CMU Notebook: Pokes Plan to Follow Blueprint

LARAMIE -- The blueprint has already been laid out.

How does this Wyoming team, as a whole, want to function? Just take a look at the last 12:25 of last Saturday's 21-13 victory over visiting Northern Colorado.

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It was just as impressive after watching the film, Jay Sawvel said Monday during his weekly press conference.

"It really comes back to playing with the force and intent that we did the last 12 minutes of the game. Really, the whole football team," the third-year head coach added. "We found a level of urgency that we have to have all the time."

The Cowboys mostly bumbled and stumbled their way through three quarters of football against a winless FCS program. That included an abysmal 27 yards of total offense in the third frame. That's also the time the Bears extended their lead to 13-7.

There was zero consistency in the run game. Wide receivers were again all but invisible. There was another turnover, a strip-sack caused by hanging onto the ball too long inside the red zone.

The fourth quarter wasn't exactly off to a dazzling start, either.

On Wyoming's second play from scrimmage, Markell Holman slipped through a hole and bullied his way to a 12-yard run. The issue? He attempted to leap over a would-be tackler, forcing the ball away from his body. That turned into a fumble, the team's sixth giveaway in two games.

The only electricity in the building came from the visiting sideline and the dark clouds high above War Memorial Stadium. Both teams were forced off the field and into their respective locker rooms.

A nearly 40-minute delay ensued.

One team emerged with a renewed sense of energy and effort. The other was UNC.

What changed?

"Nothing," linebacker Steven Perez said, followed by a shoulder shrug. "(Defensive coordinator Aaron Bohl) didn't tell us anything differently. It was just, we had to come out, get a three-and-out and give another opportunity to our offense. That's exactly what we had to do.

"We should have been playing like that the whole game. Yeah, nothing changed. We just came out, and I guess desperation kicked in."

The defense did only allow 13 points.

"Yeah, they shouldn't have scored that much, though," the redshirt freshman added.

Bohl's unit gave up a grand total of three yards of total offense on 11 snaps in that timeframe. Jack Dunkley tacked on a sack. Ethan Stuhlsatz and Perez combined for one, too. Jones Thomas picked off his second pass of the afternoon.

The other side of the ball also came to life at the right moment.

Sawvel told the offense they were going to score two touchdowns and win the game. Those words proved to be prophetic.

Tyler Hughes found Charlie Coenen in the corner of the northeast end zone from 15 yards out with 3:44 remaining in regulation. On the ensuing possession, the graduate transfer fired an 18-yard dart to tight end Kyle Frendt, who laid out to corral the touchdown grab.

Wyoming rolled up 135 yards of total offense, 68 through the air and 67 on the ground. After starting the year 0-14 on third down, Hughes and Co. were 3-for-3 on that money down in the fourth.

"I honestly think we just had a second to take a breather and reset our minds," said Holman, who led the Cowboys with 80 yards rushing. The Western Illinois transfer also caught a team-high five passes for 27 more yards. "I felt like we weren't playing as ourselves. We were playing out of body.

"... Obviously, got to give it up to the head coach and strength staff. They gave us a nice speech to really get our minds back in the place that we needed to be. We just went out and were ourselves."

What does Wyoming need to do to avoid another extended lull? Play that way, Sawvel said.

"We got to get out of our own way a little bit on some things," he continued. "I think sometimes we were just pressing. We were uptight."

Here are some additional news and notes from Monday's press conference:

* Wyoming center Jason Maciejczak (lower body) is still being evaluated and his status for Saturday is currently unknown. Linebacker Ethan Stuhlsatz (ankle) could miss a practice, Sawvel said, but is expected to play in Mount Pleasant. Offensive guard Kalvin Janssen (knee) is still practicing but was only on the field for 18 snaps last Saturday.

* Dash Bauman, admittedly, doesn't get a ton of first-team reps. That will happen when you serve as the back-up to Stuhlsatz, a middle linebacker who already has 26 tackles. That changed late in the fourth quarter. Bauman entered the game on the Bears' final offensive possession. He made an immediate impact, too, hammering UNC quarterback Kenny Lueth, who was picked off on the play. "He helped on a play there at the end and did his job," Sawvel said. "Dash is a reliable person and he's going to need to continue to do that for us going forward."

* Samuel "Tote" Harris has been dealing with a hamstring injury that hampered him throughout the latter part of fall camp and during the first two games. The sophomore has rushed for 111 yards on 27 carries and found the end zone for the Cowboys from four yards out last Saturday. Sawvel said the Texas product told him he's feeling better by the day and is inching closer to 100%.

* Sawvel said his best two cornerbacks Saturday were Tyson Shamsid-Deen and Therman "Boogie" Williams. The latter, a rookie, was on the field for 23 pass plays and allowed zero receptions on one target. Shamsid-Deen gave up two catches for 42 yards on five attempts.

* Wyoming's defense has allowed seven plays to go for more than 25 yards through two games. That didn't happen until Week 4 in 2025. On UNC's most impressive -- or maddening -- drive Saturday, depending on who you ask, the visitors went 91 yards on just five plays before the half. That included a 34-yard run and a 45-yard touchdown pass from Lueth to Marcus Mozer. "The other day they had four plays over 25 yards. We can't have that happen," Sawvel said of UNC. "The other 58 (plays) they got 197 yards. That's a little over three yards per play. You know, CSU had three of them over 25 yards. If you take those out, the rest of their plays were a little over four yards per play." Central Michigan, Wyoming's next opponent, has just one play over 25 yards through two games. That was a 50-yard touchdown run by quarterback Angel Flores late in the third quarter of a 13-10 home victory over Colgate.

* Wyoming owns a slight 2-1 edge in the all-time series with Central Michigan, dating back to 2000. That's the first time these two hooked up. Nate Scott rushed for 192 yards, including a school-record 95-yard jaunt, in a 31-10 victory over the visiting Chippewas. That was the Cowboys' lone win of the season. Vic Koenning's team visited Mount Pleasant in '02, dropping a 32-20 decision. In the last meeting, Josh Allen's final game in a UW uniform, the Cowboys forced eight turnovers and the future NFL Most Valuable Player tossed three touchdowns in a 37-14 rout of CMU in the 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Kickoff Saturday inside Kelly/Shorts Stadium is slated for 11 a.m. Mountain Time and the game will be televised on ESPN-Plus.

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* The Roaring Repeater Podcast, fueled by Laramie Range Ford, will be produced this Tuesday. Jared Newland and myself will hit record around 2 p.m. Mountain Time. If you have any questions you want answered, send them via social media or to cody@7220sports.com.

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS.COM:

* Behind the Numbers: Turnovers Continue to Plague Pokes

* Making the Grade: Hughes 'Steps Up' Late in 21-13 Win

* Cowboys Rally For 21-13 Victory Over Northern Colorado

* Rants and Raves: Northern Colorado Edition

* FINAL LIVE FILE: Wyoming 21, UNC 13

* Gear Up For Game Day: UNC Bears

* Wyoming Couldn't Take Bogar Off The Field During Career Outing

* Panozzo Confident Despite 'Welcome to College Football' Moment

* Wyoming Football Lands On-Field Corporate Logos

* Jayden Williams Issues Apology For Altercations With CSU Fans

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