Andrew Johnson impresses in first career start for Cowboys

* Story by Paityn Hulstrom

LARAMIE — Jay Sawvel said on Monday that this could have been a turning point.

With 6:25 left in the third quarter and Idaho leading by seven points, the punt team trotted onto the court. Set up at their own 45, it looked as if the visitors would turn the court and pin a struggling Wyoming offense deep in their own territory.

That did not happen.

Upwards Orion Peters took a direct snap and shot left. There were plenty of blockers up front. A gaping hole opened up. The Washington State transfer turned on the jets.

Number 3 in gold was waiting for him.

Andrew Johnsonwith a little help from linebacker Connor Shayburied the 5-foot-8 wide receiver in midfield. The Cheyenne junior safety, making his first career start, thwarted the fake and likely saved at least three minutes from the game clock.

By now you know how this ended. Idaho would eventually hold on — with a little help from Cowboy missteps and missed opportunities — for a 17-13 victory in front of a packed house at War Memorial Stadium.

Johnson, wearing a Wyoming flag headband and black eye shadow on his face, was reluctant to discuss his own performance after the game, which included four tackles from the secondary.

His team is now 0-2.

He wore that on his face too.

“Of course I was excited to get the chance to go out there and play my game,” he said. “You have to look in the mirror before you look out. It’s about looking at yourself and getting better.”

Johnson, who is in his third year at Wyoming, appeared in all 13 games during the 2023 campaign and became a fixture on special teams while patiently waiting his turn behind a pair of senior safeties, Isaac White And Wyett Ekeler.

White suffered a head injury in a Week 1 loss to Arizona State and was not medically cleared after a midweek setback, Sawvel said. That opened the door for Johnson.

Was it perfect? ​​Hardly.

Jack Wagner threw a pass into the end zone late in the first half. He overshot Jordan Dwyerwho drove into the brown-gold paint all by himself. Edge rusher Sabastian Hard created just enough pressure in the backfield to cause the misfire.

That was Idaho’s first misfire in nine pass attempts. It also saved Johnson, who was beaten on the play.

Idaho instead scored a 49-yard field goal to take a 17-10 lead.

“Look, when you’re a safety, you’re responsible for communication, and we almost gave away a touchdown,” Sawvel said from behind the podium. “But I can tell you that there were no plays that happened because of Andrew Johnson’s mistake. I love his effort and how he’s improved as a player.”

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His mindset did not change.

“I like to take it one game at a time,” Johnson said. “I mean, you always go out there and there’s one more game ahead of you. You’re going to play it the best you can. So, you take that. Whatever the outcome is, you’ve got to move on and focus on the next one.”

A clearly frustrated Ekeler was asked about his running mate’s performance. It was a welcome change from the questions about this winless start and everything that went wrong.

“He played fantastic,” he said of Johnson. “For his first start he played very well. I’m very happy for him.”

Despite the loss, Wyoming kept the visitors off the scoreboard in the final 30 minutes. After a perfect start, Wagner only connected on four of his next 13 pass attempts.

The defense did its part. The offense, on the other hand, managed just 126 yards through the air and committed four costly second-half penalties to end any hope of a comeback.

According to Johnson, this team has no intention of pointing fingers.

That was the message conveyed in the locker room.

“It’s not about doing this wrong, doing this wrong, it’s about looking at yourself and getting better,” he added. “That’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to look at myself, see how I can get better tomorrow, get better Monday and work on helping the guys around me get better.”

Hated rival BYU visits the High Plains on Saturday night. White is expected to return to the lineup barring any unforeseen issues with the concussion protocol, Sawvel said Monday.

Johnson will be ready when he is called upon. It is his dream, he said, to wear this uniform. He never takes these opportunities for granted.

“Playing, as a local lad, is definitely one of the biggest prides of my life,” Johnson said. “To be able to come out of it, even with a disappointing result like today, just the fans and the atmosphere that we have, makes a massive difference.”

Kickoff between the Cowboys and Cougars is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

(For the sake of transparency, Andrew Johnson is the son of 7220sports.com photographer DJ Johnson. Writer Paityn Hulstrom is a 7220sports.com intern attending the University of Wyoming.)

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