers. The Panthers also tacked on 235 yards in the run game, averaging 13.8 yards per carry.

* Kickoff in Laramie Saturday is slated for 2 p.m. Mountain Time. The game will be broadcast on Altitude TV and streamed on the Mountain West Network.

* The University of Wyoming is calling for a "Gold Out" this Saturday. Now you know what color to wear.

* The Roaring Repeater Podcast will air again this Tuesday with Jared Newland and myself in our Cheyenne studios. Make sure to watch our social media feed, where we'll be asking you, the fans, for any questions you may have before the home opener.

* As always, make sure you are following us on social media: Facebook and X. Also, have you downloaded our totally free app yet? You can do that right HERE. You can also sign up for our daily newsletter right HERE. Catch up on all the latest Wyoming football news right HERE.

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