WEEK 10 GAME SCHEDULE
Friday November 1, 2024
San Diego State Aztecs at Boise State Broncos
SERIES NOTES
• San Diego State and Boise State will meet for the 10th time on Friday with the Broncos holding a 5-4 series lead. • SDSU is one of only three active FBS teams with a .500 record against BS in Boise (min. 4 GP). San Diego State, North Texas and Washington State are all 2-2 at Boise State. • The Aztecs are 2-2 all-time at Boise State. The rest of the current Mountain West is a combined 10-96 (.094) against the Broncos in Boise. • The last two meetings between the two schools were the MW openers for SDSU. • Friday will be the sixth meeting between the two programs in November. Two of the other games have come in September and two in October. • Although San Diego State has only faced Boise State eight times since 2012, the Aztecs are responsible for four of the Broncos’ 42 losses over that span. • The Aztecs are 10-7 all-time vs. Div. I schools that call the state of Idaho home. SDSU is 3-0 against Idaho State, 3-2 in contests with Idaho and 4-5 against Boise State. • This is sixth time in 10 all-time meetings that one of the schools has been nationally ranked. The nationally-ranked team is 2-3 in previous games. n Since the first meeting on Nov. 19, 2011 (an Aztec 52-35 loss), each team in the series has traded two-game win streaks. SDSU won in both 2012 and 2013, Boise State won in 2014 and 2017, San Diego State won in 2018 and 2021, and Boise State won in 2022 and 2023.
San Diego State Aztecs Notes
SAN DIEGO STATE LOOKS TO STAY UNDEFEATED IN MOUNTAIN WEST PLAY AT BOISE STATE
• Coming off a tough 29-26 loss to now 7-1 and 22nd-ranked Washington State on Saturday night, San Diego State travels to Boise, Idaho, to take on No. 15/19 Boise State on short rest for a Friday night game. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. MT (5 p.m. PT). • The Aztecs (3-4, 2-0 MW) and the Broncos (6-1, 3-0 MW) are two of the three undefeated teams left in Mountain West play along with Colorado State (5-3, 3-0 MW). • BS will be SDSU’s third opponent out of its last four games that has had more rest than San Diego State. The Aztecs beat both Hawai’i (Oct. 5) and Wyoming (Oct. 12) off its idle (bye) weeks, while Boise State beat UNLV, 29-24, in Las Vegas last Friday night. • SDSU has played in four consecutive games decided by three points or fewer for the first time in its Division I history (since 1969). • The streak of playing in games decided by three points or fewer is the longest streak in Mountain West history (since 1999), the longest active streak in the country and matches the longest streak since a five-game stretch for Brigham Young in 2016. • San Diego State’s last four games have been decided by a total of 10 points. The Aztecs fell at Central Michigan, 22-21, on a last-minute field goal on Sept. 28, then rallied in the fourth quarter for consecutive 27-24 wins over Hawai’i and Wyoming. That was the first time in SDSU’s Division I history that it had back-to-back victories by the same score (in this case 27-24). San Diego State then fell to the Cougars, 29- 26, on Saturday night. • Total score over the four-game stretch: SDSU – 101, SDSU’s opponents – 99. • Entering Saturday’s game as 17.5-point underdogs, San Diego State led, 26-14, after Marquez Cooper scored his second touchdown of the game with 13:39 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Aztecs, however, surrendered two fourth-quarter touchdowns, allowing the Cougars to escape. • SDSU outgained the high-powered WSU offense, 414-371 and battled through numerous injuries throughout the game. • Cooper rushed for 78 yards on 18 carries with two touchdowns, marking his 13th career game with multiple scores, while Ja’Shaun Poke caught 10 passes for 80 yards. n Cooper is the active leader in FBS play in both rushing yards (4,604) and all-purpose yards (5,278) and tied for first in rushing touchdowns (41), third in rushing yards per game (94.0, min. 25 GP) and tied for third in total touchdowns (41). • Cooper, who has three straight 1,000-yard seasons (2023 at Ball State, and 2021-22 at Kent State under Sean Lewis), has rushed for 748 yards on the year in seven games (106.9 YPG) with eight touchdowns. • Danny O’Neil, the first true freshman to start a season-opener in SDSU’s Division I history (since 1969), is 109-for-174 for the year with 1,240 yards, six touchdowns and just two interceptions. • EDGE Trey White is off to a historic start to the season, on pace to challenge the FBS’s record for the most sacks per game in a season (NCAA defensive stats go back to 2000). White is averaging 1.64 sacks per game, just behind the NCAA FBS record for most sacks per game in a season behind Arizona State’s Terrell Suggs (1.71 in 2002) and Louisville’s Elvis Dumervil (1.67 in 2005), and just ahead of Syracuse’s Dwight Freeney (1.46 in 2001). • White leads the country in total sacks (11.5), sacks per game (1.64), total tackles for loss (15.5), tackles for loss per game (2.21) and tackles for loss yards (92), while also ranking third in total sack yards (61).
• White is already tied for sixth in SDSU single-season history with 11.5 sacks along with current Kansas City Chief Cameron Thomas (11.5 in 2021), only trailing Mike Douglass (21.0 in 1976), Brett Faryniarz (13.0 in 1987), Andy Coviello (12.5 in 1991) and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (12.0 in 1997 and 1999). • Earlier this month, White was added to the Bednarik Award Watch List for the most outstanding defensive player and was named to five midseason All-America teams. • As a team, the Aztecs are tied for third in the country with 4.00 sacks per game. White is averaging more sacks per game (1.64) than 43 other TEAMS, including Brigham Young, Oklahoma State, Utah and Wisconsin, among others. • San Diego State started the season with a 1-3 record, its first 1-3 start since the 2015 campaign. That year, the Aztecs won their final 10 games of the year, including a 27-24 victory over Air Force in the Mountain West Championship game and a 42-7 win over Cincinnati in the Hawai’i Bowl. • That was the first of back-to-back MW championships for the Aztecs, who have three in league history (2012, 2015 and 2016). • SDSU has had much success playing at Boise State on “The Blue,” going 2-2 with second-half leads in all four meetings. • Amazingly, San Diego State is 2-2 all-time at Boise State, while the rest of the current Mountain West teams are a combined 10-96 (.094). • Since the Broncos joined the MW in 2021, they are 2-2 at home against the Aztecs and 67-12 (.848) against everyone else. • SDSU is one of only three active FBS teams with a .500 record at BS, joining North Texas and Washington State. All three teams are 2-2 vs. Boise State at Albertsons Stadium. n San Diego State and the Broncos are meeting for the 10th time on Friday with BS holding a 5-4 series lead. • This is the sixth time in 10 all-time meetings that one of the schools has been nationally ranked. The nationally-ranked team was 2-3 in previous games. • Since the first meeting on Nov. 19, 2011 (an Aztec 52-35 loss), each team in the series has traded two-game win streaks. SDSU won in both 2012 and 2013, Boise State won in 2014 and 2017, San Diego State won in 2018 and 2021, and Boise State won in 2022 and 2023. • Both the Aztecs and Broncos are joining the new-look Pac-12 and will make their debut in the league for the 2026 campaign. • Following Friday’s game at BS, SDSU will play host to New Mexico the following Friday (Nov. 8).
Boise State Broncos Notes
OPENING KICKOFF
1 Ashton Jeanty continues his #HEI2MAN campaign (and rampage through opposing defenses) this week when the No. 15/19 Broncos return home to host San Diego State. Jeanty still leads the nation in rushing yards (1,376) and yards after contact (1,020). Find out more about Ashton Jeanty’s record-setting season at HEI2MAN.com.
2 Two. That’s how many wins Boise State and San Diego State have against each other when playing in Boise. The .500 record at home against the Aztecs makes SDSU just one of 10 FBS programs that don’t have a losing record against Boise State when playing in the Treasure Valley. We hope to change that on Friday.
3 Boise State enters this game ranked No. 15 in the AP Top 25 poll and 19th in the US LBM Coaches Poll. The Broncos have a .853 winning percentage (122-21) all-time when ranked by the Associated Press. That is the best winning percentage of any team when ranked by the AP. See the top marks in this category on Page 11.
4 Appropriate for No. 4 on this list is Boise State’s success rate on 4th down. The Broncos have converted 81.8% of their 4th Down conversions but have gone an impeccable 9-for-9 (100%) since Sept. 28 vs. Washington State. After a 4-for-4 performance on 4th Down at UNLV, the best gambling advice we can give you is to put it all on BLUE.
5 We saved No. 5 for the appropriate Group of 5 note. The 2024 season marks the first of the expanded College Football Playoff era with a 12-team bracket. The highest-rated conference champion of the Group of 5 will automatically earn a berth into the CFP postseason this year and several national pundits have predicted the Broncos could be one of the top teams vying for that spot.
A WIN WOULD…
• Register Boise State’s 118th win while playing as a ranked team in the AP Top 25 poll. • Allow Boise State to have a 7-1 start to the season, the best since 2019. • Remove the Aztecs from the short list of FBS programs that have a .500 or above win percentage in Boise. • Register Boise State’s 87th all-time win in MW play and 104th against a Mountain West opponent. • Move Spencer Danielson’s record to 10-2 as a head coach. • Be better than a loss.
SCOUTING SAN DIEGO STATE
• San Diego State enters this week’s game with a 3-4 record (2-0 Mountain West). • When San Diego State hits the field, expect a close game. Each of the past four games for the Aztecs have been decided by a total of 10 points and each by three points or less. • The streak of playing in games decided by three points or fewer is the longest streak in Mountain West history (since 1999), the longest active streak in the country and matches the longest streak since a five-game stretch for Brigham Young in 2016. • Opened in 1897, San Diego State University first began as the San Diego Normal School, and was initially meant to educate local women as elementary school teachers. So we consider them quite normal while these Broncos are Built Different. • Leading the ground game for San Diego State is Marquez Cooper. The Aztec tailback is the active leader in FBS play in both rushing yards (4,604) and all-purpose yards (5,278), and tied for first in rushing touchdowns (41), third in rushing yards per game (94.0, min. 25 GP) and tied for third in total touchdowns (41). • As a team, the Aztecs are tied for third in the country with 4.00 sacks per game. • Trey White is averaging more sacks per game (1.64) than 43 other TEAMS, including Brigham Young, Oklahoma State, Utah and Wisconsin, among others. • Quarterback Danny O’Neil became the first true freshman quarterback in SDSU’s Division I era (since 1969) to earn a start in a season-opener when he started against Texas A&M-Commerce on Aug. 31. • O’Neil ranks 60th nationally in completion percentage (62.6%) and 68th nationally in passing yards per game (206.7). • We don’t know what quarterback O’Neil models his game off of, but we see he models his haircut off of Tyler Crowe. Excellent choice. • Sure, San Diego State has a good punter in Tyler Pastula, whose 45.1 average ranks 14th nationally, but does he also have a cool accent? • The first major sport sponsored by San Diego State was rowing, followed by tennis, basketball, golf, croquet and baseball. • In its early days, San Diego State was a member of the Junior College Conference proving that schools that were a member of a junior college conference more than a half century ago can, in fact, be considered for Power conference membership. • Despite a popular myth, the name “San Diego” is not a German word or phrase for a female whale’s body part. #TheMoreYouKnow
RUNNING ON DISPLAY
Friday night’s game between Boise State and San Diego State features a pair of talented running backs on either side including the best running back in the conference and the best player in the nation. Ashton Jeanty leads the country in *checks notes* practically everything while San Diego State’s Marquez Cooper ranks third in the MW in rushing yards (748) and rushing touchdowns (8).
RUNNING ON DISPLAY – PART II
Did we mention Boise State likes to run the ball? Well it seems to work out for the Broncos. The Blue and Orange have rushed for at least 175 yards in 16 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the nation. The only other FBS program with an active streak of more than six games is Army West Point (12).
THIS IS BECOMING A HABIT
With the most recent rankings release by the Associated Press putting the Broncos at No. 15, this marks the sixth consecutive week Boise State is in the AP’s Top 25 poll. You won’t have to look back far to see the last time Boise State achieved such a feat – it last happened in 2019. The 2024 season marks the ninth time the Broncos have been in the AP Top 25 poll for six consecutive weeks or more. Since 2000, Boise State has been ranked for at minimum nine consecutive weeks on eight separate occasions: 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016 and 2019.
LIVING ON THE EDGE
This Bronco squad knows how to live life on the edge. Boise State enters this week’s game with the sixth-best conversion percentage of combined 3rd and 4th downs, successfully converting 55 of 105 attempts (52.4%). Only Miami (Fla.), Army West Point, Indiana, Syracuse and Kansas rank higher
SACK OF POTATOES
Boise State is the current national leader in sacks, both in a season total (35) comparison and by sacks per game (5.00). But the 35 total sacks is notable as Boise State has achieved that in seven games while Ole Miss’ 34 total sacks is an eight-game total. Those 35 sacks through the team’s first seven games are the sixth-most among FBS programs since 1996. It’s also notable that the Broncos’ 35 sacks so far are the most sacks through a team’s first seven games in Boise State FBS history and in Mountain West history.
QUARTERBACKS BEWARE
Friday’s game could be dangerous for those playing the quarterback position as three players in the game enter the week ranked in the top 10 nationally in sacks per game. San Diego State’s Trey White (1.64) leads the country while Boise State’s Ahmed Hassanein (1.00) ranks seventh in the nation and Jayden Virgin-Morgan (0.93) ranks ninth nationally.
OUR OPPONENTS STRUGGLE WITH BLUE WALLS
Thanks to a dominant offensive line, Boise State opponents have found it difficult to become acquainted with Bronco quarterback Maddux Madsen. Entering this week’s game, Boise State ranks seventh in the nation in sacks allowed (0.86) and 14th nationally in tackles for loss allowed (3.71). The Broncos did not allow a sack and gave way to just four TFLs at Georgia Southern (Aug. 31) and only yielded one sack and just four tackles for loss to B1G, bad Oregon, who was ranked No. 7/6 in the country at the time.
DEFENSIVELY BUILT DIFFERENT
If you think facing Boise State’s defensive front is an uncommon challenge, you’d be correct. The Broncos are the only team in the nation with two players (Ahmed Hassanein, Jayden Virgin-Morgan) ranked in the top 10 in the country in sacks and one of just two teams in the country – alongside Ole Miss – with two players totaling six or more sacks so far this season.
WE DON’T KNOW HOW TO SHARE
And we’re not sorry about it. Boise State enters this week’s game with just four total turnovers committed this season, the second-fewest in the nation. Only Army West Point (1) has committed fewer turnovers to this point. Dating back to last season, the Broncos have gone eight straight games without committing multiple turnovers, matched with UNLV. Only three other FBS teams have longer active streaks.
IT’S MORE THAN JUST A COLOR
Boise State’s turf color may be a bit different than others, but that’s because visitors often leave Albertsons Stadium feeling blue. Since 1986, when the non-green turf was first installed, the Broncos have compiled a 208-45 (.822) record on The Blue.
TIME TO BREAK THE TIE
While Boise State holds a 5-4 lead in the all-time series over San Diego State, the Aztecs do have one feather in their cap as they are only one of 10 active FBS programs with a .500 or better record when playing the Broncos in Boise. To put that into perspective, 45 current FBS programs have dared face Boise State on The Blue and 26 of those 45 (58%) have never seen victory in Boise. The list of programs to have never found victory on The Blue over Boise State includes: App State, Colorado State, Hawai’i, Iowa State, Liberty, Louisiana, Louisville, Miami (Ohio), Oregon, Rice, SMU, Southern Miss, UTEP, Washington and Wyoming.
THIS BLUE HELLSCAPE IN BOISE
There’s not many places that are tougher environments to play on than the famous blue turf in Boise, otherwise known as “This Blue Hellscape in Boise,” as coined by the Casper Star-Tribune’s Ryan Thornton following Boise State’s 32-7 demolishing of Wyoming on Oct. 28, 2023. After the Oct. 5 win over Utah State, the Broncos have an .896 winning percentage on The Blue (138-16) since 2000. That marks the third-best home winning percentage of any team in the nation, trailing Oklahoma (.9013, 137-15) and Ohio State (.9012, 146-16).
WINNING WAYS
If you’ve read to this point, perhaps you’re seeing a trend. Boise State knows a thing or two about football. In fact, the Broncos have the nation’s highest winning percentage at the FBS level, posting a .766 mark (278-85) since moving up in 1996. That beats out second place Ohio State (.753), third place Alabama (.740), fourth place Michigan (.732) and fifth place Oklahoma (.725). ESTABLISHING A LEGACY The Broncos are the second-winningest football program by percentage in the country since 2000 (.807, 255-61), trailing only Ohio State (.832; 253-51).
SUCCESS IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
Now in its 14th season in the Mountain West, Boise State has lost just 17 games in conference play, and only five of those losses have come by more than seven points. BEST OF THE BEST Boise State is not only back in the Top 25, but history is on their side. When ranked in the Top 25 by the Associated Press, Boise State is 117-21 (.848) all-time. That’s the best record of any team while ranked over the last 40 seasons (min. 50 games as a ranked team).
THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 140
Boise State is 27-7 since 2021 when rushing for 140 yards or more. Last year was out of the norm as the Broncos went 7-5 when rushing for 140 yards or more.
Hawai’I Rainbow Warriors at Fresno State Bulldogs
SERIES vs. FRESNO STATE
• Fresno State leads the all-time series 30-24-1. • The teams did not play last season which snapped a streak of 31 consecutive seasons played (1992-2022). All 31 games were as conference members. • Fresno State won the last meeting, 55-13, Nov. 5, 2022 in Fresno, Calif., which snapped UH’s two-game win streak in the series. • Since both teams joined the Mountain West in 2012, Fresno State has won eight of the 11 match-ups including four of the six meetings in Fresno, Calif. • Hawai‘i has won two of the last four at Valley Children’s Stadium (formerly Bulldog Stadium) with wins in 2016 (14-13) and 2020 (34-19). The Bulldogs’ two wins during that span were by 30+ points. • The series began in 1938 with Fresno State winning that match-up 15-13 in Fresno, Calif. • UH’s longest win streak in the series is three, four times, most recently from 2006-08. FS’s longest win streak is eight from 1955-66.
Hawai’I Rainbow Warriors Notes
GAME STORYLINES
• Saturday’s match-up is the 56th all-time meeting between the schools. Fresno State is UH’s longest-standing rival. The Bulldogs lead the series 30-24-1. • The teams met for 31 consecutive seasons from 1992-2022 — all as conference members — before the streak was snapped last year. • Hawai‘i has won two of the last four at Valley Children’s Stadium (formerly Bulldog Stadium) with wins in 2016 (14-13) and 2020 (34-19). The Bulldogs’ two wins during that span were by 30+ points. 4 Since both teams joined the Mountain West in 2012, Fresno State has won eight of the 11 match-ups including four of the six meetings in Fresno, Calif. • During Timmy Chang’s five seasons as a player at UH, the Warriors went 3-2 against the Bulldogs with three straight wins from 2001-03. Chang was 2-1 as the starting quarterback. • UH (3-5, 1-2 MW) secured its first conference win of the season following a 34-13 victory over Nevada last week in Honolulu, snapping a three-game losing streak. • Brayden Schager earned Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors following his performance in last week’s win in which he tied a UH single-game record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. His four TDs were also the most by a UH player since Alex Green in 2010 and his 120 yards rushing was a career-high. • Fresno State (5-3, 3-1) improved to 3-1 in conference play after a decisive 33-10 victory over San Jose State last week in Fresno, Calif. The Bulldogs scored 33 unanswered points and former Rainbow Warrior defensive back Cam Lockridge tallied two interceptions and was named the MW’s Defensive Player of the Week. • UH is 1-14 on the road under head coach Timmy Chang, including 0-3 this season. • UH has allowed an average of 15.6 points in five home games this season as opposed to 33.3 points in three road contests. • Hawai‘i leads the MW in scoring defense (22.3 ppg) and ranks second in total defense (352.6 ypg). Fresno State ranks No. 1 in total defense (348.3) and No. 4 in scoring defense (24.5) • Schager needs 196 yards of total offense to surpass Cole McDonald for No. 4 all-time.
HAWAI‘I IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
• Hawai‘i is playing its 13th season in the Mountain West in 2024. • UH is 32-67 (.323) all-time in the MW — 19-32 (.373) at home and 13-35 (.271) on the road. • Hawai‘i has appeared in one Mountain West Championship game during the 2019 season.
ROAD SHOW
• Its no secret that UH has had its struggles on the road, given its 15-58 record since 2012. • Under head coach Timmy Chang, UH is 1-14 on the road (0-6 in 2022, 1-5 in ’23, 0-3 in ’24). • Chang’s lone victory snapped a 10-game road losing streak dating back to 2021 as UH defeated Nevada 27-14, Nov. 4, 2023. It was the first road win since a 38-14 victory at Wyoming in the 2021 regular-season finale.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
• The 2024 season marks UH’s fourth home season at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex, which has a seating capacity of 15,194. • UH is scheduled to move into the new Aloha Stadium in 2028. The old Aloha Stadium served as Hawai‘i’s home stadium from 1975-2020. • UH has a 14-11 (.560) all-time record in Ching Complex. Hawai‘i went 4-2 in its inaugural season of 2021; finished 3-4 in 2022; were 4-3 last season; and are 3-2 this season. • Under head coach Timmy Chang, UH is 10-9 at home, including 5-5 in conference games.
Fresno State Bulldogs Notes
SETTING THE STAGE
• With a win over Hawai’i on Saturday, Fresno State will become bowl eligible for the fourth straight season. • Fresno State has an active bowl win streak of five games, the second longest active streak in the FBS. • Saturday is Native American Heritage Night at Valley Children’s Stadium. The Fresno State football team will wear a special helmet decal to honor the Native American community. • Fresno State will play Hawai’i for the first time since 2022 this Saturday. It is also the first time since 2022 that the ‘Dogs will host Hawai’i. • In the series that dates back to 1938, this is the first time Fresno State has back-to-back home games with Hawai’i since 1971 and 1973. • Similar to last week, Fresno State and Hawai’i have been in the same conference since 1992, since Fresno State joined the WAC, and they have played each other every year since. The ‘Dogs own a 15-14 advantage during that time period, and it’s in large part due to its 7-3 mark against UH since both schools joined the MW in 2012. • This could be the last time these teams meet as conference opponents with Fresno State moving to the Pac-12 and Hawai’i being a full-time member of the MW. • Although a long-lasting history between the programs, there is no official trophy between the teams. • The Bulldogs have only squared off versus two other teams more times than the Rainbow Warriors (San Jose State-87 & San Diego State-62). • Fresno State has won 18 of its last 22 home games. • Fresno State is just two wins away from 200 wins inside its home facility. The first game played at Valley Children’s Stadium (formerly Bulldog Stadium) was in 1980. • Fresno State has sold out three of its four home games so far this season. • Fresno State senior cornerback Cam Lockridge was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week after a two interception night against San Jose State. • Lockridge has a league-leading five interceptions this year, and now has 14 in his FBS career to lead all active players. • No player in the MW has had more INTs than Lockridge does so far this season since Luq Barcoo in 2019 (San Diego State). • This week could be another special one as Lockridge is going up against his former team in the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors. Lockridge spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons at Hawai’i before transferring to Fresno State. • Fresno State’s defense had four interceptions against three different SJSU quarterbacks. The Bulldogs last did that with five picks off three Arizona State quarterbacks in 2023. • Fresno State again leads the Mountain West in total defense, allowing an average of 348.25 yards per game. • This weekend’s game is a battle of two of the top quarterbacks in the Mountain West in Mikey Keene and Brayden Schager. The duo are among the Top 3 in the MW in four different QB statistics. • Keene is fresh off of a solid performance, completing 30-of-41 attempts for 275 yards and three touchdowns. • WR Jalen Moss had the first multi-touchdown game of his career with two scores against San Jose State. • Fresno State’s starting receivers are all averaging over 10 yards a catch – Moss (13.5), Mac Dalena (19.8) and Raylen Sharpe (10.3).
Air Force Falcons at Army Black Knights
Michie Stadium (38,000/FieldTurf) West Point, New York
Television CBS Rich Waltz, Ross Tucker and Tiffany Blackmon
Army Radio WBNR-AM 1260 (lagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the 59th meeting between Army and Air Force ….The Falcons hold a 38-19-1 series lead, but Army has won three of the last four meetings, including a 23-3 win in Colorado Springs last year … The game is the second leg in the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy series, which will culminate in the Dec. 14 Army-Navy game.
AIR FORCE 1-6, 0-4 Mountain West
Head Coach Troy Calhoun (Air Force ’89) 131-88, 18th season
Notes
Air Force had raced to an 8-0 start last year, but the Falcons have gone just 2-10 since then, including a 1-6 mark to begin the 2024 campaign … Air Force has won 21 Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy series, the most of the three service academies … The Falcons returned only one offensive starter and three defensive starters from last season … Air Force has had 41 first-time starters this year, the most among FBS programs … The Falcons have been outscored 61-0 in the third quarter this year … QB Josh Busha has passed for 415 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 172 yards … WR Cade Harris has a team-high 212 rushing yards with three touchdowns and is the leading receiver with 14 catches for 169 yards … DE Payton Zdroik has 3.0 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss to lead the defense, but has missed the last two games due to injury.
21/21 ARMY 7-0, 6-0 American
Head Coach Jeff Monken (Millikin ’89) 77-55, 11th season at Army 113-71, 15th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Army moved up to places in the national rankings during its open week to stand at No. 21 in both major polls … Army is 7-0 for the first time since 1996 … Army has won its last 11 games, dating to last season, and takes the nation’s longest active winning streak into Saturday’s game … Army is the only team in the nation that has scored a touchdown on its first drive in every game this season and is one of only two teams (Indiana) that has not trailed in a game this season … Army leads the nation in rushing offense (359.1 ypg) and red zone defense (53.3%) … QB Bryson Daily is averaging 129.9 rushing yards and leads the nation with 19 rushing touchdowns … SB Kanye Udoh is fifth in the AAC in rushing (90.4 ypg) … Army has allowed only 12.4 points per game, ranking sixth nationally.
Wyoming Cowboys at New Mexico Lobos
Series History
The 2024 Meeting Will be the: 77th Overall Series Record: Wyoming leads, 41-35 MWC Series Record: Wyoming trails, 11-14 Series Began: Nov. 29, 1930 UW Record in Laramie: 21-16 UW Record in Albuquerque: 20-18 UW Record at Neutral Sites: 0-1 UW Head Coach Jay Sawvel vs.: 0-0 Longest UW Win Streak: 7 (1986-92) Longest UNM Win Streak: 7 (1969-75) Largest UW Margin of Victory: 48 (1988) Largest UNM Margin of Victory: 35 (1971, ‘00) Most Points Scored by UW: 59 (1984, ‘87) Most Points Scored by UNM: 56 (2016)
Wyoming Cowboys Notes
Scott Over The Century Mark: Wyoming running back Sam Scott went over the century mark for the first time in his career against Utah State. Scott rushed for 115 yards in the contest on 11 carries averaging 10.5 yards per carry. He had rushes of 43-yards and 39-yards in the contest for the two longest rushes of his career. It was the first 100-yard game since Harrison Waylee did so last season against Colorado State.
Durr All Over The Place: Freshman wide receiver Chris Durr Jr. was all over the field for the Cowboys against Utah State. He hauled in a career-high nine passes for a career-best 83 yards. It was the most catches for a Cowboy since Austin Conway had 11 against Wofford in 2018. It was also the most catches in a MW game for a Cowboy since Tanner Gentry recorded nine against New Mexico in 2009.
The KING of Versatility: Wide receiver Tyler King did it all for the Pokes against Utah State. He recorded five rushes for a career-best 77 yards. He also had a 4-yard touchdown score for the Pokes in the game. King also grabbed a career-high four passes for 52 yards. He finished the night with 129 yards of total offense. He also added 21 yards on kick returns as the second ranked kick returner in the nation had 150 all-purpose yards.
Third-Down Defense: The Cowboy third-down defense is one of the best in the nation this season. The Pokes rank fifth in the nation and lead the Mountain West holding opponents to 27.7 percent this season. UW held Utah State to 3-of-13 on third down on Saturday.
Anderson Has Career Day: Wyoming quarterback Kaden Anderson had a career day for the Cowboys against Utah State. He threw for a career-high 182 yards in the contest. He was 15-of-24 passing in the game completing 63 percent of his passes. He also rushed for a career high 25 yards.
Offense Puts Up Yards: The Cowboy offense has recorded season-high over the last four games. That was matched with a season-high 470 yards of total offense against Utah State. That included over 300 yards in the second half. It was the most in a half since having 361 in the first half against Hawaii last season.
Hoyland is Heating Up: Wyoming field goal kicker John Hoyland was a perfect 4-of-4 in field goals against Utah State tying a career-high that he has done twice in his career. He is 9-of-11 this season for 82 percent. He ranks 40th in the nation this season in percentage and fourth in the MW. He is four points from being Wyoming’s all-time scoring leader.
Hoyland Adds to School Record: Kicker John Hoyland knocked in a 23- yard kick against Air Force for the 62nd of his career as he continues to build on his school record. He added four field goals tying a career-high against Utah State and added to his school record with 67 in his career. He is four points behind Cooper Rothe for the school record in career scoring.
Parks Making Plays: Cornerback Keany Parks recorded two pass breakups in key moments in the second quarter. Once on a fourth down and once on a third-down that held Utah State to a field goal. He is second on the team with five this season.
Westland Has Big Day: Defensive end Tyce Westland had a big day against Utah State. He recorded a career-high eight tackles in the contest. He also had six tackles in the first half. He was a key member of the defensive line with starter Sabastian Harsh out of the game with an injury.
Out of Halftime: The Cowboys have been solid defensively in the third quarter over the last four games. In fact, Wyoming has held opponents to 21 yards or less in three of those four games and held Utah State to only nine in the quarter. Over the last four games, opponents are averaging 36 yards of offense in the third quarter.
Waylee is Back!!!!: The Cowboys will see one of the nation’s top running backs make his season debut at New Mexico. Harrison Waylee has missed time after an injury. He was on the Doak Walker Award Preseason Watch List. Waylee had an outstanding season for the Cowboys in 2023. He was named Honorable Mention All-Mountain West by the coaches and media. He was named to the Second Team All-MW by Phil Steele. He appeared in 10 games for the Poke with nine starts at running back. He rushed for 947 yards in those contests to rank sixth in the MW and No. 50 in the nation. He averaged 94.7 yards per game, a number that ranked fourth in the conference and No. 24 in the nation.
Shay Making Plays: Linebacker Connor Shay tied a career high with eight tackles against Utah State. He also added a tackle for loss. He had eight tackles against Arizona State and North Texas. He is second on the team with 44 tackles on the season.
Big Plays for Nanke: Tight end Clay Nanke caught his second career pass against Utah State. The 32 yard reception down the sideline was a career long. He has two catches on the season for 56 yards. On The Ground: The Pokes rushed for a season-high 276 yards against Utah State. Scott led the way with 115 yards. King added 77 on the day with Anderson adding 24 with 25 from Svoboda and 23 from Ferrell. The 276 rushing yards was the most in a game for the Brown and Gold since
Harris Gets a Sack: Defensive end DeVonne Harris recorded his first sack of the season against Utah State. He also added a season-high five tackles in the contest against the Aggies. It was the 13th of his career and marked the 20th tackle for loss of his career.
Owning The clock: The Cowboys have been solid holding onto the football over the last four games. Wyoming has held a lead in time of possession. Wyoming has held the ball 71 minutes over the last two games for 59 percent of the game. UW had it for 36 against San Jose State and nearly 35 minutes against Utah State.
Suiaunoa Making Plays: Linebacker Shae Suiaunoa added eight tackles and two tackles for loss against Utah State. He ranks eighth in the league in tackles and No. 50 nationally. He is tied for team lead with 8.5 tackles for loss and has at least a half tackle for loss in five of the eight games.
J Mike is a Target for UW: Tight end John Michael Gyllenborg leads the Cowboys this season with 19 catches for 317 yards. He averages 52.8 yards per game on the season. He averages 16.7 yards per catch this season, which ranks fourth in the conference.
Safeties Tandem Back: The Cowboys had both starting safeties in the lineup starting for the first time since BYU with Wyett Ekeler and Isaac White. The duo has combined for 376 tackles with White having 197 and Ekeler having 379.
Rock in the Middle: Center Nofofia Tulafono has been a rock for the Cowboy offensive line in his career. He has appeared in 45 career games for the Pokes and has started 34-straight games at center for the Pokes.
Forcing Turnovers: The Cowboys recorded a season-high four turnovers against San Jose State with three coming in the first half. Wyoming recorded two interceptions and recovered two fumbles in the contest. It was the most since forcing a school-record eight turnovers in a win over Central Michigan in the 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The last time Wyoming had exactly four in a game was at Iowa in the season opener that same season.
Through The Air: The Cowboys got it done through the air against San Jose State. The Cowboys threw for a season-high 310 yards in the contest. It was the first time that the Pokes have thrown for 300 or more yards since recording 319 yards last season against Hawai’i.
Career Days for Passers: The Pokes had two passers have career days against San Jose State. Evan Svoboda threw for a career-high 194 yards in the game. Kaden Anderson threw for 116 yards in the game. Both threw for a touchdown in the contest.
J Mike Over 100 Again: Tight end John Michael Gyllenborg had a career day at San Jose State. He grabbed five catches in the game-tying a career-high for a career-high 137 yards. He recorded a long reception of 63 yards for the longest of the season for him. He has four or more catches in four of the last five games.
Tyrecus Causing Havoc: Cornerback Tyrecus Davis made some big plays for the Cowboys at San Jose State. He recorded his first career field goal block coming in the first half. Later in that half, he recorded a forced fumble for the first fumble recovery for the Cowboys this season. It was the second forced fumble of his career.
The Turnover Titan: Nickel Wrook Brown had another solid day against San Jose State. He led the team with eight tackles in the contest in his return to the position after playing safety for two games. He also recorded an interception in the game for his second of the season, a team-high. It also marked the fifth of his career with the Brown and Gold.
Stevenson Hauls in Score: Redshirt freshman wide receiver Justin Stevenson hauled in his first career touchdown pass in the third quarter at San Jose State. The leaping catch was also the longest reception of the season for the receiver.
Two Thumbs Up for Ekeler: Safety Wyett Ekeler, who is playing with two broken thumbs with a cast on both hands recorded an impressive interception against San Jose State. It was his first of the season and the fourth of his career with the Brown and Gold. It was his first game action since the BYU game, as he broke both thumbs in the game against the Cougars. Both coming on the same drive in the third quarter of that game.
Siders With Another Sack: Defensive end Braden Siders recorded a sack for the second-straight game at SJSU. In fact, it is the second-straight game he earned a sack without touching the quarterback. Both sacks were intentional grounding penalties on the offense. He has a team-high 3.5 sacks this season and has recorded 13.5 sacks in his career with the Cowboys and now has 23 tackles for loss for the Pokes in his career.
Some More Chunk Plays: The Pokes made plays through the air against San Jose State. In fact, the Pokes recorded nine chunk plays through the air against the Spartans for a season-high. It was the most chunk plays passing for the Cowboys this season. In fact, UW recorded five of those receptions that went for over 20 yards. Wyoming had 10 chunk plays against Utah State with four of 30 or more yards.
A Blocked Kick: The Pokes recorded the first field goal block of the season against San Jose State. The 40-yard attempt was blocked by Tyrecus Davis. Wyoming recorded three blocked kicks last season. Defensive end DeVonne Harris had two of those blocks last season for the Cowboys.
One Cool (ey) Customer: Punt returner Caleb Cooley is back for the Pokes after missing time with a leg injury. He had two returns for a career-high 18 yards against San Jose State. He recorded a career-long return of 15 yards in the contest.
Harsh in the Backfield: Defensive end Sabastian Harsh was all over the backfield for the Cowboys against San Diego State. He recorded a career-high four tackles for loss. The four tackles for loss tied a school record done seven times with the last coming from Youhanna Ghaifan against Texas State in 2017. It also tied for the most by a MW player this season and tied for the second most by a player in the nation this season. He leads Wyoming with 8.5 tackles for loss this season. That number ranks third in the Mountain West Conference.
Sargent Scores First Touchdown: Wide receiver Jaylen Sargent recorded a 70-yard touchdown reception against SDSU. It was the first of his career and the longest reception of his career. He added two catches, tying a career-high and recorded a career-high 84 yards receiving in the contest. The 70-yard strike was the longest since John Michael Gyllenborg had a 89 yard reception against Hawai’i last season in Laramie.
About New Mexico
The Lobos (3-5 overall, 2-2 Mountain West) had their high-powered offense halted during a 17-6 loss to Colorado State last Saturday in Fort Collins. New Mexico, which still ranks 31st in the FBS in scoring (33.5 ppg) and 10th in total yards (468.1 ypg), had four turnovers and missed a field goal against the Rams. Sophomore quarterback Devon Dampier is completing 58.8% of his passes for 2,079 yards (259.9 ypg) with nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Dampier also ranks seventh in the MW in rushing with 538 yards (6.6 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns. Running backs Javen Jacobs and NaQuari Rogers have combined for 527 yards and seven touchdowns. Wide receiver Luke Wysong is fifth in the conference with 50 receptions for 663 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, the Lobos are allowing an average of 39.8 points and 478.4 yards per game, which ranks 131st out of 134 FBS teams. Safety Christian Ellis is fourth in the MW in tackles (8.88 per game). Wyoming leads the all-time series 40-36 and has won the last two meetings – 35-26 last season in Laramie and 27-14 in 2022 in Albuquerque. The first game between the longtime conference rivals was a 19-6 road win for UW in 1930. The Lobos won seven consecutive games from 1969-75 and the Pokes matched the longest winning streak in the series with seven consecutive wins from 1986-92.
New Mexico Lobos Notes
The Opening List
While New Mexico lost in a truly odd game that saw a lot of things just go against them (we will get to that) and a lot of things just go plain wrong, one thing that went right was the emergence of Michael Buckley. Now, Buckley was pressed into service when the Lobos lost Luke Wysong when, after getting interfered with on a deep out (which was called), the ball landed incomplete, and Wysong was hit, not hard, but awkwardly and well late by Henry Blackburn. That wasn’t called, and Wysong fell awkwardly and was done. Enter Buckley. Now, if you watched the game and was thinking, I remember him … it’s true. It’s been a weird and wacky ride for Buckley. Michael Buckley is a walkon from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, although he did graduate high school in California. He made his first appearance in a game in the 2021 season finale when he returned a kickoff 32 yards against Utah State, the rather infamous game for UNM in which it started five-foot-six graduate manager Bryson Carroll at quarterback because the team had all of its scholarship quarterbacks get hurt. The next time Buckley touched the ball on the field was Saturday, when he went from off the radar to well … he went off. He was UNM’s second leading receiver in the game, catching seven passes (out of eight targets) for 90 yards. How shocking are the seven catches? In his four years on the Lobos … over 44 games … Buckley prior to Saturday against Colorado State had played SEVEN CAREER OFFENSIVE SNAPS. Over four years. Then he has seven receptions. It’s hard to research or even think of a guy waiting four years to make an impact, but Buckley did it, and he’s earned certainly a few more reps. The fact that it all came in the 44th game that he has suited up for just makes you love college football. So the tale of perseverance … hard work … earning the trust with the opportunity (sounds like Lobo Football, eh?) … well Buckley’s tale of games is the subject of a heart-warming Opening List:
It Was The Only Way to Stop Him…
The hit/collision that injured Luke Wysong might have been Colorado State’s only way of stopping him, because to this point no one has. The Colorado State game ended up as the first game that Luke Wysong didn’t lead the Lobos in receiving in a game this year, as he ended up with no catches, going out on UNM’s fifth snap of the game. His status is up in the air, but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about what Wysong has done this year to get on both the CSC Comeback Player of the Year Watch List and the Biletnikoff Watch List.
Who Says the Complete Game is Dead
If you have watched any of the MLB baseball playoffs, it has to be rather shocking that a pitcher went seven innings and he was lauded as a conquering hero. I mean the Yankees just made it to the World Series by beating Cleveland in five games in which their starting pitchers went 6, 4.1, 4.2, 4.0 and 4.2 innings. As of Sunday night, the Dodgers are two wins away from the World Series title and their starters are averaging 11.9 outs per outing … that’s not a full four innings. Jack Morris and his 10-inning complete game shutout in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series is laughing at the current state of pitching. Who would ever think to see a complete game, you’d have to see it in college football, specifically with the Lobo defense, and even more specifically with cornerback Bryson Taylor. Taylor has amazingly played six straight complete games, not coming out on a single snap on defense, counting all of the plays with accepted penalties. Taylor, who nearly had this at seven straight games, but the slacker took two plays off against Arizona. In the last six games, Taylor has played 432 consecutive plays at corner. He played all of the plays against Auburn (67), Fresno State (76), New Mexico State (70), Air Force (77), Utah State (85) and Colorado State (57). Taylor had another pass breakup on Saturday, giving him 11 on the year. He is tied for second nationally in PBUs, tied with Avery Smith of Toledo and behind only Michael Coates of Nevada, who has 12. His PBU on Saturday put him onto the single-season list at UNM with those 11 and he is six away from the single-season record set by Brandon Payne in 2004, who had 17.
Colorado State Rams at Nevada Wolf Pack
SERIES HISTORY
Colorado State leads the all-time series with the Wolf Pack by a 14-5 margin, and has won the past two meetings. Overall, Nevada is 5-6 against the Rams since 2006, after Colorado State won the first eight all-time meetings.
Colorado State Rams Notes
NOTING THE RAMS
• The Rams are in year three under head coach Jay Norvell who was named the program’s 24th head coach on Dec. 6, 2021. Norvell led his former program, Nevada, onto Sonny Lubick Field in the 2021 finale on Nov. 27 and returned to Fort Collins nine days later as the Rams’ new head coach. • Colorado State is a winning football program! With a 21-13 victory at Air Force on Oct. 19, the Rams went above .500 for the first time under head coach Jay Norvell and the first time since 2017. Now with a record of 5-3, the Rams are on the verge of becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2017. • CSU’s offensive line is full of experience, including the Mountain West’s most seasoned player in center Jacob Gardner (53 starts in 53 career games). Gardner and the Rams’ front unit allowed just 14 sacks last season – tied for 11th in the nation – and have allowed just eight through seven games in 2024 (tied for 16th). • Colorado State will be without star wide receiver Tory Horton for the remainder of the season due to injury. In his place, Armani Winfield and Caleb Goodie stepped up to replace his production as they recorded the first 100-yard outings of their respective careers in back-to-back weeks. Winfield hit the century mark against San Jose State in Week 6, while Goodie followed right behind by reaching triple digits in Week 7 against Air Force. • The turnaround of the CSU run game in 2024 cannot be understated. In 2023, the Rams mustered just 92.2 yards on the ground per game, which was the ninth worst mark nationally. This season the Rams are racking up 182.0 rushing yards per game, which has them among the top 45 in the nation. • Colorado State set a Canvas Stadium – and program – record with 40,099 fans in attendance for the Rocky Mountain Showdown on Sept. 14. It also marked back-to-back sellouts after Ram Nation turned out for the home opener against Northern Colorado on Sept. 7. In total, Colorado State has sold out three of its first five home games of the season. • The Rams will play seven games at home for the first time in program history in 2024, highlighted by a pair of rivalry matchups in the Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado (Sept. 14) and The Border War against Wyoming (Nov. 15). The last time both rivals were in Fort Collins the same season was in 1996.
NOTING THE GAME
• Colorado State leads the all-time series against Nevada 14-5, but the teams have split each of the last four meetings. The Rams are riding a two-game win streak against the Wolf Pack and have been victorious in two of their last three trips to Reno. • A key for the Colorado State defense in this matchup will be finding a way off of the field on third downs. The Wolf Pack rank fourth in the nation in third-down efficiency (52.5%) while the Rams are 74th in defensive efficiency on third downs (37.7%).
Nevada Wolf Pack Notes
NEVADA STARTS NOVEMBER AT HOME
Nevada returns to Reno for its penultimate home contest of the season, hosting Colorado State at Mackay Stadium. Saturday’s contest against the Rams will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network, with Chris Lewis (play-by-play), Robert Turbin (analyst), and Amanda Guerra (sideline) on the call. The Wolf Pack Radio Network will call the game on KOZZ 105.7 FM in Northern Nevada, online at www.thevarsitynetwork.com and on the Varsity Network app. John Ramey (play-by-play) and Mike Edwards (analyst) will be in the booth, with the 60-minute pregame show to begin at 4 p.m.
ABOUT COLORADO STATE
Colorado State has won three-straight heading into Saturday’s matchup, starting 3-0 in Mountain West play after an Oct. 5 non-conference loss to Oregon State. Former Wolf Pack head coach Jay Norvell (2017-21 at Nevada) is in his third season at the Colorado State helm, and is 13-19 overall with the Rams. Norvell is 2-0 against the Wolf Pack.
THE LAUNCH
The Launch of Nevada Football began Dec. 4, 2023, when Jeff Choate was named the 28th head coach in program history. Choate brings a championship resume to Reno which boasts deep postseason runs (FCS semifinal with Montana State in 2019, College Football Playoff semifinal with Texas in 2023), top-10 programs, and Fiesta Bowl victories in 2006 and 2011. His first head-coaching tenure came at Montana State from 2016-20, over which he guided the Bobcats to a 19-9 record over his final two seasons, culminating with an 11-4 record and a run to the FCS semifinals in 2019. Most recently, Choate spent the past three seasons (2021-23) at Texas, serving as the Longhorns’ co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach. Under Choate’s tutelage, the Longhorn defense topped the Big XII in rushing defense (82.4 ypg, third in the country), scoring defense (18.9 points per game, 15th in the country), third-down conversion percentage defense (26.6 percent, second in the country), and total defense (336.7 yards per game), while ranking in the national top 10 in red-zone defense (73.8 percent, seventh), as the Longhorns racked up a 12-2 record, Big XII title, and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
MOUNTAIN WEST NOTES
• Nine Mountain West teams take the field in Week 10, with No. 19/15 Boise State hosting San Diego State on Friday on FS1 to get things started. Wyoming visits New Mexico, Fresno State hosts Hawai‘i and Nevada welcomes Colorado State in Saturday’s MW contests, while in nonconference action, Air Force visits No. 21/21 Army on CBS. • Boise State is ranked for the sixth straight week, sitting at No. 15 in the Associated Press poll and No. 19 into the US LBM Coaches (AFCA) poll. UNLV is receiving votes in both polls. • With Boise State and UNLV already bowl eligible, two more MW teams can join them in Week 10. Colorado State and Fresno State are both sitting on five wins, while 5-3 San José State is idle this week. • 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 11 one-possession games against A4 opponents this season, with four of those games settled in overtime or on the final play of regulation. • Since 2018, the MW has the best winning percentage over Autonomous 5 teams (27.20) among its peer conferences. MW teams have collected 34 wins over such teams in that span, also the most among its peer conferences. • 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.
MOUNTAIN WEST PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
BRAYDEN SCHAGER, HAWAI‘I Senior, Quarterback Dallas, Texas/Highland Park HS
• Accounted for 273 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in leading Hawai‘i past Nevada, 34-13, for its first MW win of the season. • Threw for 153 yards and ran for a career-best 120 on 19 carries, rushing for a career-high four TDs. • Became the first Hawai‘i player to score four touchdowns since 2010 and just the third Rainbow Warrior quarterback to run for four and first since 1995. • Just the third quarterback in the FBS to rush for 100 yards and four TDs this season. • Completed 14 passes to move into third all-time at Hawai‘i in completions.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
CAM LOCKRIDGE, FRESNO STATE Senior, Cornerback Tampa, Fla./Robinson HS/Hawai’i
• Made seven tackles and had two interceptions in Fresno State’s 33-10 win over rival San José State. • Intercepted passed on consecutive drives in the second half. • Returned his first interception 35 yards toward the end of the third quarter before ending SJSU’s first drive of the fourth quarter with his second pick of the day. • Turned in his second multi-interception game of the season. • Helped hold the Spartans to just 10 points, their fewest in a game since scoring 10 against Fresno State in 2022 and more than 22 points below their season average.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK TANNER CRAGUN, UTAH STATE
Redshirt Freshman, Placekicker Frisco, Texas/Wakeland HS/Utah
• Matched his career high in points with nine in Utah State’s 27-25 win at Wyoming, kicking a career-best two field goals and three extra points. • Kicked a career-long 40-yard field goal as time expired to help the Aggies snap a six-game losing streak. • Also converted from 30 yards with 1:19 left in the second quarter. • First Aggie to hit a walk-off field goal since 2019.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
MW FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK
MW TEAMS IN THE RANKINGS
Boise State is No. 15 in this week’s Associated Press poll and No. 19 in the US LBM Coaches (AFCA) poll. The Broncos are 117-21 (.848) 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 both polls this week.
GOING BOWLING
UNLVtopped Oregon State for its sixth win of the season in Week 8 and will be going bowling in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history. Boise State downed UNLV in Week 9 to become bowl eligible for the 27th consecutive season, the second-longest active streak in the nation behind Georgia’s current 28-season run.
JEANTY FOR HEI2MAN
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty’s Heisman campaign rolls on. The junior is either first or second in the FBS in several categories: • all-purpose yards per game (203.71, 1st) • rushing yards (1,376, 1st) • rushing yards per game (196.6, 1st) • scoring (16.3, T-1st) • total points scored (114, T-1st) • total touchdowns (19, T-1st) • rush yards per carry (8.65, 2nd) • rushing touchdowns (18, 2nd) Jeanty has 1,376 rushing yards and 12 receptions this season. The last FBS player to reach those two marks in his team’s first seven games of a season was Texas’ Ricky Williams in 1998 (1,484, 15). Jeanty 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. He 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. Of the 13 200-yard rushing games in the FBS this season, Jeanty has three of them and is the only player with multiple 200-yard efforts. He also has four TD runs of at least 70 yards this year, the most in a season in MW history. His eight TD runs of 50 yards or more this season lead the FBS.
BRONCOS RUNNING WILD
Boise State ranks third in the FBS in scoring offense (44.3) and second in rushing yards per game (274.9). The last two teams to finish in the top three in each category in the same season are Baylor in 2015 and West Virginia in 2006. The Broncos have rushed for at least 175 yards in 16 straight games. The only other FBS team with an active streak of more than six games is Army with 12 straight. DALMAS NEARING FBS RECORDS Boise State kicker Jonah Dalmas has 90 career field goals to his credit, good for fourth in FBS history and just seven back of the FBS record of 97, held by NC State’s Christopher Dunn (2018-22). With a career field-goal percentage of 89.1 (90-for10), Dalmas is second in FBS history in that category, trailing only Nebraska’s Alex Henery, who converted at an 89.5-percent clip (68-for-76) from 2007-10.
UNLV 3-1 AGAINST A4 COMPETITION
UNLV has beaten Big 12 teams Houston (27-7) and Kansas (23-20) this season, becoming 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 before beating Oregon State in Week 8, 33-25.
EXCELLING ON AND OFF THE FIELD
UNLV senior linebacker Jackson Woodard was announced last week as one of 16 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy and a member of the 2024 National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The Campbell Trophy is college football’s premier scholar-athlete award, which annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Woodard was also among four MW players named semifinalists for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award last week. He was joined on the list by Boise State senior defensive end Ahmed Hassanein, Colorado State graduate offensive lineman Jacob Gardner and Hawai‘i senior linebacker Logan Taylor.
NASH RECEIVING PRAISE
This season, San José State receiver Nick Nash leads all FBS players in receptions (80), receptions per game (10.0), receiving touchdowns (12) and receiving yards (995) and is second in receiving yards per game (124.4). Nash has a receiving TD in eight consecutive games, the longest active streak in the FBS and tied for the third-longest in MW history. It’s also the longest such streak to start a season in MW history. Nash is the first Mountain West player to have at least 10 receiving touchdowns and two passing touchdowns in a season. Nash has an FBS-best seven games this season recording at least 90 yards and had at least seven receptions in each of those seven games. The last MW player to have more games with 90-plus receiving yards and seven-plus catches in a single season than Nash was Colorado State’s Rashard Higgins in 2014 (nine).
SACK CENTRAL
Boise State leads the FBS in sacks with 5.00 per game, while San Diego State is third at 4.00. Of the nine FBS teams this season with multiple games having at least six sacks, three play in the MW in Boise State, San Diego State and UNLV, with the Broncos sharing the national lead with Duke with three such games. The Aztecs’ Trey White continues to lead the FBS this season in sacks (11.5), sacks per game (1.64), tackles for loss (15.5) and TFLs per game (2.2).
OTHER NATIONAL LEADERS
UNLV leads the FBS this season in blocked punts (4), with Rebel All-American wide receiver Ricky White III leading the FBS with three blocked kicks (all punts). UNLV freshman placekicker Caden Chittenden leads the nation in total made field goals (18) and field goals per game (2.25). Nevada cornerback Michael Coats Jr. paces the FBS with 16 passes defended and 1.8 per game.
WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE
San José State (14) is third, UNLV (13) is sixth and Fresno State (12) is seventh in the FBS in passes intercepted, with the Spartans ranking second with 19 turnovers gained and the Rebels ranking fifth in turnover margin at 1.38. Boise State has four turnovers this season, with only Army (one) having fewer among FBS teams. Dating back to last season, both Boise State and UNLV have gone eight straight games without having multiple TOs, with only three FBS teams having longer active streaks. Fresno State’s Cam Lockridge is tied for second in the FBS with five interceptions, while Nevada’s Michael Coats Jr., SJSU’s Robert Rahimi and UNLV’s Jalen Catalon and Jackson Woodard are tied for fifth with four INTs apiece. Boise State’s Andrew Simpson, Fresno State’s Korey Foreman, SDSU’s Chris Johnson and Utah State’s DJ Graham II are tied for fourth with three forced fumbles each.
AZTECS KEEPING IT CLOSE
San Diego State has had its last four games decided by three points or fewer and is 2-2 in those contests. Those games have been decided by a combined 10 points. It’s the longest such streak in MW history and the longest active streak in the FBS. DUAL THREATS Both New Mexico’s Devon Dampier and UNLV’s Hajj-Malik Williams have two games this season with 175-plus passing yards and 100-plus rushing yards. The MW record in a season is three, by Wyoming’s Brett Smith in 2013, Nevada’s Cody Fajardo in 2012 and Colorado State’s Bradlee Van Pelt in 2003. Dampier is the first quarterback in MW history to have at least 1,500 passing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in his team’s first seven games of a season. Williams recorded at least three passing touchdowns and 50 rushing yards in his first three starts, the longest such streak by a Mountain West player all-time.
BODES WELL FOR THE RAMS
Colorado State has started 3-0 in Mountain West play for the fourth time in team history. The Rams won their fourth conference game in each of those previous three seasons (2000, 2002, 2017).
CONSECUTIVE COMPLETIONS
Fresno State’s Mikey Keene completed 17 consecutive passes in the Bulldogs’ 33-10 win over San José State in Week 9, good for the second-longest streak in a game in MW history. Keene finished the day 30-for-41 for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Colorado State’s Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi completed 16 straight passes in a 31-24 win over SJSU in Week 7, which is now tied for the third-best streak in MW history. He finished 22-for-30 for 269 yards and a TD.
