Week 5 of the college football season has concluded, and with it came the first week of PAC-12 play. The first weekend featured some marquee matchups, with three of the games expected to come down to the final possession. In Boise, they celebrated the 20th anniversary of the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. Did this year’s team do a good job of honoring the Broncos’ most legendary squad? In the Mountain West, a new rivalry emerged as North Dakota State played host to Wyoming. UNLV also traveled to California to take
on a Power 4 foe, and Air Force hosted one of its biggest rivals in Navy. Did the conference favorites live up to the hype? Let’s find out in this edition of “The Good, the Bad, the Ugly.”
A Tier
Oregon State
I think you can make a strong case that the Beavers have looked like the best team in the Mountain West over the last two weeks. Braden Atkinson and Jesse Legree have the offense firing on all cylinders. This team is a joy to watch. They push the ball downfield and play an aggressive style of offense that other teams in the conference are going to have a hard time matching. They do have some flaws on the defensive side of the ball, but they did a really nice job of making adjustments in the second half after a slow start. This team is really dangerous, and they might even have the best offense on the West Coast.
UNLV
The Rebels used their bye week to their advantage. This looked like a completely different team than the one that was blown out by North Texas just a few weeks ago. The defense played extremely well against Cal, and quarterback Jackson Arnold had his best game of the season. If this is the UNLV team we are going to see all season, they have an excellent chance of competing for a conference title. They have a real chance to prove themselves this weekend.
B Tier
Fresno State
The Bulldogs’ defense was dominant in their 26-6 road victory over Washington State. They held the Cougars to only 182 yards of total offense, with just 30 of those yards coming on the ground. Quarterback Jayden Mandal was solid, completing 24 of 33 passes for 245 yards. The Bulldogs did lose speedy running back Rayshon Luke in the game, but the passing attack and an elite defensive performance made up for the lack of a rushing attack. The Bulldogs have a huge game this weekend as they will play host to #23 Boise State.
North Dakota State
The Coach Bohl Bowl was over before it even started. The first Mountain West game in the FargoDome was a blowout, with the Bison coming away with a 28-0 win over Wyoming. It is pretty clear that North Dakota State has a championship-level defense that will give them an excellent chance at competing for the conference title. I still have some concerns about their offense, though. We will have a much better idea of where this team stands after this weekend. They will have a tough test when they travel to Las Vegas to take on the Rebels. If they win this one, they will likely be playing for a conference championship in December.
C Tier
Boise State
The game was never in doubt, and there were some very encouraging signs on the offensive side of the ball. But the defense still has me very concerned. Boise State gave up some big plays to arguably the worst offense they will face this season. This team has to figure it out before they play Fresno this weekend, or they could be staring at their first conference loss. But on the positive side, Maddux Madsen was spectacular, completing 17 of 21 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns. If Madsen has that kind of game on Saturday and Boise State can run the ball effectively, they should be able to beat Fresno State and go into their bye week with a 2-0 record in conference play.
Air Force
It wasn’t always pretty, but rivalry games usually aren’t. On Saturday, Air Force hosted Navy and was able to escape with a 14-9 win in Colorado Springs. They were able to overcome a shaky showing by quarterback Liam Szarka, who threw two interceptions. There were also some encouraging signs moving forward. It was an excellent showing by a Falcon defense that has been inconsistent this season. They held Navy to 110 yards rushing and only 253 yards of total offense. If Air Force can consistently put forth that kind of effort on the defensive side of the ball, they have a chance to make some noise this season.
D Tier
Texas State
I’m not sure I have ever seen a team dominate a game like Texas State did and still find a way to lose. The Bobcats went into halftime with a 17-3 lead and were in complete control over a depleted San Diego State team. Then, an opening-half kickoff return for an Aztec touchdown opened the door to a complete Bobcat meltdown. San Diego State scored 28 second-half points, and they only needed 17 yards of offense to make that happen. Two costly special teams mistakes and two costly interceptions resulted in all of those points. I’ve never seen a team have 300 more yards than their opponent and lose. Those are the kinds of losses that are hard to bounce back from.
Hawaii
Do you guys remember when some experts were saying that Hawaii could potentially be a playoff team this fall? I do. Now this team can’t even win games against subpar Mountain West teams at home. Sure, the Rainbow Warriors have a depleted receiving corps, but managing only 16 points on over 400 yards of offense isn’t going to cut it. If things don’t turn around quickly, Hawaii might be looking for a new quarterback and a new head coach.
F Tier
Colorado State
A few weeks ago, it looked like it was going to be a promising season for the Rams. Their offense was spectacular, and they had a quarterback who was playing at a high level. Now, they are coming off three consecutive losses, two of which saw the defense give up more than 50 points. They fired their defensive coordinator at halftime, and things appear to be falling apart. A bye week could not have come at a better time for Jim Mora Jr. and his staff. They have a lot to figure out before they take on Texas State in two weeks.
UTEP
New Mexico is a really good football team; I want to make that clear. But this was an absolutely embarrassing performance by a team that is clearly in over its head in the Mountain West. The Miners lost 61-7 and turned the ball over five times. It was pretty clear that this game was going to be ugly before it even started, but this was a downright embarrassing loss.
How did your team perform this past weekend? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
