Sawvel: Practice Five Showed “Juice on Both Sides of the Ball”
- Jeff Bugher
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
LARAMIE — On Thursday afternoon, Jay Sawvel’s Wyoming Cowboys wrapped their fifth spring football practice with an intense third-down competition that left the head coach both pleased and motivated.
“Yeah, it was a third-down segment. And so it was a 15-rep thing — first one to 8. And so the defense won that, and the offense had to run,” Sawvel said post-practice. “That’s a critical down. You gotta get off the field. And we did a good job of that on defense last year. We didn’t do a good enough job on other things, and then offensively, we gotta get better in that down and distance.”
The drill put both sides of the ball on notice in game-like scenarios, and while some of the offensive scenarios weren’t ideal, Sawvel made it clear: no excuses.
“Some of those weren’t advantageous for the offense either. Part of it — I don’t care,” he said. “It’s going to be third and two. So we gotta execute and win in those situations.”
Defensive Energy on Display
When asked what he liked most about the defensive effort in the final period, Sawvel pointed to effort and physicality.
“They had great energy,” he said. “Even the balls that they didn’t win were contested. And a couple of those linebackers showed good things blitz-wise too. Brayden Johnson is a loaded — 244-pound linebacker with strength. When he blitzes, he’s going to make it down, and that showed up.”
Walking the Line: Intensity vs. Health
Intensity during practice can be necessary, but so can reducing the risk of injury. The injury bug has unfortunately bitten Wyoming during the last two consecutive fall camps in the running back room, and Sawvel is looking to balance intensity vs. injury mitigation.
“It’s a fine line,” he said. “If you don’t have people on the ground a lot, and if guys are in football position and they’re fighting and doing stuff, they’ll typically avoid injury pretty well.”
So far, the Cowboys have had a few bumps.
Junior defensive end Esaia Bogar:
“Esaia Bogar dislocated his wrist. He’ll be fine — it’ll take a couple weeks,” Sawvel shared.
Defensive lineman Alex Haswell:
“Alex Haswell had a knee injury from before spring started. He’ll be out for the rest of spring, but it’s not season-ending.” Sawvel further elaborated that Haswell will have surgery.
Sam Scott and the Running Back Room
Senior running back Sam Scott is being held out of spring due to a bone bruise.
“It’s just something that — I want to make sure he’s completely right,” Sawvel said. “So he’s working with the strength staff. He’ll be fine, just not practicing this spring.”
In the meantime, others are stepping up.
“I think Nico’s got a chance to be a good player,” Sawvel said of redshirt freshman Nico Hamilton. “He’s a 215-pound back. We’ll get some live work Saturday and see if he can run through somebody’s face.”
Sawvel also mentioned Terron Kellman, and emphasized the need to add another back. “I like what I’ve seen so far from Nico. He’s made really good progress.”
Speed and Athleticism on the Rise
Sawvel has been impressed by the team’s improved speed, particularly in the secondary.
“It’s upgraded substantially,” he said. “Brooklyn Cheek, Jaden DeCosta, Desman [Hearns]— you can see those guys can run. Ethan Stuhlsatz was just under 22 miles an hour during winter conditioning — that’s rolling for a guy 240 pounds.”
At linebacker, Gary Rutherford and others are showing sideline-to-sideline potential. “I’m happy with where we’re at there. We’ve got to continue to get better, but I’m optimistic.”
Offensive Line Shuffle
With offensive tackles Jack Walsh and Caden Barnett moving inside, Sawvel said it’s both a need and a developmental opportunity.
“We were substandard at one of the tackle spots last year,” he admitted. “It cost us on a number of plays. Rex Johnson’s had a tremendous offseason. Jake Davies, Geo, Jenkins — it’s going to be a work in progress.”
He doesn’t want to move Barnett back outside, though. “Caden Barnett could be an outstanding guard. And it’s better for his long-term as well. If he gets looks beyond Wyoming, it’ll be as an interior guy.”
Looking Ahead to “Super Combat Saturday”
With one-third of spring ball complete, Sawvel is cautiously encouraged.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’re making progress — the right kind of progress,” he said. “Today, my antenna was up. We’d had four high-tempo practices. What was #5 going to be? And I was pretty pleased. There was juice on both sides of the ball.”
He’s looking forward to what a reporter called “Super Combat Saturday.”
“We’re going to finish practice right here at the 20,” Sawvel said with a grin. “The offense has to get 10 yards running it — no receivers. Everybody knows they gotta get 10 yards on three plays. It’s live. We’re going to see somebody run through somebody’s face.”
Some of the team’s vets — including John Michael Gyllenborg, Jack Walsh, Caden Barnett, and Caleb Robinson — will be held out. “We’re going to find out who’s going to step up. There’s going to be a winner and a loser.”
And that’s just how Sawvel wants it.
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