Pokes Insider: Raising the flag for Jay Sawvel

LARAMIE – What did the roar sound like from the Wyoming locker room late Saturday night?

Well, the cacophony of pure joy penetrated the walls at the High Altitude Performance Center at a decibel level that caused a Denver television reporter on his first trip to 7,220 feet to wonder if the sounds were real.

The Cowboys unleashed four weeks of frustration after a cathartic 31-19 victory over Air Force in front of a raucous crowd of 23,068 at War Memorial Stadium.

Jay Sawvel became the second head coach in program history to get his first win at the Falcons' expense. The Paul Roach era began with a 27-13 victory over Air Force in 1987.

“We have the best fans in the Mountain West. I firmly believed in that,” said Sawvel, whose predecessor Craig Bohl also recorded his first MW win against Troy Calhoun’s team in 2014. “We had to give them something that would excite them.”

There wasn't much to cheer about during the break.

The UW defense sensed a fake punt Jordan Bertagnole And Ben Florentine He tackled man Kemper Hodges just in front of the sticks at the Air Force 46-yard line, resulting in an 8-yard touchdown hit Sam Scott in the first quarter.

But the Falcons scored 13 unanswered points and limited the Pokes to 83 total yards at halftime.

“We knew we had to bring a lot of energy and play with passion after halftime,” Linebacker said Connor Shay said. “We did.”

Evan Svobodawho rode the battle bus during the team's 0-4 start to the season, arrived on campus looking like the confident leading man brave enough to wear jersey No. 17.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound quarterback from UW had a completion of 32 yards Chris Durr Jr. and a 28-yard completion to the tight end John Michael Gyllenborg to get the offense into the red zone on the opening drive of the second half.

Svoboda gained a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal to give the Cowboys a 14-13 lead.

“He was in charge and played football tonight,” Sawvel said of Svoboda, who completed 15-for-21 passes for 165 yards and 70 yards and two touchdowns. “I am so proud of the boy and happy for him. Big, strong guy, I think when he hugged me afterwards he almost broke my back.”

After the defense forced a three-and-out to quickly end Air Force's first drive of the third quarter, Svoboda pushed a 13-yard completion to Gyllenborg on a third-and-8 between two defenders.

Scott also converted a third-and-1 during an 11-play, 94-yard drive that was capped off with a 3-yard touchdown run Tyler King to extend UW's lead to 21-13.

The Cowboys had the ball for 11 minutes, one second of the third quarter and outscored Air Force 14-0 during the frame.

“It was to our advantage having the ball,” Scott said. “Normally the Air Force does that. That’s when we flipped the script.”

After the loss at North Texas a week earlier, Sawvel said Scott (97 yards rushing, one touchdown), Gyllenborg (four catches, 70 yards) and King (three targets, one touchdown) would be featured more often to help Svoboda to rewrite history attack.

Durr, who showcased his skills during spring and fall camp, had three catches for 71 yards.

“Our O-line and Sam and Evan, they ran and ran and ran,” Gyllenborg said. “They just kept running and it was great to watch. That's what won us the game, our O-line and that offense, and Sam just kept going. … (Durr) is just a playmaker. He's young and confident and just goes out there and I think we'll see more of that in the future. It was just fun.

On one of the most critical plays of the game, backup quarterback Kaden Anderson came in and converted a third-and-4 with a 23-yard screen pass to Durr. Svoboda had to watch from the sidelines after his helmet fell off on the previous play.

And two other notable performances came from backup guards: Rex Johnsen And Alex Connwho stepped in for the injured Jack Walsh And Wes Kingor in a dominant manner.

“It means everything,” Svoboda said of the team that rallied around him at the conference opener. “It definitely boosts my confidence. They have my back; I stand behind them. I really appreciate these guys and I love them more than anything.”

John Hoyland added a 23-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 24-13. The Falcons made it a one-score game with Aiden Calvert's 37-yard touchdown run.

Svoboda scored the decisive score with a 17-yard touchdown run with 2:13 left. QB1's shoulder pads felt much lighter after the Pokes started the MW game 1-0.

“It’s very emotional,” Svoboda said. “It’s a bit difficult, but that’s what the position comes with. It’s a big task, but nothing is too big.”

Sawvel said his team never wavered over the last month as losses and injuries mounted. The celebration in the victorious locker room is just the beginning for these Cowboys.

“It was time to raise our flag,” Sawvel said when asked what changed at halftime. “That was the adjustment.”

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