LARAMIE, Wyo. — “It was time to plant our flag,” Wyoming Head Coach Jay Sawvel said immediately following the Wyoming Cowboys taking down the Air Force Falcons in an energetic 31–19 game. Homecoming hopes prevailed tonight as, despite still being 1–4 for the season, the Pokes ascend to 1–0 in conference play.
The Pokes have had a rough start to their season. Offensively, star quarterback Evan Svoboda could not get it to click and was having noticeable problems passing the ball. That was not apparent tonight as he led his team with two touchdowns of his very own, passing an improved 165 yards and rushing for 70.
Svoboda’s excitement was apparent in his post-game press conference, where, above the celebratory shouting coming from the nearby locker room, he said a victory like tonight’s was much needed.
“A win like this is huge, especially a conference opener. The only way from here is up —that’s the biggest thing,” Svoboda said.
Sawvel, on the other hand, said that he’ll celebrate when the Cowboys have more wins than losses.
“But we’ve continued to hit every marker in the program that I’m concerned with and tonight we played right and so we’re going to continue to build on that,” Sawvel said.
Notably, running back Sam Scott was the first of the game to get numbers on the board with an eight-yard touchdown rush. That would be Wyoming’s only touchdown of the first half until Svoboda’s third- and fourth-quarter touchdown rushes and wide receiver Tyler King’s touchdown rush near the end of the third.
In total, Wyoming got 361 yards to Air Force’s 322. Wyoming attempted and completed significantly more than its Mountain West opponent as well. The Pokes were also a lot more efficient in third- and fourth-down conversions. The Cowboys were two for two in fourth-down conversions, while Air Force converted zero times out of the same amount of attempts.
Svoboda wasn’t alone in efficient passing. Backup QB Kaden Anderson took the field momentarily in stead of Svoboda and executed a crucial third-down pass to keep Wyoming moving.
On the receiving end, tight end John Michael Gyllenborg and wide receiver Chris Durr Jr. received a total 70 and 71 yards, respectively. Defensively, linebacker Shae Suiaunoa led the way with 13 total tackles. All in all, the team effort seemed enough to get Wyoming ahead in conference play — and the support of Wyoming fans legitimizes that effort.
“We have the best fans in the Mountain West. I have firmly believed that and we needed to give them something to be excited about,” Sawvel said. “We weren’t happy with the way our season started. We’ve still got a hole to dig out of, but the players in this program have a lot of work ethic.”
With a critical head start in conference play, Wyoming now looks to a two-week break before meeting its next conference opponent at home Oct. 12. The Cowboys take on San Diego State, fresh from signing to join the Pac-12 in 2026, in the War Memorial Stadium that Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
For more information on the UW Cowboys, including the team’s roster and schedule, visit the University of Wyoming Athletics website.
