(Autumn McPherson Photo)
It’s do or die for the Cowboys at this point in the season.
At a 4-6 record – which include harrowing road losses in their previous two outings – the Cowboys no longer have any room for error when it comes to making the postseason. The defense – which remains amongst the top of the league, ranked third in the conference in scoring defense – has done its part in keeping the Cowboys competitive in league play.
Offensively, it’s a different story.
The Cowboys’ offense has now slid into the last place slot in scoring offense after Nevada thumped San Jose State by a final score of 55-10 over the weekend. That unit has only scored a total of 10 points in their last two contests and has turned the ball over a combined eight times, including five interceptions and three turnovers on downs – certainly not a recipe for success.
“Number one, you know, when you talk about the offense – and we’ve struggled the last two weeks, it’s easy to see. We’ve played two really good defenses. Boise [State] scored four more points than us in those two weeks against the same two teams,” Sawvel said.
The San Diego State and Fresno State defenses, to their credit, do rank amongst some of the best in the nation and two best in scoring defense in the conference. Nationally, those numbers fall to 4th and 25th, respectively. The Cowboys offense, on the other hand, ranks only 126th of 134 teams in scoring offense nationally.
That number certainly hasn’t been trending upwards, either – even after a change at the offensive coordinator position.
“We’ve got work to do,” Sawvel said. “But, we’ve had work to do for a while in this program offensively. We went to Boise two years ago with a bunch of talent offensively. We gained 112 yards and scored seven points.
“So, when we play a top tier defense, we’ve got to be better. We’ve got to develop more and we’ve got to improve,” Sawvel said.
The road to ending the season at an even .500 record begins at home against Nevada, a game which the Cowboys certainly cannot overlook.
Get to Know Nevada
The Wolfpack have struggled mightily this season, only just finding their first win in Mountain West play and their first victory over an FBS opponent in their last outing. They did so in dominating fashion as well, drubbing San Jose State 55-10 in a game where they jumped out to a 31-0 lead in the first half and never looked back.
Ky Woods wants in on the action 😂🔥#RiseTogether pic.twitter.com/eKzdeb131m
— Nevada Football (@NevadaFootball) November 15, 2025
Despite their 2-8 overall record, the Wolfpack still have proven to be a tough outing for even the best teams in the league, including two one-possession losses on the road at Fresno State and New Mexico.
“They’ve had some turnover issues, but minus those they’ve been right there with people all year…They’ve been in those games, so I don’t think that they have necessarily performed poorly all the way through,” Sawvel said of the Wolfpack this season.
Turnovers certainly have been the biggest issue for the Wolfpack, who currently have one of the worst turnovers margins in the nation, ranking 131st with a margin of minus-11.
The defensive gameplan seems clear for the Cowboys from the get-go.
The Cowboys will be looking to turn over the Wolfpacks’ quarterback duo of Chubba Purdy and Carter Jones, who have combined for an astounding total of 16 interceptions so far this season.
The Cowboy defense will still have much to contend with, though, regardless of the Wolfpacks’ turnover tendencies. The Wolfpacks’ leading rusher of Caleb Ramseur is coming off a career-high 128 rushing yards against San Jose State and poses a challenge on the ground alongside Purdy, who has rushed for 388 yards this season. Tight end Jett Carpenter leads the Wolfpack in receiving with 28 catches for 306 yards.
This game against the Wolfpack feels like a must-win for the Cowboys, not only for their hopes of competing in the post-season, but for the morale of a team that has struggled with consistency all season long.
There’s no better place for the Cowboys to get back on track and make a final push towards bowl eligibility than in War Memorial Stadium.
