There’s a small margin for error when it comes to Wyoming football.
Like all Mountain West teams other than Boise State, it doesn’t get a whole lot of high-end talent, it takes a certain style to pull off wins against the better teams, and when something doesn’t work quite right, bad things happen.
Under former head coach Craig Bohl, the Cowboys needed a few years to get going, and then they became a model of consistency, going seven years - just ignore 2020 - without a losing record.
Bohl retired, the continuity was supposed to be there with Jay Sawvel moving up and taking over, and then …
It was rough.
Wyoming went 3-9, the offense fell flat, and it was the program’s worst season since 2015. But there’s a plus side. This is a quick fix.
The offense that couldn’t do much of anything right should be stronger, the defense has more depth and options, and that slim difference between 6-6 and 3-9 easily go the other way.
For example, last year, the Cowboys lost to Idaho, Utah State, and San Diego State at home in games they should’ve won by a total of nine points. Flip those three, and Wyoming is back to normal.
That’s what will happen this year, but it needs more from …
Wyoming Cowboys College Football Preview 2025
Wyoming Cowboys Preview 2025: Offense
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- Wyoming is used to struggling on offense. It’s been great over the years at controlling the tempo and dictating the action, but throwing out the six-game 2020 season, the 2-10 2015 team was the last one to score as few as the 2024 team did. Now the Cowboys are loaded with veterans.
- The quarterback situation is settled. Be shocked if Kaden Anderson isn’t the main man after getting in a little work as a freshman. He only threw six touchdown passes, but he made the offense work better. Now he’s better and should be more decisive.
Several pieces of the receiving corps are gone, but the depth emerged this spring, and the top three targets are back. Tight end John Michael Gyllenborg was second on the team with 30 catches, Chris Dorr is a good slot target, and Jaylen Sargent averaged close to 21 yards per grab.
- The running backs are a bit thin. Charlotte transfer Terron Kellman knows what he’s doing, but the offense needs leading rusher Sam Scott to be healthy and more of a force after getting past a knee injury.
- After a rough year overall, the line still needs work. Jack Walsh is a rock-solid veteran who can work at guard or center, and Caden Barnett is a good guard who can play tackle.
There’s size, and there are enough options to play with the lineup, but it’ll take fall camp to put the front five together.
Wyoming Cowboys Preview 2025: Defense
- The defense didn’t get any help from the offensive side, but it did what it could to hold up. It gave up a few too many yards and struggled against the run, but it led the nation in third down stops. The transfer portal will be a big help, especially at …
- The linebacking corps. The top tacklers are gone, but the 245-pound Ethan Stuhlsatz is an instant fit, making 70 stops with Lindenwood last year. He’ll be a star on the outside, and Brayden Johnson should be one of the team’s leading tacklers following a 71-tackle, 7.5-tackle-for-loss season at Oklahoma Baptist.
- The defensive tackles have plenty of options. Jayden Williams had a nice second half of last year, and Ben Florentine is a smaller but quicker option as part of a strong rotation.
On the flip side, the ends need more pop. Tyce Westland is one of the team’s best remaining pass rushers, but others need to quickly emerge around him.
- The transfer portal brought in the parts for the secondary with five new guys about to play a role. Jones Thomas and Andrew Johnson form a fast young safety tandem. Desman Hearns was a big signing from Southern Illinois - he’s a strong all-around safety who’ll fill up the stat sheet.
The corners aren’t a huge problem, but they’re not as good as the safeties. Ian Bell has been around, but the young, untested options need to quickly become the playmakers.
Wyoming Cowboys Key to the Season
The love of … SCORE POINTS
It might seem basic, but Wyoming needs to manufacture points somehow. It has to be better in the red zone, there has to be some explosion, and … SCORE. The 2023 team that went 9-4 went 0-3 when scoring fewer than 15, 9-1 when scoring more. Last year’s team scored fewer than 15 points six times and lost all six.
Wyoming Cowboys Key Player
Nate Geiger, OT Soph.
The line has to give everyone more time to work. It didn’t take over games, struggled in pass protection, and it has to be far, far better. The pieces are there, but the puzzle has to be put together. Geiger is coming back from a knee injury that cost him most of last season, and now he has to be a rock of a left tackle to rely on for the next few years.
Wyoming Cowboys Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss
Top Transfer In: Enock Sibomana, LB/S Sr.
A safety-sized baller who hits like a linebacker, he made 56 tackles with 7.5 tackles for loss for a great North Dakota State team last year.
Top Transfer Out: Braden Siders, EDGE Sr.
The Cowboy pass rush wasn’t great, but Siders was one of the better playmakers in the backfield. He made 13.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss over the last three years, but now he’ll be a key factor for West Virginia.
Wyoming Cowboys Key Game
UNLV, Oct. 4
The Rebels are rebuilding under Dan Mullen, Wyoming gets a week off to prepare for the Mountain West opener, and the game is in Laramie. With three home games in the first four conference dates, starting hot is a must.
- 2025 Wyoming Schedule Breakdown
Wyoming Cowboys Top 10 Players
1. John Michael Gyllenborg, TE Sr.
2. Tyce Westland, DE Sr.
3. Jack Walsh, C Sr.
4. Kaden Anderson, QB Soph.
5. Brayden Johnson, LB Sr.
6. Evan Svovoda, TE Sr.
7. Jones Thomas, S Soph.
8. Ethan Stuhlsatz, LB Sr.
9. Desman Hearns, S Jr.
10. Enock Sibomana, LB/S Sr.
Wyoming Cowboys 2024 Fun Stats
- Penalties: Opponents 85 for 706 yards, Wyoming 66 for 598 yards
- Rushing Average: Opponents 5.5 yards, Wyoming 3.6 yards.
- First Half Scoring: Opponents 225, Wyoming 119
Wyoming Cowboys 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen
The offense will be a little bit better, the defense will be fine, and this will start looking more like the Wyoming we’re all used to.
It won’t be pretty, and every game will be a grind, but there should be a nice base of home wins to go along with more-than-winnable road dates at Akron, San Diego State, and Hawaii.
It’s still a bit of a redo in the post-Craig Bohl era, and there will be some dead spots when nothing works, but the Cowboys will go back to winning six-ish games and go to a bowl game for the fourth time in five years.
Set The Wyoming Cowboys Win Total At … 6
Likely Wins: at Akron, Nevada, Northern Iowa
50/50 Games: at Air Force, Colorado State, at Fresno State, at Hawaii, at San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV
Likely Losses: at Colorado, Utah
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