Tuck’s Take: Svoboda Played ‘Cowboy Football’ in First-Career Win
LARAMIE -- Jay Sawvel has been attempting to speak it into existence for the better part of the last month.
He keeps repeating himself, but the numbers -- and optics -- aren't doing Wyoming's first-year head coach any favors.
Evan Svoboda entered Saturday night's tilt against Air Force completing just over 44% of his passes. The junior quarterback has been picked off three times -- including a pick-six on his first attempt of the season -- fumbled once and averaged just under 116 yards through the air per game.
Scroll to the bottom of the FBS stats when it comes to the category of passing efficiency. That's where you'll find the 6-foot-5, 245-pound Arizona product. He ranked 128th in the nation out of 129 signal callers, entering this one. The number: 86.5. Only New Mexico State's Parker Awad has been worse.
So, why are we supposed to believe Sawvel that one day Wyoming fans are going to be happy Evan Svoboda is their QB?
Nights like this one.
"We played Cowboy football," Sawvel said Saturday after the Cowboys notched their first win of the 2024 campaign, knocking off their Front Range rivals in Laramie, 31-19. "We stayed in it the whole time."
That all began with No. 17.
Svoboda again got off to a slow start in this one. He was overshooting his targets, putting too much zip on short throws and tossing those scary wide receiver screen passes that never seem to work.
We've seen how this plays out.
Despite all of that, though. Wyoming found the end zone on the initial possession of the night, turning a failed fake punt into a six-play, 46-yard drive that culminated with an 8-yard dash to the end zone courtesy of running back Sam Scott.
Svoboda failed to complete a pass over the first 15 minutes, going 0-3. He was on target on six of his next seven throws in the second quarter, but that only amounted to 46 yards.
He added just 17 yards on the ground on three carries in that timeframe, too.
A smattering of boos rained down on the home team at the half. The offense, again seemingly stuck in neutral, was giving the 23,000-plus inside War Memorial Stadium a serious case of PTSD.
Calls for back-up Kaden Anderson came fast and furious on social media. That's nothing new. It's amazing the big Texan hasn't yet been trending on X.
Wyoming has been nothing short of a punching bag in the third quarters of games so far this fall. How bad has it been? 52-0. That bad. Surely that wasn't about to change against Air Force, a team that traditionally eats game clock and picks up those teeth-gnashing 4th-and-shorts. Not to mention this Cowboy offense had amassed just 83 yards of total offense up to that point.
Most would've chalked up loss No. 5.
Svoboda had other plans.
He connected on back-to-back passes of 32 and 33 yards to wideout Chris Durr Jr. and tight end John Michael Gyllenborg, respectively. Despite his right guard Wes King being carted off the field with an apparent leg injury, Sawvel kept his offense on the field on a 4th-and-goal from the two.
Svoboda, following the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Scott through the hole, bullied his way past the white stripe to give the Cowboys a 14-13 lead.
He wasn't done there.
On the ensuing possession, he once again connected with Durr and Gyllenborg. The first for 16 yards. The next was a throw to the boundary for 13 on a 3rd-and-8. It was a strike that reminded us of another guy here who used to wear that same jersey number. Svoboda also connected with TK King for a baker's dozen. He added 22 on a designed run.
King would take a jet sweep handoff and bolt to the pylon on the 11th play of the drive.
After Air Force running back Aiden Calvert again made this a one-score affair after a 37-yard jaunt to the end zone with 7:00 to go in regulation, Svoboda's legs willed this team into the win column.
The dagger came in the form of a 17-yard burst up the middle. He took the shotgun snap, faked the give to Scott and proceeded to once again follow his running back into the teeth of the Falcons' defense. He veered to his left after blowing through that opening and cruised into the brown-and-gold Tetons untouched.
The celebration that ensued wasn't pretty, but it told a tale. It was like he was literally attempting to shake an 800-pound gorilla off his back.
"It's emotional. It's very emotional," Svoboda said after capping his night completing 15-of-21 throws for a season-best 165 yards. He also rushed for 70 yards and two touchdowns on a dozen attempts in his first collegiate victory. "You know, it's a great feeling. Like I said earlier, we're going to take it, we're going to ride it and we're going to go along with it.
"... It's a little bit of weight (lifted off) but, you know, that's what comes with the position. It's a big job, but nothing's too big. Nothing's impossible."
Teammates and coaches have sworn up and down for weeks that Svoboda would be fine. His confidence was good. They believed in him, despite what those numbers and that record stated.
They have raved about his leadership, saying he's the right guy under center.
Saturday night served as a "told you so" moment for many of them.
"That guy right over there, Evan, played his b---- off," said Gyllenborg, who hauled in four passes for a season-high 70 yards. "And, you know, it was fun. It's really fun playing football, competitively, and winning."
"I'm extremely proud of Evan," Scott added after rushing for 97 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. "He's a great quarterback. I got his back, no doubt."
MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:
* Rants and Raves: Air Force Edition
* Pokes soar past Air Force in the second half, roll to 31-19 win
* Turning point, unsung hero and what's next for UW Football
* LIVE FILE: Wyoming vs. Air Force
* Hulstrom: 'I wanted to be a Cowboy'
* Gear Up For Game Day: Air Force
* BREAKING: Seven Mountain West Teams Ink Binding Agreement
* Read Sunn: 'No, Seriously, You're Starting'
* Know Wyoming's Foe: Air Force Falcons
* Wyoming Cowboys in the NFL: Week 3
* Cowboys getting 'buried' in the middle eight
* Wyoming's Waylee plans to redshirt, play in four games this fall
* Wyoming Football: News and Notes Ahead of Air Force
Sawvel has said time and again that his QB has been improving as this season has gone on. After a 44-17 setback at North Texas seven days ago, he did admit it's not coming together as quick as he'd hoped, but he is still all in on Svoboda.
That talk just got ramped up after this outing.
Rightfully so, too.
Is Svoboda a finished product? By no means. Is there work to be done? Absolutely. Did he resemble the guy that most of you wanted to replace Andrew Peasley last season? Yes.
In this win over Air Force, Svoboda showed grit, toughness and an ability to make plays when it mattered most. It looked an awful lot like his predecessor.
The glimpses are impressive. The consistency isn't.
Will that come sooner rather than later? One can hope.
If that guy shows up, Wyoming has a chance to climb out of this hole. If the guy from Tempe climbs under center, the losses will mount, the peanut gallery will bark.
That includes the guy writing this column.
"Evan's going to be a really good player at the University of Wyoming," Sawvel reiterated. "He needed a breakout of some type, you know? I mean, I realize he didn't throw for 450 yards or something like that. I get that. But what happened was, in the second half, we were score, score, score. It was very productive. He converted situations -- the big run at the end -- he was in charge and he played football tonight.
"I'm so proud of that kid. I'm happy for him. (He's a) big, strong guy. When he gave me a hug afterwards, I think he about broke my back. But I'm really happy for him and how he performed tonight. He can build off of this and it's certainly good to see."
University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com
- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
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