Week six promises to be one of the most exciting weeks of the season for the Mountain West. We have a destination game with the Broncos traveling to South Bend to take on Notre Dame. A huge rivalry game with Air
Force traveling to take on Navy. To top it all off, there are four conference games as the race to the Mountain West Championship heats up. Before we preview each game, let’s take a look at the current conference standings.
Boise State 1-0
Fresno State 1-0
Utah State 1-0
Hawaii 1-1
Air Force 0-3
The rest of the teams will be kicking off conference play this weekend. Now let’s take a look at this week’s schedule.
New Mexico @ San Jose State (Friday 8:00 pm MT)
TV: Fox Sports 1
The first conference game for both of these teams is an intriguing one. The Spartans came into the season with a ton of hype, but a disappointing performance during the non-conference schedule has lowered expectations for a team that had high hopes. On the other hand, you have a New Mexico team that was expected to finish near the bottom of the league and now looks like a legitimate contender. Both teams need to send a message in their first conference game.
Who you should root for: I would root for New Mexico if I wasn’t a fan of either of these teams. The Lobos have a tougher conference schedule the rest of the way and play in Boise the following weekend.
Colorado State @ San Diego State (Friday 8:30 pm MT)
TV: CBS Sports Network
These are two teams that are desperate to make a statement for opposite reasons. The Rams are 1-3 and are staring at a disappointing season after an improved 2024 campaign. The Aztecs are 3-1 and are looking to make a statement after a rough 2024 season. The Aztecs want to announce they are back; the Rams want to prove they aren’t dead yet.
Who you should root for: It really doesn’t matter who wins/loses this game, but I would probably pull for the Rams if I weren’t a fan of either team. The Aztecs seem like a more dangerous squad.
Air Force @ Navy (10:00 am MT)
TV: CBS/Paramount+
Any time we get a game between the Academies, it is must watch TV. Air Force desperately needs a win here and a victory could help to turn around their season. The entire conference can agree that a win here would be huge for the Falcons and the Mountain West.
Boise State @ Notre Dame (1:30 pm MT)
TV: NBC/Peacock
The Broncos are heavy underdogs, and understandably so after Notre Dame just beat Arkansas 56-13. The Broncos will need to play a flawless game if they have any hope of winning. The secondary made strides last week against Appalachian State, but the front seven will need to play better if they have any hope of slowing down the best running back tandem in the nation. A win here would get the Broncos back in the playoff picture and be a statement win for Spencer Danielson and his staff.
UNLV @ Wyoming (5:00 pm MT)
TV: CBS Sports Network
In my opinion, this is the most intriguing game of the weekend. UNLV is in the playoff picture with a 4-0 record, but they have been playing with fire all season. UNLV is only favored by 4.5 points. Wyoming is always a much better team at home and Laramie is a difficult place to play for opposing teams. I could see this game going either way. It will ultimately come down to whether or not the Cowboys can slow down the Rebels’ offense.
Who you should root for: The Cowboys. They will lose games on the road later this season and the Rebels are currently one of the favorites to win the conference championship.
Nevada @ Fresno State (8:30 pm MT)
TV: CBS Sports Network
Fresno opened their conference schedule with a road win over Hawaii and will look to improve to 2-0 before the schedule heats up. Jeff Choate and Nevada are coming off of a disappointing 1-3 record in non-conference play and are looking for a season shifting win. A win over a talented Fresno State team could change the direction of their season. Considering Nevada’s recent quarterback play, it is hard to see Nevada coming away with the victory.
Who you should root for: Nevada. A Wolf Pack win would lower the expectations for the Bulldogs and cause a dramatic shift in the race for the Mountain West Championship.
Teams on a bye: Hawaii and Utah State
Which games are you looking forward to? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
