Three Keys To a Wyoming Cowboys Victory vs. Northern Iowa

LARAMIE -- Wyoming won seven straight games inside War Memorial Stadium during the 2023 season.

That total dipped to just one last fall.

The Cowboys, led by then quarterback Evan Svoboda, topped Front Range foe Air Force, 31-19, earning their first victory of the season. Four of those setbacks -- narrow losses to Idaho, San Diego State, Utah State and Boise State -- came by a combined 13 points.

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There was also a 34-14 defeat at the hands of longtime rival BYU.

That narrative, Jay Sawvel said, needs to change this year, starting with the home opener Saturday afternoon against Northern Iowa.

"We, as a team, there's a few things that are good markers right now, like the fact that we've won three of our last four road games in this program," the second-year head coach said Monday during his weekly press conference, just four days removed from a 10-0 road victory over Akron in the season opener. "Now, we've got to get this home thing solved, right?"

Here are a few examples the Cowboys can do in this one if they hope to turn the tide on the high plains:

1. PUNCH IT IN

Wyoming's offense rolled up 426 yards of total offense in last Thursday's opener at Akron, including 260 through the sky. Sam Scott was a workhorse out of the backfield, too, carrying the ball a career-high 29 times and capping his night with 132 yards.

That's the good news. The bad? This veteran-led offense managed just 10 points in the win.

"Not every win is pretty. It's not all, you know, flowers and rainbows," Wyoming quarterback Kaden Anderson said postgame. "I'm just really happy we got the win, and I just have to keep encouraging these guys, keep them lifting them up. Tonight's offense, it's not how we truly want to play, but I'm just happy we got away with the win."

Wyoming moved the ball seemingly at ease between the 20's, but found the Zips' red zone just twice. One of those trips ended with a turnover on downs inside the 10. Another drive stalled at the 8-yard line. Erik Sandvik booted through a 25-yard field goal, giving the visitors a 3-0 lead late in the first half.

When the down and distance read 3rd-and-2 or less, Wyoming converted twice on four attempts. That same scenario, on fourth down, the Cowboys were 1-of-3. They tacked on another turnover on downs with 11 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

"We're very fortunate we came out with a win," senior center Jack Walsh said. "It's a lot better learning from a win than an ugly loss."

The emphasis in practice this week: finishing.

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2. KEEP BRINGING THE HEAT

Ben Finley was clearly uncomfortable.

There's a good reason for that.

Akron's signal caller dropped back to pass 38 times last Thursday night. On 22 of those, he was either sacked, hit or pressured. Finley completed just 16 throws for 139 yards. He didn't crack the century mark though the air until late in the fourth quarter.

The senior also threw a costly interception inside the UW 10-yard line that was picked off by linebacker Brayden Johnson two yards deep in the end zone, putting a screeching halt to the Zips' lone legit scoring opportunity of the night.

Defensive tackle Lucas Samsula, appearing in his first game at the collegiate level after suffering an ACL tear in fall camp a season ago, tallied two of the Cowboys' four sacks in this one. Edge rusher Chisom Ifeanyi and nose tackle Ben Florentine also added to that total.

Wyoming is actually gaining an additional starter this week with the return of Esaia Bogar, who underwent surgery on his right hand just 10 days before the opener. The junior edge rusher will play in a cast. Gary Rutherford should also be nearing 100%. The Cowboys' redshirt freshman linebacker, and arguably the most-talented player on this unit, suffered a knee injury late in fall camp. The Illinois product played four special-teams snaps in Akron.

This was an all-around group effort, Sawvel added.

"I was really, really, really pleased, defensively, with the effort, No. 1, but the execution," he said. "... 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."

Northern Iowa didn't allow a sack on 25 pass attempts during its 38-14 opening-day win over visiting Butler.

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3. NOW IN TO PUNT ...

Northern Iowa converted 6-of-10 third-down opportunities last Saturday in Cedar Falls. The home team trotted out the punt team just twice in that 24-point victory, the first in the Matt Stepsis era.

Wyoming's defense did plenty of things right inside soggy InfoCision Stadium, like holding Marquese Williams and Co. to just 3.2 yards per rush, missing just nine tackles all night and allowing the Zips to cross the 50 just four times, despite their average starting field position sitting around the 30-yard line.

3-of-15.

That was a key stat in this one. Like it did all of last year, Wyoming excelled on the money down, forcing eight punts and eventually a turnover on downs. The Cowboys led the nation in this category last fall, limiting opponents to just .259% (37-of-143).

Cal Poly, North Dakota and Idaho.

Those FCS programs have rolled into Laramie and hosted joyous postgame celebrations in the visiting locker room. Wofford, Montana State, Portland State, and many others, have given the locals their money's worth, too.

In a stunning 17-13 loss to Idaho last September, Wyoming limited the Vandals to just 1-of-13 on third down. The problem? Jason Eck's team was 2-of-4 on fourth, both play calls culminating in the end zone. They also drained plenty of clock, playing keep away for 31:20.

"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," Wyoming defensive coordinator Aaron Bohl said. "We need to play extremely hard and extremely physical. If you don't show up ready to play, you're going to get caught."

Get off the field, get in the win column.

Kickoff between the Cowboys and Panthers is slated for 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Altitude TV and streamed on the Mountain West Network.

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