Behind the Numbers: Pokes ‘Let it Rip’ On Fourth Down

SAN JOSE, Calif., -- "Let it rip."

That was Jay Sawvel's message to his team this week, coming off a lackluster performance six days ago inside a sold-out Fargodome. Wyoming's third-year head coach said his team was tense in that 28-0 blanking at the hands of unbeaten North Dakota State.

That's one way to put it.

"We didn't play fast and we just sat on our heels," he added.

There wasn't anything speedy about Friday night's outing inside a sparse CEFCU Stadium, but that doesn't mean the visitors weren't aggressive.

Wyoming's offense had stayed on the field for just six fourth-down attempts through it first five games of the season. That number was matched over a 60-minute tilt at San Jose State.

"That might be a record for Wyoming football going for fourth downs," Sawvel said with a grin after his Cowboys outlasted the Spartans 16-13 in overtime.

It took five conversions to make that happen, including two on a game-tying second-half drive that began in the third quarter and concluded with an 8-yard touchdown toss from Tyler Hughes to tight end Jake Wilson with 6:25 remaining in regulation.

During that 18-play, 75-yard march -- a possession that melted 10:11 off the game clock -- 214-pound running back Markell Holman plowed ahead for three yards on a 4th-and-2. Facing a similar situation only four plays later, Hughes dumped a quick pass to Wilson, who picked up the needed four yards and then some, before being tackled at the SJSU 24.

"I went into the game and was like, look, if we're anything from the 45-yard line in and it's fourth and two, four or three, we're going," Sawvel said. "It should've led us to about 10 more points, but we'll take what we got."

The one whiff could've been the ultimate story.

The Cowboy offense, taking three snaps inside the Spartans' 2-yard line to begin the second quarter, was stuffed at the line of scrimmage. On fourth down, Hughes attempted a play-action roll out. Ethan Powell was having none of that, dropping the senior signal caller for a 10-yard loss.

Luke Weaver and Co. then cruised right down the field -- with the aid of three explosive plays -- and put a bow on an 8-play, 88-yard touchdown drive. Jabari Bates made one cut, shook a would-be tackle and busted through Wyoming's defense for an 18-yard score.

That's all a distant memory now.

"It was really important," said Wilson, who finished the night with seven grabs for 39 yards, including his first-career touchdown. "I mean, we had a lot of opportunities. I feel like, fortunately, tonight we were able to capitalize on those."

With music blaring from the visiting locker room, compliments of a "big-ass speaker," Sawvel said his predecessor would probably not be a fan of the party taking place just feet away from the podium.

That's probably not the only thing Craig Bohl would question.

During his 10-year stint on the sidelines in Laramie, he attempted a grand total of 147 offensive snaps on fourth down, never more than 23 in a single season. His team's were successful just 73 times. Bohl didn't even reach double-digit attempts twice. Wyoming was just 2-of-7 in that all-important category in 2022.

"We kept fighting, we kept scratching and we kept clawing," Sawvel said. "The team pulled together."

Here are some other numbers from Friday night's win in the Bay Area:

8

Wyoming snapped an 8-game road losing skid with that victory over the Spartans, dating back to last September. The last win away from home was the 2025 season opener at Akron. The Cowboys had also dropped eight straight in the state of California. The last time they were victorious here came all the way back in 2014 at Fresno State.

1996

That's the last time the Cowboys ended up on the right side of the scoreboard inside CEFCU Stadium. That stat looks much worse than it is. These two have met just four times in that venue since that 45-22 win. UW now owns a slight 9-7 edge in the overall series.

2-1

That's now Wyoming's record in Mountain West play with two winnable home games against Northern Illinois and Air Force on the horizon.

27

Hughes took an absolute pounding Friday night after racking up a career-high 27 rushing attempts. The senior finished with 92 hard-earned yards in the win. He also completed 16-of-24 throws for 114 yards.

7

That's the number of interceptions Hughes has now thrown after badly underthrowing an out-route to Ke'Lyn Washom late in the second quarter. To make matters worse, that mistake also happened deep in Spartans' territory.

4

That's how many sacks the visitors tallied in San Jose, led by edge rusher Esaia Bogar, who capped this outing with 1.5. Dante Drake tallied one and Jayden Williams, Cade Brook and Ja'Quan Redfern each tacked on half-a-sack

1

Therman Williams picked off the first pass of his young career late in the second quarter. The rookie they call "Boogie" read Weaver's eyes and poached that errant throw near the home sideline. He was quickly wrapped up and even fumbled the ball. Teammate Desman Hearns pounced on the loose change.

8

Brooklyn Cheek, a California native, playing just over an hour from home, and fellow safety Jones Thomas both finished with a team-best eight tackles against SJSU. Thomas aided in a tackle for loss and also broke up two passes.

102

That's the total number of yards Holman rolled up against the Spartans, including a team-leading 40 through the air. The Philadelphia product was once again a bruiser between the tackles, finishing with 62 yards on a dozen attempts. He also once again fumbled the ball. That's the second time he's done that this season.

8-for-8

Erik Sandvik's debut as the Cowboys' starting placekicker was nothing short of a disaster in 2025. He connected on just 6-of-11 kicks, misfiring on four of his last five attempts. That hasn't been the case this fall. The junior from Steamboat Springs, Colo., is now a perfect 8-for-8 after booting through all three of his tries on Friday night. That included the game winner from 21 yards out in overtime.

23.3

It was a solid night for kick returner Eric Richardson, who averaged 23.3 yards per return on three attempts. He finished with a long of 33.

3-of-15

If you're wondering why Wyoming had to attempt six fourth-down conversions Friday night, look no further. Third down continues to be a struggle for this offense.

77

Offensive coordinator Christian Taylor said he likes to run around 70 plays per game. For the first time in his brief tenure at Wyoming, that finally happened. It certainly helped putting together two 18-play drives, along with a 16-play possession in the second quarter. The Cowboys averaged 4.5 yards per play in the process.

81-6

During the Cowboys' eight-game road skid, they were being outscored by this amount in the second quarter. It looked like that unwanted streak would continue in San Jose when the Spartans found the end zone after Wyoming failed to punch it in from the goal line.

6-for-60

That's the number of times Wyoming was flagged Friday night. One of those came on the final possession of regulation after a 25-yard hookup between Hughes and Kyle Frendt had the Cowboys at the SJSU 39-yard line with a handful of ticks remaining on the play clock. Yes, Sawvel was absolutely going to let Sandvik attempt a 58-yarder at the buzzer. A Chandler Donaway holding call erased that opportunity.

42:42

SJSU head coach Ken Niumatalolo raved about his defense's effort Friday night, but wished that unit could've gotten off the field during some key moments. Wyoming held onto the ball for 42:42 compared to just 21:56 for the Spartans

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:

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* Q&A With Frustrated Wyoming Offensive Coordinator Christian Taylor

* Behind the Numbers: Polasek Provides Pure Emotion in Shutout

* Making the Grade: Yes, It Was Really That Bad

* Cowboys Drop Initial Battle of the Basins, 28-0

* Rants and Raves: NDSU Bison Edition

* Turning Point, Unsung Hero and What's Next For UW Football?

* FINAL LIVE FILE: NDSU 28, Wyoming 0

* Miller Brings Energy, Passion to Pokes' Secondary

* Timeline: Polasek to Remain Wyoming OC Until NDSU Called

* Pokes, Bison Meet Saturday in First-Ever Battle of the Basins