11/2/2026 2:32:00 PM | Football, Pokes Insider
Wyoming preparing for pivitol Mountain West road game at UNLV
LARAMIE – Meaningful November football.
The Cowboys (5-3, 4-1) remain in contention in the Mountain West race with three conference games remaining.
Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel is focused on preparing to play UNLV on Saturday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (8:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network).
The Rebels (5-3, 3-1) are the only other team with one MW loss. No. 22 New Mexico currently sits atop the standings at 7-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play.
"We don't put up a slide of the standings of the conference. We don't need to do that," Sawvel said. "We know there's two teams that have one loss in the conference that are going to play Saturday night in a big game.
"We're going to have to figure out a way to outplay them, and we're going to have to figure out a way to make the least mistakes in the game and we're going to have to figure out a way to execute at a high level."
The Pokes had a chance to recharge during a bye week after defeating Air Force 28-14 on Oct. 23 at War Memorial Stadium.
Quarterback Tyler Hughes completed 10 of 17 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries to lead UW to its third consecutive victory.
Defensively, UW recovered three fumbles and limited the Falcons to one touchdown despite being on the field for 78 plays. Linebackers Steven Perez (17 tackles), Gary Rutherfurd (12 tackles) and Ethan Stuhlsatz (11 tackles) led the way.
"I knew when we walked out of the locker room (before) playing Air Force, we were going to be hard to beat that night," Sawvel said. "We have to have that same buzz, that same energy, every game the rest of the way."
The Rebels are coming off a 31-24 home victory over Northern Illinois.
Jackson Arnold finished with three touchdown passes, including a 75-yard strike to Kayden McGee on the first play of the game. The former Oklahoma and Auburn quarterback completed 20 of 30 passes for 269 yards and two interceptions. Arnold also rushed 13 times for 86 yards.
Jai'den Thomas, the leading rusher in the MW, had 16 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown against the Huskies. McGee, Taeshaun Lyons and Keyan Burnett combined for 11 catches for 199 yards and three receiving touchdowns.
Defensively, the Rebels are led by senior safety Jake Pope (40 tackles) and senior linebacker Cam Santee, who rank fourth and seventh in the MW in tackles, respectively. Tre Fulton, Elias Rudolph and Kal-El Togafau have combined for 9 ½ sacks. Mumu Bin-Wahad has four interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
"We're going to get UNLV's A game this week and we're going to have to be ready for it," Sawvel said. "We're going to have to play our A game and we're going to have to hope our A game is good enough to win."
The MW announced Monday that UW's Nov. 14 road finale at UTEP will kick off at 8 p.m. on FS1. The Cowboys host No. 22 New Mexico in their final conference game at 7 p.m. on Nov. 20 before finishing the regular season against UConn on Nov. 28 at War Memorial Stadium.
"It's a great atmosphere around here right now," Sawvel said. "There's a buzz every day you come in this building."
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.
Don't just watch the game — change it. The most powerful way to support University of Wyoming student-athletes is by joining the Cowboy Joe Club. Your membership fuels scholarships, provides essential resources, and helps Cowboys and Cowgirls succeed both in the classroom and in competition. Your gift is not just support — it's access. As a member, you'll enjoy exclusive benefits that bring you closer to the action than ever before. Be a champion. Join our team. Visit CowboyJoeClub.com or call 307-766-6242.
The Cowboys (5-3, 4-1) remain in contention in the Mountain West race with three conference games remaining.
Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel is focused on preparing to play UNLV on Saturday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (8:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network).
The Rebels (5-3, 3-1) are the only other team with one MW loss. No. 22 New Mexico currently sits atop the standings at 7-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play.
"We don't put up a slide of the standings of the conference. We don't need to do that," Sawvel said. "We know there's two teams that have one loss in the conference that are going to play Saturday night in a big game.
"We're going to have to figure out a way to outplay them, and we're going to have to figure out a way to make the least mistakes in the game and we're going to have to figure out a way to execute at a high level."
The Pokes had a chance to recharge during a bye week after defeating Air Force 28-14 on Oct. 23 at War Memorial Stadium.
Quarterback Tyler Hughes completed 10 of 17 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries to lead UW to its third consecutive victory.
Defensively, UW recovered three fumbles and limited the Falcons to one touchdown despite being on the field for 78 plays. Linebackers Steven Perez (17 tackles), Gary Rutherfurd (12 tackles) and Ethan Stuhlsatz (11 tackles) led the way.
"I knew when we walked out of the locker room (before) playing Air Force, we were going to be hard to beat that night," Sawvel said. "We have to have that same buzz, that same energy, every game the rest of the way."
The Rebels are coming off a 31-24 home victory over Northern Illinois.
Jackson Arnold finished with three touchdown passes, including a 75-yard strike to Kayden McGee on the first play of the game. The former Oklahoma and Auburn quarterback completed 20 of 30 passes for 269 yards and two interceptions. Arnold also rushed 13 times for 86 yards.
Jai'den Thomas, the leading rusher in the MW, had 16 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown against the Huskies. McGee, Taeshaun Lyons and Keyan Burnett combined for 11 catches for 199 yards and three receiving touchdowns.
Defensively, the Rebels are led by senior safety Jake Pope (40 tackles) and senior linebacker Cam Santee, who rank fourth and seventh in the MW in tackles, respectively. Tre Fulton, Elias Rudolph and Kal-El Togafau have combined for 9 ½ sacks. Mumu Bin-Wahad has four interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
"We're going to get UNLV's A game this week and we're going to have to be ready for it," Sawvel said. "We're going to have to play our A game and we're going to have to hope our A game is good enough to win."
The MW announced Monday that UW's Nov. 14 road finale at UTEP will kick off at 8 p.m. on FS1. The Cowboys host No. 22 New Mexico in their final conference game at 7 p.m. on Nov. 20 before finishing the regular season against UConn on Nov. 28 at War Memorial Stadium.
"It's a great atmosphere around here right now," Sawvel said. "There's a buzz every day you come in this building."
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.
Don't just watch the game — change it. The most powerful way to support University of Wyoming student-athletes is by joining the Cowboy Joe Club. Your membership fuels scholarships, provides essential resources, and helps Cowboys and Cowgirls succeed both in the classroom and in competition. Your gift is not just support — it's access. As a member, you'll enjoy exclusive benefits that bring you closer to the action than ever before. Be a champion. Join our team. Visit CowboyJoeClub.com or call 307-766-6242.
Players Mentioned
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