NIU Notebook: Sawvel’s Six-Point Plan For Success

LARAMIE -- Jay Sawvel laid out a six-point plan for this program Monday that he wants to see put into motion beginning Saturday in Laramie against winless Northern Illinois.

It's no secret turnovers have plagued the Cowboys through their first six outings of the 2026 campaign. They currently sit at a minus-7. Plenty of that has to do with the fact Tyler Hughes has tossed that same number of interceptions.

The senior signal caller has also fumbled twice.

Running back Markell Holman also coughed up his second giveaway of the season in last Friday night's 16-13 overtime victory at San Jose State.

The defense hasn't held up its end of the bargain either, forcing only four takeaways. That includes a pair of interceptions from safety Jones Thomas and another from rookie cornerback Therman "Boogie" Williams. Wyoming has also recovered just one fumble.

There is no specific orders for these demands, but gifting the opposition has to be right near the top of the list.

"These next six games, we need to be positive," Sawvel said during his weekly press conference. "We need to work to try to be positive-six. Try to be plus-one a game."

Here's what else Wyoming's third-year head coach wants to see down the stretch:

* Outgain the opponent: the Cowboys are currently trailing in this category by an average of 61 yards per game despite winning that battle 345-to-334 inside CEFCU Stadium. Running 77 plays of offense helped. So did converting 5-of-6 fourth-down opportunities.  The visitors also owned time of possession by more than 20 minutes.

* Limit explosives: Wyoming's defense technically allowed seven "big plays" in Friday night's win, including four in the passing game. Sawvel and Co., though, aren't as focused on the 10-and-15-yard gains. That line is drawn at 25 yards. Luke Weaver hooked up with Cooper Hoch on a 35-yard pass play early in the game. Carson Clark reeled in a 26-yard gainer in the third. That's it. "When you are at two or less, you're going to give up about 10 to 13 to 14 points a game," Sawvel added. "When you're at three or more, you're going to give up mid-to-upper 20s."

* Less hankies: This team is averaging roughly 5.6 penalties per game at the midway point of the season. That equates to around 51 yards an outing. Sawvel wants to see that number drop under 40. While flags haven't been a glaring issue, the timing of a few hasn't been ideal, including an illegal-man-downfield call in the season opener that erased a 3rd-and-long pickup and eventually flipped the game in Colorado State's favor. Center Chandler Donaway Friday night was tagged with a holding call late in regulation, erasing a 25-yard connection from Hughes to tight end Kyle Frendt. If that stood up, Sawvel said he was willing to send the reigning Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week, Erik Sandvik, out to attempt the game-winner from 58 yards out. "That was just an egregious call," Sawvel said. "I thought that was a bunch of crap, and I'll just say it that way. To make that call, at that point, against a guy that was a spy was a load of crap."

* Third-down thud: Wyoming has been abysmal this fall on third down, converting just 22-of-71 attempts. If you're wondering why Sawvel would leave the offense on the field for that many fourth-down attempts against the Spartans, wonder no more. The visitors were just 3-of-15 in that all-important category. That statistic, obviously, must improve. But the defense also has had its own issues getting off the field. That unit has given up 31 conversions on 79 attempts. Sawvel wants to see those numbers flip flop. "It gives us more opportunities to have the ball to create explosive plays and gives the other team less opportunities with the ball to create explosive plays," he said. "So, it all ties together -- all of these things."

* Red-zone woes: No one in the FBS has been worse inside the opposing 20-yard line than the Cowboys' next opponent Northern Illinois. The Huskies have only entered the red zone 13 times and have come away with five scores, including four rushing touchdowns. Wyoming isn't far behind. Christian Taylor's unit has made 21 trips in deep only to come away with 16 scores, seven of which are field goals. "I want that red-zone touchdown percentage to be 75%," Sawvel added. Last Friday, the Cowboys were 3-of-4 inside the 20, but it didn't feel that way. A Hughes interception late in the second quarter came from the Spartans' 22-yard line. Then there was a goal-line stand to begin that frame.

Sounds simple enough, right?

"That's what we identified," Sawvel said. "That gives you some things to write about."

Here are some other news and notes from Sawvel's Monday presser.

* Hughes carried the ball a career-high 27 times in San Jose, rolling up a hard-earned 92 yards on the ground. Six sacks, Sawvel said, figured into that final number. He added that he saw some "Andrew Peasley" type of plays from his quarterback in the gutty win, but would like to limit the contact. That's not to say he won't break glass in case of emergency, as the staff showed Friday night. "If we've got to run him 15, 18, 20 times, we've got to run him 15,18, 20 times," Sawvel said. "But I want it to be runs, not not sacks included in it."

* Sawvel, who reiterated once again Monday that Hughes is the best option under center for this program, said he called his QB on Sunday and asked how he was feeling. He said something to the effect of, I'm ready to play right now.

* Hindsight is an amazing thing, isn't it? Sawvel said if he could have one mulligan from last Friday's tilt in the Bay Area, it would be not allowing 30-plus seconds to run off the clock at the end of the first quarter with his team camped out on the Spartans' 2-yard line. Instead of running a play, Wyoming let the quarter expire, which gave SJSU a chance to regroup and rest during the television timeout. That unit stuffed the Cowboys three straight times to force the turnover on downs to start the second quarter.

* Why did the Cowboys kneel the ball and kick the game-winning 21-yard field goal in overtime instead of just pounding it in the end zone? Sawvel said after watching the first-down try by Samuel "Tote" Harris he saw the ball move in his arms after the sophomore running back took a big hit at the goal line. It was really that simple.

* Wyoming's secondary is about to receive a boost. Tyson Shamsid-Deen, who suffered a hand injury against Central Michigan has been cleared and will play with a cast. Fellow cornerbacks Ian Bell (foot) and Kendall Griffin (hand) are still sidelined.

* Can we take a second to appreciate how good this throw and catch was? Sawvel said Monday this was a route Hughes and Jake Wilson worked on after practice last week. The throw had to be perfect, put in a spot only the 6-foot-5 tight end could snag it. That's exactly what happened on this 8-yard scoring strike with 6:25 remaining in regulation. That was Wilson's first collegiate touchdown grab.

* Eye discipline, SJSU linebacker Dylan Lee said postgame, will almost always lead you to the right spot. So will a well-timed -- and risky -- defensive scheme. That's exactly what transpired when the 220-pound junior picked off Hughes late in the second quarter with the Cowboys sitting just outside the red zone. Watch the video above and see what Lee does immediately after the snap. Sawvel said Monday his staff will "borrow" ideas from the opposition after breaking down film, but releasing an A-gap linebacker to the sideline takes a special player. Lee is certainly that. "It's great to play good and all, but you play to win," Lee said. "So, I feel like even though you could say I had a good game, it just sucks to lose, honestly. So, I haven't really given that much thought."

* Wyoming (3-3, 2-1) hosts an Northern Illinois (0-5, 0-1) squad that is limping into Laramie off a 28-7 home loss to Air Force last Saturday in DeKalb. The first-year members of the Mountain West have struggled mightily on offense and defense under head coach Rob Harley. Games at Iowa and Arizona certainly haven't helped NIU's cause. Kickoff inside War Memorial Stadium is slated for 1:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on The CW.

* How do the Cowboys avoid overlooking this wounded Huskie team? "We've done nothing around here," Sawvel said, bluntly, responding to a question about being too amped up for a Week-5 road game at North Dakota State. "We haven't won a championship in 30 years. We haven't had a 10-win season in 30 years. We won a game Friday night -- one we should've won by 14 points -- and we had to go to overtime to win it. Like, we've got to get better." Actually, coach, it's been nearly four decades since the Cowboys won an outright conference title.

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* The Roaring Repeater Podcast, fueled by Laramie Range Ford, will be produced this Tuesday. Jared Newland and I will hit record around 2 p.m. Mountain Time. If you have any questions you want answered, send them via social media or to cody@7220sports.com.

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:

* Making the Grade: Bogar Becoming QB's Worst Nightmare

* Rants and Raves: SJSU Spartans Edition

* FINAL LIVE FILE: Wyoming 16, San Jose State 13 OT

* Wyoming Outlasts San Jose State in Overtime, 16-13

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

* Behind the Numbers: Pokes 'Let it Rip' on Fourth Down

* Hughes Put Cowboys on His Bruised Back in 16-13 OT Win

* Anatomy of an 8-Game Road Losing Streak

* Q&A With Frustrated Wyoming Offensive Coordinator Christian Taylor