The moment was there for the University of Wyoming football team Friday night at War Memorial Stadium. It was one set under the lights, donning special Cowboys and Coal uniforms and against an Air Force team they were tied with for second place in the Mountain West Conference standings.

And the Pokes seized that moment. Wyoming took the lead early, very early, and never trailed en route to a 28-14 win over the Falcons.

“It’s a great night for the Cowboys,” head coach Jay Sawvel said. “It’s not a 24-hour rule on this one. We’re going to take 48 (hours to celebrate) this one. Tyler Hughes was phenomenal tonight. Our offensive staff did a great job of getting us in spots to where we were effective.”

The victory, their third in a row, improves the Cowboys to 5-3 overall and 4-1 in league action. The loss drops Air Force to 5-2 on the season and 3-2 in conference play.

The tone was set early, and as was stated above, very early. Quarterback, Tyler Hughes, sprinted home for a 68-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game. It was the longest touchdown run for a Wyoming player since 2023.

That was the start to another dream game for the reigning Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week. Hughes finished the contest 10-for-17 for 133 yards with two touchdowns. He added an impressive 146 rushing yards on 12 carries.

Two of those touchdown tosses occurred during the first half. Hughes found tight end, Jake Wilson, for a four-yard score with 8:40 left to make it 14-3. All the tricks came out for the final score of the half, as Hughes passed it to wide receiver, Eric Richardson, for four yards who then lateraled it to running back, Samuel “Tote” Harris, for remainder of what was a 13-yard score with 38 seconds left.

Those 21 points held up with a little insurance late in the contest. Running back, Markell Holman, logged a one-yard rushing touchdown with 3:04 remaining to salt the game away at 28-14.

Air Force, which hadn’t lost a fumble all season, coughed it up three times on Friday. The Falcons weren’t punished for the first one, however, the second and third ones cost them.

Third-string quarterback, Josh Johnson, fumbled at the Wyoming 10-yard line with 12:09 to play in the game, thwarting what could have been a game-tying touchdown. He lost one again around midfield on a fourth-and-two with 8:20 left with the Falcons still trailing, 21-14.

Wilson led all receivers with a pair of catches totaling 36 yards with the one score. Five other Cowboys hauled in pass. Holman finished the game with 35 yards rushing on nine attempts.