(Autumn McPherson Photo)
Wyoming Cowboy football head coach Jay Sawvel was blunt in stating that his offense needed to be scoring at least a touchdown every quarter in the modern era of college football. That was easier said than done for the Cowboys’ bumbling offensive unit this previous season, though.
The Cowboys ended a disappointing 4-8 campaign as one of the worst offensive teams in both the Mountain West and the nation. The Cowboys finished last in their league in scoring offense and 129th of 134 D-I FBS schools nationally, averaging only 16 points a contest. The Cowboys were unable to eclipse a double-digit scoring threshold through their final four games of the season, dropping all four of those contests as the Cowboys dishearteningly fell short of bowl game qualifications for the second straight season.
Since then, the Cowboys have lost multiple starters on the offensive side of the ball. Sawvel was in the market for a new starting quarterback, multiple new receivers and reinforcements on his offensive line in the offseason. His intent in rebuilding his offense was clear: find a way to score points by all means necessary.
“There’s a couple things–in a big way–that we need to get fixed. First and foremost, we’ve got to score points. I’m so pissed that we’re not scoring points, and we’re going to get that addressed,” Sawvel said ahead of the Cowboys’ final game of the season against Hawaii. His offense scored no points in that one, as the Cowboys’ only seven points came from a pick six by safety Jones Thomas.
New offensive coordinator Christian Taylor will be charged with the task of launching the Cowboy offense out of the bottom of the league’s offensive rankings. Taylor steps into his role for the Cowboys after two years serving as a defensive quality control coach for the Buffalo Bills. Taylor also courts play calling experience with a stint as the offensive coordinator for FCS William & Mary from 2020 to 2023.
Sawvel Announces Addition of Christian Taylor as Offensive Coordinator >> https://t.co/Q73K548rX7 pic.twitter.com/KfmuuZGmdm
— Wyoming Cowboy Football (@wyo_football) December 19, 2025
Taylor first experienced Laramie in 2010, when he was on staff with San Diego State when the Aztecs took on the Cowboys that year.
“I was drawn to the culture this place represents. The toughness, the grit, the physicality that the way the team played [with], and you could just get that sense from the whole area and the community,” Taylor said.
Taylor’s decision to leave Buffalo was a tough one, but the chance to rebuild and lead the offensive charge in Laramie was too good of an opportunity for him to pass up.
“My passion is courting an offense. That’s what I love to do, that’s what gets me going when I wake up in the morning and I was itching to do that again,” Taylor said.
Taylor is also well-versed in the Cowboys’ new transfer quarterback, Tyler Hughes. Hughes led the William & Mary offense to seven wins last season, throwing for 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
The damage Hughes is able to do with his legs may be the biggest upside he adds to the Cowboys, though. Hughes added 11 more touchdowns on the ground while rushing for 670 yards last season, as well.
That’s something the Cowboys sorely missed on offense last season, as former quarterback Kaden Anderson finished the season with negative rushing yards.
“He’s got a good arm and he’s very mobile, not only within structured run game but [when a] play breaks down,” Sawvel said. “That’s something we didn’t have a year ago in that regard.”
Sawvel also inked a pair of running backs to the backfield alongside Hughes, with Western Illinois transfer Markell Holman and West Virginia transfer Diore Hubbard. Both led their respective teams in rushing a season ago. Sawvel boosted his offensive line with three additions from the transfer portal as well, all of which possess D-I playing experience that will aid in bettering the Cowboys’ front line. Justin Popovich adds depth to the Cowboys’ wide receiver position, as the senior Lock Haven University transfer was a standout at the D-II level.
Sawvel also retained some key offensive players from a season ago as well, including leading rusher Sam Harris alongside multiple key receivers and offensive lineman.
With the transfer portal window closing a little over a week ago on January 16, the Cowboys seem to have much of their roster set for the upcoming season–one that feels pivotal for Sawvel and Taylor.
The Cowboys’ new-look offense will have a chance to set the tone against the Cowboys’ Border War rival Colorado State in Fort Collins, where both teams will open their season on September 5.
