Category: Mountain West Football

PODCAST: 2019 Week 13 Mountain West Football Preview

Get ready for Week 13 of Mountain West football.

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PODCAST: 2019 Week 13 Mountain West Football Preview

Division titles can be clinched.

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Tiebreaker or championship weekend

Jeremy and Matt are back to preview the 13th week of Mountain West football. There are rivalries and championships on the line. The Bronze Boot gets things started on Friday night with Colorado State taking on Wyoming. The Rams are wanting to remain in the discussion for a bowl game.

The Saturday games have two big ones that could determine the championship game attendees. A Boise State win over Utah State puts them in the title game and hosting, a loss means tiebreakers come into play. San Diego State vs. Hawaii is a winner-take-all in the West Division and is a late-night Facebook game.

Nevada takes on Fresno State and the Bulldogs are wanting to get to a bowl game and need to get this win to have at least five and then win next week as well. The other game is San Jose State who is also looking to stay on track for a bowl game and they are on the road at UNLV.

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Wyoming vs. Colorado State: 3 Keys to Cowboys Victory

Wyoming vs. Colorado State: 3 Keys to a Cowboys Victory Will the Rams ever win the Bronze Boot again? Do they even remember what it is? Contact/Follow @jessetachiquin & @MWCwire Cowboys vs Rams WEEK 13: Wyoming Cowboys (6-4, 3-3 MW) vs Colorado …

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Wyoming vs. Colorado State: 3 Keys to a Cowboys Victory

Will the Rams ever win the Bronze Boot again? Do they even remember what it is?

Contact/Follow @jessetachiquin & @MWCwire

Cowboys vs Rams

WEEK 13: Wyoming Cowboys (6-4, 3-3 MW) vs Colorado State Rams (4-6, 3-3 MW)

WHEN: Friday, November 22— 7:30 PM MT

WHERE: War Memorial Stadium; Laramie, WY (29,131)

TV: ESPN2

STREAM: fuboTV

RADIO: Wyoming | Colorado State

SERIES RECORD: Colorado State leads 58-47-5 all-time

Wyoming leads Bronze Boot series 27-24

WEBSITES: Wyoming | Colorado State

ODDS (via OddsShark): Wyoming -6.5

FEI Projection: Wyoming by 15

According to ancient Colorado State lore, the Rams were once the proud holder of the Bronze Boot. While historians continue to argue the validity of that claim, current Buffalo Bills quarterback and former Wyoming standout Josh Allen chimed in with his thoughts on “Sheep Week”.

Colorado State is well aware of the history they will make if they are able to win the big game at War Memorial Stadium. Rams coach Mike Bobo reminded the team, the citizens of Fort Collins, and all of the communities along the Front Range of how the last three meetings against the Pokes have ended during practice this week.

All jokes aside, a very dangerous and hungry squad will be making their way up from Fort Collins for the game on Friday night. An explosive offense led by QB Patrick O’Brien and WR Warren Jackson combined with a must-win game from their perspective will ensure the Pokes get the best the Rams have to offer.

Three Keys to a Wyoming Win

Contain Warren Jackson

There is no way around it, this guy is a physical specimen. His “worst” game of the season was 4 rec-53 yards-1 TD against Arkansas. Pro Football Focus has Jackson ranked as the top G5 receiver. Wyoming’s defense gave up a lot through the air last week against Utah State so slowing the Rams passing game could be a challenge. Tyler Hall has been one of the better corners in the Mountain West but he will be at a huge size advantage against the Rams standout. Limiting Jackson’s production will be key in Wyoming keeping the Boot.

Reintroduce A Quarterback Running Threat

The Cowboys offense has looked really bad without a quarterback who can run the ball and Tyler Vander Waal had a tough game last week when he was asked to throw a lot more passes than the Pokes usually attempt. Last week, the Cowboys called some direct snaps to Valladay and attempted to get Austin Conway the ball on the perimeter. The reality is that Wyoming is going to struggle to expose the Rams defense if the plan is to run a knicked up Valladay up the gut for 25 attempts. Whether it’s calling more gimmick formations, more runs for Vander Waal, or inserting Levi Williams, the Cowboys need more out of that position than they have had the last 2 weeks.

Match Colorado State’s Intensity

The Rams have everything on the line in this one. At 4-6, they are still alive for a bowl bid if they can beat Wyoming and Boise State to close the season. While those odds are not great, with the way they have played during the second half of the season, they have shown that they haven’t given up. The seat is red hot for Mike Bobo and he may need wins against the Cowboys and Broncos to keep his job.

Wyoming also has a lot on the line. With a win, the Cowboys eliminate Colorado State, ensure their senior class never takes an L against the Rams, and earn the critical 7th win that should lock them into a bowl game.

Oh, and it’s for the Bronze Boot!

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Air Force vs. New Mexico: Three Keys To A Falcons Victory

Air Force looks to keep its conference championship hopes alive against the Lobos.

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Falcons looking to win 6th straight

The Kings of Colorado are coming to Albuquerque

Contact/Follow @Sean or @MWCWire

WEEK 13: Air Force Falcons (8-2) at New Mexico Lobos (2-8)

WHEN: Saturday, November 23 —12:00 PM MT/ 11:00 AM PT

WHERE: Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, NM

TV: ESPN3

STREAMING: You can get a free seven-day trial of SlingTV by clicking here.

RADIO: Air Force | New Mexico: Lobo Radio Network 77 AM/94.5FM

SERIES RECORD: Air Force leads the series 22-14

GAME NOTES (PDF): New Mexico | Air Force

ODDS (via OddsShark): Air Force -22.5

Air Force comes into their week 13 matchup with the Lobos flying high on a five game win streak. New Mexico on the other hand will be limping in, losers of seven straight. So while the Falcons have everything to play for in front of them, including slim chances at a Mountain Division title, while the Lobos may be just looking to put this season into the books.

Though it may be unfair and irresponsible to say New Mexico is just going to fold like a lawn chair; this team would have every reason to. The adversity and distractions this team has had to deal with since January would take its toll on anyone. With all of that in mind, the task ahead is a large one; the daunting triple option offense (which New Mexico coach Bob Davie originally ran a hybrid variety of with great success) and a surging Falcon defense that is playing with a ton of confidence. Oh, and lets not dismiss special teams who recently had kicker Jake Koehnke added as a Lou Groza semi-finalist.

Lets not forget though, New Mexico has won four of the last six meetings, which includes taking three of the last four. However, the previously references that hybrid option offense that the Lobos ran at that time could be largely responsible for their success in that period. Gone is that offense, and seemingly any success for New Mexico ever since.

Three Keys to an Air Force Victory

1. Defense Shows Up 

For what anyone may think about the performance of the New Mexico offense, the Falcons don’t want to be the team that gives any optimism for the end of the season and into 2020.

The fact is, Air Force has scored 35 points or more in each of the last six meetings and only won two of them. I get that these are different teams this year, but looking back, the Falcons had the “better team” multiple times, but failed to win even with all that scoring.

The defense has been trending up for weeks now. They have remained fierce against the run, ranking in the top ten nationally (even after playing two of the top three rushing offenses) and are drastically improved in the secondary. Continued outstanding play here should be the cornerstone to making it a very long day for the Lobos.

2. Leave the Identity Crisis to New Mexico

Over the last few seasons Bob Davie has deployed a ‘new look’ spread offense with the Lobos. Or as our friends Matt Kennerly and Jeremy Mauss so affectionately coined the new offensive approach as ” the Throwbos”.

Whatever they call it, it has not paid off. Not nearly the dividends at least that the previously ground heavy offensive attack once did. This was a program that was in and competing for bowls under the spread option attack, which was a big deal in New Mexico. They ranked near the top offensively in rushing in that span, only to essentially trade their shinny new Lexus in for an 81 Honda “How Dare You!?”. Employee of the Month Reference for all you movie buffs out there.

The point of this regression is, leave it to New Mexico to try and force a square peg into the round hole. The Air Force passing game is largely predicated on success running the ball, and the element of surprise. Running defenses into the ground is what Air Force (ironically) does. They should approach this week no differently.

3. Stay Healthy

Air Force shouldn’t be looking ahead to their bedlam with Wyoming the following week.  But that won’t stop me, or anyone else looking at how this Division race could shape up with a Boise slip-up. There is also a lot of jockeying for Bowl placement as well, irrespective of how Boise performs relative to the Division crown.

With that said, staying healthy for their game against the Poke’s could prove critical, considering the type of physical match-up it will be. Another consider around health for this game is that Air Force will be without their primary backup quarterback, Isaiah Sanders against the Lobos. Although, the prospect of Michael Schmidt under center shouldn’t waver the confidence in the Air Force offense one bit.

Prediction

Offense. Defense. Special Teams. Air Force is the better team in all three phases of the game. If they simply show up and execute, it should make for a very long game on both sides of the ball for the Lobos.

Considering all that the New Mexico Lobos football family have gone through, you can’t help but pull for them. Unfortunately, that’s not how winning football games work. But were pulling for them, no less. There is more than just football.

Air Force 38 – New Mexico 13

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Game Day Preview, #20 Boise State and Utah State Face Off with the Mountain Division in the Balance

Boise State travels to Logan to take on Utah State in a key Mountain West game.

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Game Day Preview, #20 Boise State and Utah State Face Off with the Mountain Division in the Balance

Who will start at quarterback for either team?

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Broncos and Aggies Clash in Logan 

@RajaBleedsBlue  Raja Prabhala
@Logantj  Logan Jones
@PolarisMan17  Collin Clovis

A season which looked lost a few weeks ago for Utah State has been rejuvenated after two big victories and the Aggies are now staring at a major opportunity. Utah State was not only able to hold off the Wyoming Cowboys in Logan last week and once again secure the Bridger Rifle, they gained their sixth victory on the year and became bowl eligible.

The 20th ranked Boise State Broncos meanwhile dispatched New Mexico on the Blue Turf to move to 9-1 on Senior Day last week but face a much stiffer test this week on the road versus Utah State. 

The Aggies and the Broncos had a fierce contest last year in Boise which featured both teams ranked and it was the Broncos who came out ahead and earned the right to go on to the Mountain West Championship game.  The stakes may be equally high this year as these two rivals face off for their 24th meeting. 

Date: November 23, 2019
Where: Maverick Stadium in Logan, UT
When: 8:30 PM MST
How to Watch: CBS Sports Network
Stream: FuboTV – Get a seven-day free trial
Spread: Boise State -9
ESPN FPI Win Predictor: Boise State 68% win probability
Weather: High of 43°/Low of 21° with mostly clear skies and light winds.  Sunset at 5:01 PM
Head to Head Record: Boise State 18 wins, Utah State 5 wins
Previous Meeting: Boise State 33, Utah State 24 on November 24, 2018 in Boise, ID
Big West Conference Titles: Boise State 2, Utah State 3
WAC Conference Titles: Boise State 8, Utah State 1
MWC Mountain Division Titles: Boise State 3, Utah State 1
MWC Conference Titles: Boise State 3, Utah State 0

Bronco/Aggie History Rewind
Utah State played their first recorded football game in 1892 but were an independent unit until they joined the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 1916 before moving to the Mountain States Skyline Conference in 1938.  The Aggies would return to independent play in 1962 before joining the Big West in 1978. After a long run in the Big West, Utah State bounced around independency and the Sun Belt between 2001 to 2004 before finally landing in the Western Athletic Conference.

Boise State football would kick off in 1933 and the Broncos competed as a junior college until joining Division 1 AA (now known as the FCS) in 1968.  The Broncos were an independent and then a member of the Big Sky before making the jump to 1A competition (or FBS) in 1996 when they joined Utah State in the Big West.

The Aggies and Broncos faced off for the first time back in 1975, a Utah State victory in Boise, Idaho.  Boise State and Utah State would face each other 4 times as non-conference opponents before Boise State joined the Big West. The Broncos would go on to win 3 out of 5 over the Aggies as Big West opponents before Boise State moved to the Western Athletic Conference in 2001.

In the WAC, Boise State racked up 6 straight victories over Utah State while also ringing up 8 conference titles.  Boise State would then head to the Mountain West Conference after the 2010 season and Utah State took advantage of the Broncos absence to win their only WAC championship in 2012. The Aggies followed the Broncos to the MWC in 2013 and have played Boise State every year since as Mountain Division foes.  The Broncos are 5-1 in these matchups but the Aggies were able to land a big victory in 2015 to a score of 52-26 in Logan.

Boise State Season Rewind

The 2019 Bronco season started off with a bang as true freshman quarterback Hank Bachmeier led Boise State to a victory against college football blue blood Florida State at Doak Walker Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.  The good times would not stop there as the Broncos would win the next 6 straight and move all the way to the 14th spot in the AP Rankings. With superstar Curtis Weaver leading a young defense and Bachmeier at the head of a deep and talented offensive machine, the Broncos looked like a strong favorite to get to a New Year’s Six bowl game.

Unfortunately the young quarterback had been taking quite a few hits over the course of the season and was forced to miss a matchup on the road against Brigham Young and the Cougars were able to pull off the upset over the Broncos. Boise State was able to recover and knocked off San Jose State, Wyoming, and New Mexico in successive weeks to move to 9-1 for the year.

The New Year’s Six Cotton Bowl is once again within reach of the Broncos as they are in a dog fight with multiple members of the American Athletic Conference and Appalachian State from the Sun Belt for the coveted bid. Boise State however must first turn their attention to their own conference. The Broncos are favored in this road contest and can lock up the Mountain Division with a win but have been defeated by their rival in Logan before.

Utah State Season Rewind

Gary Andersen’s first year back with Utah State has been a wild one. The follow up to last year’s smashing 11 win season began about as you would expect, with the Aggies’ annual heartbreaking road loss to a Power 5 team followed by home wins against Colorado State and some unfortunate FCS team.

The first significant early development was a big road win at San Diego State which seemed to fuel a mostly new look squad with the confidence that these Aggies could compete with anyone. The season brimmed with promise as Utah State took to the road to face the mighty SEC.

Those paying attention to Joe Burrow and the Louisiana State Tigers probably knew the surefire beatdown awaiting Utah State at LSU would be an ugly affair but the loss still marked a noticeable turning point. Quarterback Jordan Love’s interception troubles persisted, the defense played uninspired after an initial early game burst, and that once sparkling confidence gained in San Diego evaporated.

What’s worse, a bounce back win over lowly Nevada two weeks later did little to restore it. The team had yet to appear fully operational on both sides of the ball and even with three key conference wins under its belt something was broken under the hood heading into a tough road game at Air Force.

That’s when the wheels came off. Air Force mercilessly bullied the Aggies for a nightmarish 60 minutes, damaging something in USU’s internal makeup so completely that a week later BYU gleefully trampled on whatever was left. In a two week span, Utah State lost the Wagon Wheel, its best linebacker, and its identity as a once promising season circled the drain.

And then in a mighty stroke of both fortune and inspiring resiliency, the Aggies came to themselves just in time to survive a road bout at Fresno (thanks in part to the best kicker in the Mountain West) and returned home to defend Maverik Stadium against Wyoming’s vaunted defense. The season wasn’t lost after all — at 6-4 the Aggies have once again claimed bowl eligibility and a spark of hope that perhaps this matchup against Boise State can still be a game.

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Mountain West Football: Division Champion Tiebreakers, Explained

If Utah State beats Boise State on Saturday, what happens to the race for the division crown? We explain the possibilities.

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Mountain West Football: Division Champion Tiebreakers, Explained

If Utah State beats Boise State on Saturday, what happens next? It could get messy, but we explain the possibilities.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

If chaos erupts, here’s how to make sense of it.

Little by little, the race to the Mountain West football championship has cleared and there are now just five teams left in the running. In the West division, things are pretty clear cut: San Diego State will head to Hawaii for a winner-takes-all contest against the Warriors this Saturday.

There are still a few possibilities, however, in the Mountain division. Boise State visits Utah State with a chance to wrap things up cleanly this weekend, but if the underdog Aggies pull off an upset at home, things could get pretty interesting with another week to go after that.

In that event, it would be time to start talking about tiebreakers. The Wikipedia page for the Mountain West title game lays out how each potential outcome is prioritized and the conference itself put out a document which explains the step-by-step process, but I’ll explain how each situation could come to be and who would benefit.

Two-team Tiebreaker Procedures

Head-to-head results between the tied teams:

  • Air Force (7-1) beats New Mexico and Wyoming, Boise State (7-1) beats Utah State and loses to Colorado State — Boise State wins the division
  • Air Force (7-1) beats New Mexico and Wyoming, Utah State (7-1) beats Boise State and New Mexico, Boise State (6-2) loses to Utah State and Colorado State — Air Force wins the division
  • Utah State (7-1) beats Boise State and New Mexico, Boise State (7-1) loses to Utah State and beats Colorado State, Air Force loses to New Mexico and/or Wyoming (6-2 or 5-3) — Utah State wins the division
  • Utah State (6-2) beats Boise State but loses to New Mexico, Boise State loses to Utah State and Colorado State (6-2), Air Force loses to New Mexico and Wyoming (5-3) — Utah State wins the division
  • Hawaii (5-3) beats San Diego State (5-3); Nevada loses to Fresno State and/or UNLV (4-4 or 3-5) — Hawaii wins the division

Three-team Tiebreaker Procedures

#1: Head-to-head results between the tied teams:

  • Hawaii (5-3) beats San Diego State (5-3), Nevada wins out (5-3) — Hawaii wins the division

In potentially beating both the Aztecs and the Wolf Pack, Hawaii would own the head-to-head edge and would win the West division.

What about the Mountain division? If Utah State beats Boise State and then the Aggies, Broncos and Air Force all win their season finales, each team would finish 7-1. However, none of them would finish with the head-to-head tiebreaker: Boise State beat Air Force, Utah State beat Boise State, and Air Force beat Utah State. More on this later.

It’s still possible, too, that all three teams could finish with two losses:

  • Utah State beats Boise State and loses to New Mexico (6-2), Boise State loses to Utah State and Colorado State (6-2), Air Force loses to either New Mexico or Wyoming (6-2)

Keep this scenario in mind as I’ll be referring to it a lot. In either case, the conference would go to the second tiebreaker…

#2: Winning percentage in games played against division opponents

This is the tiebreaker which enabled Wyoming to emerge from the Mountain division in 2016, since the Cowboys went 4-1 against its division opponents and Boise State and New Mexico were both 3-2.

If all three teams finish with one loss: This wouldn’t help since they would all finish undefeated against Colorado State, New Mexico, and Wyoming, finishing 4-1 in Mountain division play.

If all three teams finish with two losses (as outlined above): 

  • Air Force: win vs. CSU and UNM/Wyo, loss vs. UNM/Wyo (2-1)
  • Boise State: win vs. UNM and Wyoming, loss vs. CSU (2-1)
  • Utah State: win vs. CSU and Wyoming, loss vs. UNM (2-1)

In sum, each team would finish 3-2 in Mountain division play, so we’re stuck here, as well. The conference would then move to the third tiebreaker…

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Hawai’i vs. San Diego State: Keys to a ‘Bows Victory

Week 13: Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors(7-4,4-3MW) vs. San Diego State Aztecs(8-2,5-2MW) When: Saturday, November 23rd 2019 @ 6:00pm HST 8pm PST Where: Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, HI TV: Spectrum PPV Stream: Facebook(Mainland only) Radio: ESPN Honolulu …

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Week 13: Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors(7-4,4-3MW) vs. San Diego State Aztecs(8-2,5-2MW)

When: Saturday, November 23rd 2019 @ 6:00pm HST 8pm PST

Where: Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, HI

TV: Spectrum PPV

Stream: Facebook(Mainland only)

Radio: ESPN Honolulu

Odds: Hawai’i by -3

Series Record: SDSU leads 21-10-2 overall, Also leads 11-6-2 in Honolulu

With a win Saturday night Hawai’i will make it’s first conference title game ever.

The stars have aligned maybe as the final MW game one the season for both team decide who will represent the West in the championship game on December 7th. It could be during MW media days Coach Nick Rolovich brought a fortune teller to grant his wish to come true and win the MW championship. Putting all that aside UH needs to focus solely on SDSU and come out with a “W.” Let’s look at some keys to Hawai’i coming out on top:

Two headed monster

Whether it’s Chevan Coideiro or Cole McDonald who get the start, SDSU head coach Rocky Long knows it will be hard to prepare for either QB. All season long though Coach Long relies on his top ten nationally defense to stop or limit big plays on the ground or in the air.

It will be interesting to see if UH’s offense is clicking on all cylinders from the start can SDSU stop the 2019 version of the run and shoot offense. It is evident Coideiro plays very well at Aloha Stadium and Cole struggles sometimes from the start. We might see Coideiro start again but if the game is not flowing well like last week at UNLV hopefully McDonald can be beast he is and bust his way through for more rushing and passing TDs.

Magic number is 21

San Diego State averages 20.5 points per game and while Hawai’i defense improved a bit with two interceptions and holding UNLV to only 7 gives them confidence to hold a struggling Aztecs offense to 21 points. If the ‘Bows “D” can limit the big running plays or play action bombs to the tight ends they should keep Hawai’i in this game and not let it be a shootout. SDSU QB Ryan Agnew may be playing hurt with a bruised calf but he will still be serviceable and command his offense in this all important game.

Look for more handoffs or slant passes to RB Chase Jasmin to get the Aztecs to move the ball downfield. This means Hawaii’s linebacking core will need to have a big game to stop Jasmin from getting into the second level.

No Aloha at Aloha Stadium

All year long one constant question most media members bring up is “Where are the fans/students?” There could be several factors to that being there are many things to do on a Saturday night on Oahu.

For students it seems to be a hassle to catch a free 20 minute shuttle ride to and from campus, watch a four hour game and come back late to other campus events or parties. Pay Per View makes the older generations much more reluctant to stay home or take a short drive to their local theater to watch it for $12 a ticket. It could even be previous fans are done with Hawai’i football after the Norm Chow era.

All those things I mentioned above are excuses. Excuses from attending a event where young men are playing hard and in the process getting banged up but they know they are playing not just for themselves, their teammates, coaches, or school. They are playing for an entire state and people in Hawai’i know when the ‘Bows win there are happier folks at work or at the gym or even in the supermarket.

So the hope is for at least this Saturday one of the most meaningful game ever played at Aloha Stadium, fans and students can show up and support a team that gives so much Aloha to the people of Hawai’i. It’s time to give the Aloha back by cheering them on at the game.

Prediction

I expect both teams to score points but it might seem Hawaii’s offense will put up a few more on the stellar San Diego State defense. This game will truly define if Rolo has his program in “phase 2” to chase championships.

Hawai’i 31 San Diego State 21

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Week 3 College Football Playoff Rankings: Boise State Falls In Line Behind AAC

Boise State is ranked XX in the College Football Playoff

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Week 3 College Football Playoff Rankings: Boise State Falls In Line Behind AAC

Broncos are where we thought they would be.

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Boise State is in prime position.

There were no surprises when it came to where Boise State was ranked in the latest College Football Playoffs. The Broncos came in at No. 20 and are behind both Memphis and Cincinnati. However, the big news is that the Bearcats dropped two spots which could come into play over the next few weeks and help Boise State.

The big thing that could be an issue with the Broncos and earning the New Year’s Six bid is a gap between them and Boise State.

Moving up the rankings is fine and well-deserved but as mentioned before is that the Tigers and Bearcats are most likely playing back-to-back. That second game, if played, would be for the AAC title and possibly a Cotton Bowl berth.

Basically, there is a roadblock for the Broncos and they need help, as we say in our weekly column about pecking order for the Group of Five bid. Until an AAC team, or two, slip up these rankings are just for show for the Broncos.

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College Football Playoff Rankings

  1. LSU

  2. OHIO STATE

  3. clemson

  4. georgia

  5. ALABAMA

  6. OREGON

  7. UTAH

  8. penn state

  9. oklahoma

  10. minnesota

  11. florida

  12. WISCONSIN

  13. michigan

  14. baylor

  15. auburn

  16. notre dame

  17. IOWA

  18. MEMPHIS

  19. Cincinnati

  20. bOISE STATE

  21. OKLAHOMA STATE

  22. IOWA STATE

  23. USC

  24. APPALACHIAN STATE

  25. SOUTHERN METHODIST

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New Mexico Has Few Answers Against Boise State

New Mexico Has Few Answers Against Boise State Boise State dominates in win over Lobos 42-9 Contact/Follow @MWCwire Lobos losing streak continues The New Mexico Lobo football team did not quite start with a bang Saturday night against Boise State at …

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New Mexico Has Few Answers Against Boise State

 Boise State dominates in win over Lobos 42-9 

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Lobos losing streak continues

The New Mexico Lobo football team did not quite start with a bang Saturday night against Boise State at Albertsons Stadium on the blue turf. 

It would be the Broncos who would start with that big bang vs. the Lobos as the first offensive series of the Lobos turning the ball over.  

New Mexico quarterback Tavaka Tuioti fumbled the ball on the opening play of the game as Broncos senior Sonatane Lui scooped and scored from 24 yards out going up 7-0 on the Lobos.  

Not the way to start the game as far as giving momentum to the home team without them earning it sort to speak, especially when momentum plays a huge impact on college football games.  

UNM’s top two running backs, Ahmari Davis and Bryson Carroll, were both injured on the opening two drives and left the game. Kentrail Moran ended up as UNM’s leading rusher with 30 yards.

Davis would end the leave the game with what later with a torn ACL, so he is out for the season, leaving the Lobos with just three running backs in the season.  

This leaves the Lobo football team with only three running backs, Kentrail Moran, Bobby Cole, Micah Gray. Bryce Carroll did not practice with Lobos on Monday’s practices per UNM SID Frank Mercogliano. 

The Lobos would end up with 45 attempts on 117 rushing yards, and Sophomore QB Tavaka Tuioti would go 14 of 21 175 passing yards. UNM only rushed for 117 yards, the second-lowest total of the season. 

Boise State got off to a very fast game, with this Lobo turnover starting the scoring taking the lead early and ending the first quarter 28-0 

So its 28-0 at the end of the first quarter and Boise didn’t score again till 40 seconds left in the third quarter to make it 35, said a lot about the Lobo defense did not lay down and had some three and outs.  

Hence the score remaining pretty stagnant until the third quarter until Boise State continued to score, and New Mexico got on the board with the score.  

The Lobos would go on to get routed 42-9 in a game that there was never any doubt from a Bronco perspective as far as being dominant and winning the game.  

It was apparent early on in the game that the Lobo football team would not pull the upset as they did in 2015 on the blue turf in one of Head Coach Bob Davies’s biggest win’s ever as the head coach at UNM. 

The Broncos looks and showed why they were the ranked team, being very physical against the Lobos on both sides of the ball against the Lobos.  

A huge loss for the Broncos suffered on Saturday night was star defensive end, Curtis Weaver. He went down awkwardly attempting a sack and never returned to the game. He is the Moutain West record holder in career sacks and a huge part of the success for the Broncos in 2019.  

This win over the Lobos could be very costly for Boise State if Weaver is out for a significant amount of time.

So with that loss, it adds to the loss of Hank Bachmeier, and DeAndre Pierce the Broncos are now without their best quarterback, safety and defensive front players 

UNM’s last road win over a ranked team was with Rocky Long, the head coach at the time, October 25, 2003 at No. 23 Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium with a Lobo 47-35 win. 

It would be one of Long’s biggest upset wins on the road as head Lobo coach with the win over the head Coach Urban Meyer Utah Utes who finished 21st ranked at 10-2 

So, it’s been 16 years since the Lobos have beaten a ranked opponent on the road, and they have lost 13 in a row against such ranked opponents.

Coach Bob Davie mentioned on the morning radio show that this had been the year “Did that really just happen?”

He was candid that it’d been a nightmare season, but he appreciates the fight in his player’s fight through it all that has happened this year. To his credit, Davie also has taken full responsibility in the Lobo football season as well. 

The Lobo loss to Boise dropped UNM to 2-8 overall and 0-6 in the conference and their seventh straight loss.  

With two back to back 3-8 seasons, the Lobo faithful fans had hoped for better than what has transpired this season at very least a winning record.  

New Mexico football could very well end the season 2-10 overall and 0-8 even worse than the last two years if the Lobo can’t pull out a win hear near the end of the season.  

For Boise State, the No. 19 Broncos improved to 9-1 overall and 6-0 in the conference. The Broncos travel to Utah State next week while UNM heads home for its final two games against Air Force and Utah State. 

One a positive note in a tribute to Lobo defensive tackle Najah Flowers who passed away a week ago Tuesday, both teams lined up along their respective sidelines and had arms locked for a moment of silence for Flowers who passed a week ago Tuesday. 

Lobo captains were at midfield and held Flowers’ jersey aloft, and each helmet had a round black sticker with Flowers’ 93 inside of it on the back left of the helmet.

On the back, right was a sticker that was an actual picture of Flowers.  As good as the gesture or ceremony was, you have to wonder how the Lobo players regrouped to play a top-ranked opponent in such an emotional moment just moments later. 

How about Boise State reaching out to UNM to have this ceremony before the game to honor Najah Flowers life, speaks volumes of Bronco Nation, Coach Harsin their university in general.  

It just has been that kind of season for the 2019 Lobo football team, the coaches, the fans, and all in Lobo nation. 

The ceremony put a stamp on what’s really important in life over the game of football and its lift itself when you have seen a loved young student athlete’s life end at such an early age. 

Rest in Peace Najah Flowers from Lobo nation.

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College Football Playoff Rankings: Projecting Boise State In The Week 13 Top 25

After coasting against New Mexico, will anything change for the Broncos in the CFP pecking order? We make our prediction.

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College Football Playoff Rankings: Projecting Boise State in the Week 13 Top 25

After coasting against New Mexico, will anything change for the Broncos in the CFP pecking order? We make our prediction.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

How much will a blowout win matter this week?

The Boise State Broncos finally found a way to make winning easy for themselves on Saturday night, riding third-string quarterback Jaylon Henderson and a suffocating defensive effort to a big win over New Mexico, and with some Power 5 pieces on the move around them, it seems likely that they’ll be ascending yet again when the newest College Football Playoff rankings come out on Tuesday.

Will they be able to close the gap on the Group of 5 foes ahead of them, though? As always, keep this in mind first: A lot can change in a week and in the CFP era and things have definitely tended to change quite a bit over the course of a month or so.

Here’s a quick recap of the weekend that was and what it might mean.

Who lost?

From the top:

  • #8 Minnesota lost on the road to #20 Iowa, 23-19
  • #12 Auburn lost at home to #4 Georgia, 21-14
  • #13 Baylor lost at home to #10 Oklahoma, 34-31
  • #19 Texas lost on the road to Iowa State, 23-21
  • #23 Navy lost on the road to #16 Notre Dame, 52-20
  • #24 Kansas State lost at home to West Virginia, 24-20

On Mountain West Wire’s Week 12 preview podcast, I briefly discussed that Iowa and Texas wedging themselves between Boise State and Cincinnati and Memphis had less to do with the Broncos and more to do with finding landing spots for falling and rising teams and, sure enough, neither team will be an obstacle in the new rankings. In case you needed more proof the Longhorns are definitely Not Back, here it is.

Other than that, there weren’t nearly as many disruptions to the pecking order as there was last week. Baylor and Minnesota fell from the ranks of the unbeatens, but it doesn’t seem likely they’ll fall that far. Back in 2016, Clemson and Washington were top four teams who lost to unranked Pitt by one and #20 USC by 13, respectively. The Tigers fell from #2 to #4 while the Huskies dropped from #4 to #6.

This isn’t even the first time this has happened to Baylor at this juncture, either. In 2015, the Bears were ranked sixth and lost by ten at home to #10 Oklahoma, falling four spots in the subsequent top 25.

By Way of Comparison: How did the rest of the Group of 5 fare?

  • #17 Cincinnati defeated South Florida on the road, 20-17
  • #18 Memphis defeated Houston on the road, 45-27
  • #25 Appalachian State defeated Georgia State on the road, 56-27
  • Louisiana Tech lost to Marshall on the road, 31-10

The Bearcats skated by in Tampa on the grace of #collegekickers, pushing their record to 3-0 in games decided by eight points or fewer. Like SMU, Cincinnati has really pushed their luck of late.

Meanwhile, Memphis and App State took some time to get going in their road victories but ultimately didn’t have much trouble in either case. Louisiana Tech went into Huntington with some of its best players suspended, including quarterback J’Mar Smith, and got bounced from the conversation. It’s good news for Boise State, though: The Herd now have the inside track to the Conference USA East division crown. Anything that helps boost the season-long resume helps.

SMU was idle this weekend and may benefit from teams like Texas and Navy getting bounced from the rankings.

Is it time to seriously consider Air Force?

Maybe? At this point, many of the advanced metrics would put the Falcons neck-and-neck, or maybe slightly ahead, of a team like SMU. The Mustangs may have the trump card of owning one loss rather than two, but their strength of schedule (per Jeff Sagarin) is nearly even: Air Force is 81st and SMU is 89th.

It wouldn’t be the first time a Group of 5 team cracked the top 25 this early with two losses, either. Boise State, coincidentally, has done it in each of the last two seasons by slipping into the rankings at #25. Memphis did it back in 2015, too, though not in the way anyone would want: They fell from #13 to #21 after two straight losses.

So what do I think the top 25 will look like? Read on.

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Utah State outlast Wyoming in ugly Bridger’s Battle game

Ags retain the rifle and keep MWC title hopes alive in bruising win over feisty Pokes

Contact/Follow @SamMcConkie & @MWCwire

USU’s conference title hopes remain alive

The phrase “cardiac kids” comes to mind with this Utah State team.

Much like the Aggies of 2011, this group of players has been hanging tough in numerous one-score games. Unlike the 2011 team, this Aggie team has had significantly better luck in close contests. USU has gone a solid 3-1 this year when the game is on the line in the closing minutes. No thanks to untimely penalties, Wyoming shot themselves in the foot just one time too many to reclaim the rifle.

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The game started out extremely poorly for both teams. USU failed to gain any offensive rhythm and turned the ball over in the first minute of the game on a batted and intercepted pass from Jordan Love. This felt like a “here we go again” type moment for USU as Love’s struggles with ball security reared their head yet again.

Unfortunately for Wyoming, newly minted starting QB Tyler Vander Waal showed some serious jitters. After easily getting his offense inside USU’s 15-yard line, a blitz off the edge sent Vander Waal scrambling backwards. Vander Waal then promptly lost the ball after tripping on the turf and USU recovered it around the 35-yard line.

This game would overall be a battle of defenses as neither team scored anything in the first quarter. Wyoming’s star LB Logan Wilson then made his presence felt beginning the second quarter as he picked off another batted Jordan Love pass and took it 10 yards for an easy score. Already at two turnovers on the afternoon, it felt like this game could get out of hand quickly for USU.

A few minutes later after USU’s defense forced a punt, Jordan Love shook off his funk and tossed a dart to Siaosi Mariner for an 80-yard touchdown pass. It would signal the start of a strong second quarter as Love threw a TD to Gerold Bright on a busted coverage in Wyoming’s questionable secondary. Now the Aggies had rhythm and Wyoming would have to keep up.

For Wyo’s RB Xazavian Valladay, this would prove to be no issue. The rusher bullied his way down the field on a strong drive, aided by a couple of sloppy penalties on USU’s defense. It then set up Vander Waal for a leap into the endzone, tying the game up.

Before the half ended, USU kicked a couple of field goals to go up 20-14. One of the kicks was set up after Shaq Bond intercepted a tipped pass from Vander Waal. USU had a chance to go up more before half, but USU got caught with an ineligible player penalty that wiped away an endzone bomb from Love to Thompkins.

In the second half, the defensive war was in full effect.

USU forced the Cowboys to punt after sacking Vander Waal to end an extended drive. USU then went on an extended drive themselves and made it all the way inside Wyoming’s five-yard line. Jordan Love took a nasty hit on a scramble and then USU was unable to finish the drive with a touchdown. On a frustratingly predictable play call, they turned the ball over on downs.

These defenses continued hitting each others’ offenses in the mouth. USU was able to squeeze out one more field goal apiece from Dominik Eberle per remaining quarter to take a 26-14 lead with 11:11 to go in the fourth. But Wyoming wasn’t going away by a long-shot.

The Cowboys ate up over four minutes of the clock and scored on a touchdown drive to bring the game to 26-21. USU QB Henry Colombi, filling in for the possibly injured Love, was then unable to respond with a score of his own in two drive attempts and USU had to punt. Not only was the game getting too close for comfort, it looked like an ending we’d all seen before.

Not known for their passing prowess, Wyoming would need to rely on Tyler Vander Waal’s arm to win the game. Walk-on LB Eric Munoz for the Aggies had other plans though.

Vander Waal got his offense moving and the Cowboys inside the Aggie 40-yard line. Sure heartbreak felt like an inevitability as the Aggies struggled all afternoon with the QB’s ability to scramble. Some late pressure came from USU’s defense and got the QB rushed. He threw across his body right into the arms of the waiting Munoz.

Ecstasy and relief in one fell swoop for the Aggies. They avoided the upset and preserved their conference title hopes, even with the status of Jordan Love unknown. Wyoming suffered their second consecutive heartbreaking loss and was left to wonder what might have been. But oh what a game!

The Last Stand

Utah State, despite some big ups and downs this season, is right where they want to be. With two games remaining in the regular season, they have a chance to at least tie for first in the loaded Mountain Division. Another loss from Air Force and then an Aggie win over the Broncos would launch USU into the MWC title game.

Boise State comes to Logan with QB uncertainty of their own, as well as some other question marks. Despite their strong 9-1 record and national ranking, the Broncos have looked inconsistent and downright ugly at times on offense. They struggled to put away Wyoming on the blue turf and had to go to overtime to finish the job. They also had to survive a shootout on the road against upstart San Jose State, a team with a less than stellar defense.

While team depth is still better for the Broncos, the potential loss of Curtis Weaver from their defensive line could make the upcoming game a suddenly fair fight. It could be Boise’s backup QB vs USU’s backup QB.

USU’s offensive line has gelled better in recent weeks and if RB Jaylen Warren continues to heal up, the Ags may finally have the offensive balance they need to take on the Broncos. With or without Love at the helm, the receivers have stepped up big in recent weeks to help secure the close wins.

This is the moment we’ve been waiting for since 2013, Aggie fans: show up this weekend and support our boys! They’ve battled through significant hardship and they still have a shot to accomplish all their team goals on November 23rd (coupled with an Air Force loss somewhere).

A win validates the program culture, possibly for good. A loss would be painful, but we would still have gone bowling in eight of the last nine seasons. All things considered, that is no small feat for a program that is only a decade removed from its dark ages.

I believe. Do you?

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