BYU Enemy Scouting Report: Wyoming Cowboys

Sep 22, 2022 - 6:59 PM

Game location: LaVell Edwards Stadium (Provo, UT)

Game time/channel: 7:15pm PT/10:15pm ET (ESPN2)

Spread: -22 (BYU)

Head coach: Craig Bohl

After leading North Dakota State to their third straight FCS national championship in 2013, Bohl took the head coaching job at Wyoming. Since 2014, Bohl is 48-51 in Laramie, WY. He was the coach for the last time these two teams met, in the 2016 Poinsettia Bowl, a BYU victory. He earned Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year following that season. Current Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen was the quarterback for Bohl and Wyoming that season as well.

2022 Season Thus Far

The Cowboys opened up the season with a road game in Big 10 country. Against Illinois, the Cowboys struggled mightily on offense, mustering six points on 212 total yards. Quarterback Andrew Peasley completed just five passes for 30 yards. They also turned the ball over three times.

Since the 38-6 shellacking to Illinois, Wyoming has bounced back with three straight wins. First, they won a shootout with Tulsa at home, 40-37. They dispensed of FCS foe Northern Colorado 33-10 before a meeting with one of the better programs in the Mountain West in Air Force. Against the Falcons, Wyoming fell behind 14-10 in the fourth quarter but rallied to score and win 17-14.

Wyoming travels to Provo for the first time since 2010 with a three-game winning streak.

2022 Team Rankings

Scoring offense: 101

Total offense: 111

Passing yards: 118

Rushing yards: 67

Scoring defense: 67

Total defense: 60

Pass yards allowed: 77

Rush yards allowed: 59

Other notable stat- Wyoming 38th in red zone scoring efficiency

Biggest Strength- Defense

Overall, Wyoming is a solid defensive team. One need only look at them limiting Air Force to 14 points after they had averaged 44.5 points per game leading up to their matchup last weekend. They have three players with multiple sacks, including Oluwaseyi Omotosho, with three. Their run defense is their best aspect. Aside from limiting Air Force, Tulsa also only ran for 61 yards against Wyoming.

Biggest Weakness- Pass offense

Wyoming’s passing numbers are among the worst in the country. Quarterback Andrew Peasley had a really rough start against Illinois but has bounced back nicely. If that name sounds familiar to BYU fans, it’s because he played for another Mountain West team last season, in Utah State. He threw seven passes, with one interception in a relief effort for the Aggies against BYU.

Best Player- Titus Swen, RB

Swen is currently the leading rusher on the team with 316 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He was named Preseason First Team All-Mountain West ahead of this year. He totaled over 800 yards from scrimmage last year and looks even better in 2022.

How BYU Can Win

With it being a home game at night, all the advantages point BYU’s direction. They are a 22-point favorite, which is a very large number. As long as they do not completely collapse with turnovers and more missed kicks, BYU should win by multiple scores. However, Wyoming seems like a young, hungry team that is looking for a big score. This would be the program’s biggest win in years. The Cougars will need to be on guard for an extra motivated Cowboys squad. If BYU can establish the run with their dominant offensive line and stifle a hapless offense, they should win comfortably.