Five Things: San Diego State vs Wyoming

The Aztecs return to Snapdragon Stadium this Saturday hoping to make history for homecoming when they face the Wyoming Cowboys. What history are they attempting to run at? For starters, they hope to achieve the first sellout of the season for SDSU Football this year. Coach Lewis has led an impressive turnaround this season as the team has strung together five wins in a row. He has spoken into existence a sold out crowd this season that has yet to materialize. Could this 2025 Homecoming game be the one?

While the SDFC MLS team is enjoying their large support for a playoff run in their inaugural season, the Aztecs football program has taken quite a bit of time and a 6-1 record to receive the support that could reach those heights. All the hopes of hitting that ticket sales crescendo are waiting there this Saturday. The Cowboys truly are hoping to play the spoilers of Sean Lewis’ team and their incredible five game win streak.

Sitting at 4-4 overall and 2-2 in Mountain West play, Wyoming is at a crossroads in their season coming into this road game vs the Aztecs. Last season they gave SDSU everything they could before the Red & Black outlasted them. Here we take a look at five things Aztecs fans should know for this season’s matchup in San Diego.

1. Cowboys in Transition Under Jay Sawvel

Wyoming is in its second season under head coach Jay Sawvel. He took over following Craig Bohl’s long tenure and has shown flashes at times with his teams. Sawvel has emphasized discipline and defensive toughness, but the Cowboys are still trying to establish consistency and identity on offense. Expect a physical, blue-collar team that plays hard even if execution fluctuates week to week.

Last season when these two met in early October, the Cowboys only one victory and the Aztecs beat them to get to .500 at 3-3. The season came to an end and both teams concluded with the same 3-9 record. This year both have achieved greater success by surpassing last years mark as the Cowoboys are looking to build upon it. They will be plenty motivated.

2. Quarterback Play Still Developing

Last year’s QB Evan Svoboda has changed over to the Tight End spot. Kaden Anderson, a redshirt sophomore, has taken over at QB1. Anderson has shown moments of arm strength and mobility but is still learning to make quick reads under pressure. He has 11 TDs to 6 INT and has thrown for nearly 1700 yards so far. He’s also coming off a fantastic effort going 16 of 24 for 154 yards and 2 TDs against Colorado State.

Wyoming’s passing game has leaned on tight end John Michael Gyllenborg and a group of capable but unproven receivers. Expect a balanced attack that tries to use play action to open deep shots.

3. Run Game and Offensive Line Are the Core

Wyoming football has long built its identity around a power run game. At running backs they have a 3-man approach of spreading the carries between Samuel Harris, Sam Scott and Terron Kellman that give them solid production. Their goal is to control tempo and wear down defenses, especially late in games. SDSU’s front seven will need to be stout early to prevent Wyoming from dictating the pace.

4. Defense Remains Physical But Rebuilding

Sawvel’s background is on defense, and Wyoming typically plays a 4–3 or 3–4 hybrid front designed to stop the run first. They lost several key defenders from last season and have relied on transfers to fill those gaps. The unit remains aggressive and disciplined, but there have been coverage breakdowns against spread teams. SDSU could find success if they spread the field and attack Wyoming’s secondary.

5. Motivation and Matchup Factors

The Cowboys enter the matchup around the .500 mark in both overall and conference play, hungry to prove they can finish the season strong. They were picked near the bottom of the Mountain West preseason polls, giving them an underdog chip on their shoulder. While they’re tough to beat at home in Laramie’s altitude, road performances have been inconsistent. For SDSU, starting fast and maintaining tempo could be the key to wearing down a scrappy Wyoming team.