Mountain West Roundup: Week 10
Air Force – at Army (L 17-14)
Air Force fell behind 14-0 in the first half against Army, but stormed back within three points with three minutes to play before a failed fourth down ultimately doomed the Falcons. Air Force hasn’t lost a game by more than 10 points this season, but at 3-6, their backs are now firmly against the wall. Games at home versus New Mexico and Colorado State should get the Falcons tantalizingly close to bowl eligibility, but a road showdown at Wyoming is the biggest barrier between Air Force and the postseason.
Boise State – vs BYU (W 21-16)
The Broncos were far and away the favorite to win the Mountain Division this season, receiving all 22 first-place votes in the MW preseason poll. That looks laughable at this point. Boise State is still 7-2, but recent lackluster wins over Nevada, Air Force, and now BYU do nothing to convince me that the Broncos will be able to hang with Fresno State this week or even Utah State on November 24th.
New Mexico – vs San Diego State (L 31-23)
Was that a last-ditch effort to save Bob Davie’s job? Because that felt like a last-ditch effort to save Bob Davie’s job. Davie’s in his seventh season at the head of New Mexico, and his best season was a 9-4 year three season ago. Apart from that, Davie has led the Lobos to one other bowl season and faces a schedule of games at home versus Boise State and Wyoming and on the road at Air Force to avoid a second straight 3-9 season. Davie’s seat is getting toasty.
Wyoming – vs San Jose State (W 24-9)
The Cowboys easily took care of San Jose State, which is actually an improvement upon last year, and just at the right time. Wyoming enters their bye week now at 4-6, and will have two weeks to prepare for Air Force’s option attack, in Laramie no less, before traveling to Albuquerque in hopes to qualify for a bowl versus New Mexico. It’s been a tumultuous season for Wyoming, but a bowl game is well within reach at this point.
Fresno State – at UNLV (W 48-3)
Those who think that Fresno State is not the best team in the conference right now need to perk their ears up. The Bulldogs have held four of their last five teams to seven points or less, QB Marcus McMaryion is the reason Jordan Love hasn’t clinched the MW Offensive Player of the Year award, and they haven’t lost at home since a surprise loss to UNLV in October of last season. Utah State and Fresno State ranks third and fourth respectively in average scoring margin per game this season, coming in at +24.4 and +23.4 points per game. Head coach Matt Wells and the team no doubt want to play the best in order to prove they are the best, which naturally must include Fresno State, but every Aggie fan should avoid overlooking the Bulldogs. Fresno State has a solid claim as the best team in the conference.
Hawaii – vs Utah State (W 56-17)
Hawaii has reason to worry at this point, but they are still well-positioned to qualify for a bowl game even after dropping four straight games to follow their 6-1 start to the season. That four-game skid probably limits Hawaii’s bowl choices to only the Hawaii Bowl, but the good news is that the Rainbow Warriors now get a full two weeks to prepare to play UNLV at home. ESPN’s FPI projections currently gives Hawaii a 72.3 percent chance of victory and reaching bowl eligibility for the first time since head coach Nick Rolovich’s first season as head coach.
San Diego State – at New Mexico (W 31-23)
The Aztecs finally did it. They finally broke 28 points in a game. But there’s still reason to be depressed about SDSU’s performance versus New Mexico. 31 points still fell well short of New Mexico’s average for points allowed this season. At only 22.2 points per game, SDSU ranks 115th in the nation, just ahead of BYU’s putrid offense. Every win this season belongs to the Aztecs’ defense. That defense should keep SDSU in the game versus Fresno State in several weeks in a battle for the division title, but no one should trust this offense to do anything to help their case.
San Jose State – at Wyoming (L 24-9)
There isn’t anything new to say about the Spartans this year. Utah State, Nevada, and Fresno State left on the schedule means SJSU will almost certainly finish 1-11 this season. While that’s statistically worse than last season’s 2-11 record, the Spartans are statistically better than last season. After being outscored by about 26 points per game a year ago, the Spartans are averaging about 13 points better per game. Both the offense and defense have improved on last season’s numbers. These are all numbers that head coach Brent Brennan will bring up in his exit interview after the season in hopes of ensuring a third year at the helm. He should get that third year, but regardless of statistics, 1-11 is a terrible look.
UNLV – vs Fresno State (L 48-3)
The Rebels have a solid claim as the worst team in the conference, especially after losing to San Jose State. UNLV’s only wins on the year came against Prairie View A&M, a 3-6 FCS team, and UTEP, widely regarded as one of the worst teams in all of FBS. San Diego State, Hawaii, and Nevada are left on the schedule, and at 2-7, the Rebels have nothing left to play for. Tony Sanchez has helped to improve the state of the UNLV football program in terms of facilities, but it’s hard to imagine him staying as head coach for a fifth season.