LARAMIE, Wyo. — A handful of both offensive and defensive players are sitting out for the Wyoming Cowboys’ Saturday stint against the University of North Texas Mean Green due to injury, according to Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel in a Monday afternoon press conference.
Following the Cowboys’ 14–34 loss against BYU last Saturday, Wyoming is now 0–3 for the season. An underperforming defense and inefficient offense have been contributing to the team’s struggles. New injuries on both sides of the ball might just compound those.
Offensive player injuries
Wyoming’s starting running back, Harrison Waylee, still shows no signs of a return, according to Sawvel. The coach said that there is no time frame that he’d be able to provide regarding the senior’s return.
Waylee appeared in 10 games for the Pokes last season, starting in nine of them. In those 10 games, he managed to rush for 947 yards — the 50th best in the nation. He’s been out since early August with a knee injury from a pre-season scrimmage.
Another running back, senior Dawaiian McNeely, is also out, this time with a thumb injury. Sawvel said that McNeely had an MRI Monday morning and the prognosis indicates he will not be on the field for the imminent future.
“I feel terrible for him because he worked so hard to get back,” Sawvel said at the conference. “You see when he gets the ball there is a different rush to it. So that’s a loss there.”
McNeely missed the entirety of the 2023 season with an injury sustained during fall camp. He managed to play one carry against BYU on Saturday.
Fullback Caleb Driskill also sustained a thumb injury prior to the game against Brigham Young University. He will not make an appearance this Saturday either, according to Sawvel. Last season he appeared in all 13 Cowboy games and scored one touchdown.
Left tackle Nathan Geiger, who spent last season redshirted as a freshman, is out with a knee injury. His return to the field is not yet known.
However, junior tight end John Michael Gyllenborg, who has been struggling with an injury of his own, is looking for more minutes this Saturday. He played eight snaps against BYU and has been regularly training with the team at a normal capacity since last Thursday. With Gyllenborg on the mend, Wyoming might be able to go further offensively.
“We need him,” Sawvel said. “That’s a huge benefit when he’s back playing for us.”
Gyllenborg played all 13 games for the Cowboys last year and ended with three touchdowns across 23 passes totaling 360 yards. His 89-yard touchdown against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors last season was the longest passing touchdown of the year for the team.
Defensive player injuries
Despite a thumb injury of his own, senior safety Wyett Ekeler will not miss the North Texas game. His injury came during last Saturday’s loss as well.
“The plan right now will be that he will get a surgical pin put in during the open date,” Sawvel said. “The anticipation is that he wouldn’t miss any games.”
Ekeler appeared in all 13 games for the Cowboys last season and started in all but one. He managed a total of 77 tackles last year and two sacks.
Defensive end graduate student DeVonne Harris will miss another game for the Cowboys with an elbow injury. Mostly healthy last year, he started in all 13 games, made four sacks for loss and totaled 35 tackles.
All Sawvel could say for Harris is that he does not currently know his potential availability for at least the next week.
Cowboys head to the Lone Star State
This is the Cowboys’ situation looking at the second away game and fourth game of the 2024 season. The Mean Green is coming off of a dramatic 22–66 loss to Texas Tech last week. Despite that, Sawvel is still wary of their offensive potential.
“North Texas is very good offensively,” Sawvel said. “They play with a lot of tempo and a lot of pace. They can make explosive plays.”
The AAC team is currently fifth in its conference with a 2–1 record. Its one home game of the season was a victory for the Mean Green. Kickoff Saturday begins at 5 p.m. Mountain Time.
For more information on the University of Wyoming Cowboys football team, including information on individual players, visit the University of Wyoming Athletics web page.
