<\/p>\n
LARAMIE \u2014 Jay Sawvel said the focus\u00a0during the bye week could be broken down into three categories: Turnover margin, red-zone opportunities and short-yardage situations.<\/p>\n
Notice the pattern here? Those are all offensive issues.<\/p>\n
Download the 7220sports Mobile App Now<\/a><\/p>\n Wyoming\u2019s 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\u2019s Stadium, a venue the Cowboys haven\u2019t won in since 2014.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir running backs are the key to their offense,\u201d Sawvel said Monday during his weekly press conference in Laramie. \u201cBeing able to play well \u2014 and in that space \u2014 will be critical.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Like always, though, the focus is in-house more so than what awaits in California\u2019s Central Valley.<\/p>\n Wyoming is currently a minus-3 in the turnover department. That\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThat has been a problem,\u201d Sawvel said. \u201cWe 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\u2019ve got to win turnover margin. We\u2019ve got to be able to do that. We\u2019ve got to take care of the ball. We\u2019ve got to make great decisions with the ball. That\u2019s going to be important for us to get started.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:<\/p>\n * GALLERY: Wyoming Football Uniforms Through the Years<\/a><\/p>\n * Let\u2019s Take a Look at Wyoming Football\u2019s 2026 Recruiting Class<\/a><\/p>\n * Drube\u2019s Highly-Anticipated Wyoming Debut on Deck?<\/a><\/p>\n * Bye Week Notebook: Aztec Dominance Sparks Off-Season Wish List<\/a><\/p>\n * Turnovers Continue to Plague Sophomore Signal Caller<\/a><\/p>\n * Turning Point, Unsung Hero and What\u2019s Next For UW Football<\/a><\/p>\n * Wyoming\u2019s Offense Falls Flat in 24-7 Loss to Aztecs<\/a><\/p>\n * Rants and Raves: SDSU Edition<\/a><\/p>\n * LIVE FILE: SDSU 24, Wyoming 7<\/a><\/p>\n Wyoming has made just 21 trips inside the opponents\u2019 20-yard line this fall. Sixteen times, it has put points on the scoreboard.<\/p>\n That\u2019s not good enough, Sawvel said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019 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.<\/p>\n The Cowboys rank 90th in the FBS (.373) when it comes to third-down-conversion rate. They are 8-for-15 on fourth. That\u2019s good enough for 76th in the country.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been pleased with where we\u2019re at, offensively, with him, right now,\u201d Sawvel said, referring to interim offensive coordinator Jovon Bouknight. \u201cI\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Here are some other tidbits from Monday\u2019s presser:<\/p>\n * 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.<\/p>\n * Senior linebacker Evan Eller\u2019s arm was in a sling a week ago. Today, he was laughing with his teammates \u2014 sling-less \u2014 in the team\u2019s 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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n * The news isn\u2019t all bad in the defensive trenches. Jayden Williams has been fully reinstated after being suspended for\u00a0violating 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.<\/p>\n * Wideouts Pierre \u201cPJ\u201d Jackson and Deion DeBlanc, along with tight end Kyle Frendt and running back Samuel \u201cTote\u201d 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\u2019s top prospect, quarterback Mason Drube. Receiver Ke\u2019Lyn Washom and nickel corner Kaiden Kimble-Turner could also be on deck.<\/p>\n * Speaking of Drube. Will the Gillette product step under center against the Bulldogs? That\u2019s 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\u2019ll have to wait and see the depth chart. Is Drube even ready? \u201cThis will be a week that determines a lot of things in terms of, you know, where he\u2019s at, first of all,\u201d Sawvel said, adding the rookie had a good week of practice. \u201cWe all, in the program, have a lot of confidence in Mason. There\u2019s no question about it. He\u2019s very talented and he\u2019s a very good player.\u201d Maybe it\u2019s Drube who takes over those run packages for Sims this week? We\u2019ll have to wait and see.<\/p>\n * Wyoming (4-5, 2-3) and Fresno State (6-3, 3-2) will meet Saturday inside\u00a0Valley Children\u2019s\u00a0Stadium. 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.<\/p>\n * 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\u2019ll be asking you, the fans, for any questions you may have before the home opener.<\/p>\n *\u00a0As always, make sure you are following us on social media: Facebook<\/a>and X<\/a>. Also, have you downloaded our totally free app yet? You can do that right HERE<\/a>. You can also sign up for our daily newsletter right HERE<\/a>. Catch up on all the latest Wyoming football news right HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n Just The Facts: Size Doesn’t Matter For Wyoming’s War Memorial StadiumDid you know it would take the populations of Gillette<\/a> (32,857), Laramie<\/a> (32,381), Rock Springs<\/a> (23,319), Sheridan<\/a> (17,844) and Wright (1,200) to create a sellout inside Michigan’s famed 107,601-seat Big House<\/a>, the largest college football stadium in the nation? 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)
For those of you not familiar with the Cowboy State<\/a>, those are Wyoming’s third through sixth most inhabited cities, along with the small mining town in Campbell County.
Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com Google MapsWar Memorial Stadium – Laramie, WyomingIf you follow University of Wyoming Athletics<\/a> at all, you probably know that on fall Saturdays in Laramie, that quaint college town turns into the second largest in the state — just 2,045 less than Cheyenne — if War Memorial Stadium reaches its 29,181 capacity.
So, just where does\u00a0the 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:<\/p>\nGoogle Maps<\/p>\n
Google MapsGlass Bowl – Toledo, Ohio (26,248)
Google MapsMaverik Stadium – Utah State – Logan, Utah (25,513)
Google MapsDix Stadium – Kent State – Kent, Ohio (25,319)
Google MapsYager Stadium – Miami-Ohio – Oxford, Ohio (24,286)
Google MapsPaulson Stadium – Georgia Southern – Statesboro, Georgia (24,300)
Google MapsPeden Stadium – U of Ohio – Athens, Ohio (24,000)
Google MapsHuskie Stadium – Northern Illinois – DeKalb, Illinois (24,000)
Google MapsDoyt Perry Stadium – Bowling Green – Bowling Green, Ohio (23,724)
Google MapsFIU Stadium – Florida International – Miami, Florida (23,500)
Google MapsCenter Parc Credit Union Stadium – Georgia State – Atlanta, Georgia (23,000)
Google MapsScheumann Stadium – Ball State – Muncie, Indiana (22,500)
Google MapsLT Smith Stadium – Western Kentucky – Bowling Green, Kentucky (22,113)
Google MapsForeman Field – Old Dominion – Norfolk, Virginia (20,118)
Google MapsMcGuirk Stadium – U Mass – Hadley, Massachusetts (17,000)
Google MapsJerry Richardson Stadium – UNC Charlotte – Charlotte, North Carolina (15,314)
Google MapsBrooks Stadium – Coastal Carolina – Conway, South Carolina (15,000) \u2013 Just The Facts: Size Doesn\u2019t Matter For Wyoming\u2019s War Memorial Stadium<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LARAMIE \u2014 Jay Sawvel said the focus\u00a0during the bye week could be broken down into three categories: Turnover…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":47848,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[31137,26,112,114,113,31136,23,25],"class_list":{"0":"post-47847","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fresno","8":"tag-101-9-king-fm","9":"tag-breaking-news","10":"tag-fresno","11":"tag-fresno-headlines","12":"tag-fresno-news","13":"tag-fresno-state-notebook-bye-week-focus-on-offensive-miscues","14":"tag-local-news","15":"tag-newsbreak"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47847"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47847\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}