A 1-5 start to the 2024 season isn’t exactly what anyone expected from Wyoming when head coach Jay Sawvel took over. Things aren’t going great, and it is apparent that everyone already knows that! Our access to the inside tells us that for every falter, there are also players focusing on improving the team and being better teammates. Frustration tends to lead to focusing on the negatives, we’ve all been there!
Following Wyoming’s tough loss to San Diego State on Saturday, we asked graduate defensive tackle and team captain Jordan Bertagnole about the positives he’s seen despite the score following the game. Bertagnole, a native of Casper, Wyo. was more than willing to share the bright spots.
“I felt like there were a lot of good, good things from the defensive line today,” Bertagnole said, emphasizing the continued effort and improvement of his unit. Additionally, he also highlighted the development happening on the offensive side, particularly with younger players stepping up in the wake of injuries. “Another positive is young guys stepping up on the offensive line. We have a bunch of injuries right now. So you never know when your opportunity is going to come up."
Bertagnole praised how players have embraced their chances and mentioned Malique Singleton, a younger player working through some growing pains but showing promise. "He gets got a couple of times, but you got to see him work in practice, and there’s a reason that he’s out there. He’s been doing a great job."
Bertagnole reminded us about the importance of unity and a positive mindset. “As a team, just sticking together, I feel like... we don’t point fingers, and I feel like that’s huge. Especially when you’re down 1-5, it’s super easy to point at things going wrong. But... there’s always things going right too, we’ve just got to be more consistent.”
Other Silver Linings
Linebacker Shae Suiaunoa continued his dominant play, adding a tackle for loss on SDSU’s opening drive and finishing with 1.5 in the game. This brings his total to 4.5 tackles for loss over the last two games. Suiaunoa also racked up ten tackles, marking his second consecutive game with double-digit tackles, amassing 23 in the past two contests.
Defensive end Braden Siders played a key disruptive role, tipping the quarterback’s hand and allowing Connor Shay to snag his first career interception. Wyoming’s defensive front was relentless, recording nine tackles for loss, which tied their season-high performance from the Idaho game.
There were several individual highlights as well. Nickel Malique Singleton stepped up with a career-high six tackles, while defensive tackle Dante Drake added a career-best five tackles. Defensive end Sabastian Harsh delivered a monster performance, racking up four tackles for loss—tying a school record that hasn’t been matched since 2017. How about WR Jaylen Sargent snagging that 70-yard touchdown on a flea-flicker, marking Sargent’s first-ever career touchdown reception? That play was also the longest play from scrimmage so far this year.
On special teams, the Cowboys kept the momentum going with a gutsy call, faking a punt in the second quarter. Defensive tackle Jayden Williams took the snap and ran for a crucial 17-yard gain.
*Some information from UW Athletics contributed to this story.
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