These Cowboys Are Homebodies

When the Air Force Falcons' defense stopped Wyoming on a fourth and goal situation on the game's opening drive, it marked the 39th of 43 offensive possessions for the Cowboys in which they had failed to score a TD. Little did the 'Pokes know a wake-up call to summon them toward the pursuit of capturing a bowl bid would arrive two plays later.

After Guy Tuell tackled AFA HB Anthony Butler in the end zone for a safety on the Falcons' second play from scrimmage, Wyoming assumed a 2-0 lead that served as the match which lit the fuse leading to the 41-point explosion that followed. QB Corey Bramlet led a dazzlingly brilliant balanced Wyoming attack that decimated Air Force to the tune of 559 yards. It's the second time AFA has surrendered over 550 yards this year and the first since allowing Cal to do so on opening day. The Cowboys ran for 291 yards and added 268 on the ground as they moved to an impressive, 43-26, MWC win over their Front Range rivals.

Wyoming entered the game with a 0-3 road record and having been outscored, 85-20, in three games outside War Memorial Stadium. When playing at home Joe Glenn's team morphs into world-beaters as the Pokes' perfect 5-0 mark indicates. After subduing the Falcons, Wyoming has dominated five opponents by a combined, 184-85, when playing in Laramie this fall.

Bramlet and RBs Joseph Harris and Ivan Harrison paced a vibrant Wyoming rushing attack with 67, 128 and 75 yards respectively. Harrison scored on a pair of 1-yard runs while Harris added the home team's final TD on a 28-yard scamper late in the fourth quarter.

The AFA defense played valiantly in limiting Wyoming to five points on the Cowboys' first two drives of the game. Wyoming spent all but a minute and a half of the opening quarter on offense. The Cowboys' 5-0 lead as the second quarter began by all rights should have been 14-0. The Falcons' defense not only held Wyoming to five points and stopped them on a fourth and goal from inside the AFA one-yard line to begin the game, but was responsible for the Falcons' first TD of the contest enabling Air Force to assume a short-lived lead.

Darnell Stephens' 4-yard TD run was answered in quick fashion by Wyoming, as Bramlet led a drive culminating in his 12-yard TD pass to Josh Barge. Wade Betschart was on the receiving end of a two yard TD toss from Bramlet later in the quarter to close first-half scoring and give Wyoming a, 19-6, lead at halftime.

The Falcons' inability to control the ball in the second quarter and thereby provide much needed rest for its beleaguered defense, eventually proved costly to Air Force.

For the fifth time this season, tenth time in its past fourteen games and fourteenth time in its past 25 games, Air Force was held scoreless in the third quarter of a game. Long before scoring 24 fourth quarter points, Wyoming had taken control of this game.

AFA QB Shaun Carney proved to be ineffective for a second consecutive game and rode the bench in favor of Wyoming native, Adam Fitch, in the fourth quarter. Fitch, seeing his first significant playing time of the season, led Air Force to three scores. He connected with Jason Brown on a 45 yard TD pass--AFA's second lengthiest of the season--and added a pair of one-yard TD plunges himself.

Wyoming raised its record to 5-3 on the season and 2-2 in MWC action while the Falcons dropped to 3-5/2-3. Wyoming is 8-7 in its past fifteen contests while Air Force is 5-10.