September 27, 2024 |
Photo – Air Force Football team – Courtesy usafa.edu
The Wyoming – Air Force game has become something of a grudge match. Falcon fans have not seen their team win in Laramie in a dozen years.
The two schools have seen better years in their rivalries. This year, the two teams are struggling. Air Force is one-and-two, with one of those losses coming to Mountain West rival, San Jose State, 17-7, on September 7. Meanwhile, the Cowboys head into their conference opening still in search of for their first win of the year.
Last season, Air Force beat Wyoming 34-27 as a 12.5-point home favorite. The Falcons are listed as 4-point road favorites this time around, while the total sits at 34.5 points.
The mood in Laramie will be upbeat tomorrow despite the Cowboys record. Tomorrow is Homecoming. The parade will start at 11 a.m. A new event, this year, will be the Homecoming Alumni Tailgate event at the Gateway Center. The festivities start at 2 p.m. and will run until kickoff at 6.
Then, the rivalry game with much at stake for both teams.
Air has had an extra week to prepare as they come to Laramie after a bye. They’ve dropped consecutive games following a 21-6 home win against Merrimack in their season opener. The Falcons then fell to the Spartans in Week 2, before suffering a heavy 31-3 loss at Baylor in Week 3.
You can bet the Wyoming defense watched the tape of the Baylor game this week. The Bears stuffed the famed Air Force option last week, allowing just 3.4 yards per carry. Air Force quarterback John Busha went 0-for-5 through the air and ran the ball 21 times for 45 yards. He fumbled twice.
With just one returning starter on offense and three on defense, the Falcons have struggled through their first three games.
The winless Cowboys have also struggled under a new coaching staff and first year starting quarterback Evan Svoboda.
Head coach Jay Sawvel was honest about his team as they look for their first win. Sawvel remembers last year’s game when John Lee Eldridge III raced 58 yards for the go-ahead score with 2:17 on the clock as Air Force rallied from a halftime deficit to beat Wyoming 34-27.
Air Force is well-coached and highly disciplined. This creates a special kind of a challenge in a rivalry game. The Cowboys will have no room for mistakes. Coach Sawvel talked this week about the task his team has, taking on the unique system of play the Falcons use—and their competitiveness.
Kickoff is set for six o’clock after a day of homecoming activities in Laramie. Bigfoot 99 will be on the air at 4:30 with the pregame show. Go Pokes!
