PGAONJ

"Breaking the Cowboy Curse": Fourteen Years of Frustration... October 13th, 2012, Laramie, Wyoming. Air Force 28, Wyoming 27. The final whistle was only the beginning. Wyoming head coach Dave Christensen confronted Troy Calhoun in a profanity-filled exchange that made national headlines. Christensen accused Air Force of manipulating an injury to stop the clock, calling TC "Howdy Doody." Air Force left with a win. Nobody could have imagined that fourteen years later, the Falcons would still be searching for their next victory inside War Memorial Stadium. November 17th, 2018. Snow, 19 degrees. I stood there as Air Force led 27-14 in the fourth. It felt perfect for November Falcon Football. Then a critical possession stalled. Wyoming scored 21 unanswered. Final: 35-27. Air Force finished 5 and 7, one win short of a bowl. Another trip to Laramie. Another disappointment. And the Cowboy Curse lived on. Through all of it, one familiar face has remained on the Air Force sideline: Troy Calhoun. Now in his twentieth season, he's built a legacy worthy of comparison with Fisher DeBerry. Christensen is long gone. But Calhoun remains, and perhaps nobody understands the depth and weight of this streak better. Fourteen years later, the coach who last won in Laramie has another chance. Different players. Different circumstances. Same head coach. Unfinished business. Friday, October 23rd. Air Force arrives 5 - 1 after a convincing win over UNLV. Wyoming is 4 - 3 and also much improved. What's different? Adversity forced freshmen to play last year, especially on defense. Now sophomores, supported by veterans like Blake Fletcher, Dallas Daley, Jaden Oquendo, Roger Jones Jr., and Corey Johnson, they're growing up under Steve Russ. Alex Perez, Max Mustell, and Cade Paterson took their lumps as freshmen and are now players teammates rely upon. Offensively, when Liam Szarka went down, Sophmore Evan Medders stepped in and surged, including 152 yards and three touchdowns against UNLV. He's joined by reliable Owen Allen, patient weapon Rocco Conti, Matt Long, Kemper Hodges, and Gage LaDue. But none of it happens without Bolt Diesel. Rudy Varela, Jon Ashford, Alec Falk, Luke Vandahar, TJ Tarascio, and a seasoned unit coached by former Falcon lineman Steed "Lobo" Lobotzke. Under his guidance, Air Force captured three straight national rushing titles. This is a run-first, run-second team. Everyone knows it. Against UNLV, that meant four hundred thirty rushing yards. Those yards weren't magic. They were forged in the trenches. And make no mistake: if the Falcons break the "Cowboy Curse", that victory will run through the Bolt Diesel offensive line. Add dependable kicker Carter Cremascoli, and you've got a group that knows how to respond. War Memorial Stadium is beautiful and unforgiving, but curses only live as long as we believe in them. The Red Sox waited eighty-six years. For Falcon fans who remember 2012 and endured 2018, fourteen feels long enough. This group isn't responsible for the past. Wyoming will be ready. Nothing is guaranteed. But this team has shown resilience, maturity, and an ability to respond when challenged. Fourteen years. Five straight losses in Laramie. One head coach who's been there through it all. Friday night offers a fresh chance. Forget the history. Forget the streak. Forget the curse. Because when the ball is kicked off Friday night in Laramie... Nothing Else Medders‼️ ⚡️🏈🇺🇲🚫🤠 Article by Rick Baum @Falcon8fan – at United States