Air Force faces easier Mountain West stretch

The past three games Air Force played were difficult, against high-profile opponents. The next stretch won’t include any ranked teams, but is probably more important for the Falcons.

Air Force wasn’t favored to beat BYU, UNLV or San Diego State, and didn’t beat any of them. The Falcons went 0-3. But after two years in last place of the Mountain West, and a preseason prediction they would finish last again, knocking off top 10 teams probably isn’t the realistic bar to be set for their season.

Beating Wyoming at home Saturday would be a solid way to follow up Air Force’s first four conference games, which included a win against Utah and three hard-fought losses as a double-digit underdog. The following four games are tough but not impossible: at Colorado State, at TCU, vs. New Mexico and at Utah.

The next few weeks presents a realistic chance for Air Force to get some conference wins, even though the Falcons aren’t stating it that way.

“It’s very important, but every team in the Mountain West is very good,” forward Tom Fow said. “Just because they’re not ranked teams we’re going against soon, doesn’t mean we take stuff off. We need to approach it the same way.”

A seemingly improved Air Force team looks like it could at least avoid the basement of the Mountain West this season. Wyoming is 1-3 with many injury issues. TCU is 1-4. Utah is 2-3, but Air Force has a win against the Utes in hand. However, the second division of the Mountain West has been tough too, with Wyoming beating New Mexico and Utah beating UNLV.

“It won’t be easy,” Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds said. “On any given night, I think any team in our league can beat anybody.”

Wyoming has been hobbled by injuries to forwards Afam Muojeke, Djibril Thiam and guard JayDee Luster, but Reynolds said Air Force expects Thiam and Luster to play after the Cowboys had all week off to heal. Muojeke, Wyoming’s best player, is out for the season with a knee injury. Even though Wyoming hasn’t been very good and Air Force is coming off games against marquee opponents, Reynolds didn’t worry about his team letting up.

“They know each game (against Wyoming) has come down to the last minutes,” Reynolds said. “They won’t overlook them, that’s for sure.”