Last week was a mixed bag for the conference. While they were undefeated against FCS teams, Nevada and Colorado State were fortunate to walk away with wins. UNLV got a huge win against a Big 10 team in UCLA and Fresno State defeated a future conference foe while San Diego State, San Jose State, and Utah State were blown out. This week, we will see our first Mountain West conference game of the season and a few intriguing out-of-conference contests. Let’s take a look at what to expect this week.
New Mexico @ UCLA (Friday 8:00 MT)
TV:
Big Ten Network
UCLA is making a strong case to be one of the worst Power Four teams in the country and are coming off a loss to another Mountain West team in UNLV. New Mexico is coming off of their first win of the Jason Eck era and will be facing their second Power Four team of the season. I have a feeling this will be a close game, but the Bruins will probably get their first win of the season.
MTSU @ Nevada (Saturday 3:00 MT)
TV: Mountain West Network
The Wolf Pack have an excellent chance to get their second win of the year. This game will go a long way in showing what type of year the Wolf Pack is going to have. If they lose this one, they might struggle to win another game this season. If they win, it could propel them into being a potential bowl team. These are the kinds of games this program can’t afford to lose. I think the Wolf Pack will win another close game.
Utah @ Wyoming (Saturday 6:00 MT)
TV: CBS Sports Network
The biggest home game of the season for the Cowboys comes with an opportunity to make a huge splash for a program that is looking to get back on track. The 2-0 Cowboys have a chance to show they are ready to play spoiler in the Mountain West if they can keep things close with #20 Utah Utes. Unfortunately for Wyoming, they will probably be without starting quarterback Kaden Anderson who suffered a late injury against Northern Iowa last weekend.
Air Force @ Utah State (Saturday 7:45 MT)
TV: Fox Sports 1
The first conference game of the season is an intriguing one. Air Force and Utah State are usually two of the top football programs in the Mountain West, but both are coming off of disappointing 2024 seasons. The winner of this game will have a huge advantage moving forward that will give themselves an opportunity to be a factor in the conference championship race and should be a lock for a bowl spot. It may be early in the season, but this is a huge game for both teams. I think the Falcons will control the clock and win a close contest over the Aggies.
Southern @ Fresno State (Saturday 8:00 MT)
TV: Mountain West Network
The Bulldogs are riding high after improving to 2-1 in their victory over Oregon State. This Saturday marks the last non-conference game of the year as they play host to a FCS team in Southern. This is a good way to finish up the conference schedule as it allows the Bulldogs to have one last tune-up with their new look roster before kicking off conference play. This should be an easy win for Fresno State.
Portland State @ Hawaii (Saturday 9:59 MT)
TV: Spectrum Sports
The 2-1 Rainbow Warriors will likely be without starting quarterback Micah Alejado again, but that shouldn’t be a problem, as backup Luke Weaver was sharp in last week’s victory over Sam Houston. This should be a big win for the Rainbow Warriors before heading into a bye week and a chance to get healthy before conference play kicks off.
Teams on a bye: Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV
Which week three game are you most looking forward to? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
