Pokes Working on Hurry-Up Offense, Focus on ‘Middle Eight’

LARAMIE -- Physicality has been the overriding theme of spring camp, but that doesn't mean this Wyoming football team isn't focused on the finer details of the game.

That includes the hurry-up offense.

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The "middle eight" -- the final four minutes of the first half and the initial  four of the third quarter -- is a category Jay Sawvel wants to see marked improvement this fall. It aided in at least six of the Cowboys' nine losses during the 2024 campaign.

"There's a huge emphasis," Wyoming's second-year head coach said at the conclusion of last Saturday's practice in Laramie, one that featured numerous periods of fast-paced offense. "We were not a good enough football team a year ago, all the way through coaching, playing -- all the way through."

It started in Week 2 against visiting Idaho.

After Cameron Pope boomed through a 49-yard field goal to give the Vandals a 17-10 lead with 4:40 remaining in the second quarter, Evan Svoboda and Co. marched 40 yards on 11 plays, setting up at 4th-and-1 at the 35. Running back DJ Jones was stuffed at the line, turning the ball over on downs with just 53 ticks left on the game clock.

The Cowboys eventually dropped a 17-13 decision, falling at home to an FCS program at home for the first time since 2015.

It happened again just seven days later.

BYU extended its first-half lead to 10 with a 49-yard field goal. That came with 45 seconds to go. Keelan Marion put that one on ice early, returning the opening kickoff of the third quarter 100 yards to give the visiting Cougars a commanding 24-7 advantage.

Wyoming actually outscored North Texas in the middle eight -- 14-10 -- the following Saturday in Denton.

What made that outing so demoralizing was a buzzer-beating field goal that sailed through the uprights from 45 yards out, giving the Mean Green a 10-point lead. They would go on to score 17 unanswered in a 44-17 rout.

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That's not all.

San Jose State tacked on a 17-yard touchdown toss from Walker Eget to Nick Nash with 21 seconds to go in the first half of a 24-14 win over the Cowboys. Utah State added a 30-yard field goal to tie the game at 10 with 1:19 left in the second quarter. On the ensuing drive, Svoboda replaced Kaden Anderson and promptly threw an interception into the arms of Aggie safety Jordan Vincent, who returned the ball to the UW 44-yard line.

Two naps later, Rahsul Faison was standing in the north end zone inside War Memorial Stadium. Tanner Cragun handed Wyoming its seventh loss in eight games, drilling a 40-yard field goal as time expired.

Despite pulling off a 49-45 victory in Albuquerque the following Saturday, New Mexico running back Eli Sanders broke off a 75-yard touchdown jaunt with 1:36 remaining in the half, tying the score at 35-35.

Sawvel pointed to a November home date with No. 12 Boise State that still sticks in his craw.

After Anderson connected with Justin Stevenson on a five-yard scoring strike early in the second quarter, the Cowboys' defense forced two straight three-and-outs. Wyoming got the ball back at its own 14-yard line with 2:10 to go in the half and clinging to a 10-7 lead.

Not knowing he was concussed at the time, Anderson threw behind Jaylen Sargent on a 3rd-and-6. It was his final throw of the season.

The Broncos took advantage, driving 50 yards on eight plays. Jonah Dalmas, the all-time leading scorer in Mountain West history, tacked on three points from 24 yards out to tie this one up at the break.

Jambres Dubar crossed the white stripe with 5:02 remaining on the game clock. That was just enough as Boise State escaped Laramie with a 17-13 win.

"We give up a field goal right before halftime and they tied the game," Sawvel said. "We should've had a lead going in at halftime."

Wyoming turned the tide in the season finale.

This time it was the visiting defense making a play, forcing a John Mateer fumble at the Cowboys' 34-yard line with 51 seconds left in the second quarter. John Hoyland chipped in a 22-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 14-6 at the break.

He added another 42-yarder late in the third and Svoboda hooked up with tight end John Michael Gyllenborg down the seam on an 18-yard pitch-and-catch with 24 ticks remaining. That touchdown came on a 4th-and-14. A Tyrecus Davis that followed sealed the 15-14 victory at Washington State.

"Right before halftime, we get a field goal to get it back to a one-score game," Sawvel said. "Then we get another field goal coming out. So, we won that section there. Look, a lot of that comes into that. It's like, OK, how do you finish a half? How do you start the next half? That's a big deal."

Despite giving up a late field goal in a home tilt against Front Range rival Air Force, Svoboda broke the plane from a yard out on the Cowboys' initial drive of the third quarter. Wyoming added another seven on the ensuing possession en route to a 31-19 victory.

It's no wonder this team is so focused on speed, efficiency this April.

"It just puts people in awareness situations," Sawvel added. "A lot of those awareness situations, we're not on the field and we can't have a lot of communication. They go fast and the clock is running. Players have to know what's going on. You can't continually tell them."

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