Wyoming Football: News and Notes Ahead of BYU

LARAMIE -- Jay Sawvel has said numerous times during this forgettable two-game skid that he, his staff and team all need to take a long, hard look in the mirror.

They have.

Now the big question is: What do they see?

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Mistakes, miscues and missed opportunities pretty much sums it up. This program, one that has been known for discipline and toughness over the last decade, has been flagged 16 times in eight quarters. There have been substitution issues. For 10 minutes in the first half of last Saturday's loss to Idaho, Wyoming's rookie head coach said his defense simply "didn't play good."

There have been some not-so-obvious gaffes, too.

Like not getting a punt off in time to take advantage of the new two-minute warning rule late in the fourth quarter. By the time Vandal returner Jordan Dwyer hauled in the boot, the clock had already struck 2:00. Wyoming was forced to use all three of its timeouts and didn't get the ball back in its offense's hands until the 0:24 mark.

"One of the things that I've got to coach today with the punt team is the fact that we need to get that punt going at two minutes and whatever seconds the other day -- a couple seconds quicker," Sawvel said, adding that he thought there was 2:01 remaining when the catch was made. "... We wanted that thing to get caught at 2:03, 2:04, 2:05 where we could have used the additional timeout.

"So, you know, there's just all these different things that when you go and look at and say, 'OK, what do we got to do to get better?"

Repetitions.

That, Sawvel added, is what this team needs at certain spots on the field. He mentioned a holding call late in the fourth that was pinned on wide receiver Justin Stevenson. Though he doesn't agree with the call, the head coach said the redshirt freshman, who spent all of last season on the scout team, needs to understand the angles of blocking so he doesn't find himself in that position in the first place.

That penalty erased a 9-yard catch by Jamari Ferrell that had the Cowboys in business, planted at the Idaho 38 with less than four minutes to go.

He said for all the veterans littering this roster, there's just as much inexperience. For every Jordan Bertagnole, Wyett Ekeler and Nofoafia Tulafono, there's also a Dante Drake, Jayden Williams and Jake Davies.

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Pad level and fitting in run gaps has been an issue, Sawvel said. Defensive backs have been too "grabby." Certain reads and accuracy from the big right arm of quarterback Evan Svoboda has been inconsistent, at best. Blocking was also in the coach's crosshairs.

It's all fixable, but he knows patience is wearing thin.

The road doesn't get any easier with hated rival BYU paying a visit to War Memorial Stadium this Saturday night.

"Look, the team has a good mindset," Sawvel said. "The team has a good attitude. In between meetings and watching our opponent today, you know, I went in while they had their workout groups and talked to players. I had certain players in my office today. Everybody's frustrated that we didn't finish the game the other day, but there's no loss of resolve to what we're doing or anything that way.

"That's not going to happen. So, I'm pretty confident in that."

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

* Strong safety Isaac White should return to the Cowboys' lineup this week after missing the Idaho game with a head injury. Tight end John Michael Gyllenborg (ankle) could also be available against BYU Saturday night. The junior missed the first two games of the season. Dawaiian McNeely will also play, despite suffering a dislocated left thumb. The senior running back made his first appearance of the year against Idaho after missing the 2023 campaign with a torn ACL.

* Kick/ punt returner Caleb Cooley is dealing with a high ankle sprain, according to Sawvel, and will miss time. Edge rusher DeVonne Harris (elbow) is making progress and so is senior running back Harrison Waylee (knee). There is no official timetable for their return, but Sawvel hopes to have both back by at least the first bye week, which is set for Oct. 5.

* Lost in, well, the loss, John Hoyland last Saturday became the program's all-time leader in made field goals with 60, surpassing Cooper Rothe.

* BYU (2-0) knocked off SMU last Friday night in Dallas, holding the Mustangs to five field goals in an 18-15 win. Kalani Sitake's crew routed Southern Illinois 41-13 on opening day inside LaVell Edwards Stadium.

* The Cougars' defense has given up just two offensive touchdowns through two games. They have allowed just 246 yards per game and already have five sacks to their credit. Southern Illinois and SMU also averaged just 126 yards per outing through the air. Wyoming is ranked 131st in the nation in passing offense -- ahead of only Air Force and Army -- averaging just 102 in losses to Arizona State and Idaho.

* These two rivals have met on the football field 79 times. BYU holds a 46-30-3 advantage in the all-time series. The Cougars are also in the midst of a nine-game winning streak against Wyoming, dating back to 2004. Joe Glenn's Cowboys held on for a 13-10 victory in Laramie the previous season.

* Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. inside War Memorial Stadium and the game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

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