By Jeff Bugher
jeff@pokesnews.com
The Wyoming Cowboys made the trip to Colorado Springs last Saturday to take on the Falcons of the Air Force Academy. The Falcons featured a undefeated record of 5-0, while Wyoming came into the match with a record of 5-1. There were a lot of implications on the line, with the winner of the game earning a top 25 ranking.
A Tale of 2 Halves:
The Wyoming offense fired on all cylinders offensively in the first two quarters. Yet, in the second half, it seemed like the offense struggled throughout, with some sparks of production along the way. “We got off to a good start in the first half, but Air Force came back and made more plays than we did in the second half,” said Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl. “We got beat by a good football team tonight.”
Field Goal Misses:
Place kicker John Hoyland doesn’t come with preseason watchlist accolades for nothing. He’s one of the most accurate kickers in the NCAA. Yet Hoyland had 3 misses on the night, plus a miss the previous week. Head Coach Craig Bohl and the teammates interviewed during the post-game press conference all stated they support and are behind Hoyland in one way or another. “I’m going to encourage (Hoyland).” Bohl said. There's no doubt that Hoyland has hit a rough patch, but there's also no doubt that he will come through it better than before.
Missed Opportunities:
Wyoming’s defense gave their offense multiple gifts via fumble recoveries, but it seemed like each opportunity was blown in one way or another. Some of the biggest mistakes might have been with some of the questionable play-calling towards the end of the game, specifically a decision to pass the ball on a 4th and short during a critical “crunch time” moment. “One of our goals is to win the conference championship. The winner of this game would put themselves in the catbird seat, so now you have to count on someone else. But what we’ve got to do is we’ve got to correct things. The effort was there, but the execution wasn’t.” Bohl said.
What’s Next: Bye Week, then Boise State
There’s no Wyoming football game next weekend, much to the delight of the team and coaches. Wyoming has played the toughest schedule they have played in recent decades, so this bye week couldn’t have come at a better time in the season. “We have to get refreshed. We’ve gone through a gauntlet. We have to bounce back. Those guys are hurting in the locker room, and I’m hurting too.” Bohl remarked during the post-game press conference.
Game Summary:
1st Quarter:
Wyoming received the ball to start the game off with a touchback. On the first possession, the Cowboys began the game on the ground with successful rushes to go down the field including a quarterback Andrew Peasley 17-yard rush. Then Peasley threw a 22-yard pass to junior tight end Nick Miles (his first reception of the season), which yielded a first down. Peasley ran for another 17 yards bringing the Pokes to the 1-yard line, followed by a short run ending Wyoming’s first possession with a TD run by Peasley.
Air Force took possession of the ball but went 3 and out, leading to a punt. Wyoming’s second possession started with a run by Jamari Ferrell up the middle. Followed by an incomplete pass to Devon Boddie, Jr. On 3rd and 8, Peasley threw a laser pass to John Michael Gyllenborg for a gain of 27 yards. Through week 7, Gyllenborg has been rated as the #3 tight end in the country per Pro Football Focus. Following several more runs, Peasley made a very critical pass while under duress to wide receiver Ryan Marquez for 27 yards. The 27-yard pass is a new career-long for Marquez. The Pokes rushed 2 more times with minimal gain, then the drive was topped off with a 6-yard touchdown reception to Wyatt Wieland. Air Force fought back with several runs, and scored a touchdown, making the ballgame Wyoming 14, Air Force 7 at the end of the 1st quarter.
2nd Quarter:
Andrew Peasley completed a pass to Wyatt Wieland for 6 yards, earning Wyoming a fresh set of downs. The drive saw some ups and downs, including a big incomplete pass to Ayir Asante and a solid rush by Sam Scott. Peasley connected with Treyton Welch for a big 22-yard gain, setting Wyoming up in Air Force territory. However, their drive stalled, leading to a field goal attempt that unfortunately went wide. Air Force took over possession of the ball at their own 28-yard line following the missed field goal. Several rush attempts ensued with a big hit from Issac White and a big stop by Hash. On 4th down, Air Force ran a fake and got a 39-yard gain. Air Force passed the ball for a touchdown, but there was an obvious missed holding call that should have been a flag.
With just over 7 minutes left in the 2nd quarter, Wyoming ran the ball a few times. Followed by a completed pass to John Michael Gyllenborg that was called back on an ineligible man downfield penalty. Peasley made a big pass and a rush up the middle, followed by a pass to Wyatt Wieland out of bounds at the 19 yard-line on 3rd and 2, which then was followed up by a Sam Scott rush for a first down. Peasley fired a pass to Wieland in the endzone that was incomplete. Finally, there was a touchdown pass to Asante.
Air Force got the ball and made some run plays but wasn’t very successful. They passed the ball and got a big pass interference call against Wyoming. Wyoming then got another big stop and Air Force made a field goal kick with 1 second to go in the half. Wyoming 21, Air Force 17
3rd Quarter:
Airforce dominated the ground game…running the ball 16 times for 75 yards garnering a touchdown. The drive took 10:13 off the clock. Wyoming got the ball back and struggled offensively which included a large loss and a sack.
4th Quarter:
Airforce continued driving down the field and got a critical first down by rushing the ball. Air Force quarterback Zac Larrier was injured and appeared to be holding his knee. Air Force kicked a field goal making the score: Wyoming 21, Air Force 27 with 11:31 left in the 4th quarter. Wyoming got the ball back but struggled again. Air Force got the ball back and DeVonne Harris recovered a fumble in enemy territory. Wyoming went to 4th down and Peasley made a big pass to Treyton Welch for the TD. PAT was missed. The game was tied at 27 for each team. Air Force got the ball back and made some runs. Easton Gibbs recovered a fumble that was confirmed upon review by the referees. Wyoming followed up with a 3 and out including a sack on Peasley. A 3-point attempt was missed by Wyoming. Air Force got the ball back and proceeded to run a 58-yard rush for a touchdown putting Air Force ahead 34-27. Wyoming tried to fight back but could not prevail. Final Score: Wyoming 27, Air Force 34.
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