To find post-game interviews with Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun, senior quarterback Shea Smith and junior strong safety Chris Thomas, please visit The Gazette’s Air Force page. You can find it here.

Also there you’ll find my game story, two sidebars, a notebook and a column by David Ramsey.

-Air Force’s defense has a chance to be pretty good this year. Pretty “salty,” to use a phrase the coaches like.

Tim DeRuyter’s scheme works best when his defense forces turnovers, and the Falcons certainly did that today, recovering four fumbles and picking off a pass.

-Senior defensive end Jake Paulson could be poised for a huge year. Two promising seasons in 2006 and 2007 both were derailed by injuries. But Paulson has stayed healthy so far, and he’s been a monster. After getting two sacks in Air Force’s opener, he had 1.5 today and also drilled Wyoming quarterback Dax Crum as he was delivering the ball, altering the path of the ball and leading to Brandon Reeves’ interception.

-I put junior Chris Thomas on my preseason all-conference team. That’s one prediction I don’t think will make me look stupid. Thomas had 13 tackles (eight unassisted!), forced a fumble and recovered another. Check out an article about him in tomorrow’s edition of The Gazette.

-I think we’ll start seeing freshman quarterback Tim Jefferson take some snaps here and there. Sooner rather than later. Senior Shea Smith did a great job of managing the game for the second straight week. But there were a few option plays where he had a seam and just didn’t have the speed to exploit it. Jefferson turns some of those plays into big runs. Question is, when will Calhoun feel comfortable inserting the freshman in a game (not including garbage time)?

-Something that could be a concern: Air Force didn’t seem to have too much success up the middle for the second straight week. The Falcons’ line finally took over on the fourth quarter touchdown drive.

-Ryan Harrison’s always had a big leg. But in the preseason this year (and even last season) he said he wanted to become more consistent. How’s this for consistent? Harrison is 6-for-6 on PATs and 6-for-6 on field goals this year. He’s made 15 straight dating back to last season.

-Things don’t get any easier for Air Force. The Falcons are at Houston and then at home against a loaded Utah team. But I thought a 2-2 September would be a great start for this team. Now, that’s the worst it can do.

Neither team had much success moving the ball – Wyoming gained 123 yards and six first downs, while Air Force gained 95 yards and four first downs. And both teams’ scores were set up by turnovers.

Early in the second quarter, Air Force junior strong safety Chris Thomas blitzed and drilled Wyoming quarterback Dax Crum in the back, forcing a fumble that senior defensive end Ryan Kemp recovered on the Cowboys’ 38-yard line. Air Force then picked up one first down before settling for a 40-yard field goal by Ryan Harrison.

Harrison attempted a sky kick on the ensuing kickoff and put it out of bounds, giving Wyoming the ball at its own 40. The Cowboys drove to the Air Force 10-yard line but came up empty when junior kicker Jake Scott’s 27-yard attempt missed wide right.

Wyoming got the ball back quickly, however. On Air Force’s next possession, senior linebacker Ward Dobbs picked off a Shea Smith pass and returned it to the Falcons’ 31-yard line. The Cowboys settled for another field goal attempt, and this time Scott nailed a 47-yarder to tie the game with 48 seconds left in the half.

So far, the Air Force defense looks pretty good, though Wyoming has had a few plays that almost were broken for big games. If it remains this close, give the edge to Air Force. As I wrote this week in the paper, the Falcons have a major advantage with kicker Ryan Harrison.

Big question: Will we see freshman Tim Jefferson? If Air Force continues to run the option, Jefferson provides the chance for a big play.

First observation: The game on the television here in the press box is Ohio-Ohio State. The Buckeyes just scored to take a 19-14 lead. But the fact Ohio State is having so much trouble (it trailed 14-6) suddenly makes Wyoming’s one-point victory last week over Ohio look a whole lot better.

Second observation: It’s a little chilly out here. Overcast, a slight breeze and in the 50s.

Air Force sports information directors said there are no changes to the depth chart for today’s game.

I came to this conclusion earlier in the week when some of my critics – not content with questioning my integrity – questioned the integrity of The BlogDog.

“How do we know it’s real? How do we know he’s making the picks, and it’s not just you using him as a pawn?” I was asked.

I felt like FDR when the Republicans in Congress attacked his little dog Fala.

Now, I can take the attacks on me. I don’t resent them. But The BlogDog does resent them. His mini-goldendoodle soul was furious. He has not been the same dog since.

So, knowing my word – or The BlogDog’s word – would not be good enough in this YouTube world, I decided we would video his pick of the Air Force-Wyoming game.

Quick refresher course for anyone new to this blog or The BlogDog:

A year ago, The Gazette’s policies stated I could not predict the outcome of Air Force games. So I gave the responsibility to my dog, Norm. He took to it immediately, and The BlogDog was born.

Here’s how he makes his pick: I set a mini-replica Air Force helmet and a mini-replica helmet of the Falcons’ opponent in front of him. Whichever helmet he picks (best out of five times) is who he thinks is going to win. If he picks one team three times and the other team no times, he’s thinking blowout. If it’s one team three times and the other team once, it’s maybe a touchdown or 10-point game. If he picks one team three times and the other team twice, well, you better believe it’s going to be a close one.

This week Norm went to the Air Force helmet two times in a row, and I expected him to pick the Falcons in a blowout. But then he went to the Wyoming helmet. And he went back to the Wyoming helmet again. And then, as you’ll be able to see in the video, he went back to the Wyoming helmet a third straight time.

So it looks like this is how Norm sees it: He expects Air Force to jump out to an early lead but the Cowboys to come back and squeak past the Falcons.

Norm’s Pick: Wyoming 17, Air Force 13

Norm’s 2008 Season Record: 1-0

Norm’s Overall Record: 9-5

Falcons coach Troy Calhoun said Wednesday evening that Herbort, an electrical engineering major, wants to concentrate on academics so he can secure a graduate school scholarship directly out of the academy. But the coach acknowledged Herbort was “disappointed” with his increasingly diminished role on the field.

Herbort began the preseason listed as the Falcons’ starting quarterback but was passed on the depth chart by senior Shea Smith. Calhoun had said both quarterbacks would play in last Saturday’s opener against Southern Utah, but Herbort played only one snap in the first half – he ran for 11 yards – and then watched as freshman Tim Jefferson played the Falcons’ final possession of the game in relief of Smith.

Then on Monday Jefferson was listed with Herbort as a co-backup to Smith, and at practice the freshman got nearly all the snaps with the Falcons’ second-team offense. Herbort did not practice Tuesday or Wednesday.

See more about this in tomorrow’s edition of The Gazette.

You can find it here in WMV form and here in MOV form.

Air Force junior quarterback Eric Herbort is considering leaving the team to concentrate on academics, coach Troy Calhoun said Tuesday evening.

“He’s making a fairly significant decision right now,” Calhoun said.  “He’s a 4.0 student, and he’s a guy who could be a graduate student straight out of the academy. It’s a pretty darn unique situation.

Herbort did not attend Tuesday’s practice. He met with Calhoun Tuesday afternoon and said he had been considering leaving the team for six weeks, Calhoun said.

“I think that’s impacted the way he’s played at quarterback,” Calhoun said.

Herbort had been considered a favorite to succeed Shaun Carney as starting quarterback, but played sparingly behind senior Shea Smith in Saturday’s victory over Southern Utah and then watched freshman Tim Jefferson take more snaps in Monday’s practice.

“He was a little disappointed,” Calhoun said.

Calhoun said he expects Herbort to finalize his decision by Thursday.

More on this a bit later.