While the Cowboys may be off to an 0-4 start to the season, for all intents and purposes they are 0-0 heading into their first Mountain West clash of the season.
The Cowboys will be hosting front range foe Air Force, where two of the worst offenses in the nation will face off in what will undoubtedly be a low scoring affair. The Falcons and the Cowboys are 130th and 131st respectively, in total offense out of 133 teams.
This one, as it historically always seems to be, will be an absolute slugfest.
Get to know Air Force
Playing against the Falcons is always a unique challenge, as they have continuously ran the triple option offense for a multitude of years.
“They do a lot of things formationally, a lot of things motion wise,” head coach Jay Sawvel said. “It’s a constant eye fest, in the fact that, your eyes better be in the right spot or they could pop a pass on you.”
The Falcon’s triple threat offense is led by quarterback John Busha, who has had a rather poor start to the season. Busha hasn’t had much success running the ball so far this season, unlike many Falcon quarterbacks before him. He’s only ran the ball for 98 yards this season, and hasn’t passed for much more with only 128 passing yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
Surprisingly, it’s one of the Falcons’ wide receivers who’s found the most success running the ball so far this season. Wideout Cade Harris has carried the ball 21 times for far for the Falcons, amassing 132 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
The Cowboys will also have their hands full with a stout Air Force defense that’s only allowed 18 points a night through their first three games.
Who are the biggest weapons in this new look offense?
After the Cowboys’ disheartening 44-17 loss to North Texas, Sawvel spoke about how his team lacks an identity and needs to ‘redefine’ themselves this coming week. One of the biggest identity issues with this team is its lack of offensive firepower.
Senior wideouts Alex Brown and Will Pelissier were expected to fill the shoes of Ayir Asante and Wyatt Wieland, both of which graduated last season after being the top two targets for Andrew Peasley last season. So far through the Pokes’ first four losses, those two have combined for only four catches for 64 yards.
John Michael Gyllenborg, who only recently played in his first full game against North Texas after recovering from injury, has five catches for 56 yards. While Gyllenborg was the Pokes’ top returning receiving threat, the Pokes desperately need more playmakers at the receiving position.
“John [Michael Gyllenborg] is healthy, so he’s got to be a big factor in what we do,” Sawvel said of the tight end.
Tyler King appears to be someone who can make an explosive play for the Cowboys, as the young wide receiver returned a kick the length of the field against North Texas and also currently leads the Cowboys in receiving yards.
“Tyler King is a guy that obviously has to be a factor in what we do,” Sawvel added when talking about his receiver corps.
Sawvel also pointed out running back Sam Scott as someone who can have a big impact as well, as he too showed flashes of explosive playmaking against North Texas. Scott was initially ranked third on the depth chart amongst running backs to start the season, and has slowly worked his way up as the rest of the Cowboys’ running back room has struggled.
“We’ve had too many times where there’s a six and eight yard run there, and we’re dancing too much and we’re getting two [yards], and now the next thing you know you’re behind things,” Sawvel said of his team’s trouble to run the ball.
How does this depleted defense keep its edge?
The Cowboys’ defense, particularly their secondary, has been decimated with injuries so far this season. Multiple starters have been sidelined due to a multitude of different injuries, and Sawvel has noted that they don’t necessarily have enough depth in their secondary to play at their best.
“When we started fall camp, you look at it and go, okay, well, we got [DeVonne] Harris, [Sabastian] Harsh, [Braden] Siders and Tyce [Westland] at defensive end. Well, right now we have two of them,” Sawvel said.
Sawvel also hasn’t been particularly impressed with the play of his returnees on the defensive side of the ball either. He’s noted that there’s been too many missed tackles, bad form on tackles and missed assignments for his liking.
“I think we got a couple guys that are older and upper class guys that need to play better than what they’ve played now,” Sawvel said.
The Cowboys have long been touted for their defense, and with their experience at that front it’s been surprising to see how much they’ve struggled. The Cowboy defense has given up 40 plus points twice now through their first four games, and have also Arizona State 499 yards of offense and most recently allowed North Texas 534 yards of total offense. They’ll have to play much better if they want any chance of turning this season around.
“We got to make plays, and that’s a big part of it too,” Sawvel added of his defense.
Can the Cowboys start Mountain West play 1-0?
Despite just how bad this 0-4 start has looked, all of that can be rectified if the Cowboys are able to get a win over the Falcons this weekend. It won’t be easy, as it never seems to be against an always tough Falcons’ team, but if the Cowboys can get this one over the line it may just be enough to turn this season around.
“We gotta be sharp,” Sawvel said. “We gotta be really, really sharp. It’s gonna be a big challenge.”
