Throw out the mantra that no one game is bigger than any other.

Saturday's tussle at San Diego State will be the biggest game of the year for the Wyoming football program.

The Cowboys have three games left on their slate, including one against one of the nation's top five teams, and a loss this weekend would be devastating to their hopes of making the postseason.

"We had a good meeting, moved on rather quickly, getting focused on the task at hand, which is San Diego State," UW coach Dave Christensen said during his weekly Monday teleconference. "[We] made sure that everybody in the program understood that we still have some things out there that we can achieve … and just how important this next football game is.

"It's the pivotal game of the season."

Forty-eight hours after a losing to BYU in a 52-0 rout, the Pokes were simply trying to look ahead to their crucial matchup with the Aztecs, who are practically a mirror image of UW.

Both teams have first-year coaches that are off to identical starts in terms of wins and losses and now must win on Saturday or else face the daunting task of beating a ranked team to keep their bowl hopes alive.

"They understand where we're at," Christensen said. "We are focused on one game, but we understand that this is a pivotal, pivotal game in order for us to achieve a winning record and to have an opportunity to get to six or seven wins. We have to win this football game."

And that message has resonated in the minds of Cowboys players, particularly because their rookie head coach has stayed away from speaking about must-win games for a youthful team.

"I think this game is big because of [next week's] TCU game," sophomore running back Brandon Stewart said, referring to next weekend's game against the No. 4 Horned Frogs. "TCU is great out on the field. I never say we're going to lose, but that's definitely a tough battle for us.

"These games that are more winnable … we have to come away with those victories."

HENDRICKS WILL MISS GAME: UW sophomore linebacker Brian Hendricks, who set a school record with 23 tackles against Air Force earlier this year, will likely miss Saturday's game.

Hendricks sprained his ankle in the loss to BYU and left for the locker room in the third quarter never to return.

"We've been very, very fortunate that he's only the second starting player on our entire football team that we've lost this year," Christensen said. "Obviously we're going to miss him on the field … but we've also been extremely fortunate."

The Pokes will also be missing Alex Stover, their season-opening starter at nose guard, who returned against Utah but has since been further hampered by a groin injury.

Christensen said the coaching staff will take a look at a few options before deciding who will fill in for Hendricks.

BACK TO SQUARE ONE: After tinkering with personnel on the offensive line the past two weeks, UW will revert to the starting unit that it has used most often this season.

Sam Sterner, who started 31 straight games at left guard before the shakeup began going into the Utah game, will return to that position, while Nick Carlson, who lost his starting gig at right guard last week, will be back there this week.

"There's not drastic changes between the guys inside," Christensen said. "I don't know that it's anything drastic that's going on."

FILM BLACKOUT: For the first time this season, the UW coaching staff opted not to show film of Saturday's losing effort to their players.

"It was as bad as it [looked]," UW defensive coordinator Marty English said. "There's not even that much to say about it. We just flat got our butt handed to us."

Some players admitted that they did take a look at the film on their own time -- at least as much of it as they could stomach.

 

Contact Laramie-based sports reporter Eric Schmoldt at eric.schmoldt@trib.com. Check out his blog at tribtown.trib.com/ESchmoldt/blog

 

COWBOYS TRACKER

MONDAY: Wyoming football coach Dave Christensen and his players met with members of the media during their weekly Monday session.

MUST-WIN GAME: Christensen has shied away from dubbing games "must-win" in his first season, but Saturday's game may be just that as a loss cripples the Pokes' bowl hopes.

HE SAID IT: "It's the pivotal game of the season." -- Christensen.

SATURDAY: Wyoming at San Diego State, 8 p.m., Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, Calif., on the mtn.