Hughes, Holman Deliver Big Play Wyoming Offense Has Been Missing
- Jeff Bugher
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
LARAMIE, Wyo. - One thing PokesNews.com observed during the University of Wyoming’s annual spring game inside War Memorial Stadium last Saturday was that the deep passing attack might be making its return for the Cowboys.
For a program that has lacked deep plays through the air at times in recent seasons, one play last Saturday sparked interest.
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The moment came when senior quarterback Tyler Hughes connected with junior wide receiver Jackson Holman on a deep 47-yard (approx.) touchdown pass.
It was such a big play that PokesNews.com asked Jay Sawve, Tyler Hughes, and Jackson Holman about it following the scrimmage.
“It was great. It was great. Me and Jackson have been working on that...almost every day, especially on our off days. It's been great. It felt good to see it come to fruition today,” Hughes said.
Hughes, a 6-foot, 210-pound senior transfer from William & Mary in Marietta, Georgia, has steadily developed chemistry with his receivers since arriving on campus in January. The chemistry continued to show in the scrimmage setting on Saturday.
Head coach Jay Sawvel said the throw was an example of Hughes’ overall ability.
“That was a good ball. He can make a wide variety of throws, and whether it's in a field out route, whether it's on the move, or a deep ball in the pocket. So it was good to see that ball be complete. It was a perfect pass. It was a good situation there,” Sawvel said.
On the receiving end, Holman, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound junior transfer from Arizona out of Irvine, California, was on cloud nine.
“That's probably the best feeling I think in all football. Catching a ball mid-stride for a touchdown. I don't think anything beats it really,” Holman said when PokesNews.com asked the question.
Holman said the connection wasn’t random, and it’s something they had been working on all spring.
“Yeah, that's kind of been all spring. We've been trying to connect really on those deep balls, and today it really was just a perfect ball,” Holman added.
This was also the first “touchdown” Hughes has thrown in front of Wyoming fans, albeit in a scrimmage.
Keep in mind it's only spring, and there's still a lot of work ahead. Sawvel made that clear post-scrimmage. But if the spring game and that big play were any indication, Wyoming may be able to break through the ceiling of the Cowboys’ offense heading into the fall.
About the Author:
Jeff Bugher is a third-generation Wyomingite living in Casper. He is a sportswriter and Wyoming Cowboys/Cowgirls enthusiast who is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA ) and the National Sports Media Association (NSMA). Jeff's work has been cited by Sports Illustrated, one of the world's leading sports publications.
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