By Jeff Bugher
The Wyoming Cowboys 2024 football season will feature six highly anticipated home games at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie. From the opener against the Idaho Vandals to big games against rivals like the BYU Cougars and the Air Force Falcons, each game promises plenty of excitement. Led by new head coach Jay Sawvel and fueled by talented players like quarterback Evan Svoboda, John Michael Gyllenborg and Shae Suiaunoa- the Cowboys are poised to keep the momentum going from 2023. With three games in September, the weather should be nice for those games... and hopefully the same for at least two (or three) out of the remaining three in October and November.
Saturday, September 7, 2024: Idaho Vandals
On Saturday, September 7, 2024, the Wyoming Cowboys will kick off their home opener against the Idaho Vandals at War Memorial Stadium. The Vandals concluded their 2023 season with a solid record of 9–4 (6–2 Big Sky) and were ranked #8 in the country before falling to #9 Albany in the FCS Quarterfinals on December 9th. Notably, they defeated Nevada of the Mountain West Conference 33-6 in front of a crowd of 19,852 fans on September 9th, 2023. Coached by third-year head coach Jack Eck, the Vandals employ a Spread Option offensive scheme and a 3-4 base defense. Despite their success, Idaho has historically struggled against Wyoming, with the Cowboys holding an 8-1 record in their matchups. The last meeting between these teams occurred in 2019, resulting in a 21-16 victory for Wyoming. This game marks the first-ever head coaching appearance for Wyoming’s new head coach, Jay Sawvel, who took over from Craig Bohl following his retirement after the 2023 season. Additionally, it is likely to be the first home start for Wyoming quarterback Evan Svoboda, who saw limited action in 2023 but showcased promising stats, including a 60.5% completion rate with 23 completions on 38 attempts and 80 rushing yards on 25 attempts with 2 touchdowns. This is a non-conference game.
Saturday, September 14, 2024: BYU Cougars
On Saturday, September 14, 2024, the Wyoming Cowboys will host the BYU Cougars at Laramie's War Memorial Stadium. BYU had a challenging 2023 season, finishing with a record of 5-7 (2-7 Big 12), marked by a five-game losing streak to end the season. Their notable victory against a team with a winning record came against Texas Tech with a 27-17 win on October 21st, 2023. Other victories were against FCS Southern Utah, Sam Houston, Arkansas, and Cincinnati, all with losing records. Head coach Kalani Sitake, entering his 9th season with an overall coaching record of 61-41, led the team featuring 30 incoming transfers in 2023. In the series history, Wyoming trails BYU at 30-45-3, but holds a favorable home record of 17-16-3 against the Cougars. The last encounter between these teams took place on September 24th, 2022, in Provo, resulting in a 24-38 loss for Wyoming. This is a non-conference game.
Saturday, September 28, 2024: Air Force Falcons
On Saturday, September 28, 2024, the Air Force football team will face off against the University of Wyoming Cowboys in Laramie, Wyoming. This marks the 63rd meeting between the two teams, with Wyoming trailing in the series record at 27-31-3 since the series began on November 2nd, 1957. Wyoming boasts a home record of 15-11-2 against Air Force, having won the last four home games against them. The Air Force head coach, Troy Calhoun, is entering his 18th year with a coaching record of 130-82. In the 2023 season, the Falcons finished 9–4 (5–3 MW), starting strong with 8 consecutive wins, including a 34-27 victory over Wyoming in Colorado Springs. However, they faced a 4-game losing streak to close out the regular season before rebounding with a 31-21 win over James Madison in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Saturday, October 12, 2024: San Diego State Aztecs
On Saturday, October 12, 2024, the University of Wyoming Cowboys will host the San Diego State Aztecs in Laramie, Wyoming, with the series currently tied at 19-19. Wyoming holds a 12-7 home record against the Aztecs. The last encounter between these teams occurred on October 12, 2019, in San Diego, where the Cowboys suffered a 22-26 loss. The Aztecs, led by head coach Brady Hoke in his fifth season with an overall coaching record of 105-92, had a challenging 2023 season, finishing 4–8 (2–6 MW) with victories over Ohio Bobcats, Idaho State, Hawaii, and Fresno State. However, they faced a notable setback with a 0-6 loss against Nevada, who ended the season with a 2-10 record. Despite Wyoming losing four out of the last five matchups, they may have the advantage in the upcoming 2024 contest.
Saturday, October 26, 2024: Utah State Aggies
On Saturday, October 26, 2024, the University of Wyoming Cowboys will host the Utah State Aggies in Laramie, Wyoming. While Wyoming trails in the overall series at 28-40-4, they hold a favorable home record of 16-13-3 against the Aggies. The last meeting between these teams took place on October 22nd, 2022, resulting in a 28-14 victory for Wyoming on their home field. The Utah State Aggies, led by fourth-year head coach Blake Anderson with an overall coaching record of 23-17, have consistently reached bowl games under his leadership, including a victory in the inaugural LA Bowl in 2021. However, in the 2023 season, the Aggies finished with a record of 6–7 (4–4 MW), concluding with a 22-45 defeat against the Georgia State Panthers in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on December 23rd, 2023, in Boise,
Saturday, November 23, 2024: Boise State Broncos
On Saturday, November 23, 2024, the University of Wyoming Cowboys will face off against the Boise State Broncos in Laramie, Wyoming. Wyoming trails significantly in the overall series with a record of 1-17 and a home record of 1-8 against the Broncos. The most recent encounter between these teams occurred on October 28th, 2023, in Boise, resulting in a 32-7 loss for Wyoming. In 2024, the Broncos will be under the leadership of first-year head coach Spencer Danielson. The previous season saw a tumultuous turn of events for Boise State, as head coach Andy Avalos was fired 10 games into the season despite a 5-5 record. Danielson took over as interim head coach and led the team to victory in their remaining regular-season games, culminating in a 44-20 win over UNLV in the Mountain West Football Championship. Although the Broncos secured a bid to the LA Bowl, they were ultimately defeated by the UCLA Bruins with a score of 22-35.
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