September 30, 2024 |
Photo – One Falcon in a group of Cowboys – Courtesy gowyo.com
Wyoming fans were treated to a show on Saturday night inside a packed War Memorial Stadium as the Cowboys roared back in the second half to beat Air Force 31-19 in their Mountain West opener.
The win was a glorious balm after a 0-and-4 start to the season. Down 13-7 at the half, the Cowboys roared back after the break.
Quarterback Evan Svoboda enjoyed a breakout game, throwing for 165 yards and rushing for 70 with two touchdowns, delivering a career first win for head coach Jay Sawvel.
All four Wyoming touchdowns came on the ground. The Cowboys started the third quarter with a pounding 7-play 76-yard scoring drive.
Keith Kelly had the call, and the Cowboys retook the lead, pulling ahead 14-13. Wyoming would never surrender the lead. The Cowboys scored again at the 5:56 mark of the third. Tyler King capped off an 11-play, 94-yard drive, with a sweeping three-yard run to the corner of the end zone.
John Hoyland added a 23-yard field goal—his 62nd career three point shot–early in the fourth quarter to take a 24-13 lead over the Falcons.
The Falcons struck quickly, scoring again on a seven play 75-yard drive, but a two-point conversion attempt failed. With 2:13 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Cowboys, leading 24-19, Svoboda put an exclamation point on the win with a leap and a brief dance at the end of the 17-yard touchdown run to celebrate the first Wyoming win of the season.
(Air Force-Wyo 3, “touchdown cowboys!”)
Three consecutive scoring drives was just what the cowboys needed to wash away a month of losses in non-conference play. Head Coach Sawvel was happy for his quarterback, who has been feeling the pressure after struggling through the first month of the season.
Sawvel admitted that his injury-riddled squad went flat in the second quarter, but he liked how they dominated in the third quarter.
Running back Sam Scott rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown. John Michael Gyllenborg was back to full strength with 70 receiving yards. His longest was for 33 yards.
Cowboy left guard Wes King was carted off the field in the third quarter with an unspecified lower-body injury and did not return.
The Cowboys will enjoy a well-deserved bye week before continuing conference play at home against San Diego State on Saturday, October 12 in an afternoon game at War Memorial Stadium.
