DENTON, Texas – Thumbs up?
 
That's one way to look at Wyoming's start to the season, especially in the mangled secondary.
 
Starting safety Wyett Ekeler did not make the trip here after having surgical procedures last Wednesday on both of his thumbs, which were broken on separate plays against BYU.
 
Ekeler's replacement in the lineup, Andrew Johnson, suffered a broken thumb during the 44-17 loss to North Texas on Saturday night at DATCU Stadium.
 
The casts and splints holding thumbs in place is only part of the tough start to the Cowboys' season on the field and in the training room.
 
Isaac White, the other safety UW was relying on to slow down the Mean Green's supersonic passing attack, left the game with an injury.
 
At defensive end, which was the deepest position group coming out of fall camp, DeVonne Harris and Braden Siders were unavailable due to injuries. Sabastian Harsh and Tyce Westland were attended to by trainers during a muggy night in the Metroplex but returned to the field to gut it out with their teammates.
 
John Michael Gyllenborg gave the passing game a little punch, finishing with five receptions for 56 yards. But the running game continues to be slowed down without its Ferrari, injured starter Harrison Waylee, as UW finished with 65 yards on 31 attempts.
 
The offensive line, which lost starting left tackle Nate Geiger with a season-ending injury during the opener, and Cowboy offense were unable to take advantage of the North Texas defense.
 
Jay Sawvel understands the buck stops with the head coach.
 
"We've got to get better with the people we've got and there is no excuse. None. And we're not going to make any," Sawvel said. "We're not going to let the players make any and I'm not going to make any. I take ownership of it."
 
It will be an intense homecoming week inside the High Altitude Performance Center. Sawvel and his staff are doing a deep dive into the offense and the wounded defense.
 
"Within the program right now we've got to redefine ourselves," Sawvel said. "Maybe who we wanted to be and who we can best be is going to be completely different. Even defensively right now who we wanted to be is a lot different than what we can be right now."
 
Establishing the running game, a staple of the program the previous 10 years under Craig Bohl, is priority No. 1 on offense. Sam Scott has proven himself to be UW's most reliable downhill runner this season and provided the unit's highlight with a 41-yard touchdown reception. The Pokes understand they must move the sticks and make the most of limited possessions this coming Saturday against Air Force.
 
"We've got a lot of good players, and we trust the coaches, we trust that they're going to lead us in the right direction and going into conference play we're going to look like a new team," Gyllenborg said. "That's all we can really say. Obviously, we need to go out and do it and this week we look forward to leadership stepping up a little bit and getting us a W."
 
Defensively, the Cowboys must be assignment sound against the Falcons' option. That will be even more challenging with Ekeler ruled out and White's status up in the air.
 
"We know how Air Force is, the whole state does," middle linebacker Shae Suiaunoa said. "We know how intense that game is, and I know if we get that W it's going to mean a lot just for the football team and moving forward."
 
Last year's agonizing loss at the Academy set the tone for UW's road struggles in an otherwise brilliant nine-win season. Three years ago, the Cowboys cruised through non-conference play with a 4-0 record before a loss to the Falcons sent them spiraling to an 0-4 start in Mountain West play.
 
If Sawvel can notch his first victory as head coach in the Mountain West opener, the 2024 campaign could take a dramatic turn in the other direction with an open date looming for some key players to heal.
 
"Obviously 0-4 it's tough to stay positive but we are going to stay positive. We're going to continue to be tough, to play tough and I'm just looking forward to next week," Gyllenborg said. "Somebody mentioned 2021 when we were 4-0 and then things went the opposite direction. We have an opportunity to really grow and separate ourselves from the team that we've been and start playing the way we expect to play."
 
The Pokes are desperate to reward the loyal brown and gold crowds that packed War Memorial Stadium to capacity for the Idaho and BYU games.
 
A victory over Air Force on homecoming would be a good start.
 
"I feel really bad because I know how huge our fan base is, and I know we love them. I feel bad, that's not how we wanted to start and it's frustrating," Suiaunoa said. "This is when leaders kind of step in and take the role. Me being a first-time captain, I've got to figure out how to take that role and lead the young guys because this isn't the end of the program. …
 
"We've got to teach them the way Cowboy football is supposed to be played."
 
The Cowboys have endured fractured thumbs and limbs this season, but the visiting locker room in Denton was not divided.
 
"They're all on board with owning this and we've got to get better," Sawvel said. "Right now, there's a lot of things as coaches we've got to look at and really define what we can be good at and how we can do this and how we can flip this script."
 
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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