Gear Up For Game Day: Air Force

LARAMIE -- As always, I love to utilize this space each week during the season to not only give you the important info -- game time, TV channel, betting lines, etc. -- but also drop a bit of randomness on your plate.

So here goes.

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Plenty of people are making the comparison. Whether it's entirely fair or not, time will tell. For your sake, you better hope not.

Is Jay Sawvel the next Vic Koenning?

Both were defensive coordinators. Both, in-house hires. Both have struggled mightily out of the gate as head coaches at Wyoming.

Sawvel is 0-4. His team is getting outscored 143-51 in the process. Nothing, at the moment, is passing the eyeball test, either. There's no sugarcoating it. The 53-year-old is showing patience. How long will that last?

Koenning's Cowboys finished the 2000 season 1-10. He won just four more games over the next two seasons.

One of those rare victories -- his lone Mountain West win -- came against No. 22 Air Force.

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* Wyoming Cowboys in the NFL: Week 3

* Cowboys getting 'buried' in the middle eight

* Wyoming's Waylee plans to redshirt, play in four games this fall

* Wyoming Football: News and Notes Ahead of Air Force

* Tuck's Take: Winless Cowboys Suffering Identity Crisis

* Turning point, unsung hero and what's next for UW Football

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* Rants and Raves: North Texas Edition

* Nanke: 'I got my opportunity and I'm going to take it'

Casey Bramlet connected on 34-of-44 throws for 387 yards and two touchdowns in that 34-26 upset inside War Memorial Stadium. The Wheatland product also ran for another score, helping the Cowboys snap a 17-game conference losing streak that stretched all the way back to 1999.

That was also the last time Wyoming knocked off a ranked opponent, a 31-17 triumph over No. 15 BYU.

The goal posts took a ride after both.

Scottie Vines hauled in a 40-yard touchdown pass against the Falcons. Malcom Floyd joined the party, racing for a 58-yard score. Air Force, per usual, led the nation in rushing, averaging 306 yards on the ground per outing. The Cowboys limited Chance Harridge and the Falcons to just 255.

Linebacker Tyler Gottschalk led the team with 13 tackles, including two behind the line of scrimmage.

Can Wyoming snap its current four-game skid against these Falcons Saturday night in Laramie? Yes. Will they? That's to be determined. As you'll see in the stats below, this isn't your typical Air Force team. More than 20 cadets have seen their first college football action in the first three weeks of the season.

That's tough to overcome for any program.

Meet the Falcons:

* Head coach: Troy Calhoun (18th year) 131-84 overall record, 77-55 in Mountain West play

* Offensive coordinator: Mike Thiessen (18th season); Defensive coordinator: Brian Knorr (3rd season)

* Record in 2023: 9-4 overall, 5-3 in Mountain West Conference

* Offense in 2024: Average 10.3 ppg, 217.3 ypg (167.3 rush, 50 pass)

* Defense in 2024: Allow 18 ppg, 335.7 ypg (131.3 rush, 204.3 pass)

* Key Returners/ Newcomers - Offense: John Busha (QB - 13-39, 125 yds, 2 INT; 38 rush, 98 yds), Cade Harris (RB/WR - 21 rush, 132 yds, 3 TD; 3 catch, 13 yds), Owen Allen (RB - 23 rush, 84 yds), Roman Bradley (FB - 21 rush, 56 yds), Aiden Calvert (RB - 15 rush, 37 yds, TD), Quin Smith (WR - 4 catch, 48 yds), Tre Roberson (TE - 2 catch, 26 yds)

* Key Returners - Defense: Osaro Aihie (LB - 16 tackles, FR), Grant Uyl (LB - 16 tackles, 2 FF, FR), Luke Fisher (LB - 11 tackles, FR), David Santiago (LB - 10 tackles, 2 PBU, FF), Jamari Bellamy (DB - 10 tackles), Trey Williams (DB - 10 tackles), Payton Zdrolik (DL - 8 tackles, 3 sacks, FF), Jerome Gaillard Jr. (DB - 4 tackles, INT, FF)

* Injured/ questionable: Kade Frew (RB - 2 rush, 4 yds), Terrence Gist (FB - 10 rush, 29 yds), Dylan Carson (RB - 7 rush, 14 yds, TD; 4 catch, 7 yds)

Here is all you need to know -- and the links -- for Saturday's tilt in Laramie:

WHO: Air Force (1-2, 0-1) at Wyoming (0-4, 0-0)
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. MST
WEATHER: High of 81, low 49, Sunny, wind 16 mph
WHERE: War Memorial Stadium, Laramie, Wyo. (29,181 capacity)
TRAVEL: WyoRoad
STREAMING: CBS Sports Network
TV: CBS Sports Network
RADIO: Cowboy Sports Network
TICKETS: Wyoming Ticket office
BOX SCORE: ESPN
ROSTERS: Wyoming / Air Force
HISTORY: Air Force leads the all-time series, 31-27-3
BETTING ODDS: Air Force -3.5/ O/U 34.5
HEAD COACHES: Jay Sawvel / Troy Calhoun

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