‘Obviously, We Need Him:’ Gyllenborg Slowly Returning to Form
LARAMIE -- John Michael Gyllenborg immediately assumed the worst.
He heard a pop in his right ankle after running a simple curl route on the North-40 practice fields. Surely it was a break. A season with so much promise, gone after one routine cut.
Or so he thought.
"It's human nature," the 6-foot-5, 245-pound tight end said last Monday. "... I kind of started freaking out. I was able to calm myself down, but, yeah, when it happened, I couldn't put weight on it. It was scary."
That high-ankle sprain diagnosis was a welcome one, though it cost the Leawood, Kan., product the first two games and all but eight snaps of last Saturday's 34-14 home loss to BYU.
Painful? Sure.
But not nearly as excruciating as helplessly watching from the sidelines as this Cowboys' offense has struggled to score more than 11 points per game through three weeks.
"It's tough, as a competitor, for sure," Gyllenborg said. "You know, I want to be out there so bad. It's a mix of being smart with my ankle and realizing it's a long season. You know, we haven't even gotten a conference yet, but every week matters.
"... It was just a constant reminder of, you know, let's be smart. Just focus on getting this right."
His coaches and teammates have missed him, too.
"John Mike adds a whole other dimension, I think, to our offense from the run game, the pass game, things out on the perimeter and things like that," Wyoming's tight ends coach Shannon Moore said. "So, just to be able to utilize his skill set just puts a little bit of added pressure on the defense. So, you know, we'll be excited to have him back and really have him going again."
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Clay Nanke last Saturday snagged a 24-yard dart from Evan Svoboda on a seam route, sparking an 11-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in the first touchdown of the night. The 6-foot-6 Denver product, who spent the last three seasons down the road at rival Colorado State, is the fastest tight end on the roster, according to head coach Jay Sawvel.
He's hoping that soon you will see both Nanke and Gyllenborg on the line of scrimmage at the same time, causing mismatches galore in opposing defensive backfields.
Nanke is patiently awaiting that scenario, too.
"I think it'd be a great thing for this program and for this team," he said. "... I think that us both being on the field can definitely provide a different look than what we've had in the past. You know, I'm a tall guy and J-Mike's a tall guy. He's very skilled in what he's done the past few years. So, it'd be really cool to kind of get that mojo going."
Sawvel said in the offseason he, along with his staff, would rank the Top-10 skill players on offense. Those guys, he added, would be featured in Jay Johnson's balanced offensive attack.
Gyllenborg, Joined by running back Harrison Waylee, sit atop that list.
Waylee is still on the shelf after undergoing knee surgery in late August. Sawvel says his return to action isn't "imminent." Gyllenborg, on the other hand, should have an expanded role this Saturday when the Cowboys travel to the Lone Star State to take on North Texas.
Sawvel said Gyllenborg's range of motion has improved with each passing day. The pain has been managed. He will be a full-go in practice this week. Still, Wyoming's all-conference tight end will be monitored and isn't quite yet 100%. The head coach hopes that day will come against visiting San Diego State following the team's first bye week on Oct. 5.
"Obviously, we need him," Sawvel said. "That's a huge benefit when he's back playing for us."
Gyllenborg hauled in 23 passes for 360 yards last fall. He added three touchdowns, including an 11-yard, fourth-down strike in double overtime against Texas Tech. The ensuing 2-point conversion lifted the Cowboys to a 35-33 victory on opening night in Laramie.
He also showed off his wheels in the home finale, outracing Hawaii's secondary 89 yards down the west sideline.
Does Wyoming miss Gyllenborg? You bet.
He misses it, too.
"Every day I'm working and doing all I can to get back," he said. "... I haven't practiced in so long, I need to get everything back, prepared for playing. So, it's been tough, but it's getting better, for sure. We're getting there."
The Cowboys and Mean Green are scheduled to kickoff Saturday at 5 p.m. Mountain Time. The game will be televised on ESPN-Plus.