Wyoming Placekicker Embracing The Pressure This Spring

LARAMIE -- The stakes were high.

A miss, the other 104 guys do up-downs while he watches. A make, you receive the praise of your head coach post practice.

Erik Sandvik chose the latter.

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The redshirt sophomore, the entire team and coaching staff surrounding him, booted through not one, but two, kicks Tuesday evening from 52 yards out, sending his blockers into a frenzy.

Truth be told, the defense was just as thrilled to see the ball split the makeshift uprights on the west end of the indoor practice facility.

Calisthenics averted.

"I've always had confidence in Erik Sandvik," Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel said from behind the podium. "That's twice now I brought the team out all around him."

Why? One word: pressure.

As if there's not already plenty of that on Sandvik's plate.

The Steamboat Springs, Colo., product will attempt this fall to replace the program's all-time leading scorer John Hoyland, who finished with 366 career points, 20 more than former placekicker Cooper Rothe, the man he stepped in for back in 2020.

"He has a smooth motion that he can draw great power from with less effort," Hoyland said last February, referring to Sandvik. "He uses his taller frame to his advantage. He has a fantastic, laid-back personality in the locker room that makes it so easy to be around him."

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While he hasn't yet appeared in a regular-season outing, Sandvik did connect on a 20-yard attempt in last April's spring game inside War Memorial Stadium. He was also a perfect 10-for-10 at a team camp the summer prior.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder can punt, too. That's an added luxury with mandatory roster cuts looming.

Though he hasn't been named the starter yet, and Cheyenne's Keelan Anderson is providing daily competition, Sawvel said they will continue to press Sandvik this offseason.

By whatever means necessary.

"I gotta figure out some other stuff," Sawvel joked. "Maybe I'll do what coach (Craig) Bohl did. I saw him, one time, throw some coffee at the kicker while he was ready to kick. I don't drink coffee, so I'd have to get something from somebody else."

Hoyland, who took part in the Cowboys' NFL Pro Day last month, is still in Laramie awaiting his fate at the next level. In the meantime, he is also working with these kickers in practice, lending advice and expertise. He converted nearly 80% of his attempts, including 99.3% of his extra-point tries.

Whatever makes the transition smoother, is all good with the boss.

"Right now, I'm really happy with where Erik is," Sawvel added. "He's come a long way and he works hard."

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