LARAMIE — Karsten Sween is back in the saddle.
Sween, who had been relegated to a backup role behind sophomore Dax Crum through Wyoming’s first five games, will be the starting quarterback Saturday at New Mexico, where he made his first start two seasons ago.
Cowboys coach Joe Glenn said there was more to naming Sween the starter than his performance in Saturday’s loss to Bowling Green.
“He has given more to the team than he ever has off the field and has made an effort to be a leader,” Glenn said. “He patiently waited for his opportunity to take over his former starting job. And then based on what he did last Saturday, we are going to give him the keys to the car again.”
Sween, who started 18 games the past two seasons, was told Monday when he checked into the Rochelle Athletics Center on the team’s off day.
Sween said he is relieved to know he won’t have to be looking over his shoulder to see who is warming up on the sideline if he makes a mistake.
“I know the turnover thing has been a big deal, and I’m going to try to handle that with confidence and not be tentative,” he said. “It’s nice to know that if I do mess up once I’ll still be in the game.”
Crum’s biggest problem, like Sween’s the year before, has been taking care of the football. In the first four games, Crum threw four interceptions and fumbled four times. Wyoming has 14 turnovers this season, which ranks 117th out of 119 Division I-A teams in that category.
Two years ago as a redshirt freshman, Sween was the backup to junior Jacob Doss. Doss started the first five games of the 2006 season, but Sween got his first start at New Mexico.
“Two years ago we left here 1-4 and headed for Albuquerque,” Glenn said. “We then won five of our next seven starts with Karsten at the helm. We know he can do it. We kind of lost him there for a while, but he has his heart and soul beating now for football and for Wyoming again.”
