Revisiting the storylines, keys and trends we intended to follow in Air Force’s 28-14 loss to Wyoming late Saturday night.
Pivotal game for Air Force
Air Force seemed to treat this game with utmost importance. The defense played inspired at times, registering three sacks and five additional tackles for loss. The offense, for a time, took control of the game. And even the crowd, announced at 24,257, wasn’t as tiny as it could have been for a November contest that kicked off at 8:27 p.m. But the Falcons couldn’t get out of their own way. They committed three turnovers, all of which were converted into touchdowns, and they were eliminated from the Mountain West race, leaving themselves a steep climb to bowl eligibility.
Rivalry rekindled?
Unless I missed it, there was nothing on the field to suggest this game carries any of the bad blood it did for a few years earlier this decade. Wyoming even stood behind the Falcons for the playing of the Third Verse after the game. The Cowboys have now won four of five in this series. It was worth noting that there was an extremely large Wyoming contingent in the stands, and by the end of the game there may have been as many supporters for Wyoming as the home team. But nothing took place to spark what would could be considered a heated rivalry.
Local players could factor prominently
Injuries on Wyoming’s defensive line left open the possibility that some local products might play large roles on Saturday. Falcon graduate Josiah Hall did, making three tackles (two solo) and registering a quarterback hurry. Dalton Fields, from Pine Creek, did not play according to participation reports from the game. Another Pine Creek alum, fullback Matt List, did appear but did not register any statistics.
