LARAMIE — The Wyoming Cowboys open Mountain West play Saturday when they host Hawaii at War Memorial Stadium as part of the University of Wyoming’s 101st Homecoming. The Cowboys enter the conference opener 1-2 after falling 24-10 at Central Michigan last Saturday, while the Rainbow Warriors are 1-2 following a 29-19 victory over New Mexico State in their most recent game.
Fans can listen to Saturday’s game live across the 26 stations of the Cowboy Sports Network, with Keith Kelley calling the action, Kevin McKinney providing color commentary and TRN Media’s Erick Pauley reporting from the sidelines. The game will also be televised by The CW and streamed through the WatchESPN app, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium.
Wyoming and Hawaii will meet for the 30th time Saturday, with the Cowboys holding a 17-12 advantage in the all-time series and a 5-4 edge in games played since both programs became members of the Mountain West. Wyoming is 9-4 against the Rainbow Warriors in the 13 previous meetings in Laramie.
The teams will also compete for the Paniolo Trophy, which has been part of the rivalry since 1979. Paniolo is the Hawaiian word for cowboy, and Wyoming leads the Paniolo Trophy series 17-10. The trophy was renewed in 2013 after the original trophy had been lost, with the Paniolo Preservation Society donating a bronze reproduction depicting Hawaiian rodeo pioneer Ikua Purdy roping a wild steer.
Wyoming has a 14-13 record in Mountain West openers and is 10-7 when beginning conference play at home. The Cowboys also enter Saturday’s game with a 50-47-3 record in Homecoming games, including a 45-28-2 mark in Homecoming games at War Memorial Stadium.
The Cowboys will look to rebound offensively after Central Michigan held them to 162 rushing yards last Saturday, although Wyoming finished with a season-high 342 total yards. Wyoming produced 145 yards of total offense in the fourth quarter against the Chippewas and has recorded 280 yards in the fourth quarter over its last two games.
Quarterback Tyler Hughes led Wyoming with 78 rushing yards against Central Michigan, a career high in his time with the Cowboys. He also had a 21-yard run and enters Saturday with 156 rushing yards this season, an average of 52 yards per game.
Tight end Kyle Frendt had a career game against Central Michigan, catching four passes for 95 yards. Both totals were career highs, while his 39-yard reception was also the longest catch of his career. Frendt enters Saturday with seven receptions for 128 yards this season. Tight end Jake Wilson has provided another versatile option in the Wyoming offense. Wilson leads the Cowboys with nine receptions for 117 yards and had four catches for 31 yards against Central Michigan. He also added a 20-yard rush in the game.
Running back Markell Holman scored his first touchdown of the season against Central Michigan and has 132 rushing yards through three games. He leads Wyoming with an average of 6.3 yards per carry.
The Cowboys also have received strong production from their linebackers. Gary Rutherford recorded a career-high 13 tackles against Central Michigan and leads Wyoming with 27 tackles this season. Dash Bauman recorded a career-high 12 tackles in his first career start, while defensive tackles Dante Drake and Jayden Williams each recorded seven tackles, also career highs.
Wyoming will face a Hawaii offense averaging 346.3 yards per game and 20.67 points per contest. The Rainbow Warriors are led by sophomore quarterback Micah Alejado, the Mountain West preseason offensive player of the year, who has thrown for 794 yards, two touchdowns and one interception this season.
Sophomore running back DeVon Rice leads Hawaii’s rushing attack with 167 yards and three touchdowns on 42 carries. Defensively, the Rainbow Warriors are allowing 25.67 points and 404 yards of total offense per game. Junior defensive back Kona Moore leads Hawaii with 30 tackles, including 19 solo stops.
Saturday’s game also marks an important stretch in conference play for Wyoming under coach Jay Sawvel. The Cowboys are 4-11 in Mountain West games during Sawvel’s tenure, which began in 2024. Wyoming is 4-8 in nonconference games under Sawvel, including two victories over FCS opponents. Against FBS teams in nonconference play during that span, the Cowboys are 2-7.
The Cowboys will look to improve those conference numbers Saturday when they open Mountain West play against Hawaii in front of a Homecoming crowd at War Memorial Stadium. The game is also designated as a Gold Out, with Wyoming encouraging fans to wear gold.
