Defense improvement will be sign coach Bohl's plan

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) - Craig Bohl is a defense-minded guy.

He played defensive back at Nebraska in the '70s. He coached linebackers at Tulsa, Wisconsin, Duke and Nebraska and was a defensive coordinator at Rice, Duke and Nebraska before becoming a head coach.

So if you're looking for a sign that Bohl's mission for Wyoming is beginning to take effect in Year 3, keep an eye on the defense.

The first look will be Saturday when the Cowboys host Northern Illinois.

What exactly will the signs of that turnaround be?

"Well, first of all, you look at scoring defense and you see us being the top in the league, one of the tops in the country," Bohl said.

Last year, Wyoming allowed 34 points per game, 10th in the Mountain West and 102nd in the country. The Cowboys gave up 30 points in nine of 12 games last year, all losses, 40 points in two games and 58 points to Utah State.

So the easiest sign of improvement won't be hard to miss: the scoreboard.

But how do the Cowboys cut down those scoring totals?

"Takeaways are certainly important," Bohl said.

Wyoming has no place to go but up in that regard. The Cowboys tied with Rice for the fewest takeaways in 2015 with 10.

"We are way off the mark in creating and generating takeaways," Bohl said, "and drills are important but to actually do it out there on the grass is where the real transition comes into play, so it's going to be an important part."

So fewer points and more takeaways. What else?

"The elimination of big plays," Bohl said. That happens when "guys are in better position. They're around the football more, so you may see a run pop - instead of a 60-yard run, it's an 8-yard run."

The Cowboys allowed a play of 50 or more yards in five of their first six games last season. They lost them all.

Any other areas for improvement?

"A lot more three-and-outs," Bohl said.

Wyoming's defense was second-to-last in the Mountain West in third-down conversions last year, allowing first downs nearly 55 percent of the time.

So, Bohl and his staff know what the end product should look like. Now, it's just a matter of getting there.

Luckily for the Cowboys, there's reason to believe improvements will be made.

For one, Wyoming's youth cannot be ignored.

The Cowboys started seven different freshmen on defense last year, all of whom return.

"We had so many young bodies last year, and they're bigger and stronger," defensive coordinator Steve Stanard said. "They're in much better shape. We're starting to play guys that are going into their second and third year, not their first and second year and so as we bring more recruiting classes in, you hope ... you rely on less and less true freshmen to start like last year."

And as experience grows, so does depth.

"And that's so important in college football," Stanard said. "Because, knock on wood, with all the changes in concussion protocol and the speed of the game and injuries, we need at least two solid deep if you can get to that point with all your positions, and hopefully maybe three."

Plus, another offseason of training never hurts.

"We certainly look a little bit more athletic," Bohl said. "We're filling out our uniforms a little bit more. Not only filling our uniforms out but (showing) a little bit more speed.

"We think that that's going to be important, particularly in our league, because there's a whole variety of offenses that you play. You play some teams that are very traditional like us, pro-style, and then you see some other people that are wide open, and so you've got to have the combination of being a big, thick guy but also can run, so we're encouraged about that."

It's not all there yet.

The Pokes still have to replace two starting defensive ends, and for as much valuable experience as the secondary got last year, Wyoming still faced the fewest passes of any team in the nation.

Still, there's reason to believe Bohl's vision is starting to become a reality.

"The cavalry's coming," Bohl said. "I can see it. We don't have all our bullets in our guns, but like I said, the cavalry's coming. So we're encouraged about that part of our team."

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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, http://www.trib.com