After upsetting SMU on the road last week, BYU looks to keep the winning streak going as the Cougars travel to Laramie to take on Wyoming in the final non-conference game of the season. Following the game, the Cougars will turn their attention to Big 12 play as BYU hosts Kansas State in the Big 12 home opener at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Heading into Saturday’s contest, the Cougars are looking to go 3-0 in non-conference matchups for the second consecutive year. Last year, the Cougars took down Sam Houston State, Southern Utah, and Arkansas. Speaking of streaks, BYU currently has a nine-game winning streak over the Pokes and will look to increase that to double digits on Saturday.
BYU and Wyoming are meeting for the 80th time in a series that dates back to 1922. The Cougars have only played Utah and Utah State more than the Cowboys. BYU has a 46-30-3 overall record in the series, including a 17-17-2 mark in Laramie. The Cougars last trip to Wyoming was in 2009 when BYU won 52-0. The last game was in Provo in 2022, where BYU won 38-24.
Viewing Information
Date: Saturday, September 14
Time: 7:00 p.m. MT
TV: CBSSN
Announcers: Carter Blackburn, Randy Cross, Brandon Baylor
Location: War Memorial Stadium (29,181) — Laramie, Wyoming
All-Time Results
BYU leads the all-time series with 46 wins, 30 losses and 3 ties. The Cougars last trip to Wyoming was in 2009 when BYU won 52-0. The last game was in Provo in 2022,
where BYU won 38-24.
Betting Lines
The Spread: BYU -11.5
Money Line: BYU -400, Wyoming +350
Over/Under: 40.5
When betting lines first opened, BYU was a 8.5-point favorite which quickly jumped to 10.5 and has risen to 11.5 — where we currently stand. The over/under isn’t a lot as most people expect both offenses to struggle for much of the game, however, it has increased from 38.5 to 40.5. In regards to the money line, oddsmakers are favoring BYU at -400. The money line simply involves picking the winning team. With BYU at -400, those picking the Cougars to win would have to risk $400 to win $100. However, for those picking Wyoming, one would win $350 for his/her $100 wager.
SP+, a predictive analytics tool created by ESPN’s Bill Connelly, has BYU beating Wyoming 34-17. So far this year, SP+ is 1-1 in its BYU picks. Bill gives the Cougars an 84% chance of beating the Pokes, which is similar to ESPN’s Football Power Index. As of right now, the FPI gives BYU an 86.4% chance of beating Wyoming.
Lastly, BYU hasn’t lost a game against the spread this season, while Wyoming is winless against the spread this season.
BYU vs. Wyoming Preview
After coming off one of his worst performances, BYU QB Jake Retzlaff will look to bounce back on Saturday. Luckily for Cougar fans, players and coaches, BYU will go up against a Wyoming program that appears to be one of the worst FBS teams across the country.
It’s just what the doctor ordered for Retzlaff and the entire Cougar offense as the team looks to get back on track after a rough offensive performance last week against SMU. In that game, the Cougars barely got over 300 yards of total offense and had three turnovers as well with Retzlaff throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble. BYU Head coach Kalani Sitake emphasized the importance of ball security for quarterback Jake Retzlaff who has turned the ball over nine times in his six starts. “We need to take care of the stinking football,” he said. “That’s what it comes down to. I’ve said it over and over and over again.”
Retzlaff looked good in the early going against SMU, but his confidence sharply dropped after the first turnover. In fact, two of Retzlaff’s turnovers were plays that he should have avoided. His first mistake was running around in the backfield after a handoff miscue and didn’t secure the ball which was poked out. On the second turnover, Retzlaff should have taken a sack, however, the dual-threat quarterback didn’t want to do that and ended up trying to throw the ball away which was intercepted.
If I’m Wyoming, I would bring a lot of pressure knowing that Retzlaff continues to be turnover prone. The Cougars are also dealing with a number of key injuries at the running back position. LJ Martin and Hinckley Ropati were both injured against SMU and it doesn’t appear they will play on Saturday. Hopefully a week of rest will allow the two backs to play the following week in the Big 12 opener against Kansas State. This means all the spotlight will be on the backups in Miles Davis and Enoch Nawahine.
The Cougars have a deep receiving corps and a group of talented tight ends as well so it will be interesting to see if the BYU ends up throwing the ball more and getting those playmakers a chance to make some plays.
For Wyoming, the Pokes are looking for their first win of the season after losses to Arizona State (48-7) and Idaho (17-13). The program is also looking to avoid it’s first 0-3 start since 2015.
If Wyoming is going to do so, they are going to need their offense to step up as the Pokes are averaging just 194 yards per game and 10 points per game (128th in the country). Quarterback Evan Svoboda is completing just 41% of his passes for 168 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He’s also been sacked seven times so I would expect the BYU defense to get after Svoboda and bring a lot of pressure — similar to what we saw against SMU when QB Prestone Stone was in the game.
The Wyoming ground game is averaging just 92 yards per contest (111th in the country), with DJ Jones leading the way with 123 yards on 34 carries.
On the defensive side of the ball, Wyoming is allowing 32.5 points and 362 yards per game. This is unexpected as the Pokes returned nine starters on defense this year and were one of the best defenses last year in the Mountain West. The secondary is arguably the strongest part of Wyoming’s defense, so it will be fun to watch to see how Retzlaff does as he looks to rebound and give confidence to Cougar fans and his teammates.
Prediction: BYU 27, Wyoming 13
Based on what BYU’s defense has shown so far this season and Wyoming’s lack of offense this year, I’m surprised the Cougars aren’t favored by at least two touchdowns. Yes, BYU’s offense has some challenges after a poor showing on Friday, however, Wyoming’s defense isn’t close to what SMU has, which means the Cougars should be able to move the ball pretty easily.
Saturday’s contest will no doubt be the Super Bowl for Wyoming, so combined with playing at home and Retzlaff likely having another turnover or two, this will keep the game from becoming a blowout.
However, if Cougar fans want confidence heading into the Big 12 opener next week, a blowout would be a welcome sight and anything less than a two-touchdown win will be viewed as disappointing in my opinion. Yes, a win is a win, but if you can’t blowout bad teams, that’s never a good sign.
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