Mountain West Football’s Updated 2024 Matchups Released

Mountain West Football’s Updated 2024 Matchups Released The Mountain West revised its college football schedule to include games against wayward Oregon State and Washington State. Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire What’s new? The vagaries of …

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Mountain West Football’s Updated 2024 Matchups Released


The Mountain West revised its college football schedule to include games against wayward Oregon State and Washington State.


Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

What’s new?

The vagaries of college football realignment didn’t directly impact the Mountain West Conference over the last calendar year, but the shockwaves of moves across the country resulted today in a revised slate of matchups that includes the Oregon State Beavers and Washington State Cougars, the two Pac-12 programs left behind by their conference mates’ exodus.

When it was announced that the conference would do away with the Mountain and West divisions in 2022, the conference announced a rotation that would protect two games for each team and extend through the 2025 season. A multitude of Power 5 programs had other plans, however, and when the Big 12, Big Ten, and ACC raided the Pac-12 for ten of its teams throughout 2023, it left Oregon State and Washington State standing alone.

Here are the home and away games that the Mountain West had previously unveiled for 2024:

Air Force, Nevada, and San Diego State will host the Beavers while Boise State, Fresno State, and New Mexico will do the same for the Cougars. Conversely, Colorado State, San Jose State, and UNLV will travel to Corvallis; Hawaii, Utah State, and Wyoming will head to Pullman. None of the games will count as part of the conference standings, however, meaning that each Mountain West team will have seven conference games rather than the usual eight.

The changes, as you might expect, have differing impacts on every Mountain West team’s pre-existing schedule. Air Force, for instance, will get to face Oregon State at home instead of Hawaii, but Colorado State now travels to Oregon State and Nevada rather than Boise and San Diego. As DNVR Sports’s Justin Michael noted, it will be the first time since 2010 that the Rams and Broncos do not face each other. Similarly, Wyoming will now host San Diego State and Utah State rather than Nevada and UNLV.

One interesting twist is that the two teams who played in the Mountain West championship game this month, Boise State and UNLV, are now set to square off at Allegiant Stadium rather than Albertsons Stadium next year. Exact dates for the Mountain West schedule will be released at a later time, but next year’s title game is slated for Saturday, December 7, 2024.

Air Force

Home – Colorado State, Fresno State, San Jose State, Oregon State
Away – Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, Wyoming

Boise State

Home – Nevada, San Diego State, Utah State, Washington State
Away – Hawaii, San Jose State, UNLV, Wyoming

Colorado State

Home – New Mexico, San Jose State, Utah State, Wyoming
Away – Air Force, Fresno State, Nevada, Oregon State

Fresno State

Home – Colorado State, Hawaii, San Jose State, Washington State
Away – Air Force, Nevada, New Mexico, UNLV

Hawaii

Home – Boise State, Nevada, New Mexico, UNLV
Away – Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State, Washington State

Nevada

Home – Air Force, Colorado State, Fresno State, Oregon State
Away – Boise State, Hawaii, San Jose State, UNLV

New Mexico

Home – Air Force, Fresno State, Wyoming, Washington State
Away – Colorado State, Hawai‘i, San Diego State, Utah State

San Diego State

Home – Air Force, Hawaii, New Mexico, Oregon State
Away – Boise State, UNLV, Utah State, Wyoming

San Jose State

Home – Boise State, Nevada, UNLV, Wyoming
Away – Air Force, Colorado State, Fresno State, Oregon State

UNLV

Home – Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada, San Diego State
Away – Hawaii, San Jose State, Utah State, Oregon State

Utah State

Home – Hawaii, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV
Away – Boise State, Colorado State, Wyoming, Washington State

Wyoming

Home – Air Force, Boise State, San Diego State, Utah State
Away – Colorado State, New Mexico, San Jose State, Washington State

Oregon State

Home – Colorado State, San Jose State, UNLV
Away – Air Force, Nevada, San Diego State

Washington State

Home – Hawaii, Utah State, Wyoming
Away – Boise State, Fresno State, New Mexico

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Mountain West Wire’s 2023 Postseason All-Conference Football Team

Who did our staff pick as the best of the best in Mountain West football this season?

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Mountain West Wire Presents Its 2023 Postseason All-Mountain West Football Teams


Our staff has made its selections for the best of Mountain West football as we close out the 2023 season.


Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Only the best of the best make the cut.

Mountain West Wire’s 2023 postseason honors:

All-Conference Teams | Offensive Player of the Year | Defensive Player of the Year | Special Teams Player of the YearFreshman of the Year | Newcomer of the Year | Coach of the Year | Coordinator of the Year

With the Mountain West’s regular season in the books and the conference championship game just one day away, our staff here at Mountain West Wire has once again put its collective heads together to create our fifth annual postseason all-Mountain West football team.

If you’re interested in seeing how these selections stack up against our preseason picks, click here. Alternatively, you can click the following links to find our postseason honorees from 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018.

As always, our all-conference roster goes four deep and attempts to best reflect the variety of offenses and defenses we see week in and week out throughout the conference:

  • We vote for a Defensive Flex player to better reflect that some units — like Boise State, San Diego State, and Wyoming — often operate with five defensive backs or a nickelback/linebacker hybrid in their 3-3-5 or 4-2-5.
  • We split our linebacker selections into two, inside and outside, as we’d previously differentiated between centers, guards, and tackles on the offensive lines and between interior linemen and edge rushers on defense.
  • We vote for three wide receivers instead of two.

If you disagree with our choices, feel free to let us know what you’d have done differently on Twitter or Facebook.

First Team

Offense

QB – Chevan Cordeiro, San Jose State
RB – Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
RB – Jacory Croskey-Merritt, New Mexico
RB – Kairee Robinson, San Jose State
WR – Tory Horton, Colorado State
WR – Ricky White, UNLV
WR – Jalen Royals, Utah State
TE – Dallin Holker, Colorado State
C – Thor Paglialong, Air Force
G – Mark Hiestand, Air Force
G – Wesley Ndago, Air Force
T – Adam Karas, Air Force
T – Cade Beresford, Boise State

Defense

DT – Jordan Bertagnole, Wyoming
DT – Payton Zdroik, Air Force
DE – Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State
DE – Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State
OLB – Jackson Woodard, UNLV
OLB – Bo Richter, Air Force
ILB – Easton Gibbs, Wyoming
ILB – MJ Tafisi, Utah State
CB – Cameron Oliver, UNLV
CB – Jay’Vion Cole, San Jose State
CB – Carlton Johnson, Fresno State
S – Ike Larsen, Utah State
S – Wyatt Ekeler, Wyoming
FLEX – Morice Norris Jr., Fresno State

Special Teams

K – Jose Pizano, UNLV
P – James Ferguson-Reynolds, Boise State
KR – Jacob De Jesus, UNLV
PR – Jacob De Jesus, UNLV

Second Team

Offense

QB – Jayden Maiava, UNLV
RB – Malik Sherrod, Fresno State
RB – Emmanuel Michel, Air Force
WR – Steven McBride, Hawaii
WR – Terrell Vaughn, Utah State
WR – Pofele Ashlock, Hawaii
TE – Mark Redman, San Diego State
C – Jacob Gardner, Colorado State
G – Mose Vavao, Fresno State
G – Wes King, Wyoming
T – Frank Crum, Wyoming
T – Kage Casey, Boise State

Defense

DT – Soane Toia, San Jose State
DT – Cole Godbout, Wyoming
DE – P.J. Ramsey, Air Force
DE – Tre Smith, San Jose State
OLB – Levelle Bailey, Fresno State
OLB – Andrew Simpson, Boise State
ILB – Alec Mock, Air Force
ILB – Bryun Parham, San Jose State
CB – Noah Tumblin, San Diego State
CB – Donte Martin, New Mexico
S – Trey Taylor, Air Force
S – Jack Howell, Colorado State
FLEX – Seyi Oladipo, Boise State

Special Teams

K – Jonah Dalmas, Boise State
P – Marshall Nichols, UNLV
KR – Jaelen Gill, Fresno State
PR – Tory Horton, Colorado State

Mountain West Football: 2023 Postseason All-Conference Team, Individual Honors Announced

The regular season is in the books. Here are the all-Mountain West teams, players of the year, and coach of the year.

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Mountain West Football: 2023 Postseason All-Conference Team, Individual Honors Announced


The regular season is in the books. Here are the all-Mountain West teams, players of the year, and coach of the year.


Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

Only the best of the best.

The Mountain West football season is nearly complete, but before Saturday’s championship tilt between Boise State and UNLV and bowl games after that, the conference media announced its selections for the all-Mountain West two-deep and individual awards.

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty earned the nod as the Mountain West’s offensive player of the year, becoming the first sophomore to do so since Nevada’s Carson Strong in 2020. Though he was limited to just ten games because of injury, the Broncos’ super sophomore led the conference with 110.9 rushing yards per game and 164.6 all-purpose yards per game and finished second with 18 total touchdowns. According to Pro Football Focus, Jeanty’s 92.4 overall grade also led the Mountain West and ranked third among all FBS running backs.

Colorado State’s Mohamed Kamara was tabbed as the Mountain West’s defensive player of the year, the first Ram to be decorated as such since Shaquil Barrett in 2013. His 13 sacks and 17 tackles for loss both paced the conference, as did the 35 quarterback hurries for which he was credited by PFF, while his 83.2 overall grade is third-best among all Mountain West defenders.

Meanwhile, UNLV kicker Jose Pizano stepped up to win the conference’s special teams player of the year award. After transferring in from Missouri State, Pizano led the Mountain West in connecting on 23-of-25 field goals, including a perfect 16-of-16 inside of 40 yards, and finished second overall with 119 total points. That made him just the second Rebel to crack the century mark dating back to 2009.

UNLV quarterback Jayden Maiava was named the conference’s freshman of the year, becoming the fourth Rebel in the last seven seasons to earn the honor. He stepped into a difficult situation when incumbent starter Doug Brumfield was sidelined by injury in September, but the Vegas native stepped up and finished the regular season with a 64.1% completion rate, 2,626 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, and a 2.1% interception rate. More than any of the other individual awards, this one may have been a foregone conclusion after Maiava had already earned freshman of the week five times throughout 2023, a conference first.

Lastly, UNLV’s Barry Odom became the first Rebels head coach since John Robinson in 2000 to be named the Mountain West’s coach of the year. After taking over from Marcus Arroyo, Odom shepherded the Rebels to a 9-3 record, the team’s highest single-season win total since 1984, engineering an offense that led the conference with 35.5 points per game and a defense that tied for first with 22 total giveaways and led the way in allowing a 34.6% third-down conversion rate.

As for the all-conference teams, every program has at least one player on this year’s postseason honor roll. UNLV leads the way with six first-team selections, while three players — Wyoming’s Easton Gibbs and Colorado State’s Jack Howell and Tory Horton — each earned their second postseason first-team appearance.

2023 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM

Offense

QB – Chevan Cordeiro, San Jose State
WR – Tory Horton, Colorado State
WR – Ricky White, UNLV
WR – Jalen Royals, Utah State
RB – Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
RB – Kairee Robinson, San Jose State
TE – Dallin Holker, Colorado State
OL – Thor Paglialong, Air Force
OL – Cade Beresford, Boise State
OL – JC Davis, New Mexico
OL – Tiger Shanks, UNLV
OL – Frank Crum, Wyoming
PK – Jose Pizano, UNLV
KR – Jacob De Jesus, UNLV

Defense

DL – PJ Ramsey, Air Force
DL – Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State
DL – Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State
DL – Tre Smith, San Jose State
LB – Bo Richter, Air Force
LB – Jackson Woodard, UNLV
LB – MJ Tafisi, Utah State
LB – Easton Gibbs, Wyoming
DB – Trey Taylor, Air Force
DB – Jack Howell, Colorado State
DB – Emany Johnson, Nevada
DB – Ike Larsen, Utah State
P – James Ferguson-Reynolds, Boise State
PR – Jacob De Jesus, UNLV

2023 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM

Offense

QB – Jayden Maiava, UNLV
WR – Steven McBride, Hawaii
WR – Nick Nash, San Jose State
WR – Terrell Vaughn, Utah State
RB – Emmanuel Michel, Air Force
RB – Jacory Croskey-Merritt, New Mexico
TE – Mark Redman, San Diego State
OL – Adam Karas, Air Force
OL – Kage Casey, Boise State
OL – Jacob Gardner, Colorado State
OL – Mose Vavao, Fresno State
OL – Cade Barnett, San Diego State
PK – Jonah Dalmas, Boise State
KR – Terrell Vaughn, Utah State

Defense

DL – Jalen Dixon, UNLV
DL – Devo Bridges, Fresno State
DL – Soane Toia, San Jose State
DL – Jordan Bertagnole, Wyoming
LB – Alec Mock, Air Force
LB – Andrew Simpson, Boise State
LB – Chase Wilson, Colorado State
LB – Levelle Bailey, Fresno State
DB – Carlton Johnson, Fresno State
DB – Morice Norris Jr., Fresno State
DB – Noah Tumblin, San Diego State
DB – Cameron Oliver, UNLV
P – Jack Browning, San Diego State
PR – Tory Horton, Colorado State

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Mountain West Football: 2023-24 Transfer Tracker

Mountain West Football: 2022-23 Transfer Tracker College football’s transfer is open for business in the new academic year. We’ll keep track of who’s leaving and who’s coming to the Mountain West. Contact/Follow @MWCwire Who is the league losing and …

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Mountain West Football: 2022-23 Transfer Tracker


College football’s transfer is open for business in the new academic year. We’ll keep track of who’s leaving and who’s coming to the Mountain West.


Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Who is the league losing and adding?

College football’s regular season is underway, but transfer portal season is never really over.

Since the new year officially began on August 1, football players from the Mountain West and beyond have announced their intention to find new places to play. Check back here periodically as we keep an eye on who is arriving and who’s heading out from the conference in the days, weeks, and months to come.

Leaving the Mountain West

Air Force

Boise State 

Colorado State

Fresno State

Hawaii

Nevada

New Mexico

San Diego State

San Jose State

UNLV

Utah State

Wyoming

Fresno State vs. San Diego State: Why The Bulldogs Can Win, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Bulldogs hope to end the regular season with a win over the rival Aztecs. Here’s how to watch and what to watch for.

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Fresno State vs. San Diego State: Why The Bulldogs Can Win, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction


The Bulldogs hope to end the regular season with a win over the rival Aztecs. Here’s how to watch and what to watch for.


Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire

The Old Oil Can is on the line once more.

WEEK 13: Fresno State Bulldogs (8-3, 4-3 Mountain West) vs. San Diego State Aztecs (3-8, 1-6 MW)

WHEN: Saturday, November 25 — 7:30 PM PT/8:30 PM MT

WHERE: Snapdragon Stadium; San Diego, CA

WEATHER: Mostly clear, low of 47 degrees

TV: FS1

STREAMING: Fans can sign up to receive a free one-week trial of Fubo, which includes FS1, by following this link.

RADIO: The Fresno State broadcast can be found in and around the Central Valley on the affiliates of the Bulldog Sports network, including flagship 1340 AM (KCBL) in Fresno. The San Diego State broadcast can be found on San Diego Sports 760.

SERIES RECORD: San Diego State leads the all-time series, 30-27-4. In the last meeting on October 29, 2022, the Bulldogs defeated the Aztecs, 32-28, in Fresno.

LAST GAME: Fresno State lost to New Mexico at home, 25-17, while San Diego State lost on the road to San Jose State, 24-13.

WEBSITES: GoBulldogs.com, the official Fresno State athletics website | GoAztecs.com, the official San Diego State athletics website

GAME NOTES (PDF): Fresno State | San Diego State

ODDS: Fresno State -5

SP+ PROJECTION: Fresno State by 13.9

FEI PROJECTION: Fresno State by 9.8

PARKER FLEMING PROJECTION: Fresno State 77.78% win probability (29.92-19.79)

After suffering one of its most disappointing losses in recent memory, the Fresno State Bulldogs will look to bounce back in their last road trip of the regular season, a date in southern California against the San Diego State Aztecs.

Things have not gone according to plan for Brady Hoke’s squad in 2023, though they won’t want to come out flat in his last game on the sidelines before his announced retirement. With the Old Oil Can on the line and another ten-win season still in sight, the Bulldogs should be well-motivated themselves. Here’s how they can come out on top against the Aztecs.

Three Keys to a Fresno State State Victory

1. Get back to finishing offensive drives.

It may be that quarterback Mikey Keene and his ongoing battle with injuries have had a more significant impact on the Bulldogs than anyone realizes. By both points per drive and available yards percentage earned per drive, the losses to San Jose State and New Mexico were the two worst offensive performances of the season. If he’s on track to be fully recovered from what was reported to be a minor concussion, as was suggested this week by head coach Jeff Tedford, it could help them get back on track in a number of ways.

Chief among those ways: Getting back into the red zone more consistently. Fresno State has only had seven drives inside the opponent’s 20-yard line in three November games, the fewest in the Mountain West, and they’ve scored only four touchdowns in those opportunities. By contrast, the Aztecs defense has allowed eight touchdowns in 13 red zone situations this month, a figure that’s comparable to when they were struggling with the likes of UCLA, Oregon State, Boise State, and Air Force back in September.

2. Sort out the run defense.

After Kairee Robinson and Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran roughshod against the Bulldogs in back-to-back weeks, ending the regular season against San Diego State’s relatively weak ground game should give Kevin Coyle’s unit something of a reprieve. Though Jaylen Armstead ran for 134 yards against San Jose State last Saturday, that was the Aztecs’ first 100-yard performance of the season and 68.7% of that yardage came on just four of 21 carries; he was also stopped for two or fewer yards seven times.

If they can keep Armstead from making a big impact, they’ll also need to be wary of quarterback Jalen Mayden, who scored twice in last year’s game against the Bulldogs and is the team’s leading rusher with 432 yards (though this does not adjust for sack yardage). San Diego State is still a team dedicated to running the ball first, evidenced by their XX% rush rate over expected.

3. Protect the quarterback.

Pass protection is likely to be another element of the game where the Bulldogs can make life easier if they can get right. After allowing five sacks to San Jose State and two to New Mexico, it may help to build confidence that the Aztecs have been shut out on that front in four different games this fall, including their two most recent losses against Colorado State and the Spartans.

While sophomore linebacker Zyrus Fiaseu has emerged as a disrupter with a team-high 5.5 sacks and a conference-best four forced fumbles, the defensive front has utterly failed to replace the likes of Jonah Tavai and Keshawn Banks as defensive tackle Tupu Alualu is the only other San Diego State defender with more than 1.5 sacks.

Prediction

Have injuries caught up with the Bulldogs? It’s hard to say exactly how big a role ailments to the likes of Mikey Keene, Jacob Spomer, and others have played down the stretch, but they’ve been most vulnerable when the offense isn’t 100%: All three losses in 2023 have come when they’ve scored fewer than 20 points.

The good news is that, at this point, the Aztecs’ offensive inefficiencies seem to be as entrenched as ever. It probably won’t be the prettiest result ever, but expect Fresno State to end the regular season on a high note and bring the Old Oil Can back to the Central Valley.

Fresno State 27, San Diego State 16

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Colorado State ran a trick play so effective that it briefly broke the CBS Sports broadcast

This trick play was so effective that it temporarily broke the game broadcast.

Colorado State football ran a trick play that was so effective on Saturday that it temporarily broke the CBS Sports Network broadcast.

On a bit of offensive trickery that had the San Diego State defense looking one way as the ball wound up going the other, the CBS broadcast also got very confused as to what exactly was going on.

The broadcast got so temporarily frazzled that the first-down marker went haywire and followed the Rams receiver as they tried to get the first down after catching the ball.

It’s just not often that the entire football broadcast glitches over a trick play, but Colorado State literally had everyone fooled on this surprise formation.

Now that’s some effective trickery right there. Kudos to Colorado State for finding a way to not only trick San Diego State, but the literal technology that was helping viewers track where the first-down marker was.

If that’s not an impressive feat of play calling and execution, we’re not sure what is.

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San Diego State vs. Colorado State: Game Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Rams host the Aztecs as they hope to get to bowl eligibility. Here’s how the Rams can start that journey on the right foot.

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San Diego State vs. Colorado State: Game Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction


The Rams start their journey to bowl eligibility


Contact/Follow @J0shFr3d & @MWCwire

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Can the Rams get start fast and finish strong?

WEEK 11: San Diego State Aztecs (3-6, 1-4 MW) vs Colorado State Rams (3-6, 1-4 MW)

WHEN: Saturday, November 11th — 5 p.m. MST / 4 p.m. PST

WHERE: Canvas Stadium; Fort Collins, CO (36,500)

WEATHER: Partly Cloudy, 50 degrees at kickoff

TV: CBS Sports Network (Stream CBS Sports on Fubo and click the link here for a free trial)

RADIO: K99-FM 99.1 / ESPN 1600 AM

SERIES RECORD: This will be the 36th all time matchup between these two schools. San Diego State leads the series 22-14. Aztecs won 29-17 in San Diego in the last matchup in 2020.

WEBSITES: GoAztecs.com, the official San Diego State athletics website | CSURams.com, the official Colorado State athletics website

GAME NOTES (PDF): San Diego StateColorado State

ODDS: Colorado State -3.5

OVER/UNDER: 46.5

SP+ PROJECTION: Colorado State by 1.5

FEI PROJECTION: Colorado State by 3.5

PARKER FLEMING PROJECTION: Colorado State has a 58.85% win probability (27.03-24.07)

Now to the keys to victory for the Rams.

Keys to a colorado state victory

1. Spread the ball around

Everyone knows Tory Horton and Dallin Holker are going to get the ball at some point. But Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and Jay Norvell need to call plays for other receivers. Justus Ross-Simmons and Louis Brown have shown they can be playmakers. Dylan Goffney and others provide depth when needed and have also shown they can make plays when asked.

2. Start the third quarter strong

The Rams have been outscored 51-10 in conference play in the third quarter. Colorado State needs to make a change if they want to get to a bowl game. The Aztecs haven’t been the same Aztecs this year on both sides of the ball. The Rams need to come out with fire on both sides of the ball if they want to win.

3. Stay home on defense

San Diego State isn’t as run happy as they have been in previous seasons. They are more balanced. However, QB Jaylen Maden is their leading rusher. He can take off when needed. The Rams need to stay home, set the edge, and contain the QB. They also need to spy the QB. Letting the QB run has cost them in a couple games this season.

Prediction

It’s military appreciation night in Fort Collins. The Rams want to get to bowl eligibility and the fight starts this game. The Rams will play tough punch them in the mouth football. The Aztecs will have their moments, but the Rams will finish this one strong to earn their fourth win of the season.

Final Score: Colorado State 27, San Diego State 21

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Mountain West Football: Week 10 Winners And Losers

Malik Sherrod, Gunner Gentry, and Boise State were among the weekend’s biggest winners and losers from across Mountain West football.

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Mountain West Football: Week 10 Winners And Losers


Who came out ahead and who left something to be desired across the Mountain West in Week 10 of the college football season?


Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

Encouragements and letdowns from the week that was.

With a fresh batch of rivalry games and a dash of desperation on the docket, Mountain West football’s first weekend of November action didn’t disappoint. Here are the winners and losers from Week 10.

Winners

1. Fresno State running back Malik Sherrod

The clash for the Milk Can was as advertised, but Sherrod’s contributions helped ensured the rivalry trophy would stay in Fresno following a 37-30 win against Boise State. He ran for a career-high 132 yards on 21 carries, though it was his 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that proved to be one of the Bulldogs’ biggest plays of the night. In all, Sherrod managed 255 all-purpose yards, the tenth-most in a single game in program history, and provided the Red Wave with memories they’ll talk about for a long time in the Central Valley.

2. UNLV wide receiver Ricky White

White has come alive over the past month and more than did his part on Saturday to help the Rebels keep pace in the conference title chase in a 56-14 victory over New Mexico. He had eight catches on nine targets for 165 yards and two touchdowns, the third time in four weeks he’s topped 150 receiving yards and scored multiple times.

3. Wyoming wide receiver Gunner Gentry

Sometimes, it’s not about the stats. In Gentry’s case, the nine-yard touchdown reception he hauled in during the second quarter of the Cowboys’ 24-15 win against Colorado State was his first since October 24, 2020. Knee injuries had kept him sidelined for the past two seasons, so he serves as a useful reminder that college football can often be a ground for perseverance and inspiration, to demonstrate what’s possible to others.

Losers

1. Air Force

Among the six Mountain West games last weekend, no result was more shocking than the Falcons’ litany of errors in a 23-3 defeat to Army at the Commander’s Classic. Not only did the Black Knights hold Air Force’s rushing attack to 3.9 yards per carry, they also forced six fumbles and recovered five of them, turning those opportunities into 13 points.

Quarterback Zac Larrier also had his worst game of the year at a very inopportune time, throwing two interceptions and taking two sacks while completing just 9-of-22 passes for 93 yards. The defense, meanwhile, limited Army to 4.2 yards per carry as a team but weren’t as disruptive as usual with just three tackles for loss and zero takeaways. While the Falcons still hold the inside track to hosting the conference championship, letting one of their annual goals slip away in such lopsided fashion may sting for a while.

2. Boise State

The Broncos are in the wilderness.

Little about the program is working like it did during its phenomenal run of success over two decades and the team’s 37-30 defeat against Fresno State provided plenty of evidence. Quarterbacks Maddux Madsen and Taylen Green each threw an interception, but Madsen was also just 22-of-42 for 258 yards and a touchdown and, according to Pro Football Focus, had four different turnover-worthy plays against the Bulldogs defense. Running back George Holani continued to play well following his recent return from injury, racking up 140 all-purpose yards, but he also had just three touches in the fourth quarter.

The defense, meanwhile, continued to flounder by allowing Fresno State to gain 6.4 yards per play and generating only one sack to go along with four quarterback hurries (per PFF) on 37 dropbacks. Effectively eliminated from the conference championship hunt and staring down the very real possibility of not even bowling in December, the Broncos must now move forward without top wide receiver Eric McAlister, as well, who elected to enter the transfer portal this morning. It’s a brave new world in Treasure Valley; the question is whether the blue and orange faithful are ready for it.

3. San Diego State

Speaking of less-than-ideal situations, the Aztecs’ 32-24 double-overtime loss to Utah State marked the team’s sixth defeat in their last seven games. While some individual performances stood out despite the result — linebacker Zyrus Fiaseu had three sacks, for instance, while quarterback Jalen Mayden had arguably his best overall performance of the season — many of the same problems persisted: They averaged 4.2 yards per carry, but Lucky Sutton’s 62-yard run accounted for 48.8% of the team’s rushing yardage on the game. The defense coughed up 288 yards’ worth of chunk plays and has now given up 44 plays of 20-plus yards on the season; that may not sound like much, but San Diego State gave up 48 such plays during their most recent run to the conference championship game just two years ago.

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Utah State vs. San Diego State: Why The Aggies Can Win, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Aggies look to stop a two-game slide on the road against the Aztecs. Here’s how to watch and what to watch for.

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Utah State vs. San Diego State: Why The Aggies Can Win, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction


The Aggies look to stop a two-game slide on the road against the Aztecs. Here’s how to watch and what to watch for.


Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire

Desperate times for both teams on the Mesa.

WEEK 10: Utah State Aggies (3-5, 1-3 Mountain West) vs. San Diego State Aztecs (3-5, 1-3 MW)

WHEN: Saturday, November 4 — 5:00 PM MT/4:00 PM MT

WHERE: Snapdragon Stadium; San Diego, CA

WEATHER: Patchy fog, low of 55 degrees

TV: FS1

STREAMING: Fans can sign up to receive a free one-week trial of Fubo, which includes FS1, by following this link.

RADIO: The Utah State broadcast can be found on the affiliates of the Aggie Radio Network, including flagship 1280 The Zone (KZNS) in Salt Lake City. The San Diego State broadcast can be found in and around San Diego on 760 AM (KGB).

SERIES RECORD: San Diego State leads the all-time series, 13-3. In the last meeting on December 4, 2021, the Aggies defeated the Aztecs, 46-13, in Carson for the Mountain West championship.

LAST GAME: Utah State lost on the road to San Jose State, 42-21, while San Diego State lost at home to Nevada, 6-0.

WEBSITES: UtahStateAggies.com, the official Utah State athletics website | GoAztecs.com, the official San Diego State athletics website

GAME NOTES (PDF): Utah State | San Diego State

ODDS: Utah State -2

SP+ PROJECTION: San Diego State by 0.4

FEI PROJECTION: Utah State by 1.6

PARKER FLEMING PROJECTION: Utah State 53.75% win probability (28.15-26.91)

After a week off to dull the sting of back-to-back defeats, the Utah State Aggies hit the road to California one more time on Saturday afternoon to take on the San Diego State Aztecs.

Neither team has seen their 2023 season unfold according to plan, but with just four games left to collect three more wins for bowl eligibility, there’s still plenty of motivation in Blake Andersen’s locker room to repeat the performance they had during their last visit to southern California two seasons ago.

Here’s what Utah State can do to beat the Aztecs.

Three Keys to a Utah State Victory

1. Be at least a little less careless with the football than the Aztecs.

One thing that both the Aggies and San Diego State have in common is that the defenses have been surprisingly adept at creating turnovers and the offenses… well, the less said the better. Suffice it to say that both teams have a -4 margin in their respective five losses.

Half the battle of winning this game, then, might simply come down to not losing it with boneheaded mistakes. Fairly or not, much of that responsibility will fall on young quarterback McCae Hillstead, whose 5.9% interception rate on 119 attempts has taken them out of games in the past and could do so again on Saturday against Noah Tumblin and a still-dangerous SDSU pass defense that has nine interceptions and trails only Wyoming among Mountain West teams with 44 total passes defended.

2. Make Jalen Mayden miserable.

The Aztecs quarterback hasn’t really taken a step forward in 2023 like fans on the Mesa hoped he could. According to Pro Football Focus, Mayden’s 1.9% big-time throw rate is the lowest among qualifying Mountain West quarterbacks while his 5.1% turnover-worthy rate is the third-highest.

While he’s made up for it by being the team’s leading rusher through eight games (400 yards, 4.6 yards per carry, three rushing touchdowns), there’s a chance for the Utah State pass rush to get right. That’s because the rest of the Aztecs ground attack has been largely anemic in conference play, averaging only 3.85 yards per carry as a team, which means that much of San Diego State’s hopes of holding serve at home is probably going to revolve around how much #18 can accomplish.

If the Aggies can make the Aztecs one-dimensional, they could tee off against an offensive line that hasn’t given up a ton of sacks — 18 in all — but has seen Mayden succumb to a disproportional amount of pressure: Per PFF, his 20.4% pressure-to-sack ratio is also the third-highest in the conference.

3. Matriculate down the field.

For all of San Diego State’s current issues, they’ve been surprisingly consistent about setting themselves up with substantial field position advantages on both sides of the ball. As Parker Fleming notes in his advanced statistics preview, the Aztecs’ +5.2-yard net is the fifth-best mark in the country.

Turnovers aside, Utah State has at least done well on offense in turning those potential disadvantages into points, averaging 1.91 points on drives that begin inside their own 20-yard line. Doing so just once or twice against the San Diego State defense might be more than enough to keep the home team at arm’s length.

Prediction

Both teams in this contest have been hard to predict from week to week, but the Aggies really have to find a way to make stops against a maddening San Diego State offense if they don’t want this game to be too close for comfort. The Aztecs have scored ten or fewer points in four of their last six contests, so while that probably won’t happen again, they also don’t have the explosive capability that Utah State demonstrates when they fire on all cylinders.

In all, this is probably going to be a frustrating game to watch no matter where your rooting interests lie, but I think the Aggies are more likely to create a break that puts them in the driver’s seat.

Utah State 28, San Diego State 16

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San Diego State Football: How the Aztecs Can Win: How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

Preview of San Diego State vs. Utah State.

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San Diego State Football: How the Aztecs Can Win: How to Watch, Odds, Prediction


San Diego State Looking to Win Again


>/Follow @michaelbraydaly & @MWCwire

Preview of the game

WEEK 10: Utah State Aggies (3-5) vs San Diego State (3-5)

WHEN: Saturday, November 4th – 4:00pm PT/5:00pm MT

TV:  FS2

STREAM: FuboTV — Get a free trial

RADIO: San Diego Sports 760

SERIES RECORD:  San Diego State 13, Utah State 3

WEBSITES: San Diego State | Utah State

ODDS:  Utah State (-2.5)

This is a must-win game for both teams to stay in contention for a bowl. The has slipped away from San Diego State, but they still have a chance to finish over .500 before the end of the regular. For that to happen, San Diego State will have to win out and beat Utah State in Week 10.

Prior to the bye in Week 9, San Diego State suffered an ugly 6-0 loss at the hands of Nevada on Oct. 21. The Aztecs produced 204 total yards of offense. Jalen Mayden passed for 47 yards and the rushing attack accounted for 157 rushing yards. San Diego State’s defense held Nevada quarterback Brendon Lewis to 98 passing yards. The Aztecs had three sacks on Lewis.

How Will San Diego State Get The Win?

San Diego State’s offense will need to take a massive step forward to get the win over Utah State. Mayden needs to find a way to get the ball down the field and complete passes. He was one-dimensional and unable to make a great impact on the run game. Even if he is struggling throwing the ball against Utah State’s defense, he will need to complete more than six passes for under 50 yards.

If Mayden struggles, it could be a tough night for San Diego State. If he can manage the game, San Diego State has an opportunity to score points and get a home. This game will be dependent on San Diego State’s offensive improvements during the bye week.

Prediction 

San Diego State 21, Utah State 20

San Diego State’s defense will make plays and force turnovers. This will be just enough for the Aztecs to sneak past the Aggies with a one-point win.