With three expansion teams in Wyoming's division, the Cavalry expected to win games easily at the start of the season.

The days of lopsided victories are over in the American Indoor Football Association's West Division.

It took division foes most of the season, but Wyoming's opponents are finally figuring out how to beat, or come close to beating, the Cavalry.

"Everybody kind of figured out what to do against us and the recipe for victory, for trying to beat us, is don't give our offense a lot of possessions and slowly get the ball down the field," Wyoming coach Dan Maciejczak said. "So for us, we are going to go ahead and make some changes and switch some things up, and see if we can't change peoples' philosophies in these next couple, three weeks."

Arizona was the first team to successfully implement that game plan, beating the Cavs 55-40 two weeks ago. It remains Wyoming's only loss of the year.

Not used to defeat, the Cavs played sluggish against Utah last week but survived with a 42-41 come-from-behind victory.

"It was hard last week because you are going up against a 1-9 team, you can't just go out there and play down to their level. They gave us a good run for our money," Wyoming defensive end Tyrone Saterfield said. "… We let them hang around. You let a team hang around for long enough that you're supposed to beat, it's going to come down to a tight ending."

That tight ending was a Saints' field goal that went wide left with 1 second left.

The Cavs face the Saints again tonight at Utah in the sixth and final meeting between the teams this season.

One reason for Wyoming's near loss last week was goal-line defense. The Saints scored five of their six touchdowns on rushes from inside the 3-yard line, including three from the 1.

"We need to tighten up in that area," Saterfield said about the team's goal-line defense. "From the 3 in, it's going to be tough, but we need to find a way to get our blocks and make plays."

Maciejczak tried to make sure at practice on Wednesday that goal-line defense wouldn't be a problem again. The coach spent more than 15 minutes with the defense going over goal-line scenarios and making sure each defender knew how to respond to multiple plays.

"I'm (not) so much worried about the Utah team as I'm worried about us beating ourselves," Maciejczak said. "Our confidence level needs to be at a high, and after this week it will be."

n INJURY REPORT: Linebacker Jeff Main, who missed his first game in more than five years last week, will play against Utah. … Wide receiver Dante Dudley (back injury) and offensive lineman Chase Olsen (knee injury) remain sidelined.

Contact sports reporter David Buck at (307) 266-0596 or david.buck@trib.com.

Cavalry Tracker

n TODAY: Wyoming at Utah, 7 p.m.

n RECORDS: Cavalry (10-1); Saints (1-10)

n RECIPE FOR SUCCESS: Wyoming coach Dan Maciejczak said teams are finally figuring out how to beat the Cavalry: control the ball on offense to keep Wyoming's offense off the field.

n LISTEN LIVE: Go to the Cavalry's Web site, www.wyomingcavalry.com, for an Internet broadcast of today's game.