ASU football expects a revamped downhill attack from Wyoming

TEMPE — Wyoming has a new head coach this season, but Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham expects that the Cowboys won’t look too different from the Mountain West power it has become the last decade.

Former head coach Craig Bohl retired after his 10th season on the job. Defensive coordinator Jay Sawvel was promoted to replace Bohl, while Sawvel’s old job was filled by Bohl’s son, Aaron. The program still has that Bohl DNA.

“You kind of have a beat for how they want to operate. At the same token, they were really good on defense but everybody changes and adds wrinkles,” Dillingham said.

ASU’s coaches expect new Wyoming offensive coordinator Jay Johnson will run more of a spread attack than Wyoming is used to under Bohl. Johnson served as Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt’s freshman-year offensive coordinator at Michigan State last season.

“It’s a little trickier (to scout offensively) because you’re adding a guy who’s been a coordinator before from a different scheme,” Dillingham said. “A guy who was way more uptempo, a guy who runs more 11 personnel more open sets, RPOs and that was completely different from what they were in the past.”

ASU football still expects a direct run attack from the team that last year knocked off Texas Tech and went into the fourth quarter tied with Texas in non-conference contests.

“They’re very well coached,” cornerback Keith Abney II said. “We just gotta come out here and play to our technique and to our coaching.”

Green dots to make their ASU football debuts

Arizona State coordinators Marcus Arroyo and Brian Ward will both be above the field in the box during games this season, Dillingham said.

It might not be the case if not for the NCAA adopting the “green dot” players who have in-helmet communication with coaches on the sideline. Leavitt will wear one as the quarterback while linebacker Keyshaun Elliott, who led New Mexico State in tackles a year ago, gets the honor on defense.

Leavitt called it “an advantage on both sides,” saying it helps him prepare for a potential NFL future.

asu qb sam leavitt on the in-helmet communication that has arrived in college football this season, its integration and impact: pic.twitter.com/mFYFugABmQ

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) August 27, 2024

Arroyo said the team has implemented walkie-talkies in practice and mocked box-to-field communications to get Leavitt used to the coordinator being in his ear.

“The first day was a mess in my head mentally, but I got used to talking while also thinking what am I doing but also telling people what they’re doing,” Elliott said. “I enjoy it, I like telling other people what to do. I like giving alerts and making sure that we’re all on the same page.”

Wyoming QB and Mesa native Evan Svoboda garners Josh Allen comparison

Evan Svoboda could be the next in line of big, dual-threat quarterbacks who thrive at Wyoming, but he was just a two-star prospect when he graduated from Mesa Red Mountain High in 2021, according to 247 Sports.

In limited action last year with the Cowboys, he threw for 200 yards with 80 rushing yards after he took the junior college route and arrived at Wyoming via Snow College in Utah.

“We don’t have much film on him, but again, he has played some. He’s a big, strong kid,” Ward said. “We’re really expecting a more downhill run game and downhill quarterback run game.”

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, you can see why Svoboda’s frame mixed with the scouting report would amount to a quarterback the Denver Post compared to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who wore No. 17 at Wyoming years before Svoboda did.

“If Evan Svoboda plays the way we hope that he can and that his potential could allow, we could become extremely good,” Sawvel told reporters.

When does Arizona State face Wyoming and how can I watch?

Catch Arizona State’s opener vs. Wyoming on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. MST on FS1, the Arizona Sports app, ESPN 620 AM and 98.7 HD-2.