Pokes Out to Prove Offense Will Be Explosive, Productive
LARAMIE -- Jackson Holman stutter stepped at the line before turning on the jets.
Flying down the west sideline inside War Memorial Stadium, the junior wideout raced past rookie safety Therman Williams and was in the clear.
Tyler Hughes noticed.
Wyoming's new transfer quarterback stepped into the throw and delivered a strike.
"That's probably the best feeling, I think, in all of football: catching a go-ball mid-stride for a touchdown," Holman said of the 47-yard toss, following the offense's 37-21 victory in the annual Brown and Gold spring game. "I don't think anything beats it, really.
"... That was just a perfect ball."
The long ball hasn't exactly been a strong suit for that unit in recent years.
In fact, Holman reeled in the longest pass by a receiver last fall. That was a 49-yard pitch and catch in the season opener at Akron. Running back Samuel "Tote" Harris turned a short throw into a 52-yard gainer on the game-winning drive last October against visiting San Jose State. Charlie Coenen also hauled in a 45-yard touchdown in that 35-28 victory.
Other than that, the most explosive pass play came early in the second half at Colorado. Then signal caller Kaden Anderson hit Eric Richardson down the sideline for a score from 41 yards out.
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That fact isn't lost on Holman, who capped his first season on the high plains with just 13 grabs for 139 yards.
That version of the Cowboy offense, led and designed by Jay Johnson, managed just 11.8 points per game. Only UMass was worse -- and that program went 0-12. The passing game ranked 111th in the nation, averaging 183 yards an outing.
Johnson is gone. So is Anderson.
Christian Taylor was handed the playsheet in December after spending two seasons on the defensive staff of the Buffalo Bills. His marching orders are crystal clear: Score.
So, what's this group's ceiling?
"Twenty-eight points, minimum, a game is my goal," Holman quickly responded. "I mean, I feel like we should be able to put that up to complement the defense."
That did not happen in 2025.
Aaron Bohl's side of the ball limited opponents to just 344.2 yards a night. That's the 45th-best mark in the FBS and third in the Mountain West Conference behind only San Diego State and Boise State. That defense also pitched two shutouts, including a 28-0 blanking of Border War rival Colorado State.
Even though his hands are clean of last year's offensive mess, Hughes can feel the sense of urgency from the returners.
"I think last year was really tough," said the graduate transfer who last fall threw for 2,330 yards and 20 touchdowns and added 670 more on the ground to go along with 11 scores in his final season at William and Mary. "Last year left a very bad taste, and that just wasn't the product that was supposed to happen. I think guys are super hungry. Guys want to win, because we have the pieces."
Jay Sawel said last November he was "taking a blow torch" to his offense. The deep heave to Holman is just an example of that, he said with a smile.
"That was a good ball," the third-year head coach said, adding Hughes' 45-yard scramble in the exhibition is yet another illustration of what this unit can accomplish. "He can make a wide variety of throws -- whether it's a field out route, whether it's on the move or a deep ball in the pocket -- so it was good to see that ball be completed. It was a perfect pass."
Holman said complacency won't be an issue this summer. Momentum, he added, is on their side. Playing CSU in Fort Collins right out of the gate serves as a delicious dangling carrot, too.
"Compared to where we were at this point last year, I feel like we're a completely different offense," he said. "We are way more explosive, way more productive."
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