Wyoming coach Jay Sawvel prepares Cowboys for prime time showdown vs Colorado

Brian Schaible

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Wyoming coach Jay Sawvel prepares Cowboys for prime time showdown vs Colorado image

Wyoming quarterback Kaden Anderson is learning on the fly, and head coach Jay Sawvel believes those lessons will be tested like never before when the Cowboys step into Folsom Field for a Saturday night clash with Deion Sanders and Colorado.

Through three games, Anderson has thrown for 535 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, completing 58.5 percent of his passes. The sophomore showed flashes in wins over Akron and Northern Iowa, but his toughest night came at home against Utah. “Was it his best Saturday night? No. I think he would tell you that,” Sawvel admitted. “There’s a few times, ball placement or some things that I think he would rather have back. But Utah challenges you at all three levels…it wasn’t just one group. It was kind of shared.”

Sawvel insists the Cowboys can grow from that setback. “The lessons from Saturday night are very, very important for us going forward,” he said. “It’s never about who we play, it’s about how we play. If we play really well Saturday night, the crowd won’t be a big factor. If we don’t, it’ll be really loud all night.”

The matchup brings more than just another Power Five opponent. “First of all, the guy’s a football icon,” Sawvel said of Sanders. “I admire Coach Sanders for his personal belief…I love the fact that so much of it’s faith-based. And you admire the guy for being one of the greatest players that ever played the game.”

With a sold-out stadium and national spotlight, Wyoming knows it must clean up its mistakes to have any shot. As Sawvel put it: “We have to be better. We are not where we need to be offensively yet. And we need to get that fixed ASAP.”

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Brian Schaible

Brian Schaible is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is an award-winning journalist with over 25 years of experience covering college and professional sports. Brian holds a master’s degree in journalism/public relations from Kent State University.