LARAMIE — Wyoming heads to Honolulu this weekend to face Hawai‘i in the 29th meeting between the programs, with the Paniolo Trophy on the line Saturday night at the T.C. Ching Athletic Complex. Kickoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. MT.
The game will air on Spectrum Sports in Hawai‘i and will stream on the Mountain West Mobile App for viewers outside the islands. Due to geoblocking restrictions from Spectrum, the mobile-stream option is available only on phones and requires location services to be enabled. The broadcast is not available on desktop or connected TV devices.
Radio coverage will be carried across the 26-station Cowboy Sports Network with Keith Kelley on play-by-play, Kevin McKinney on color commentary and Cody Beers reporting from the sidelines. In Sweetwater County, catch the game on KUGR 104.9 FM
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The Cowboys hold a 17–11 advantage in the all-time series and lead 5–3 in Mountain West matchups. The programs first met on Nov. 18, 1978, with Hawai‘i winning 27–22. The Paniolo Trophy, introduced in 1979, was donated by Hawai‘i residents with Wyoming ties and depicts a cowboy preparing to throw a lariat. Wyoming leads the trophy series 17–10.
The original traveling trophy was lost during the schools’ 15-year gap between WAC and Mountain West meetings. In 2013, the Paniolo Preservation Society donated a new bronze maquette depicting Hawaiian cowboy Ikua Purdy roping a wild bull. The piece, created by sculptor Fred Fellows, measures roughly 20 inches long and 12 inches high.
Wyoming enters the matchup with several standout performers. Linebacker Evan Eller reached 305 career tackles after a 10-tackle game against Nevada, including a career-high three tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Eller ranks second on the team with 68 total tackles this season and leads the defense with seven tackles for loss.
Linebacker Brayden Johnson added a season-high 13 tackles against Nevada, including nine solo stops, and now has 221 career tackles. Together, Eller and Johnson combined for 23 tackles in the Nevada game — nearly one-third of Wyoming’s total stops.
Running back Sam Scott posted 48 rushing yards and three receptions, tying a career high. Scott has 400 rushing yards this season and surpassed 1,000 career yards, now sitting at 1,083.
Wyoming’s passing defense continues to be a team strength, ranking third in the Mountain West and 10th nationally at 165.2 yards allowed per game. The Cowboys have held opponents under 100 passing yards in back-to-back weeks, including 58 allowed to Nevada and 95 to Fresno State. They’ve held opponents under 120 passing yards five times this year, with a season low of 33 against Air Force.
Tight end Evan Svoboda recorded the first touchdown reception of his career last week. He now owns a rushing touchdown, a receiving touchdown and a passing touchdown in his Wyoming career, along with 11 receptions for 92 yards this season.
The Cowboys also remain one of the nation’s best red-zone defenses, ranking second in the Mountain West and fifth nationally with a 70 percent opponent scoring rate.
Punter Bart Edmiston continues his standout season after averaging 55.7 yards on six punts against Nevada, including five punts of at least 50 yards and a long of 65. His 46.3-yard season average ranks third in the Mountain West, No. 14 nationally and second all-time for a single season at Wyoming, trailing only Rick Donnelly’s 47.5-yard mark from 1984.
Receiver Michael Fitzgerald II recorded season highs with four catches for 53 yards against Nevada. He has 14 receptions for 203 yards and three touchdowns this year, ranking second on the team in scoring receptions.
Cornerback and wide receiver Tyson Deen contributed on both sides of the ball against Nevada, finishing with two receptions and two tackles. Defensive end Peter Eyabi added a forced fumble and fumble recovery — the first of his career — and now has nine tackles in 10 games.
Wyoming honored 24 seniors last weekend in their final home game at War Memorial Stadium.
Hawai‘i enters the matchup following a 38–10 loss at UNLV that ended the Warriors’ chance at a Mountain West title appearance. Quarterback Micah Alejado finished 15-for-24 for 163 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while the Warriors were held scoreless in the second half, ending a streak of five straight games scoring 30 or more points. Jackson Harris recorded a 70-yard touchdown reception to highlight Hawai‘i’s offense.
Alejado leads the Mountain West in passing at 282.6 yards per game with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Harris averages 81.0 receiving yards per game with 11 touchdowns, and Pofele Ashlock adds 57.5 yards per game with six scores.
Hawai‘i averages 28.6 points and 289.7 passing yards per game, ranking 61st and 13th nationally. Defensively, the Warriors allow 25.0 points and 359.6 total yards per game.
Wyoming won last year’s meeting 42–9 in Laramie and also earned a 27–22 victory in its last trip to Honolulu in 2022.
