Wyoming's path back starts with a home crowd and a rivalry trophy. The Cowboys are 3 years into the Jay Sawvel era and coming off a rough 4-8 finish (2-6 in the Mountain West), but they bring back 28 lettermen and added 20 transfers across both lines of scrimmage this offseason. This is also a Paniolo Trophy game, and Hawai'i currently holds it — Wyoming would love nothing more than to snatch it back in front of its own fans to kick off a new-look conference slate that, for once, doesn't include a murderer's row of Power Four opponents.
Hawai'i's defense also got an infusion this offseason, with edge rushers Spencer Elliott (Portland State) and Adam Tomczyk (West Virginia) joining returning corner Elijah Palmer to try to hold up against whatever Wyoming's rebuilt offense throws at them. That's the swing skill for Hawai'i on the road: the Rainbow Warriors have the higher ceiling, but a rebuilt Wyoming roster with a full offseason together under Sawvel is the type of team that can make life uncomfortable early in a season before habits and depth charts fully settle.
Zoom out and this is exactly the kind of spot that trips up a hyped-up favorite. Hawai'i is the better team on paper and has the storyline, but it's a true road trip to altitude in Laramie, in a building where Wyoming has real incentive to make a statement in its first Mountain West outing of the new-look league. If Alejado's ankle isn't fully behind him, this could get a lot closer than the records suggest.