Mountain West Football: Players Of The Month For August/September

With the first several chapters of the 2023 season in the books, who have been Mountain West football’s biggest standouts so far?

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]


Mountain West Football: Players of the Month For August/September


With the first several chapters of the 2023 season in the books, who have been Mountain West football’s biggest standouts so far?


Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

The small-sample elite.

Note: Players below are presented in alphabetical order.

Offensive Players of the Month

1. Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, New Mexico

The Lobos’ lead running back has a strong case as the biggest individual surprise of the young season, posting 420 rushing yards at 6.77 yards per carry with seven touchdowns in five games. According to Pro Football Focus, he also ranks second among Mountain West running backs with 26 missed tackles forced on just 62 attempts and first with a 92.1 overall grade. He’s a definite keeper.

2. Tory Horton, WR, Colorado State

Horton has picked up where he left off last season in a big way, leading the nation with 11.3 receptions and 135 receiving yards per game through four contests. He’s also scored six times in the last three games and posted an overall PFF grade of 90.0, second among conference pass catchers, helping establish the Rams’ offensive potency with a new quarterback and emerging playmakers in tow.

3. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

Perhaps no player in the conference has meant as much to his offense as the sophomore Texan means to the Broncos. He currently leads the Mountain West with 165.3 all-purpose yards per game and the entire FBS with 12 total touchdowns in just five games, so while Boise State clearly has a number of issues to sort out, getting the ball to #2 should remain a priority while they do so.

4. Zac Larrier, QB, Air Force

Through five games, Larrier has achieved a rare combination of efficiency and explosiveness, especially among Falcons quarterbacks of recent vintage. His 362 rushing yards currently rank fifth among all players in the Mountain West and first among FBS QBs, but he’s also connected on 14-of-19 throws for 410 yards, a staggering 21.6 yards per attempt, and accounted for six total touchdowns (three rushing, three passing). It’s little wonder, then, that PFF has given him the highest grade among all Mountain West quarterbacks to date at 82.6.

Defensive Players of the Month

1. Mohamed Kamara, DE, Colorado State

Kamara entered 2023 as arguably the conference’s premier pass rusher and nothing he’s done in four games has dissuaded anyone of that notion. Besides leading the Mountain West with 6.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss and forcing two fumbles, PFF credits Kamara with 13 quarterback hurries (third in the conference) and 12 stops for good measure.

2. Ike Larsen, S, Utah State

Larsen has continued to be a man of impeccable timing in the young season. His 36 total tackles put him in a tie for second among Mountain West defensive backs, but it’s the highlight plays — the pick-six against Idaho State and the two blocked kicks, including the game-saving play in a Week 5 road win over UConn — that have made him one of the most valuable defenders anywhere in the conference from day one.

3. Bo Richter, DE, Air Force

The Mountain West’s best defense has shined on every front thus far, but few individuals have stood out like Richter. Though he’s tallied 14 total tackles, PFF credits the senior with 16 quarterback hurries, seventh among all FBS defenders, and only one missed fumble to go along with his 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and one forced fumble.

4. Noah Tumblin, CB, San Diego State

The Aztecs secondary has been busy throughout 2023 to date, so you might be forgiven for not noticing that Tumblin is in the midst of a breakout season. Not only does he lead all Mountain West defensive backs with a 85.5 overall PFF grade and a 88.7 grade in coverage, Tumblin currently paces the conference with ten passes defended (eight pass breakups, two interceptions) and has only missed one tackle in six games.

Week 2 Mountain West Football Power Rankings

Week 2 Mountain West Football Power Rankings A jumbled mess this week Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire New rankings are here There are three teams that earned a first-place vote this week and the team that has the most first place votes is not …

Week 2 Mountain West Football Power Rankings


A jumbled mess this week


Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

New rankings are here

[mm-video type=playlist id=01g1kx1m9c8rz2mjgq player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

There are three teams that earned a first-place vote this week and the team that has the most first place votes is not even in the top two (more on that later).

The second week of Mountain West play saw some results that made changes to the rankings but it is too early to make things really concrete. This next week will have some changes with seven games against a Power Five team.

Nothing is for certain now as Boise State who many thought could win the league is 0-2 but league play hasn’t started and perhaps Wyoming is a team to reckon with as it is 2-0 and a win over Texas Tech but they face Texas this weekend.

Air Force vs. Utah State: Why the Falcons will win

Air Force vs. Utah State: Why the Falcons will win Conference Play Kick’s Off at Falcon Stadium on Friday Night Contact/Follow @Sean or @MWCWire Can the Falcons finally get a win over the Blake Anderson era Aggies? WEEK 3: Air Force Falcons 2-0 …


Air Force vs. Utah State: Why the Falcons will win

 


Conference Play Kick’s Off at Falcon Stadium on Friday Night


Contact/Follow @Sean or @MWCWire

[mm-video type=playlist id=01g8ggatak2kacq2ps player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Can the Falcons finally get a win over the Blake Anderson era Aggies?

WEEK 3: Air Force Falcons 2-0 (0-0) vs. Utah State Aggies 1-1 (0-0)

WHEN: Friday, September 15th — 6:00 P.M. MT/ 5:00 P.M. PT

WHERE: Falcon Stadium (Colorado Springs, CO)

WEATHER: A few clouds from time to time. Low 46F. WSW winds shifting to NNW at 10 to 15 mph.

TV: CBS Sports Network CBSSN: Alex Del Barrio, Robert Turbin and Emily Proud

STREAM: FuboTV

RADIO: KVOR AM 740 in Colorado Springs, 104.3 the Fan in Denver, SIRIUS XM 380, SXM 970
Jim Arthur (play-by-play), Jesse Kurtz (analyst)

SERIES RECORD: Air Force leads the series record 6-5

WEBSITES: UtahStateAggies.com, the official Utah State athletics website | GoAirForceFalcons.com, the official Air Force athletics website

GAME NOTES (PDF): Utah State | Air Force

SP+ PROJECTION: Air Force by 13.6

FEI PROJECTION: Air Force by 12.3

PARKER FLEMING PROJECTIONS: Air Force 69.73% (25-17.26)

https://x.com/AF_Football/status/1701278094991266095?s=20

Will this be the year that Air Force hands Blake Anderson his first loss to the Falcons? The series between these schools has been pretty even, with only a slight edge going to the Falcons winning six of 11 matchups. But the past two years, Utah State has had their number under Blake Anderson.

Last season, Air Force was a two score favorite to beat the Aggies, but the trio of Cooper Legas, Calvin Tyler, and Brian Cobbs proved to be too much for what wound up being a 10 win Falcon team.  While Tyler and Cobbs are no longer there, Legas has Terrell Vaughn and Rashul Faison making up a formidable 2023 edition.

Like last year, the Air Force defense looks dominant. Mind you, they lost to the Aggies while surrendering 34 points last year, which saw the Falcons end the season with the top ranked defense in the country. That defense has looked impressive again, but it’s hard to really know when you consider the anemic offenses they have faced.

Offensively, it’s difficult to know just how good they are as they piled up points on an underwhelming FCS opponent to start the season, and then struggled a bit versus what may wind up being a very good Sam Houston defensive group. There is still much to learn yet about the Falcons offense.

Utah State had a solid showing in their season opener against a ranked Iowa team, albeit in a losing effort. After mustering just 14 points against the Hawkeyes, they bounced back scoring nearly 80 points last week versus FCS competition, Idaho State. Regardless of the competition, the Aggies 250 yards rushing per game should have the Falcons attention.

I’m not sure how much these results can be used to conclude a winner in this Friday’s Mountain West Conference opener, but there are plenty of subplots with which to project why either team may be expected to win this bout.

HERE’S WHY AIR FORCE WILL WIN AGAINST THE AGGIES

Unlike their first two games, which saw the Falcons fumble the ball a whopping six times, they should have a considerable focus on ball security this Friday. You would think that’s a given in an program that is obsessed with details, but they have been fortunate to only lose two of those half dozen fumbles. Turnovers have played a significant role in their losses to Utah State the previous two meetings, they would do very well to avoid them in 2023.

The fumbling may also prove an opportunity for others to contribute. Considering fumbles likely led to one of the underclassmen ball carriers to see more carries. Don’t be surprised if Dylan Carson sees a significant increase in carries this week at fullback. He’s got quick feet and wearing number 20 can only mean good things when you’re a Falcon ball carrier.

After the previous encounter, Air Force’s defense should be prepared for Cooper Legas ability to do damage on the ground, not just as a passer. He chipped in 76 yards and a tudd carrying the rock, which was a contributing factor to the Falcons inability to stop the Aggie offense. The Air Force defense is still very good, and a lot of players were on that field last year will remember what happened. Expect them to play at a very high level this time around.

Confidence in the defensive unit holding up their part is more than reasonable. The offense clearly leave a few more question marks. The offensive line is the strength of the offense, executing the multiple run attack at a high level will be a must this week. There is plenty of talent on this offense with Larrier, Eldridge III and crew, and they have yet to unleash Dane Kinamon at all this season. Perhaps this is the week it happens. Kinamon can be an absolute game changer.

I’ll try and capture the essence of an Air Force victory in a not-so-complex recipe. Win the turnover battle, allow Utah State to continue averaging 75 penalty yards per game, feature three 75 yard ball carriers, don’t allow a surprise Aggie impact performer (I’m talking about former Falcon Micah Davis here), continued front seven dominance, and win in the redzone on both sides of the ball.

If Troy Calhoun’s bunch can deliver on those key areas, the Falcon’s should be able to start the year 1-0 in conference play. It will not be easy, but it’s time to get back on the winning end of these games with the Aggies.

Air Force 27 – Utah State 24

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=645997055]

[protected-iframe id=”f7652191f99ba13728097498e8a79cd8-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/show/48681pqFq0kB9dhrtPPoNd” width=”100%” height=”232″ frameborder=”0″]

New Mexico’s Offense Comes Alive In Win Over Tennessee Tech

New Mexico’s Offense Comes Alive In Win Over Tennessee Tech Lobos get a dominant win, 56-10 Contact/Follow @MWCwire Hopkins throws for 4 TDs, Croskey-Merritt “Bill” runs for 3 TDs as Lobos thumps Tennessee Tech ends skid . Keys to the win: Well, …

New Mexico’s Offense Comes Alive In Win Over Tennessee Tech


Lobos get a dominant win, 56-10 


Contact/Follow @MWCwire

 Hopkins throws for 4 TDs, Croskey-Merritt “Bill” runs for 3 TDs as Lobos thumps Tennessee Tech ends skid.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01g1kx1m9c8rz2mjgq player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Keys to the win:

Well, just a week after the Texas A&M Aggies defeated the UNM Lobos 52-10, the Lobos would get to dominate another team themselves. 

The Lobos crushed FCS Tennessee Tech 56-10 to end a 10-game losing skid dating back to their win over UTEP 27-10 on Sept 17, 2022 

Head Coach Danny Gonzales’s decision to bring in an established offensive coordinator in Bryant Vincent is starting to show in offensive output. 

Overall, the Lobos totaled 587 yards in the game, with a near-even split of 291 passing and 296 rushing.

Running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt had a career day with a career-high 162 yards and a career-high three touchdowns.

Dylan Hopkins was just about as efficient as possible as the Lobos ended a 10-game losing streak in resounding style with a 56-10 win over Tennessee Tech in front of UNM’s best season-opening crowd in five years.

Dylan Hopkins has joined some of the great Lobo QBs in history with a 4 TD performance tonight (tied for 2nd all-time), including Jeremy Leach, Graham Leigh, Casey Kelly, and others.

For his performance, Hopkins was listed as the Moutain West Conference player of the week in his first outing at home as a Lobo. 

Dylan Hopkin’s pass to Medford was one of several accurate throws by, who was 13-for-17 for 273 yards and four touchdowns.

Croskey-Merritt, who goes by “Bill,” had two big runs, racing in from 48 yards in the first quarter and then surpassing it with a 55-yard burst on UNM’s opening drive of the second half.  In between, he punched in a 1-yard run after Caleb Medford pulled in a 49-yard pass to the 1-foot line despite being held on the play.  Merritt had never scored three touchdowns in any game while at Alabama State.

Tennessee Tech drove the field’s length and tacked on a 37-yard field goal to make it 28-10 at the break.  Tech opened the half with the ball, but UNM pitched a three-and-out, and after taking over at its 38-yard line, Croskey-Merritt put up his third touchdown of the game.  That three-and-out was the beginning of a stellar half of defense in which UNM allowed just 76 yards of offense on 33 plays.

UNM made it 42-10 on the legs of local product Dorian Lewis, who rushed three times for 49 yards with an impressive 16-yard run per carry before Hopkins hit DJ Washington for 16 yards for Washington’s first Division I score.  Hopkins then capped off his night with a 46-yard touchdown pass to Kaydin Pope.

Player of the Game:

While Quarterback Hopkins and running back Croskey-Merritt would get much-deserved accolades for the offensive output the Lobos had, over 587 total offense, one would have to give the entire offensive line coached by UAB transfer coach Cam Blankenship of the Lobos credit. 

The offensive line included JC Davis, Teedo Stafford, CJ James, Ise Matautia, DJ Wingfield, and starting tight ends Connor Witthoft and Trace Bruckler. 

The trifecta UAB transfers of Coach Bryant Vincent, Dylan Hopkins, and Cam Blankenship have been massive for the Lobo football. 

It reminds me of the first year Rocky Long came back in the day (1998) and installed the 3-3-5 defense and its impact on the league. It is very similar, minus transfers, of course. 

Next Up:

Danny Gonzales Lobos will head to a matchup in Albuquerque to play their instate rivals, the New Mexico State Aggies, for a wild west shootout if history is an indicator.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1373]

Week 2 Mountain West Football In Five Words

Week 2 Mountain West Football In Five Words Time to bring this back after a few games are in the books Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire Short and too the point We did this last year and it is time to bring it back as it was so fun to do snap …

Week 2 Mountain West Football In Five Words


Time to bring this back after a few games are in the books


Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Short and too the point

[mm-video type=playlist id=01g1kx1m9c8rz2mjgq player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

We did this last year and it is time to bring it back as it was so fun to do snap judgements of each Mountain West team. This will be based on the current week of games or bye week if a team happened to be off.

We asked for your answers on Twitter but in GIF reaction, and here are some of those.

Utah State

 

Now onto the week in five words.

Air Force: Sam Houston State is legit

Boise State: Zero and two is rare

Colorado State: Rocky Mountain Showdown is big!

Fresno State: Overtime against an FCS team?!?

Hawaii: Gotta cut down on interceptions

Nevada: Ken Wilson’s seat is hot

New Mexico: Lobos new offense balled out

San Diego State: Aztecs rushing game still lacking

San Jose State: The running game showed up

UNLV: Survived a Big House trip

Utah State: 78 freaking points is rare

Wyoming: No let down after P5 win

Advertisement

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1360]

Mountain West Football: Week 2 Winners And Losers

XX

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]


Mountain West Football: Week 2 Winners And Losers


Who came out ahead and who left something to be desired across the Mountain West in Week 2 of the college football season?


Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

Encouragements and letdowns from the week that was.

What a splendorous Saturday that was.

Sure, Mountain West football didn’t end up seeing a ton of drama because five different games were decided by 20 or more points, but the day wasn’t without angst and joy. Here are the winners and losers for Week 2.

Winners

1. Utah State

No, it wasn’t on the level of their beatdown of Idaho State way back in 1919, but the Aggies created and caught just about every break imaginable in a wild 78-28 victory over the Bengals. Quarterback Cooper Legas looked completely in command of the offense, finishing the game 14-of-16 for 125 yards and two touchdowns before resting the entire second half, while the running back trio of Robert Briggs, Rahsul Faison, and Davon Booth combined to run for 279 yards on 20 rushing attempts. That’s an average of nearly 14 yards per carry.

The Aggies defense did its part, too, forcing three turnovers that turned into 20 points, including pick-sixes by both Ike Larsen and Jaiden Francois, while breaking up eight passes and collecting eight tackles for loss and two sacks. It won’t always come so easily, of course, but Utah State has done a lot in its first two contests to dispel a lot of the uncertainty with which they came into 2023.

2. Air Force’s defense

The Falcons might have had the ugliest win of any Mountain West team this weekend, but it’s an encouraging sign that Brian Knorr’s defense put Sam Houston State in a hammerlock early and never let up to lead the way in a 13-3 result.

Bo Richter had two of the Falcons’ four sacks while Alec Mock cleaned up with a team-high 11 tackles, including six solo stops. The Bearkats had one drive in nine that crossed midfield (and that was only because of an Air Force fumble) and finished the day with six three-and-outs, a 3-of-13 showing on third downs, and 80 yards of total offense which averaged 1.8 yards per play. There’s plenty of room for improvement, but Air Force now knows it can lean on its strength.

3. New Mexico’s offense

Now that’s more like it. The Lobos couldn’t quite get things going in Week 1 against Texas A&M, which wasn’t a huge shock, but they wasted no time putting Tennessee Tech in a world of hurt en route to a 56-10 victory.

Quarterback Dylan Hopkins found an early rhythm and threw for 273 yards and four touchdowns, with one interception, in completing 13-of-17 attempts. Running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt continued his strong early campaign, as well, racking up 162 rushing yards and three scores on 12 carries. Three different UNM pass catchers had a reception of at least 40 yards, as well, and all of these are the signs of life that fans desperately needed to see heading into a key rivalry clash with New Mexico State.

Losers

1. Nevada

Woof. The Wolf Pack have established an alarming trend of losing games to FCS opponents, doing so three times since 2017, but their 33-6 loss to the Idaho Vandals might have been even worse than the final score would suggest.

The troubles started early when Nevada had three trips inside the Idaho 30-yard line on their first four drives and managed only two field goals, but the offense crossed midfield just once more in the final three quarters and gave the ball away three times. The defense, meanwhile, managed three sacks but never figured out how to contain Vandals quarterback Gevani McCoy, who threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns and engineered a performance through which Idaho finished the game outgaining Nevada on a per-play basis, 7.8 to 4.2.

Is Ken Wilson already on a hot seat? It may be too early to say for sure, but things haven’t come together as envisioned yet in Reno and it could get worse before it gets better.

2. Boise State’s home field mystique

Are the Broncos just like everyone else now? It’s hard to say with complete certainty one way or the other, but an 18-16 home loss to UCF left the Boise State faithful with more questions than answers. As KTVB’s Jay Tust pointed out, the team now has an 8-6 record at home under head coach Andy Avalos.

On the one hand, the Broncos coughed up 530 yards of total offense at 8.2 yards per play, but on the other the Knights finished their contest with two giveaways, nine points in five red zone trips, and a 40% third-down conversion rate. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty did just about everything you could ask of him, posting 212 all-purpose yards and a touchdown, but quarterback Taylen Green was only 9-of-19 for 144 yards, one TD, and one INT before cramping forced him to give away to backup Maddux Madsen. Madsen led a clutch drive and connected with Stefan Cobbs to give the Broncos a lead with under two minutes to go, but UCF rallied to move 58 yards for the game-winning field goal as time expired.

What happens from here? Next week’s home date with North Dakota qualifies as a “get right” game, but after a 0-2 start the Broncos are under a lot of scrutiny.

3. San Diego State

After a pair of solid defensive showings to open the year, the Aztecs didn’t have any answers against UCLA in a 35-10 blowout at home. Bruins true freshman quarterback Dante Moore looked every bit a five-star player while the running back tandem of Carson Steele and T.J. Harden combined to average 8.3 yards per carry and score two touchdowns.

San Diego State’s offense had some nice moments, most notably Mekhi Shaw’s touchdown reception, but Aztecs quarterback Jalen Mayden was sloppy overall and finished the day 19-of-37 with 196 yards, one TD, and three interceptions. The running game didn’t offer much reprieve, either, since Kenan Christon and Martin Blake mustered only 45 rushing yards on 18 attempts. The result wasn’t terribly surprising, but it demonstrates that the Aztecs still have lots to accomplish in order to re-establish themselves as a top-tier Mountain West contender.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1360]

Advertisement

[protected-iframe id=”f7652191f99ba13728097498e8a79cd8-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/show/48681pqFq0kB9dhrtPPoNd” width=”100%” height=”232″ frameborder=”0″]

Cal Poly at San Jose State Recap: Spartans Rout Mustangs

Cal Poly at San Jose State Recap: Spartans Rout Mustangs From opening kickoff, Spartans in control for first win of season Contact/Follow @MWCwire San Jose State dominates early, Cal Poly outclassed late Considering the Spartans came into this game …

Cal Poly at San Jose State Recap: Spartans Rout Mustangs


From opening kickoff, Spartans in control for first win of season


Contact/Follow @MWCwire

San Jose State dominates early, Cal Poly outclassed late

[mm-video type=playlist id=01g1kx1m9c8rz2mjgq player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Considering the Spartans came into this game having lost to two ranked teams, some critics may have questioned whether they could find the spirit to bounce back and get up for another game at home. All it would take was the opening kickoff to find out.

Cal Poly fumbled the opening kickoff, San Jose State recovered and quickly settled for a field goal. A second fumble on their first drive, which led to the Spartans getting into the end zone with a 27-yard touchdown reception by Sam Olson and, basically, the rout was on.

Later in the first quarter, Quali Conley would find the end zone with a 10-yard run capping a five-play drive. San Jose was up by the score of 17-0 in the first quarter and never looked back.

Following an interception by San Jose State, the third turnover in the first half by Cal Poly, the Spartans’ lead would increase to 24-0 on Conley’s second touchdown of the day. Spartans quarterback Chevan Cordeiro added a rushing touchdown as well. And the Spartans special teams recovered an onside kick, which also was driven into the end zone, when Cordeiro hit Charles Ross for a 24-yard touchdown. Up 38-0 headed into halftime, the Mustangs were able to score on a short field goal for the only points on the day.

The third quarter continued the onslaught, as Kairee Robinson added two late rushing touchdowns. The Spartans’ special teams joined in the scoring as Matthew Coleman took a punt return back 75 yards for a touchdown, with the score 59-3. 

At this point, and for much of the fourth quarter, both teams substituted key players in a seemingly mutual agreement to let the outcome be as it was.

Keys to the Game:

Turnovers by Cal Poly, including on the opening kickoff, proved to be lethal in the first quarter and a challenge that the Mustangs could not recover from. The turnovers backed up Cal Poly, and San Jose State was dominant on both offensive and defensive lines from the start. San Jose State executed well, and even the field goal for Cal Poly at the end of the second quarter seemed almost an act of mercy.

Final Thoughts: 

The score was every bit indicative of how this game played out in real time. From the early miscues of Cal Poly, San Jose managed to impose their will. As the second quarter ticked by, the rout for the Spartans continued. Even the play-by-play announcers noted, “San Jose can do no wrong” and watching the game proved them correct.

Player of the Game:

While several San Jose State players had their moments, the Spartans’ running game was utilized early and often and kept Cal Poly on its heels for much of the game. Kairee Robinson (16 carries, 124 yards, two touchdowns) and Quali Conley (12 carries, 60 yards, two touchdowns) and Chevan Cordeiro (5 carries, 22 yards, one touchdown) led an impressive rushing attack that put the game out of reach for Cal Poly.

Next Up:

San Jose State will head to a matchup at Toledo next Saturday, in what appears to be a test of similarly matched teams.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=645997055]

Wyoming Cowboys Defeat Portland State Vikings, Remain Undefeated

The Wyoming Cowboys football team remains undefeated after a 31-17 victory in Laramie on Saturday over the FCS Portland State Vikings.

Wyoming Cowboys Defeat Portland State Vikings to Remain Undefeated


Wyoming flashes offense and downs FCS Vikings


Contact/Follow @KayceeClark & @MWCwire

Cowboys are 2-0

[mm-video type=playlist id=01g1kx1m9c8rz2mjgq player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The Wyoming Cowboys football team remains undefeated after a 31-17 victory in Laramie on Saturday over the FCS Portland State Vikings. For the second time in three seasons, Wyoming begins the season 2-0.

The Pokes controlled most of the game, as they never trailed. The first drive continued last week’s troubles of holding onto the ball, with a Sam Scott fumble to end a promising drive.

However, after Wyoming’s Wyett Ekeler intercepted Portland State’s Dante Chachere’s pass, Wyoming’s Jamari Ferrell would give the Cowboys a 7-0 lead.

After another defensive stop, on a 3rd and 7, Cowboy quarterback Andrew Peasley would fire a rocket to Ayir Asante for a 64-yard touchdown.

Entering the second quarter, Portland State would answer the 14-0 start by Wyoming, scoring their touchdown on a two-yard rush from Chachere after a nine-minute, 18-play drive, making it 14-7.

Once the Vikings got the ball back, they would reach Wyoming territory before fumbling it, and Wyoming’s Tyrecus Davis return to Portland State’s side of the field. Quickly, Peasley floated the ball to a wide-open Wyatt Wieland in the end zone.

In what began to seem like a routing, Peasley would throw an interception in Viking territory to Isaiah Avery, leading to a Portland field goal before the end of the first half. Wyoming led 21-10.

A slow 3rd quarter, which only saw five total drives, saw Wyoming tack on ten more with a John Hoyland 56-yard field goal and another Asante touchdown from 14 yards out.

With the Cowboys up 31-10 entering the fourth quarter, several starters took a seat, giving way to some others for snaps. After a penalty wiped out a 33-yard Wieland jet sweep, Wyoming’s offense fell stagnant.

In response, the Vikings would drive 54 yards to score a 10-yard touchdown pass to Maclaine Griffin to bring it closer. Despite a last-minute drive that fell short on 4th down at Wyoming’s nine-yard line, the Pokes would win 31-17.

Wyoming would finish with 170 yards on the ground, led by Scott with 70. Peasley finished with a hat trick of passing touchdowns, 244 total yards and an interception. Asante finished with only two receptions for 78 yards, leading the team, but both went for touchdowns, including his first in his career for Wyoming.

Defensively, Wyoming gave up 344 total yards, 254 coming from the pass. Cole Godbout led the team with 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. Godbout is now tied for eighth in all-time career tackles for loss with Ward Dobbs at 24.

Wrook Brown and Easton Gibbs led the team with total tackles at eight.

In week 3, Wyoming will play their first road game of the season, traveling to Austin, Texas, to play the No. 11 Texas Longhorns on September 16—kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. MT.

Advertisement [lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1360]

Eastern Washington vs. Fresno State: Game Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Bulldogs open their home slate with a unique broadcast against the Big Sky’s Eagles. Here’s how to watch and what to watch for.


Eastern Washington vs. Fresno State: Game Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction


The Bulldogs open their home slate with a unique broadcast against the Big Sky’s Eagles. Here’s how to watch and what to watch for.


Contact/Follow @Tj_Nijjar and @MWCwire

The home slate begins.

The Dogs trying to extend their win streak to 11 games as they host Eastern Washington for their home opener. This will be the first meeting between both of these programs.

Game: Eastern Washington vs. Fresno State

Where: Valley Children’s Stadium, Fresno, CA \

TV: UniMas

Streaming: Mountain West Network (in English and Spanish)

Series Record: First Meeting

Websites: gobulldogs.com

Game Notes:  Eastern WashingtonFresno State

Players to Watch 

RB Elijah Gilliam

Where would the Bulldogs be without this guy last week? Gilliam step in and gave a big boost to the Bulldogs run game with 20 carries for 93 yards. Gilliam had only 17 carries for 100 yard last season! With both Malik Sherrod and Devon Rivers banged up, Gilliam could be in line for his for career start and Eastern Washington just gave up over 330 rushing yards last week in their season opener. It could be a big day for Gilliam, Could it be enough to make him RB1 going forward?

WR Erik Brooks

Have yourself a game young man. In his first game as WR1 Brooks did not disappoint with nine catches for 170 yard and two touchdowns. Brooks also caught a 22 yard go ahead touchdown with just under a minute to go, which would end up being the game winning touchdown to shock the Boilermakers.

Now he will look to follow up his week1 performance against a team that really struggled to to defend the pass against FBS teams last year. In the two FBS teams Eastern Washington played last year they gave up a combined 733 passing yards and eight touchdowns through the air. Coming off a career game and being the go to target in this Bulldogs offense, Brooks should have another great game.

Keys to the Game

Finish plays Defense:

The Bulldogs did come away with zero sack and zero turnovers last week but they did create some timely pressures to force Hudson Card to throw some uncomfortable throws and the D-Line against the run couldn’t get any better.

Now the Bulldogs will face another team that likes to play offense through the air. So one of the keys to victory is the Defensive line has to control the line of scrimmage and make Eastern Washington beat on the ground . Lastly finishes tackles.The Dogs had way to many missed tackles and it cost them on the first drive when the Bulldogs missed six tackles on one play which led to a 84 yard touchdown by Purdue. Simple fixs will go along way for the Dogs in this game.

Special Teams

If the there were any negatives from last week it was clearly special teams. A missed FG, two short punts, and the Bulldogs gave up a 98 yard kickoff return to open up the second half.  The Dogs have to clean up these mistakes that could have cost them the game last week. If the Bulldogs defense can control the game then field position will be a factor in this game. Could be a bigger confident booster as well for the Special teams units going forward.

Predictions:

Valley Children’s Stadium will be rocking as there is A expected 39k fans which could lead to sellout closer to game time. The Bulldogs are bringing in a 10 game win streak and are playing home for the first this season. All the momentum will be with the Bulldogs as they hope to make it 11 wins in a row.

Fresno State 45, Eastern Washington 7

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=645997055]

[protected-iframe id=”f7652191f99ba13728097498e8a79cd8-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/show/48681pqFq0kB9dhrtPPoNd” width=”100%” height=”232″ frameborder=”0″]

Air Force at Sam Houston: Falcons Game Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Falcons head to Texas in order to take on FBS newcomer SHSU. Here’s how to watch and what to watch for.


Air Force at Sam Houston State: Falcons Game Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction


The Falcons Head to Houston in Week Two


Contact/Follow @Sean or @MWCWire

[mm-video type=playlist id=01g8ggatak2kacq2ps player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Air Force Takes on Same Houston for the first time.

WEEK 2: Air Force Falcons 1-0 (0-0) vs. Same Houston Bearkats 0-0 (0-0)

WHEN: Saturday, September 9th — 6:00 P.M. MT/ 5:00 P.M. PT

WHERE: NRG Stadium (Houston, TX)

WEATHER: Indoors

TV: CBS Sports Network Carter Blackburn (play-by-play), Robert Turbin (analyst)

STREAM: Stats.statsbroadcast.com

RADIO: KVOR AM 740 in Colorado Springs, 104.3 the Fan in Denver, SIRIUS XM 380, SXM 970
Jim Arthur (play-by-play), Jesse Kurtz (analyst)

SERIES RECORD: Air Force has never played Sam Houston.

WEBSITES: GoBearkats.com, the official Sam Houston athletics website | GoAirForceFalcons.com, the official Air Force athletics website

GAME NOTES (PDF): Sam Houston | Air Force

SP+ PROJECTION: Air Force by 14.5

FEI PROJECTION: Air Force by 23.9

PARKER FLEMING PROJECTIONS: Air Force 15.6

A banged up Air Force team heads to Houston to take on FBS newcomers, the Sam Houston Bearkats. While the Falcons cruised to a convincing week one victory against FCS opponent, Robert Morris, the Bearkats had their hands full with much stiffer competition in BYU.

For the second year in a row K.C. Keeler’s squad was shutout in their season opener. But the defense should certainly get some attention with their showing at Provo. Losing 14-0, the Bearkats were very stingy, holding the Cougars to just 257 yards of total offense. We don’t know how good BYU is this year, but the newest C-USA member still impressed.

Troy Calhoun’s squad got a good look at their depth last week. Unfortunately, not all of that was because of a significant lead. While they did batter Robert Morris and get a lot of players game action, Air Force entered the game a little dinged up, and added one of the best players in the Conference to that list of those on the mend. Camby Goff sustained a pretty significant injury against the Colonials, the last thing you want to see when playing an FCS opener.

Heading into week two, they are hoping to have a few key players back who weren’t dressed in week one. The presence alone of players to the likes of Dane Kinamon won’t promise a win at NRG Stadium though. Here are a few keys to staying in the win column.

takeaways, no giveaways

Turnovers can be the great equalizer in any game. In their opener, Air Force put the ball on the ground three times versus a vastly inferior opponent. The Bearkats saw Keegan Shoemaker throw a trio of interceptions.

This is not Rhett Bomar or Josh McCown slinging the ball around. The Falcons should be able to capitalize on what has proven to be a willing participant to put the ball into dangerous flight patterns. There is no need to match the Bearkats willingness to give the ball away. That’s could be the key ingredient to an upset.

STAY STINGY

Both teams held their opponents under four yards per play; Air Force 3.1 and Sam Houston 3.8. The Bearkats were only able to muster 3.2 yards per play on offense though. A historically good defense in 2022, still has some identity here in 2023’s version of the Falcon defense. Getting yards should not come easy against them.

Make it hard for Sam Houston to move the ball on the ground especially, and force Shoemaker to put the ball in the air. After last weeks result, you could expect Keeler’s squad to get much more production on the ground. But don’t comply. Make Saturday feel like Groundhog day for the Bearkats with a K.

 

GET THE BACKS MORE CARRIES

Last week saw pretty much anyone with a blue jersey get a carry against Robert Morris. But starting quarterback, Zac Larrier still got a majority of those carries. He’s a homerun threat with the ball in his hands, and they will be relying on him a lot this season.

Team’s need to feel uneasy about the prospect on their trio of fullbacks getting the ball, just as much as the threat of John Lee Eldridge III or Zac Larrier gashing them. Establishing that fullback run game is almost like a cheat code for the Air Force offense. Unlock that part your game, and it’s going to make for some miserable drives for the opposing defense.

Prediction

K.C. Keeler has done a fantastic job in his tenure at Sam Houston State University. Before last years 5-4 campaign to conclude their FCS era, the Bearkats went on a tear, going 21-1, with a National Championship the prior two seasons. It’s no coincidence they earned a step up in weight class to the FBS under his leadership.

Even in a loss to BYU, there is a lot to be optimistic about if you’re a Bearkats fan. I think the Sam Houston faithful will have to temper that enthusiasm for a few more weeks, until the schedule relents a little though.

Air Force didn’t face great competition, but they also had the luxury of running a lot of players out there, and keeping with a gameplan that is modeled on consistency, repetition and flawless execution. That’s going to be difficult to deal with, even after a great showing against BYU.

I would expect the Falcon’s offensive arsenal to be more faceted and lethal this week. And frankly, it will need to be. But combined with complimentary football from a very good defense, and it will seem a lot like Provo again by night’s end I suspect.

Texas has been quite kind to Air Force recently, rewarding them with trophies their past two visit to the great state. Defeating Baylor in a bowl game, and a neutral site victory over Army to secure the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy proved quite the bounty. No trophy this Saturday, just a W as they the Falcons pull away in the second half.

Air Force 27 – Sam Houston 10

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=645997055]

[protected-iframe id=”f7652191f99ba13728097498e8a79cd8-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/show/48681pqFq0kB9dhrtPPoNd” width=”100%” height=”232″ frameborder=”0″]