LAS VEGAS — Wyoming scored 69 points in its last two games. In four road games, it has scored 39. Tyler Hughes and the Cowboys bring a three-game winning streak to UNLV on Saturday, but the offense that has looked so dangerous in Laramie still has something to prove away from home.
UNLV has allowed 670 rushing yards in its past two games. Hughes has rushed for 421 during Wyoming’s three-game winning streak. The matchup gives the Cowboys a good reason to trust the run, but the earlier road losses show what can happen when a penalty or failed play leaves Hughes needing a throw to save the possession.
Injuries complicated the start. Samuel Harris dealt with a hamstring problem, and Chandler Donaway replaced center Jason Maciejczak when Maciejczak could not travel to Central Michigan. Wyoming had to change combinations while trying to settle its offense. Hughes still found receivers downfield in those games, but the mistakes near the goal line kept erasing that progress.
Colorado State supplied the clearest example. Wyoming trailed 14-13 when Hughes completed a 21-yard pass to Charlie Coenen on third-and-16. An illegal-formation penalty erased the conversion. On third-and-21, Oumar Diomande intercepted Hughes, and the Rams scored two plays later. Wyoming lost 35-13.
That is the opening UNLV needs to create. Hughes can keep a drive moving with his legs on manageable downs. Make Wyoming recover from a penalty or a loss, and the quarterback has to find another answer. The Rebels have not consistently earned that advantage: NIU converted nine of 17 third downs against them.
At Central Michigan, Wyoming drove 92 yards from its own 1 before Hughes threw an interception at the CMU 7. Earlier, the Cowboys had failed on fourth down at the 10. Two chances inside the 10 produced nothing in a 24-10 loss.
The loss at North Dakota State exposed the same problem even when Wyoming received help. Steven Perez recovered a fumble at the NDSU 26, giving the Cowboys a short field. They reached the 1 before a Chandler Donaway false start pushed them back. Jaylin Crumby broke up the fourth-down pass for Jake Wilson. Wyoming lost 28-0.
On the road, Hughes has completed 47 of 87 passes for 469 yards with all seven interceptions. At home, he is 61 of 85 for 662 without a pick. Those games involved different opponents and pressures. They also left the Cowboys with a clear problem to address: their quarterback was making more costly decisions away from Laramie.
Before the home wins over NIU and Air Force, Wyoming had gone to San José State with the road questions still unanswered. The Cowboys trailed by seven late and had already allowed six sacks. A defense protecting a narrow lead could have ended the game with one stop.
Markell Holman converted fourth-and-2. Wilson converted fourth-and-4, then caught the eight-yard touchdown that tied the game. Wyoming took 10 minutes and 11 seconds to travel 75 yards on 18 plays. This time, Hughes had teammates finish the plays that would have ended the possession in September. That is a more useful sign of progress than the winning streak alone.
Coach Jay Sawvel addressed the next test Monday without claiming that the winning streak had settled it. Wyoming and UNLV are the Mountain West’s two one-loss teams, behind unbeaten New Mexico in the conference standings. He emphasized minimizing mistakes and carrying the energy from the Air Force win into the remaining games. His team now gets consecutive road trips, to Las Vegas and UTEP, before hosting New Mexico. The offense has to travel for Wyoming to remain in the race.
UNLV cannot rely on Wyoming to repeat its mistakes. The Cowboys have already shown they can finish an uncomfortable road possession. Dan Mullen’s defense has to make Holman work for the short gain, stay with Wilson when Hughes extends a play and tackle the quarterback before a scramble becomes another first down.
I would expect Wyoming to give Hughes plenty of chances to run at this defense. UNLV has earned that treatment. The question is whether the Rebels can force him into enough difficult throws to test the part of Wyoming’s offense that has not traveled nearly as well.
