LARAMIE, Wyo. — The University of Wyoming Cowboys’ most anticipated game of the season is just days away now, and Wyoming Football Head Coach Jay Sawvel said that his team will travel to Fort Collins to face the Colorado State University Rams with a renewed vigor. The team is coming off a big win against New Mexico and the long-awaited return of running back Harrison Waylee.
Wyo vs. CSU
Sawvel said in his Monday press conference that the Rams are a formidable team and will offer the Cowboys a big challenge.
“It’s great for the state; it’s great for the program,” Sawvel said. “It’s gonna be a big challenge for us going into it. They have a good season going right now.”
How good of a season are the Rams having and what are the odds the Cowboys pull an upset and hold onto the coveted boot? According to ESPN Analytics, it’s not looking very good for the Pokes.
The ESPN Analytics Matchup Predictor forecasts a 28.1% chance of the Cowboys beating the Rams on Friday. Las Vegas doesn’t have much faith in the Pokes either, as the Rams are -400 favorites, according to game odds by ESPN BET.
The Rams have won their last four games, are perfect in conference standings and have gone 6–3 for the season. In those last four games, two were victories against the only opponents Wyoming has managed to beat this season, Air Force and New Mexico.
Sawvel pointed to a seasoned Colorado State defense as a threat to the Pokes’ path to victory. One needs not look further than CSU’s most recent outing against Nevada, where the Wolf Pack had seven more first down opportunities than the Rams and ultimately lost 38–21. Nevada also rushed and passed for more yards than the Rams would, but still hit a wall with its opponent’s defense.
As for CSU’s offense, each game the Rams won was by at least a touchdown. Sawvel said Wyoming will need to have an excellent game to keep the trophy, the bronze boot fought over by the Rams and Cowboys since 1968.
“They’re winning games right now by running the ball, being really good on special teams and being really opportunistic on turnovers and things of that nature. It presents challenges,” Sawvel said. “We’ve got to make sure we don’t make mistakes and we’re going to have to play very well.”
Between the two schools facing off Friday, the Cowboys are averaging .1 more yards of offense per play. The Rams have rushed for more yards in total for the season, while the Pokes have passed for more. Regardless, the Rams have outscored the Cowboys 212–194.
Can the Pokes pull it off?
Although, statistically speaking, the edge is slightly in the Rams’ favor, Sawvel has noted a newfound vigor in his team that might make all the difference.
“There’s a different pep in our step amongst the whole team in that there is a clarity to certain things right now,” Sawvel said. “We know what we look like when Harrison Waylee plays. I knew what we would look like if Harrison Waylee played weeks before.”
Other key pieces to the Pokes offense are up in the air health-wise. Tight end John Michael Gyllenborg, who leads the Pokes in receiving yards, will likely make a return this Friday. However, running back Sam Scott, who leads the team in rushing yards, is unlikely to return, according to Sawvel.
Defensive end Sebastian Harsh, who has been a pillar of the Pokes’ defense all year, will also be out this game.
And while the Cowboys might not look like the favorites leading up to the Border War on Friday, they do have history on their side. Since the Bronze Boot trophy was introduced, the Cowboys are winning the series 31–25 and haven’t lost since 2020.
This is the kind of stuff coaches are made of, Sawvel said. “I’m excited about this. When you become a head coach, these are the games that you’re most excited about and you most look forward to,” he said.
Kickoff begins at 6 p.m. Mountain Time in Fort Collins, Colorado, on Friday. For more information on this game and the University of Wyoming Cowboys football team, see the UW Athletics web page.
