LAS VEGAS – Jay Sawvel believes Wyoming has the best fan base in the Mountain West.
 
The first-year head coach echoed the statement throughout his interview sessions on Thursday during the conference's media days at Circa Resort & Casino.
 
"I love our fans," Sawvel said. "They show up and they're rowdy. Our players love game day in Laramie."


 
The 2023 Cowboys set a single-season home attendance record while going 7-0 at War Memorial Stadium, including memorable wins over Texas Tech, Appalachian State, Fresno State and Colorado State.
 
One of the focal points for Sawvel and the coaching staff through workouts and spring practices over the last six months has been playing more consistently throughout the entire schedule.
 
After a 5-1 start in which the only loss was at eventual College Football Playoff semifinalist Texas, the Pokes suffered an excruciatin loss to Air Force at Falcon Stadium.
 
Then UW's MW championship plan was put through the shredder with disappointing performances in losses at Boise State and UNLV.
 
"We had two uneven performances when we went to UNLV and we went to Boise. We did not play the way that we needed to play," Sawvel said. "There's a lot of factors that I do look at in those situations. Those were good teams, they played in the championship game. But to win a championship you're going to have to beat a championship-caliber team on the road. That's what has to happen."
 
The Cowboys will have two non-conference road tests, at Arizona State (Aug. 31) and North Texas (Sept. 21), in the scorching Southwest.
 
Sawvel said he isn't as worried about the heat as he would be if UW were playing in Midwest humidity, citing the team's struggles at Illinois in the 2022 opener. The Pokes will have more afternoon practices on the turf during fall camp to prepare for the trip to Tempe.
 
"For us having a lot of experience on defense and having guys that have played in a lot of environments, this is a great opportunity for us and it's a great test for us," Sawvel said of opening with the Sun Devils, who will be playing their first game as a member of the Big 12. "One of the first things we talked about from last season is we've got to be consistent on the road and we've got to be good on the road. So, here's challenge No. 1."
 
UW's first two MW road games, at San Jose State (Oct. 19) and New Mexico (Nov. 2), are against rebuilding teams with new head coaches. The Spartans and Lobos were picked 10^th and 11^th, respectively, in the preseason media poll.
 
The Border War at CSU will be contested under the Friday night lights on Nov. 15 at Canvas Stadium. The Rams are highly motivated to grab the Bronze Boot for the first time since 2020 and for the first time with their fans in attendance since 2014.
 
"Wyoming, I really respect that team and that culture and what they've built up there. Craig Bohl was awesome for them," CSU safety Jack Howell said during his media session on Wednesday. "I don't like them … every time we play them it's like a fist fight."
 
BYU, will visit Laramie for the first time since 2009 when the rivalry is renewed on Sept. 14. The Cougars are entering their second season as a member of the Big 12.
 
"I don't have to worry whether or not the fan base will be there that night," Sawvel said. "I don't have to worry about that any night, but especially that night."
 
The Cowboys, who host preseason favorite Boise State in the home finale on Nov. 23, conclude the regular season at Washington State. The Cougars, one of the two remaining Pac-12 teams that agreed to a scheduling alliance with the MW, are coached by former UW defensive coordinator Jake Dickert.
 
The overall schedule appears to be strong enough for UW to be considered for the College Football Playoff, if the team were to win the MW championship on Dec. 6.
 
The Cowboys must recreate the magic of the War on the road to accomplish their ultimate goals.
 
Throughout spring practice, the final scores from the losses at Air Force, Boise State and UNLV were shown on the scoreboard in the War. The not-so friendly reminders will continue in fall camp.
 
"Everyone looks at those games as something that got away from us," said defensive tackle Jordan Bertagnole, who was voted to the preseason all-MW team released Wednesday. "It's a big motivation seeing those scores and seeing what we lost and what happened in those games."
 
If you are interested in learning more about NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) or would like to support our student-athletes, please visit 1wyo.org. 1WYO was created out of Wyoming's culture of neighbor helping neighbor. The mission is to promote and strengthen local charitable organizations and develop Wyoming student athletes. 
 
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