Week 13 sealed the fate of a few teams with Fresno State and Hawaii out of the conference title race after suffering losses to Utah State and UNLV. Boise State kept their title hopes alive with a rejuvenated offense, and San Diego State is almost a lock to make the conference championship game after taking care of business against San Jose State. Week 13 narrowed the list of realistic contenders down to four, and week 14 will carry even more weight. But before we move on, let’s take a look at the Good,
Bad, and Ugly performances from week 13.
The Good
UNLV
The Rebels are picking a good time to find their stride on the defensive side of the ball. For the second consecutive week, it appears that the Rebel defense is finally figuring things out. UNLV held an electric Hawaii offense to only 10 points and 231 yards of total offense. Meanwhile, the Rebel offense had a balanced attack, passing for 253 yards and running for 217 yards. It was an unexpected beat down in Sin City to keep their championship hopes alive.
New Mexico
The Lobos continue their impressive season with a great defensive showing in Colorado Springs, holding an electric Air Force offense to only three points. It almost felt like the Lobos beat the Falcons at their own game. New Mexico attempted only 15 passes compared to 40 rushes. They were efficient enough running the ball to sustain long drives and come away with a 20-3 road victory. The Lobos’ championship hopes are still alive, and they will need to pull off the upset at home against San Diego State this weekend to make their dreams a reality.
Nevada
Last week, Nevada head coach Jeff Choate secured his first Mountain West win as a head coach. This week, he went out and got his first conference road victory in a 13-7 upset win over Wyoming. The win was far from pretty, but Choate’s squad was a force on defense and appears to be building some positive momentum heading into the off-season. The last few week’s have likely saved Chaote’s job, and they seem to have their quarterback of the future in Carter Jones. Will the Wolf Pack become one of the top teams in the new Mountain West?
Boise State
It wasn’t always pretty and sure, they were playing a 2-8 team, but something felt different about this version of the Broncos. The play calling was balanced, they played to their strengths, and they even ran a trick play. It almost felt like we were watching a team from the past. I’m not sure what changed, but the Broncos were able to run the ball at will, and backup quarterback Max Cutforth was sharp. Had it not been for dropped passes, Cutforth would have likely had a 300-yard passing performance. The win keeps Boise State’s championship hopes alive, but they will have their hands full against a talented Utah State squad that is coming off of an upset win over Fresno State.
Utah State
It was the tale of two halves for the Aggies. In the first half, Bryson Barnes could not do anything and Fresno State had free reign on the senior quarterback. Things shifted in the second half when the Aggies got a quick defensive stop and marched their way down the field for a long, methodical, touchdown drive that cut Fresno State’s ten-point halftime lead to three. The Aggie defense continued to make big plays and Bryson Barnes put the team on his back, mostly with his legs. It was an inspired performance for a Utah State team that was coming off of a heartbreaking loss to UNLV the week prior.
San Diego State
Like most Aztec games, this one wasn’t pretty. The offense struggled for the majority of the game, but they did just enough to build a lead that the defense would not give up. The Aztecs’ defense played with relentless energy, and as a result, injuries started to pile up for a San Jose State team that had to use three different quarterbacks. Regardless of what happens this weekend, the Aztecs will most likely play for a conference championship. But a win means the Aztecs will host the conference title game and likely be comfortable favorites.
The Bad
Fresno State
Like I stated above, this game was the tale of two halves. In their first half, Fresno State was dominating on both sides of the ball and should have probably been up by more than ten at the half. They were making life difficult for Aggie quarterback Bryson Barnes by hitting him nearly every time he dropped back to pass. I didn’t really understand Fresno State’s game plan after making the change at quarterback back to former starter EJ Warner. At times it felt like they went away from what was working by abandoning an efficient running game in favor of a passing attack that has been inconsistent. The lack of production on offense started to wear on the Bulldog defense in the second half, and ultimately, mistakes on offense cost the Bulldogs the victory.
The Ugly
Hawaii
I really thought the Rainbow Warriors would march into Las Vegas and pull off the upset. I thought this team was different, that they were the kind of team that could go on the road and pull off an upset that would alter the race for the Mountain West Championship. Boy, was I wrong. The Rainbow Warriors could not get out of their own way early in the game. They committed penalty after penalty that killed drives and put the defense into tough situations. Micah Alejado had one of his worst performances of the season, completing 15 of 24 passes for 163 yards. This team is at its best when the defense can get off the field quickly and Alejado can air it out. The Rebel game plan prevented this from happening.
Air Force
This season is officially off the rails and for the second consecutive season, the Falcons will be left home during bowl season. The Falcons are one of the most puzzling teams in the nation. Early in the season, they were putting up impressive offensive numbers, but the defense prevented them from winning games. In recent weeks, the defense has improved and the offense has struggled to do anything. You have to wonder what is going through the mind of head coach Troy Calhoun. Is he in the hot seat?
Wyoming
It was Josh Allen night in Laramie, and the Cowboys were hoping that would translate into an inspiring performance. It turns out it was quite the opposite. Wyoming’s offensive ineptitude continued in their 13-7 loss to Nevada. The Cowboys managed only 220 yards of offense against a stingy Wolf Pack defense. Special teams play was also an issue with the Cowboys missing two field goal attempts and allowing a game-changing fake punt for Nevada. Jay Sawvel’s tenure in Laramie has been rough thus far. Will he get a chance to come back for a third season?
Colorado State
This program is a mess. They are spitting in faces, playing dirty, and have zero identity. The next few weeks will determine where this program is headed, and they have to get their next coaching hire correct. The Rams season is over and the program is off the rails. Now they have to turn their attention to getting their program on track and retaining key players.
San Jose State
I like I stated with Air Force. The Spartans have played the past few weeks like a defeated squad. The season went sideways in a hurry and they were never able to recover. There is a lot of uncertainty for this program heading into the off-season. They will be losing some key contributors and will need to be major players in the transfer portal if they have any hope of contending next season.
Who do you see playing for the conference championship? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
