Sawvel: ‘Thursday Needs to Be a Really Good Day’ Ahead of Second Scrimmage
- Jeff Bugher
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Laramie, Wyo. -- The Cowboys took advantage of some spring weather their seventh spring practice session under new head coach Jay Sawvel on Tuesday afternoon.
“It's good to get out in wind and a little, you know, a little bit of cooler weather. And you know, did some live work and we got a lot of progress still to make,” Sawvel said.
Much of that progress, according to Sawvel, starts before the ball is even snapped.
“Our biggest things for a lot of the players—you know, it always comes down to things that happen before a ball is snapped,” he explained. “Getting the assignment, alignment, knowing where your eyes go. Really, about 75% of mistakes that happen are based on things that happen before the ball is snapped. And then from there, there’s a fundamental component that we still got to develop and get better at.”
While Sawvel said Tuesday’s work was good, he said Thursday’s session needs to be “a really good day” as the Cowboys prep for their second spring scrimmage, scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m.
“We'll go from there and we'll just see how long we go,” he said. “Probably be going quite a while.”
Quarterback Room Still Sorting Itself Out
Asked whether any quarterbacks were standing out, Sawvel noted the competition remains fluid behind returning starter Kaden Anderson.
“Right now, he's Kaden's ahead of everybody, obviously,” Sawvel said. “I think your 2-3-4 right now in some order is Simms, Brooke, and Drube. And I think that’s kind of where we’re at.”
He did, however, praise redshirt freshman Gage Brooke, who has made noticeable strides.
“Gage has come a little bit long ways, you know, from where he was,” Sawvel said. “The biggest thing is we're going to find out like this Saturday—one of the things is like command, OK? You got to run the show, you got to get it all going. A year ago, I would have said that was a weakness of his. So, you know, that’s what we need to see on Saturday.”
Young Corners Still Learning the Ropes
At cornerback, Wyoming is still waiting on development and healing. Ian Bell is sidelined with a minor hamstring issue, while others are deep in the learning curve.
“We've got a lot of fundamental development still to go with Markie Grant, Tyrese Boss, and [BJ] Inman, and even Keany Parks,” Sawvel said. “There's a reason we still have 33 more practices. We're going to need them.”
Backfield Has Bright Spots
Sawvel had high praise for running back Terron Kellman, a player he believes could make an impact soon.
“He’s a willing blocker in pass protection, really good vision, really good feet, thick body,” Sawvel said. “Between his movement and his vision and the physicality that he has, he's not an easy guy to get on the ground.”
Linebacker Gary Rutherford Impresses
Another player drawing positive reviews is linebacker Gary Rutherford.
“Gary’s a guy that has a lot of tools,” Sawvel said. “The best thing that Gary has is a tremendous motor. Gary doesn’t stop running, and not everybody is like that. Every time you have that, you’re typically going to have a really productive linebacker.”
Special Teams: Operation Looking Sharp
Wyoming’s kicking operation drew a thumbs-up from Sawvel, who said the group went 9-of-11 during Tuesday’s field goal period.
“Gavyn Helm is holding right now—Gavyn does a really good job,” he said. “Carson York’s a fairly solid snapper… and Keelan and Eric both missed one from 50. But overall, I was pretty pleased.”
Defensive End Depth Building
While the position group has been hit by some injuries, Sawvel likes what he’s seeing from returning edge rusher Tyce Westland.
“Of the three defensive ends that played the most for us a year ago, Tyce was the best pass rusher,” he said. “And he’s continuing to improve.”
Sawvel also praised newcomer [Brayden] Wilson’s “heavy-handed” style and said Kevin Sjogren is making progress. Freshman Esaia Bolger, who dislocated his wrist, is out for spring but won’t need surgery.
On House Settlement and Grandfathering Talk
When asked about the ongoing developments related to the NCAA House settlement, Sawvel’s answer was blunt and he didn't really hold back.
“I don’t even know what to say,” he admitted. “The only thing I’m frustrated with about is that we're creating this whole thing and it's the lawyers—the ones that are getting rich.”
The Cowboys have seven spring practices down. Saturday’s scrimmage will offer another significant opportunity to measure progress.
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