We may be early in the season, but we are starting to build a picture of which teams are legitimate contenders in the Mountain West. We also had a weekend filled with close calls and respectable performances
in non-conference play. Let’s take a look at how each Mountain West team stacked up in this edition of “The Good, the Bad, the Ugly.”
The Good
Boise State
It wasn’t the most disciplined performance, but the Bronco offense showed it is a force to be reckoned with. The Broncos were led by sophomore running back Dylan Riley, who had a career day for the Broncos with 255 total yards and five touchdowns. The Broncos had one of their worst performances in recent memory, allowing the Air Force passing attack to look like Tom Brady. But we know that the Falcons have always been a pesky opponent for the Broncos. Boise State finished the game with 592 yards of total offense with an average of more than ten yards per play. The Broncos do need to clean up some things on the defensive side of the ball and avoid penalties on the offensive side of the ball. If the Broncos can do that, they might be hosting the conference championship game yet again.
UNLV
I went back and forth on where to place the Rebels. They came away with the win, but they lacked discipline and struggled on the defensive side of the ball. But one thing is clear: this team has heart. The Rebels could have easily caved when they fell behind 38-24, but they responded with an elite offensive performance. The Rebels had over 500 yards of total offense with a balanced offensive attack. Star running back Jai’Den Thomas had another 100-yard rushing performance and Anthony Colandrea finished just short of 300 passing yards. The Rebels have made it through non-conference play unscathed and now they have a bye week to prepare for their conference opener against Wyoming.
Utah State
The Aggies did what they needed to do. They dominated an inferior FCS opponent in McNeese. Bryson Barnes continues to be one of the biggest surprises in the Mountain West with another good performance. Barnes had a career day with 293 yards passing and 128 yards rushing. They also held the McNeese offense to 239 yards. It was a solid performance for a team that appears to be a legitimate contender. The Aggies have another stiff test this weekend against a ranked Vanderbilt squad in Tennessee.
Fresno State
Anytime you can come away with a victory on the islands, it is a win. The Bulldogs were able to overcome a lackluster offensive performance where they failed to gain 300 yards and their leading rusher was their quarterback with 38 yards. The game was a messy defensive battle that came down to a failed two-point conversion by Hawaii that would have sent the game into overtime. The Bulldogs have been through a gauntlet to start the season and have emerged with a 4-1 record. They are well on their way to bowl eligibility. Things will now slow down for Fresno State as they have three byes in the final ten weeks.
San Diego State
If there was an award for Mountain West Team of the Week, it would go to the Aztecs. Sean Lewis and his squad came ready to play against a Power Four squad in Cal. It was the team’s best defensive performance of the Sean Lewis era. The Aztecs held the Golden Bears scoreless and forced three turnovers, two of which were returned for touchdowns. The offense wasn’t perfect, but it was improved. Quarterback Jayden Denegal did an excellent job getting the ball to the team’s best weapon, wide receiver Jordan Napier. Napier finished the game with nine receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown, accounting for nearly half of San Diego State’s total yards.
The Bad
Air Force
It was an improvement from last week, but it is still clear this isn’t the Air Force team of of old. The Falcons allowed Boise State to move the ball with relative ease, averaging more than ten yards per play, but it wasn’t all bad for the Falcons. It seems like they may have found their starting quarterback in Liam Szarka, who threw the ball for 246 yards and added another 110 yards on the ground. But Szarka’s career day wasn’t enough for the Falcons to take down the Broncos.
San Jose State
Sure, the Spartans got their first win of the season, but this team continues to struggle. However, the win was one of poetic justice. Field goal kicking cost the Spartans their first game of the season, but this week was different with Denis Lynch nailing a late kick for the Spartans to come away with their first win of the season. The Spartans allowed Idaho to have their best offensive performance of the year. For a team that had championship hopes entering the season, San Jose State looks like a team that might struggle to make a bowl game.
Hawaii
Timmy Chang and his staff had a chance to make a statement and get a win they desperately needed. Once again, it was the offense that held them back. Despite getting 9 points from the defense (a safety and fumble recovery for a touchdown), Hawaii’s offense could not muster up enough to come away with the victory. The return of quarterback Micah Alejado was encouraging, but the young quarterback struggled after sitting out the past two weeks with an injury. The Rainbow Warriors will face another stiff test this weekend, as they travel all the way to Colorado Springs to take on Air Force.
Wyoming
This game was the tale of two halves for the Cowboys. The offense looked completely inept with only one first half drive of over 25 yards. The lack of offensive production allowed Colorado to jump out to a 28-3 lead, a deficit the Cowboys had zero chance of overcoming. While they may not have come away with the win, there were some positive signs in the second half. Kaden Anderson started to settle in a bit, completing six of his final ten passing attempts. Running back Sam Harris had a great performance, carrying the ball 15 times for 126 yards.
The Ugly
Nevada
For a little while, it looked like the Wolf Pack had a chance at a win over a respectable Group of Five program in Western Kentucky, but the Wolf Pack offense fell short in the fourth quarter despite going into the fourth quarter with the lead. The loss, once again, comes down to poor play at the quarterback position. Chubba Purdy’s two interceptions were too much to overcome. On the other side of the ball, Nevada’s defense had their best half of the year, holding Western Kentucky to three points. But things were different for the Hilltoppers in the second half, as they put 28 points up and took advantage of Nevada turnovers to come away with the victory.
Colorado State
This loss falls solely on the shoulders of head coach Jay Norvell. After making the switch to backup quarterback Jackson Brosseau, the Rams offense showed signs of life that we did not see in the first three quarters. After allowing a 74 yard touchdown pass to fall behind 17-10, the Rams were able to march down the field and score a touchdown that could have sent the game into overtime. However, Jay Norvell and his staff had a decision to make and ultimately decided to go for the two-point conversion and the win. I don’t hate the choice of going for the win; I hate the fact that they took out the quarterback who led the comeback and instead went with the gadget third-string quarterback that struggles to throw the football. It was an odd play call, and it ultimately cost the Rams the win.
How did your team perform this past weekend? Which team is the conference favorite? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
