Cowboys Lose Momentum, Turnovers, and the Bronze Boot at Colorado State
- Jeff Bugher
- 24 hours ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 1 hour ago
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel believed the Cowboys were about to take control of the 118th Border War inside Canvas Stadium.
Wyoming had pulled within one point early in the third quarter and was driving deep into Colorado State territory. Quarterback Tyler Hughes found wide receiver Charlie Coenen for an apparent third-down conversion; Sawvel thought the Cowboys were on their way to the lead.
Instead, an ineligible receiver downfield penalty erased the play and triggered a sequence that turned a competitive game into a 35-13 rout, giving Colorado State the victory.
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“At that point in the game, when I see Charlie Coenen make that catch, I'm 100% convinced, like we're winning this game,” Sawvel said. “We're going to score right now. We're going to put ourselves in a good spot.”
For a few seconds it appeared that way until the yellow flag came out and hit the green field of Canvas Stadium.
To make matters worse, Hughes had thrown the pass while being chased out of the pocket.
After the penalty, Wyoming went the wrong direction on a running play. Hughes then threw a checkdown that was tipped and intercepted. Two plays later, Colorado State quarterback Hauss Hejny connected with RJ Vick Jr. for an uncontested 57-yard touchdown. There wasn’t a defender in sight on the touchdown.
The Rams’ lead grew from 14-13 to 21-13 in 40 seconds.
“That sequence of events from not getting the first down to the check-down interception to the blown touchdown, that changed the game,” Sawvel said.
Wyoming turned the ball over four times, finishing the game at 0-for-8 on third down and committed six penalties for 47 yards. Colorado State did not turn the ball over once and converted seven of its 15 third-down opportunities.
“They played better than we did and executed better,” Sawvel said. “Didn't make the catastrophic mistake, and we made multiple catastrophic mistakes.”
The Cowboys trailed 14-3 late in the first half but gave themselves momentum when Erik Sandvik connected on a 48-yard field goal as time expired.
The Cowboys opened the third quarter with a seven-play, 55-yard scoring drive. Hughes capped it with a 9-yard touchdown run, cutting the score down to a one-point advantage for the Rams at 14-13.
Wyoming’s defense forced a three-and-out on Colorado State’s next possession, putting the Cowboys in position to take the lead before the game completely unraveled.
“After the penalty was like a backbreaker, right?” Sawvel said. “Not the whole thing was in the second-half, but the penalty was a problem.”
Once CSU’s Vick scored on the 57-yard pass, Wyoming never regained that momentum.
“Once you give up the touchdown uncontested and it turns into 21 to 13, there was just an energy flip that we didn't come back to it and that they kind of rode that wave for the next series or two,” Sawvel said.
CSU’s Hejny finished 23-of-33 passing for 214 yards and five touchdowns. Vick caught six passes for 75 yards and three scores, while Jackson Harper added three receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown.
Colorado State finished with 396 yards of offense, including 242 through the air.
Sawvel said he was frustrated by the defensive breakdowns that led to two second-half touchdowns.
“The biggest thing is you can't blow a check to a formation and give up an uncontested post down the middle of the field,” Sawvel said. “Then in a third down situation when you're going to go a cover 0 blitz and the offense checks, and you stay in the cover 0 blitz, that's a big mistake on that part. We'll get those fixed.”
Where does that responsibility ultimately fall? Sawvel took the brunt of it and said the responsibility ultimately falls on him.
“There's things coaching-wise that has to get fixed,” Sawvel said. “I wasn't happy with our defensive staff on certain things, but as the head coach- that's my fault, right?”
Wyoming’s offense produced 273 yards. Hughes completed 12 of 19 passes for 130 yards with three interceptions. He also rushed for 52 yards and scored the Cowboys’ lone touchdown on the night.
Starting running back Samuel “Tote” Harris led Wyoming with 63 rushing yards on 16 carries.
Hughes’ three interceptions will likely receive much of the attention following his Wyoming debut, but Sawvel defended his starting quarterback.
“Tyler Hughes is a good football player,” Sawvel said. “There's a lot of good in this football team that we have to go back and work and get better at.”
The Cowboys had another opportunity to give themselves a chance in the fourth quarter. Trailing by 15 points, Wyoming appeared ready to regain possession near midfield with approximately eight minutes remaining. Fort Collins native and safety Jones Thomas was called for running into the punter, however, extending a Colorado State drive that consumed 7:40 and ended with Vick’s third touchdown.
The loss returned the Bronze Boot to Colorado State and gave the Rams their second consecutive victory in the rivalry at Canvas Stadium.
“We lost the boot today, and it's a bitter pill when you're the head coach at Wyoming, and you lose to this school, right?” Sawvel said.
Even in disappointment, Sawvel rejects the idea that one performance should define Wyoming’s 2026 season.
“Week one is the biggest overreaction week in college football, right?” Sawvel said. “So everybody's going to say that we're not going to be any good or that we're going to whatever this and the other and a lot of that in three weeks could be completely erased.”
“I'm utterly disappointed for our fans, for our alumni, for everybody who the boot means everything to,” Sawvel said. “I'm utterly disappointed in everything about that. …I'm not in a situation where I'm negative about this team.”
“We stay together and don't flinch,” Sawvel said. “We'll be a good football team and we'll learn from the mistakes we made and we'll not make those going forward.”
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