MW Talking Points
All 12 Mountain West programs are in action in Week 7, with five Conference games and two nonconference contests on the schedule. UNLV, which is receiving votes in the US LBM Coaches (AFCA) Poll, visits Utah State on Friday to get the action started, while No. 22/17 Boise State heads to Hawai‘i to cap Saturday's slate. Colorado State is the final MW team to open league play when it hosts San José State on Saturday.
Boise State moved up four spots to No. 17 in the AP poll and moved into the AFCA poll at No. 22.
The Mountain West has the strongest nonconference schedule in the FBS. MW teams have 35 nonconference games scheduled this season against Autonomous 4 opponents, the most of any FBS league (counting Notre Dame, Oregon State and Washington State as A4 teams), with the next-closest totaling 27. The MW has four (4) games against the ACC, eight (8) against the Big 12, six (6) against the Big Ten and two (2) against the SEC in addition to 15 contests against Oregon State and Washington State, most of which are part of a scheduling agreement that will see all 12 MW schools face either the Beavers or Cougars. Fifteen of the MW’s games against Autonomous 4 opponents this season will be played at home.
MW teams have played seven one-possession games against A4 opponents this season, with four of those games settled in overtime or on the final play of regulation.
It's a new era for the College Football Playoff in 2024, as the five highest-ranked FBS conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked at-large teams will earn spots in the 12-team postseason playoff. With unprecedented access to the CFP, the Mountain West will be well-positioned to earn a shot at competing for a national title.
Mountain West squads have a total of 21 nonconference games this season against teams that have been ranked or receiving votes at the time of the game or future opponents who or are currently ranked or receiving votes in the US LBM (AFCA) and/or AP top-25 polls, including eight at home.
MW vs. Ranked Teams (Coaches/AP)
Aug. 31: Colorado State at 4/4 Texas
Aug. 31: Fresno State at 8/9 Michigan
Aug. 31: New Mexico at 21/21 Arizona
Sept. 7: RV/RV Boise State at 6/7 Oregon
Sept. 7: Utah State at 14/13 USC
Sept. 14: 10/12 Utah at Utah State
Since 2018, the MW has the best winning percentage over Autonomous 5 teams (26.67) among its peer conferences. MW teams have collected 32 wins over such teams in that span, also the most among its peer conferences.
Notes Around the MW
MW TEAMS IN THE RANKINGS
Boise State jumped four spots in this week's Associated Press poll to No. 17 and entered the US LBM Coaches (AFCA) poll at No. 22. The Broncos are 115-21 (.846) all-time while being ranked in the AP Top 25. That’s the best record of any team while ranked over the last 40 seasons (min. 50 games as ranked team).
UNLV entered the national rankings for the first time in school history this season, spending three weeks in the AFCA poll and one week in the AP poll. The Rebels are receiving votes in this week's AFCA poll.
JEANTY FOR HEI2MAN
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty's Heisman campaign rolls on. The junior rushed 13 times for 186 yards and three touchdowns in a Week 6 win over Utah State, playing just the first two quarters before sitting out the second half. Jeanty leads the FBS in all-purpose yards per game (210.0), rush yards per carry (10.85), rushing touchdowns (16), rushing yards (1,031), rushing yards per game (206.2), scoring (19.2), total points scored (96) and total touchdowns (16).
He became just the eighth player in the FBS since 1996 to reach 1,000 yards rushing in just five games and needed just 90 carries to reach the mark, the fourth-fewest since 2014.
Jeanty has two games this season with at least 250 rushing yards and 4-plus rushing TDs, while no other FBS player has a single such game this season. His two 200-yard rushing games this season are just one away from entering the MW's single-season top five, while the four in his career are good for a tie for fourth in MW history.
He also has four TD runs of at least 70 yards this year, the most in a season in MW history.
His 16 rushing TDs this season are more than the Mountain West’s leader in 11 different seasons in Conference history.
RESPECT THE RUN GAME
Jeanty has deservedly commanded plenty of individual attention, but the Mountain West also has two teams in the top 10 of the FBS this season in rushing yards per game: Boise State (second, 301.1) and UNLV (eighth, 251.8). Boise State’s 8.18 yards per rush in 2024 is the second-highest average through five games by any FBS team this century. The only other team to average at least eight yards per carry at this stage of a season was Stanford in 2017 (8.44).
Against New Mexico State in Week 5, New Mexico's Devon Dampier and NaQuari Rogers became the third duo in MW history to each have 3-plus rushing TDs in the same game, joining Utah State’s Gerold Bright and Darwin Thompson (2018) and BYU’s Brian McDonald-Ashford and Luke Staley (2001).
San Diego State’s Marquez Cooper has accounted for 89.3 percent of his team’s rushing yards this season, over 10 percent higher than any other FBS player in 2024. Two players in MW history have had such a high percentage over a full season – UNLV’s Charles Williams in 2021 (95.7%) and SDSU’s Larry Ned in 2001 (95.2%).
DALMAS CLAIMS ANOTHER MW RECORD
After becoming the MW's career scoring leader in Week 1, Boise State kicker Jonah Dalmas added another outright record to his name in Week 6, converting a pair of field goals to take sole possession of first in Conference history with 85 for his career. He entered the contested tied with former Nevada kicker Brandon Talton, who had 83 from 2019-23.
BRONCOS PLAY DEFENSE, TOO
Boise State leads all FBS teams with 4.20 sacks per game this season.
UNLV AGAINST A4 COMPETITION
UNLV has beaten Big 12 teams Houston (27-7) and Kansas (23-20) this season, both on the road. The Rebels are the first nonconference team ever to have multiple road wins against Big 12 competition in the same season.
UNLV’s 27-7 win at Houston in Week 1 was the largest for a MW school against a Big 12 opponent since Utah’s 68-27 win at Iowa State in 2010. Those are the only two times a Mountain West team has won a road game against a Big 12 school by 20-plus points.
The Rebels fell in overtime to Syracuse in Week 6 in the third of four meetings against A4 competition this season. UNLV also visits Oregon State on Oct. 19.
REBELS SPECIAL ON SPECIAL TEAMS
UNLV leads the FBS this season with three blocked punts. Two of them have come from All-American wide receiver Ricky White III, who is the first UNLV player with multiple blocked punts in a season since 2006.
WILLIAMS' OUTSTANDING DEBUT
In his first start at the FBS level, UNLV's Hajj-Malik Williams became the third QB in Mountain West history to have a game with 100-plus rushing yards, an 80.0% or higher completion percentage and 3-plus TD passes, joining Wyoming’s Brett Smith (2013) and BYU’s Brandon Doman (2001). Williams was 13-for-16 for 182 yards and three touchdowns through the air and rushed 12 times for 119 yards and a score in UNVL's 59-14 win over Fresno State. For his efforts, he was named one of the Davey O'Brien Award's Great 8 and a Manning Award Star of the Week.
Williams followed that up with another outstanding effort against Syracuse in Week 6, completing 21-of-25 passes for 227 yards and three TDs. His 84-percent pass completion percentage was just short of the school record of 86 percent set by Caleb Herring in 2013 (24 of 28).
MW TAKEAWAYS
UNLV has intercepted at least one pass in seven straight games dating back to last season, tied with Cal for the longest active streak in the FBS. Over the last three seasons, the Rebels have had a pick in 24 games, second in the FBS to Oklahoma (26). Both teams have 42 interceptions since 2022. UNLV is second in the FBS with 10 total so far this season and ranks third with a 1.60 turnover margin.
San José State ranks fourth in the FBS this season with 13 forced turnovers, while UNLV is 11th with 11 and Fresno State is 15th with 10. UNLV's Jalen Catalon (four)and Fresno State's Cam Lockridge (three) rank second and third, respectively, in the FBS in interceptions.
NASH RECEIVING PRAISE
This season, San José State receiver Nick Nash leads all FBS players in receptions (55), receptions per game (11.0) and receiving touchdowns (nine) and is second in receiving yards (712) and receiving yards per game (142.4). His 17 receptions against Kennesaw State in Week 3 are tied for fourth-most in a game in MW history and matched the SJSU regular-season record.
Nash was the third FBS player since 1996 to have 50-plus receptions and 8-plus TD catches through his team’s first four games of the season. The others were Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree (2007) and Louisiana Tech’s Troy Edwards (1998).
QB PLAY GETTING IT DONE
In Week 6, Mountain West teams had a combined completion percentage of 67.9% and a passer rating of 156.8. Both of those marks were the highest by any FBS conference in games played between Oct. 3-5.
HORTON MAKING HIS-TORY
Colorado State wide receiver Tory Horton is one of two FBS players since 1996 to have at least 3,500 receiving yards and 150 passing yards. The other is former Boise State Bronco Thomas Sperbeck.
Horton had nine catches for 158 yards and a touchdown in a double-overtime setback to Oregon State in Week 6. The 100-yard game was the 13th of his career, moving him into a tie for fifth in MW history, while his career catch total moved to 258, pushing him past Wyoming's Jovon Bouknight (250 from 2002-05) into third in MW history. With 3,540 career receiving yards, he is just 32 back of fifth in MW history, while his 27 career TD catches are just two back from entering the top five.
ROYALS HONORED
After recording a career-high 211 yards and two TDs on nine catches in Utah State’s 62-30 loss at Boise State in Week 6, Aggie receiver Jalen Royals was named the Breakout Offensive Player of the Week by the East-West Shrine Bowl and the Offensive Player of the Week by the Senior Bowl.
WIN NO. 1
New Mexico coach Bronco Mendenhall and Wyoming coach Jay Sawvel both got their first wins at their programs in Week 5. Mendenhall led the Lobos to a 50-40 win over rival New Mexico State, while Sawvel directed the Cowboys to a 31-19 victory over Air Force. UNM and Wyoming were both idle in Week 6.
*MWC Press Release
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