LARAMIE – Jay Sawvel's spring game format was understandably conservative from a scoring perspective.
 
Wyoming's head coach spotted the defense a 21-0 lead before kickoff in the modified format and challenged the offense to complete the comeback in 80-to-95 plays.
 
New offensive coordinator Christian Taylor's side of the ball accomplished the mission by halftime during Saturday's 37-21 win over the defense on Saturday at War Memorial Stadium.
 
As Sawvel noted after what turned out to be an 87-play public showcase of the 2026 Cowboys: "It's only April."
 
But for the faithful crowd of about 2,000 at the spring game, watching quarterbacks Tyler Hughes and Mason Drube making explosive plays in the passing game and with their legs was a breath of fresh air at 7,220 feet.
 
Since Sawvel joined the program as defensive coordinator, the Cowboys have ranked 82^nd (26.5 ppg in 2020), 84^th (25.4 ppg in 2021), 110^th (21.2 ppg in 2022), 80^th (25.3 ppg in 2023), 123^rd (19.3 ppg in 2024) and 131^st (16.0 ppg in 2025) in scoring offense among FBS teams.
 
UW ranked 30^th 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.
 
"Twenty-eight points minimum per game is my goal. I feel like we should be able to put that up to complement the defense," wide receiver Jackson Holman said after finishing with three receptions for 76 yards. "The defense did everything they could last season and we could not complement them and play complementary football.
 
"I'm hoping for 28 points a game and just not being stagnant, not going three-and-outs every drive, having to punt, putting our defense in bad situations. I want to play complementary football and just go win games."
 
Hughes threw a perfect deep ball to Holman for a 47-yard touchdown to start the scoring. The dual-threat quarterback added another touchdown pass to Nico Hamilton, which gave the offense 24 points at the intermission, and also broke off a 45-yard run.
 
The 6-foot, 210-pound Hughes gives the Pokes a dynamic, experienced signal caller tailor-made for Taylor's scheme.
 
Keep in mind, UW's playbook was limited to elementary concepts in case any nosy neighbors from Fort Collins were watching. The Cowboys open the season at Colorado State on Sept. 5.
 
"It felt great. We didn't do too much (Saturday), it was just about executing and just being fundamentally sound, lining up and playing ball," Hughes said. "I think we did a really good job as an offense. Guys came focused and ready to go."
 
Hughes was recruited by Taylor to William & Mary, where he passed for 2,330 yards with 20 touchdowns and three interceptions and rushed for 670 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.
 
Drube, a redshirt freshman from Gillette, held his own in the QB competition over the 15 spring practices. He connected with freshman wide receiver Jayden Williams for a 32-yard completion and threw a touchdown pass to tight end Gage Brook to cap the scoring.
 
Wide receiver Eric Richardson stood out in the passing game with six receptions for 55 yards. Hamilton finished with 61 yards rushing and two touchdowns (one receiving).
 
Samuel "Tote" Harris was held out of the game to insure he enters summer workouts completely healthy, Markell Holman was limited to five carries that netted 31 yards and promising tight end target Kyle Frandt was out with a knee injury.
 
"We have a diversity in our run game that we have not had. That was number one," Sawvel said offense's growth under Taylor. "Number two was the fact that we're utilizing everybody on the field. Every skill player on the field is a threat to touch the ball on every play. That's part of it, too.
 
"The third thing is we're going to present a lot of issues for a defense. To me, the last couple of years the space that I wanted us to be in we weren't. The space that I want us to be in, right now we're trending that way."
 
UW's offensive line – an intriguing mix of returners (Rex Johnsen, Braylon Jenkins), transfers (Jason Maciejczak, Chandler Donoway) and young standouts (Giovanni Panozzo, Caleb Hall, Johnathan Bush) – has four months to continue developing its chemistry.
 
Holman, Richardson and the rest of the receivers must make plays consistently throughout fall camp to match their teammates in the impressive running back and tight end rooms.
 
The pieces are in place for the offense to do its share of the heavy lifting this fall.
 
"That feels huge, especially going into next season compared to where we were at this point last year," Jackson Holman said of storming back to overtake the defense on Saturday. "We're a completely different offense, way more explosive, way more productive. That just gives us momentum rolling into the season for the first game against CSU."

As far the defense, Sawvel still believes it can become the best in his seven seasons at UW.
 
During the spring game the unit registered 2.0 sacks and 8.0 tackles for loss despite not having defensive tackles Jayden Williams, Dante Drake, Caleb Robinson, who were held out and will begin summer workouts completely healthy.
 
UW's defensive end rotation has been upgraded with the additions of transfers Jack Dunkley, Thaddeus Gianaris and Donnie Wingate. The depth and quality at linebacker and safety is outstanding.
 
The cornerbacks, like their counterparts at receiver, must make the most of every workout and practice before the Border War.
 
"I love our defense," safety Brooklyn Cheek said after finishing his strong spring with three tackles and two pass breakups. "We were a little short on defensive tackles and stuff. When we get them back, I think our defense is going to be unstoppable. I think we're going to be better than last year."
 
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.