Wyoming Football: Bowl bid in 2020 would do wonders for program

How will Wyoming football fare in 2020?

Wyoming will go into the 2020 season with much to prove to contend for the Mountain West title.

Like many college football teams, the Cowboys could have used the spring practices to prepare efficiently to stabilize their offense and help establish their new defensive coaches. Many conferences have made significant adjustments to their football schedules this fall.

Here is the breakdown of the schedule for the Cowboys in 2020.

• Game 1: vs. Weber State (W) – The Cowboys start their season with a tough win to balance out their offense and defense against a Weber State team that finished third in the FCS.
• Game 2: at Louisiana (L) – With the Cowboys having to face the top establish rushing teams in the nation on the road, it may be too much to handle.
• Game 3: at Ball State (W) – The Cowboys get back to the winning side after taking care of a Cardinals defense that was poor in defending against the run.
• Game 4: at UNLV (W) – Wyoming faces another poor rush defense in the Rebels, who are projected to win only two games this season.
• Game 5: vs. San Diego State (W) – The Cowboys will have home-field advantage and the revenge factor against the Aztecs.
• Game 6: vs. Air Force (L) – The Cowboys’ significant loss of their key run defenders will be difficult to handle a highly determined rushing offense of the Falcons.
• Game 7: at Colorado State (W) – Colorado State will look for a complete rebuild in 2020, which will give Wyoming the easy win.
• Game 8: vs. Utah State (W) – This game will be one last chance for the Cowboys to build their offense before a tough run for the Mountain division.
• Game 9: at Nevada (W) – Despite a potentially strong Wolf Pack offense, the Cowboys will be able to outscore them if needed.
• Game 10: vs. Boise State (L) – With the depleted Broncos star players, their passing game still looks to be elite in 2020.
• Game 11: at New Mexico (W) – Nowhere to go but up for the New Mexico Lobos but they are not stable to compete against the Cowboys.

Prediction: 8-3, 6-2 Mountain West

The Cowboys will likely continue their run of another eight-win season which will be significant to the program. Going to their 17th bowl game in the program would also be important. This would help boost a program like Wyoming with recruiting as they were ranked seventh in the conference for 2020.

Eventually, Craig Bohl and the Cowboys want to do more with the program but this will have to come with more time and effort off the field.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Cowboys have what it takes to put points on the board. Running back Xazavian Valladay and the highly experienced offensive line of the Cowboys should push through to be one of the top rushing offenses in the nation. It will be up to the development of the passing game if see if they can be one of the top scoring offenses in the nation.

Defensively, their line will be a great indicator of how much the linebackers and secondary will develop. They are projected to have one of the most efficient pass rushes in the Mountain West. They might also have to pick up the extra slack from the new starting linebackers in 2020. They will also have to be smart with their secondary as well in 2020, which they can do with multiple coverage schemes and setups.