Air Force Falcons vs Wyoming Cowboys Football Recap

Wyoming 25, Air Force 17

If it's been a lost Mountain West season for the Air Force Academy football team, it's been a season of discovery for Wyoming's gridiron gang. Just when one program was expected to move upward in the league's pecking order, an upstart has clearly stolen the show.

Despite the departures of Utah and BYU from the Mountain West Conference, Air Force has been unable to step up and enter the league’s upper third. A team that has made a habit out of finishing in fourth place (behind the likes of TCU and Utah and, this season, Boise State) was supposed to finish no lower than third this year and make an honest bid for second place. Instead, the Falcons have been grounded in conference play; their only consolation this year - considerable yet only a small sliver of their 12-game season - was the retention of the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy by sweeping Army and Navy. The Falcons rule the roost in the world of the service academies, but that's the only good thing they'll take from an otherwise disappointing autumn.

The true revelation in the 2011 Mountain West has come from nowhere to make a splash. Wyoming has stepped up and continues to be the surprise in the conference, as the Cowboys traveled to Colorado Springs and downed Air Force on Saturday afternoon. Last year, Wyoming was the equal of a bad New Mexico team. This year, the Cowboys proved to be superior to a program that makes bowl games on an annual basis. Speaking of bowl games, Wyoming is about to make reservations for one of them; the Pokes need just one more win to punch their ticket and complete a thoroughly successful season.

Despite winds that gusted up to 60 miles per hour, the pass-first Pokes, led by quarterback Brett Smith, outgained the option attack of Air Force. Such a reality stood logic on its head, but it magnified the Cowboys' achievement in yet another road triumph for the Mountain West's biggest overachiever. A win at San Diego State was impressive enough, but a win against Air Force substantially bolsters the Cowboys' resume.

It didn’t help the Falcons that Tim Jefferson, who had broken his nose recently, was forced out of the game in the first quarter with a concussion. With the Cowboys trailing 17-12 in the fourth quarter, Smith converted a huge fourth down from the Air Force 30 yard line, hitting Mazi Ogbonna for a 16-yard gain. Three plays later, Smith punched in a two-yard run to give Wyoming an 18-17 lead.

Air Force answered by driving from its own 20 to the Wyoming 25 and eating up six minutes, but true to their identity on all too many occasions this season, the Falcons shot themselves in the foot. Mike DeWitt fumbled to kill the drive. Later, with hope and time expiring on a fourth-and-22, Air Force tried several laterals to gain the first down before Marqueston Huff nabbed one of them for Air Force’s fourth turnover and returned it 48 yards for a Wyoming touchdown.

Smith handled the wind well for the Cowboys, who moved to 6-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play. Smith finished 17-30 for 139 yards and a touchdown. Alvester Alexander led the Pokes’ rushing attack with 83 yards, who will host New Mexico (1-9) next week. Connor Dietz and Asher Clark led Air Force with 85 and 84 rushing yards, respectively for the Falcons, who fell to 5-5 and 1-4 in conference play. The Falcons will host UNLV (2-7) next week.

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By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer