LARAMIE – All losses hurt and there is no such thing as a moral victory at Wyoming.
 
However, head coach Jay Sawvel and his Cowboys walked away from the 31-6 defeat to No. 20 Utah with a sense of pride in the effort and excitement about what is possible this season if the team can learn from the mistakes made late Saturday at War Memorial Season.
 
"I'm proud of our effort," Sawvel said. "I really enjoy coaching this football team. We're going to learn from this. We'll get better."
 
The former conference rivals, who have the look of a potential Big 12 champion after winning two Pac-12 titles under longtime head coach Kyle Whittingham, also felt the Pokes' physicality and promise.
 
UW's defense bent but refused to break in the first half. Despite Utah's 272-78 advantage in total yardage, the Utes entered the locker room with a slim 3-0 lead at the intermission.
 
Utah pulled away in the second half with some dazzling plays by quarterback Devon Dampier in the third quarter and by turning an interception into a quick touchdown in the fourth quarter.
 
"I've got a lot of respect for that Wyoming team," Whittingham said. "They are tough players, well-coached and they gave us everything they have. Hats off to them. I really think they have a bright future."
 
After making a 43-yard field goal with 10:22 remaining in the first quarter, Utes placekicker Dillon Curtis missed a 45-yard try, had another 45-yard try hit the upright and a 46-yard try with three seconds remaining blocked by Aneesh Vyas.
 
UW had its best two scoring opportunities thwarted by pressure from Utah's rugged defensive line.
 
Kaden Anderson took a 14-yard sack that moved the Pokes out of field goal range in the first quarter and lost a fumble on a strip sack in the second quarter.
 
Following Anderson's turnover, nickel back Desman Hearns forced Nate Johnson to fumble, and Andrew Johnson recovered at the UW 3-yard line.
 
"I'm very confident in this team. I think, if anything, we showed that we can compete with any team in the nation," Johnson said. "This was a very good football team. There's no denying that. But I think we're also a very good football team, and we're just going to continue to grow and use this as encouragement."
 
Linebacker Evan Eller had nine tackles, including six solo tackles, in the first half and finished with 12 tackles. Johnson also had 12 tackles with Hearns and Jones Thomas adding eight stops each from the secondary.
 
Through the first 10 quarters of the season, defensive coordinator Aaron Bohl's unit allowed a total of 10 points before the dam broke in the second half against the Utes.
 
UW's defense was on the field for 86 plays while Anderson and the offense ran just 57 plays.
 
"They kind of started to find and just take what we were giving them. I didn't feel like our intent changed at all," Eller said. "I felt like we were still playing our butts off. We've just got to hold ourselves to that standard of how we played that first half. That's just a tale of two halves, and that's how it goes."
 
Sawvel repeatedly pointed to one play that stuck in his craw in the immediate aftermath of UW's first loss of the campaign.
 
Utah, clinging to a 10-0 lead, faced a third-and-21 when Dampier calmly connected with Dallen Bentley on a wheel route for a 23-yard completion in front of the Cowboys' bench. Instead of getting the ball back with some momentum entering crunch time, UW allowed the visitors to cap a 19-play drive that bled 7 minutes, 23 seconds off the clock for a decisive 17-0 cushion.
 
"It was definitely disappointing," Johnson said. "I mean, as a defense, third-and-21 sounds pretty great to us. Giving up that one was a gut-wrencher, a big momentum swing. We execute there, as a defense, we get them off the field."
 
Anderson was critical of himself after the loss after passing for 108 yards. UW's starting quarterback wore a protective vest over his bruised ribs after getting knocked out of the win over Northern Iowa a week earlier.
 
The Cowboys were without tight end John Michael Gyllenborg for most of the game due to injury. Chris Durr Jr. led the team with five receptions for 40 yards. Samuel "Tote" Harris averaged 8.5 yards per carry and finished with 68 yards rushing while Terron Kellman provided the Pokes' only points with a 15-yard touchdown scamper with 4:12 remaining.
 
"I missed a lot of throws. I gotta do better," Anderson said. "We're going to be really good. That was a damn good football team."
 
UW will conclude non-conference play against Colorado next Saturday at Folsom Field in (8:15 p.m., ESPN).
 
The Pokes are ready to turn the page and see what happens when this effort travels against another Big 12 opponent in Boulder.
 
"My whole thought with this game was the fact that we were going to improve," Sawvel said. "We were going to becoming a better football team because of playing Utah. We still have to, now, improve that going forward."
 
Follow Ryan for more stories on Wyoming athletics on X at @By_RyanThorburn on Facebook at Wyoming Athletics and Instagram at wyoathletics. Also follow him at Pokes Insider at Gowyo.com/pokesinsider.
 
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