LARAMIE – Jay Sawvel understands how thirsty Wyoming fans are for a conference championship.
 
The program's third-year coach is determined to end the title drought that dates to a co-WAC championship in 1993 under Joe Tiller.
 
During the 2016 season Josh Allen nearly led the Cowboys to a Mountain West championship but Craig Bohl's talented team lost 27-24 to San Diego State in the title game at War Memorial Stadium.
 
A decade later, Sawvel is confident UW is ready for a breakthrough season.

Over the last three months, Sawvel helped launch the Step Forward Campaign with a donation to help retain key players and staff and add 20 transfers from the portal. He also hired an innovative new offensive coordinator in Christian Taylor, which allows him to focus more on developing a dominant defense and more consistent special teams.
 
The next step in the process begins with the Pokes' first spring practice on Tuesday.
 
"At heart the people in this state, I mean, Cowboy football Saturdays are a big deal. That's not lost on me," Sawvel said during a Zoom call with the media on Friday. "Ultimately you look in the mirror and I'm responsible for the 600,000 people in this state having enjoyable Saturdays or not."
 
Throughout the eight-week winter strength and conditioning program orchestrated by Eric Donoval, there was "a little different buzz" in the High Altitude Performance Center, according to Sawvel.
 
Tyler Hughes has upgraded the experience and skill in the quarterback room. The William & Mary graduate transfer will compete with redshirt freshman Mason Drube for the starting spot this spring with Landon Sims joining the fray in August when he's fully recovered from a knee injury.
 
Wide receiver Deion DeBlanc (176 pounds to 191 pounds), cornerback/wide receiver Tyson Shamsid-Deen (168 pounds to 180 pounds) and running back Samuel "Tote" Harris (187 pounds to 197 pounds) are among the dynamic emerging stars expected to shine in the fall.
 
"We measure everything. We measure so many different metrics and outputs … and we were ahead of where we were last July in February in a number of different metrics," Sawvel said. "That's a really good sign because you're not even to summer training and that cycle yet, let alone finishing out (spring). Being ahead of that in all these different areas is a good sign right now."
 
Taylor spent the past two seasons as an offensive advisor and defensive assistant with the Buffalo Bills. He worked at Michigan and has extensive play-calling experience as the offensive coordinator at Illinois Wesleyan, San Diego and William & Mary.
 
The 6-foot, 200-pound Hughes, who was recruited by Taylor coming out of high school, passed for 2,330 yards with 20 touchdowns and three interceptions and rushed for 670 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.
 
The Pokes will be focusing on mastering Taylor's playbook this spring with an eye on becoming explosive when the season kicks off on Sept. 5 at Colorado State.
 
"It won't take you long to see it will be a completely different mode of operation," Sawvel said. "Which is very needed and something I knew very early last year that the vision of what I wanted us to be and where we were was not matching up."
 
Sawvel described the competition on the offensive line as the best he has seen at UW since being hired as defensive coordinator in 2020.
 
Transfers Jason Maciejczak (Nebraska), Chandler Donaway (East Texas A&M) and Jeremiah Katt (Northern Arizona) join a unit that returns starting tackles Rex Johnsen (left) and Braylon Jenkins (right) and a touted young group led by Giovanni Panozzo, Johnathan Bush, Caleb Hall and Quinn Grovesteen-Matchey.
 
Tight ends Jake Wilson and Landon Pace and wide receivers like Eric Richardson, Ke'Lyn Washorn and Justin Popovich are among the skill players poised to become household names this year.
 
"This is the best place that I've been in as a head coach since I've been here as far as where we're at and where we're going," Sawvel said.
 
UW ranked 30^th in the FBS in points allowed (20.5 ppg) and 45^th in yards allowed (344.3 ypg) despite the offense finishing 114^th in time of possession (28:21) last season.
 
The Cowboys added defensive tackle Ja'Quan Redfern (Murray State) from the portal to bolster a position led by returning starter Jayden Williams, Dante Drake and Caleb Robinson. The pass rush was revamped with the signing of Jack Dunkley (Duquesne), Thaddeus Gianaris (Dartmouth) and Donnie Wingate (Southern Illinois).
 
The linebacker room is fully stocked with Ethan Stuhlsatz, Gary Rutherford, Dash Bauman and USC transfer Anthony Beavers leading the way.
 
New cornerbacks coach JB Hall inherits Shamsid-Deen and Ian Bell and welcomes transfers Logan Mackey (Weber State) and Junus McGraw (West Liberty). Starting nickel back Desman Hearns and starting safety Jones Thomas are all-MW caliber players.
 
"I think the capacity is there and what we've got to do is to say: How do we build the best defense that we've had since I've been here?" Sawvel said. "I think that is obtainable. I don't think that's a stretch. That's obtainable to be substantially better than what we were a year ago defensively.
 
"The better and more proficient we become offensively changes the dynamic defensively as well."
 
Sawvel said the media will notice a dramatically improved team as early as Tuesday and certainly by Saturday's third practice. After the Pokes play the spring game on April 25 at War Memorial Stadium fans should be thirsty for the possibilities of the 2026 season.
 
"We've got to go prove it," Sawvel said. "Let's look at it this way: You win a conference championship in football in this state and it's going to transform a lot of stuff. That's still the goal, that will always be the goal. That's what we're working for, that's what we're recruiting toward, that's why I put money in it, that's why we've got to raise money … we haven't done that in 30-plus years."
 
UW's spring practice will offer the first glimpse, but the real test will come in the fall. For now, the message inside the program is simple — the foundation has been laid, the expectations have been raised, and the next step is proving it when it matters most.
 
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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