Is Andrew Peasley Feeling the Pressure? Not exactly

LAS VEGAS -- Andrew Peasley is not losing much sleep these days.

That's hard to believe considering he has a newborn.

"I can't really feed," Wyoming's quarterback joked. "She lets me sleep for training."

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She is his wife Maia. The two were married in early March before welcoming Andrew Navy Peasley Jr. into the world just two weeks ago.

"Yep, got a whole family," he said. "We have two dogs also. We're a family of five."

Peasley already has plenty on his plate, so why not add just one more thing?

Can he lift the Cowboys from the bowels of the FBS in the passing category and add some consistency to an offense that has been one-dimensional since Josh Allen was under center in Laramie back in 2017?

A slight smile creased Peasley's unshaven face.

"I don't feel pressure," he said behind the podium at the Mountain West's annual media days in Las Vegas. "I feel more of a motivation feeling to improve."

The concerns, they are valid. Wyoming finished 125th in the country in passing offense last fall, averaging just 132.2 yards. Five times the Cowboys failed to eclipse the 100-yard mark through the air. An all-time low came right out of the chute when Peasley completed just 5-of-20 throws for 30 yards and an interception in his Wyoming debut at Illinois.

He finished the season with 10 touchdown passes to go along with nine picks. His completion percentage hovered around 52.

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Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl spoke often about Peasley's progression in learning his pro-style offense. During the prior three seasons at Utah State, the Oregon product not once took a snap from under center as he orchestrated a spread attack.

Peasley joked Wednesday that he loves having talented pass catchers like Treyton Welch, John Michael Gyllenborg and Colin O'Brien. Why? Because he never played with a tight end until arriving at UW.

"Yeah, honestly, this system, when I came in during the spring, I had no idea how to run it," he said. "When the season came around, I felt decently comfortable. But the thing was, I need to be able to tell (offensive coordinator Tim) Polasek that like, I don't feel comfortable with this play with this and this. So, it was more we didn't have that connection yet of trusting in him calling plays and me fixing things. So now that more time has gone by, even through spring, we've built a lot more trust with each other. I'm able to talk to him more, tell him what I want to do."

Peasley is not shy about pointing the finger at the guy in the mirror. He knows improvements -- across the board -- need to be made. Decision making right at the top of the list.

He also knows criticism comes with the territory.

After that 38-6 to the Fighting Illini in the opener, Peasley was written off by many. Seven days later he was the Mountain West's Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 256 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-37 double-overtime victory over Tulsa.

Injuries, Peasley said, also played a role in the way last season played out.

He had a noticeable limp after the Cowboys road loss to BYU. He missed time the following week, too, this time courtesy of a San Jose State pass rusher. A concussion at Colorado State cost Peasley the opportunity to play against Boise State. A win in that one, Wyoming vaulted to the top of the Mountain Division standings and controlled its own destiny with one game remaining in the regular season.

That didn't happen.

Bohl and Co. were also cautious with Peasley in the running game because of those setbacks. Standing just 6-foot-2 and weighing 210 pounds, he knows he's not the prototypical power-running QB fans are used to seeing around here. A right knee injury that sidelined Peasley during the 2019 season also was taken into consideration.

This year, however, things could be different.

Peasley said he has ditched the bulky knee brace. Mobility has already improved, he added. Speed, too.

The finality of it all is also starting to set in. This is Peasley's final offseason. That has crossed his mind numerous times this summer. Emotions are already on the surface, admittedly, but he has work to do.

"I think we're going to be solid," he said. "Obviously, our defense has some dudes on it. And then, you know, this offense is really coming together. So, I have a good feeling about the season and where we'll finish.

"... I just want to win. That's what I'm focused on and that's what our team's focused on. I want to let it rip."