Head coach: Jay Sawvel, 2nd season (3-9)

2024 season: 3-9, 2-5 Mountain West

Series with CU: Buffs lead 24-2-1

Matchup with the Buffs: Saturday, Sept. 20, TBA, at Folsom Field in Boulder

5 Guys to Watch

QB Kaden Anderson: Now a sophomore, he took over as the starter late last year, starting three games. He finished the year with 955 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. He also ran for two TDs, but is not a big running threat (49 yards on 22 carries).

NT Ben Florentine: The only full-time starter back on defense, he had 26 tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack last year. He’ll be a leader up front for what should be a solid defensive line.

TE John Michael Gyllenborg: One of the top tight ends in the Mountain West, he caught 30 passes for 425 yards and three touchdowns last year, earning second-team all-conference honors. He’s caught 53 passes, with six touchdowns, in the past two years.

WR Jaylen Sargent: Finished last year with just 23 catches, but for 480 yards (20.9-yards per catch average) and two touchdowns. He had 317 of his yards in Anderson’s three starts.

DE Tyce Westland: A part-time starter last year, he could be Wyoming’s top pass rusher this year. He recorded 41 tackles, six tackles for loss and three sacks last year. He has 10.5 tackles for loss in the past two seasons.

Good to know

• Of the 27 games between CU and Wyoming, only six have been played since 1947. This is the first meeting since 2009. The teams tied in 1926 and Wyoming’s two wins came in 1935 and 1982. The first meeting was a 10-6 CU win on Nov. 5, 1900, in Boulder.

• Two coaches on the Wyoming staff are quite familiar to CU fans. Offensive coordinator Jay Johnson was the Buffaloes’ offensive coordinator in 2019 under former head coach Mel Tucker. After four seasons (2020-23) at Michigan State with Tucker, Johnson is entering his second season at Wyoming. And this offseason, the Cowboys hired Gary “Flea” Harrell as running backs coach. Harrell was the Buffs’ running backs coach the past two years.

• After visiting Akron and hosting Northern Iowa to start the season, Wyoming will have back-to-back games against the Big 12. Utah will visit Laramie on Sept. 13, a week before the Cowboys head to Boulder.

• Aaron Bohl, the son of former Cowboys’ head coach Craig Bohl, is the defensive coordinator. The 31-year-old played linebacker at Minnesota State-Moorhead and has been on the Wyoming staff since 2017. He was a grad assistant for two years, linebackers coach for five years (2019-23) and took over as DC last year.

• Legacy High School graduate John Hoyland was Wyoming’s kicker the last five years, making 72-of-91 field goal attempts. He is now with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. Wyoming could turn to sophomore Erik Sandvik from Steamboat Springs or junior Bart Edmiston, a transfer from Jones College.

Portal movement

The Cowboys lost 21 players to the portal, including some key players on defense in safety Wrook Brown (Houston), cornerbacks Tyrecus Davis (Colorado) and Keany Parks (Houston), and pass rushers Sebastian Harch (New Mexico) and Braden Siders (West Virginia). Receivers Justin Stevenson (Utah) and Tyler King (New Mexico State) also departed, along with some depth at running back. Wyoming brought nearly 20 transfers into the fold, including three potential starters at safety in Brooklyn Cheek (California), Desman Hearns (Southern Illinois) and Justin Taylor (Wisconsin). Edge Brayden Wilson (Weber State), receiver Jackson Holman (Arizona) and running backs Terron Kellman (Charlotte) and Max White (Iowa) could make an impact, as well.