LARMIE, Wyo. – The Wyoming Cowboys will host the Air Force Falcons Saturday in a 2 p.m. kickoff from Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium.
The Cowboys and Falcons enter Saturday’s game with identical records of 4-6 overall and 2-4 in the Mountain West Conference. They are both fighting to keep their hopes alive of becoming bowl eligible, which would require each team to finish 6-6 overall by winning their final two games of the season.
Saturday’s final home game of the 2018 season for the Wyoming Cowboys will also be the final home game for 16 Cowboy seniors who have made an enormous impact on the return of Wyoming Football to a prominent position in the Mountain West Conference during their careers.
Wyoming will also celebrate Military Appreciation Day at Saturday’s game, honoring those individuals who serve our country as members of the United States Armed Forces.
Wyoming is coming off two consecutive wins at Colorado State (34-21) and at home versus San Jose State (24-9) leading up to last week’s bye. Air Force defeated New Mexico last Saturday in Colorado Springs by a score of 42-24.
The matchup will feature strength against strength. Wyoming is one of the top teams in the nation in stopping the run, allowing opponents only 114.3 rushing yards per game to rank No. 19 in the nation. Air Force ranks No. 7 in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 264.7 rushing yards per game.
The Cowboys have been very effective at running the ball themselves this season. Senior Nico Evans leads the Mountain West and is ranked No. 2 in the NCAA in rushing, averaging 145.8 yards per game. As a team, the Pokes average 191.6 rushing yards per game to rank No. 48 in the country. But since the insertion of freshman quarterback Sean Chambers into the starting lineup, UW has averaged 315.3 rushing yards per game in its last three games. The Falcon defense ranks right behind the Cowboys in stopping the run, ranking No. 22 in the NCAA as Air Force allows opponents only 122.8 rushing yards per game.
Overall, both defenses have performed well against the run and the pass. Wyoming ranks No. 28 in the country in total defense (341.6 yards allowed), and Air Force is 36th in total defense (352.1 yards allowed).
Senior Class Accomplishments
This year’s Wyoming senior class has been among the most successful in school history.
∙The past two seasons, Wyoming has posted records of 8-6 (2016) and 8-5 (2017).
∙The Cowboys earned back-to-back bowl appearances in 2016 and ‘17, appearing in the 2016 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl vs. BYU and winning the 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Central Michigan.
∙UW captured the 2016 Mountain West Conference Mountain Division title and finished second in 2017.
∙The Cowboys earned the right to host the 2016 Mountain West Championship Game, as the highest rated team in the conference. UW hosted San Diego State in that championship game.
∙Wyoming accomplished all that against the 19th most difficult schedule in the country in 2016 and the second most difficult schedule among all Group of Five schools.
∙The Pokes defeated two Top 25 ranked teams in 2016 and received votes itself in the national polls.
∙UW was named the National Team of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) for one of those Top 25 wins in 2016.
Special Group of Seniors
The 2018 senior class includes 16 Cowboys who have contributed to returning Wyoming Football to prominence during their careers. Here are those 16 Cowboy seniors who will be honored prior to kickoff of Saturday’s game (listed alphabetically):
Player, Position, Individual Notes
Conner Cain, NT/DT, 2018 Team Captain, 42 games played, 17 games started
Marcus Epps, FS, Only three-time team captain in school history, 47 consecutive starts, 48 total starts
Nico Evans, RB, 2018 Team Captain, Three-time Academic All-MW, 45 games played, 8 starts
Austin Fort, TE, 2018 Team Captain, Academic All-MW, 28 games played, 7 starts
Carl Granderson, DE, 2017 First Team All-MW, Academic All-MW, 40 games played, 28 starts
Kaden Jackson, OG, 45 games played, 35 games started
Sidney Malauulu, NT, 40 games played, 22 games started
Tyree Mayfield, TE, 49 games played, 26 games started
Adam Pilapil, LB, Three-time Academic All-MW, 36 games played
Chavez Pownell Jr., N/LB, 47 games played, 3 games started
James Price, WR, 46 games played, 24 games started
Kevin Prosser, DE, 45 games played, 13 games started
Pahl Schwab, OT, Academic All-Mountain West, 27 games played
Nick Smith, QB, Three-time Academic All-MW, 14 games played, 4 games started
Zach Wallace, OT, Two-time Academic All-MW, 49 games played, 47 consecutive starts
Andrew Wingard, SS, 2018 Team Captain, 2016 & 17 First Team All-MW, Academic All-MW, 48 starts
Saturday’s game will be broadcast live on the 26 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network, beginning with the pregame show at 1 p.m. this Saturday. ESPNEWS will televise Saturday’s game from Wyoming’s War Memorial Stadium.
Tickets are available to Saturday’s game by: going online at GoWyo.com/tickets, emailing tickets@uwyo.edu, calling 307-766-7220 or stopping by the UW Athletics Ticket Office on the west side of the Arena-Auditorium. Tickets on game day may be purchased at the ticket office on the east side of War Memorial Stadium.
Wyoming will conclude the 2018 regular season on the road at New Mexico on Saturday, Nov. 24. That game will kick off at 12:30 p.m. and will be televised by AT&T SportsNet.
