LARAMIE — Jay Sawvel said the focus during the bye week could be broken down into three categories: Turnover margin, red-zone opportunities and short-yardage situations.
Notice the pattern here? Those are all offensive issues.
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Wyoming’s second-year head coach did add, to take the next step as a defense, that unit not only needs to stop the run, it needs to dominate. That will be key this Saturday night inside Valley Children’s Stadium, a venue the Cowboys haven’t won in since 2014.
“Their running backs are the key to their offense,” Sawvel said Monday during his weekly press conference in Laramie. “Being able to play well — and in that space — will be critical.”
The Bulldogs, led by the two-headed monster in the backfield, Rayshon Luke and Bryson Donelson, average 154 yards per game. Brandon Ramirez and Elijah Gilliam have also combined for 278 yards on just 55 rushing attempts.
Like always, though, the focus is in-house more so than what awaits in California’s Central Valley.
Wyoming is currently a minus-3 in the turnover department. That’s bad enough. Want to add some salt to that wound? The defense has forced 13 turnovers in nine games. Kaden Anderson and Co. have given it away 16 times. The sophomore quarterback is responsible for 11 interceptions and three fumbles.
“That has been a problem,” Sawvel said. “We have 12 of them in Mountain West games. So, I think, if you single out one thing right away to start this game is the fact that we’ve got to win turnover margin. We’ve got to be able to do that. We’ve got to take care of the ball. We’ve got to make great decisions with the ball. That’s going to be important for us to get started.”
Fresno State, in its three conference victories, is a plus-9. In the two losses to Colorado State and San Diego State, that number plummets to minus-4.
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Wyoming has made just 21 trips inside the opponents’ 20-yard line this fall. Sixteen times, it has put points on the scoreboard.
That’s not good enough, Sawvel said.
A dozen of those have gone for touchdowns. Erik Sandvik has booted through four field goals. Only one-win Nevada has been worse (17-of-26) inside the red zone.
When it comes to picking up crucial yards in the trenches, the Cowboys showed a glimpse in Week 1 that trouble could be on the horizon.
Against Akron, which is currently ranked 98th in the country in total defense, the visitors were just 9-for-20 on third-down opportunities. Wyoming was just 1-of-3 on fourth down, too. Two of those came inside the Zips’ 8-yard line. Running back Sam Scott was dropped for a loss on both attempts. The latter, which came on the opening drive of the fourth quarter, was a result of a not picking up a 3rd-and-1.
The Cowboys rank 90th in the FBS (.373) when it comes to third-down-conversion rate. They are 8-for-15 on fourth. That’s good enough for 76th in the country.
“I’ve been pleased with where we’re at, offensively, with him, right now,” Sawvel said, referring to interim offensive coordinator Jovon Bouknight. “I’ve spent a lot of time the last couple days, especially with them, you know, in terms of their game planning and all that. I think that whole staff is working well together, which is always a big key to it.”
Here are some other tidbits from Monday’s presser:
* Quarterback Landon Sims is back in his home state of Alabama and will undergo season-ending surgery Tuesday on a left knee that is now destined for its third ACL reconstruction.
* Senior linebacker Evan Eller’s arm was in a sling a week ago. Today, he was laughing with his teammates — sling-less — in the team’s weight room. Sawvel said the Virginia native will be ready to go in Fresno after getting dinged up at San Diego State. Cornerback Dainsus Miller underwent surgery on his left thumb after the win over CSU. It couldn’t be put off any longer. He is also expected to be full-go this Saturday night. Defensive tackle Aneesh Vyas, on the other hand, probably needs one more week of rehab, the head coach added, referring to that unspecified setback.
* The news isn’t all bad in the defensive trenches. Jayden Williams has been fully reinstated after being suspended for violating team rules following the Border War. The sophomore from Texas will bolster an interior that is still without Cody Crawford and Vyas, along with Dante Drake and Caleb Robinson, who were both lost for the season with Achilles injuries in August.
* Wideouts Pierre “PJ” Jackson and Deion DeBlanc, along with tight end Kyle Frendt and running back Samuel “Tote” Harris have all played this fall. So have defensive depth players like cornerback Tyson Deen and linebackers Steven Perez and Parker Moore. What do those seven have in common? They are all true freshmen. Sawvel said other rookies could get their feet wet over the final three games of the regular season, including the state’s top prospect, quarterback Mason Drube. Receiver Ke’Lyn Washom and nickel corner Kaiden Kimble-Turner could also be on deck.
* Speaking of Drube. Will the Gillette product step under center against the Bulldogs? That’s all but a national secret. The man himself Monday would not confirm or deny the possibility. Sawvel, when asked what the pecking order is at QB heading into Fresno, was coy, saying we’ll have to wait and see the depth chart. Is Drube even ready? “This will be a week that determines a lot of things in terms of, you know, where he’s at, first of all,” Sawvel said, adding the rookie had a good week of practice. “We all, in the program, have a lot of confidence in Mason. There’s no question about it. He’s very talented and he’s a very good player.” Maybe it’s Drube who takes over those run packages for Sims this week? We’ll have to wait and see.
* Wyoming (4-5, 2-3) and Fresno State (6-3, 3-2) will meet Saturday inside Valley Children’s Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 8:30 p.m. Mountain Time and the game will be televised on FS1. The Bulldogs have a slim 9-6 advantage in the overall series.
* The Roaring Repeater Podcast will air again this Tuesday with Cody Tucker and Jared Newland behind the mic inside our Cheyenne studios. Make sure to watch our social media feed, where we’ll be asking you, the fans, for any questions you may have before the home opener.
* As always, make sure you are following us on social media: Facebookand X. Also, have you downloaded our totally free app yet? You can do that right HERE. You can also sign up for our daily newsletter right HERE. Catch up on all the latest Wyoming football news right HERE.
Just The Facts: Size Doesn’t Matter For Wyoming’s War Memorial StadiumDid you know it would take the populations of Gillette (32,857), Laramie (32,381), Rock Springs (23,319), Sheridan (17,844) and Wright (1,200) to create a sellout inside Michigan’s famed 107,601-seat Big House, the largest college football stadium in the nation?
For those of you not familiar with the Cowboy State, those are Wyoming’s third through sixth most inhabited cities, along with the small mining town in Campbell County.
Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com 
So, just where does the Cowboys’ cathedral 7,220 feet above sea level rank amongst the rest of the FBS teams in the nation?
You might be surprised to hear there are 17 stadiums with less seating, including one in the Mountain West Conference:
Heck, a sellout makes the Cowboys home field the fifth largest city in the state on its own, 5,862 people more than Rock Springs. 
UB Stadium – Buffalo – Amherst, New York (29,013)
