A LOOK AHEAD
Saturday, Sept. 28
Fresno State at #23 UNLV*
FS1 12:30 p.m. PT
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Fresno State leads, 19-7 In Fresno: 11-3 In Las Vegas: 8-4 Neutral:
– Streak: FS +6
Last Meeting: FS def. UNLV 31-24 in Fresno (10/28/23)
Last FS Win: Same
Fresno State Notes
SETTING THE STAGE
• Fresno State rides a three-game winning streak into this weekend’s matchup with No. 23 UNLV. • The Bulldogs won their Mountain West opener on the road at New Mexico last weekend, 38-21. • Since Oct. 15, 2022, Fresno State is 21-5 (.808), the seventh-best record by any FBS team who has competed at the level in all three seasons. The only FBS teams with a better record than the Bulldogs in that time are Georgia, Michigan, Washington, Alabama, Oregon and Ohio State. • Fresno State earned two Mountain West players of the week following the win at New Mexico – Tuasivi Nomura (Defense) and Dylan Lynch (Special Teams). • Nomura had a career-high 16 tackles at UNM with 12 solo stops. His 16 tackles were the most in a game by a Bulldog since LB Jeff Allison in 2018. His 12 solo stops are the second-most in a game by any player in the FBS this year. • Lynch was a perfect 3-for-3 in his field goal attempts last weekend, battling tough wins in Albuquerque. • Fresno State will face its second ranked opponent of the season this weekend, and second on the road. The Bulldogs opened the year at then-No. 9 Michigan. • Tim Skipper has led the Bulldogs to a 3-1 record through the first four games as interim head coach. Skipper is just one of six head coaches in program history to begin their Bulldog head coaching career with a 3-1 record to start their first full season as head coach. • Skipper is familiar with UNLV, having been the Rebels’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2018-19. • Fresno State defensive backs coach J.D. Williams also coached at UNLV in various roles from 2010-12. • Fresno State faces a UNLV team that is coming off of a bye week while the Bulldogs enter their fifth-straight game to open the season. The Bulldogs have their first bye after this weekend’s game. • Fresno State has won six-in-a-row against UNLV, dating back to 2018. • Fresno State is fifth in the FBS in turnovers gained this season, totaling 10 on the year (seven interceptions, three fumbles). • The starting cornerback duo of Al’zillion Hamilton and Cam Lockridge are first and second respectively in the FBS in passes defended. Hamilton and Lockridge are coached by J.D. Williams who was a first round NFL Draft pick in 1990. • Fresno State’s offense has taken advantage of a skilled group of players, having two games so far this season with 10 players with a reception, and a third game with eight rushers for positive yards. • On Sept. 12, it was announced that the Pac-12 Conference Board of Directors has unanimously voted to admit Fresno State, along with Boise State University, Colorado State University and San Diego State University, into the Pac-12 Conference effective July 1, 2026.
DEEP DIVE
• Fresno State and UNLV will be meet for the twenty-seventh time in program history on Saturday • This is the thirteenth meeting in Las Vegas in the series, and Fresno State is 8-4 vs UNLV on the road. • Fresno State has won 17 out of their last 20 previous matchups against UNLV dating back to September 14, 1985 • The Bulldogs are currently riding a six game winning streak against UNLV which began on November 3, 2018 with a 48-3 victory over the Rebels in Las Vegas • In their last meeting on October 28, 2023, Fresno State defeated UNLV by the final score of 31-24 at home. • Fresno State has outscored UNLV 850-596 in the series • Fresno State’s largest margin of victory over UNLV came on November 3, 2018 where they defeated the Rebels 48-3 in Las Vegas. • In the series, Fresno State has averaged 33 points a game against UNLV • UNLV is coming into this game with a perfect 3-0 record, which includes two road wins against Houston and Kansas, and one home win against Utah Tech. • Within their first three games, the Rebels are only giving up an average of 13.7 points a game while scoring an average of 40.7 points a game • This will be UNLV’s first conference matchup of the 2024 season, while the Bulldogs are coming off their first conference game of the year against New Mexico where they defeated the Lobos by a final score of 38-21. • Fresno State interim head coach Tim Skipper once coached at UNLV as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2018-19. • Fresno State defensive backs coach J.D. Williams also coached at UNLV in various roles from 2010-12. • Andre Meono, who is listed as a place kicker for UNLV, played at Fresno State for two seasons before transferring to UNLV in 2023. • Timothy Conerly, who is listed as a wide receiver for UNLV, spent two seasons at Fresno Community College before transferring to UNLV and earning his first letter in 2023. • Tre Fulton, who is a freshman defensive back for UNLV, is from the Central Valley, specifically Bakersfield where he played at Liberty High School and was a three-time letterwinner in football. • UNLV is coming off a 9-5 season last year where they eventually lost in the Mountain West Championship to Boise State and lost to Kansas in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl to finish their season
#23 UNLV Notes
The only undefeated team remaining in the Mountain West, No. RV/23 UNLV (3-0/0-0) opens conference play by appearing at home for the first time in three weeks when it hosts Fresno State (3-1/0-0) on Saturday afternoon … The game will be televised nationally on FS1 … On what is also Hispanic Heritage Day, UNLV’s 1994 Big West Conference champion and Las Vegas Bowl champion team will be honored on the field after the first quarter to celebrate the squad’s 30th anniversary (more on page 13) … UNLV is 15-27 all-time in season openers and has won two straight MW lid-lifters … Undefeated and nationally ranked UNLV has won its first three games of a season for the first time since 1984 when Randall Cunningham was behind center … The Rebels moved up two spots in this week’s USA TODAY Coaches Poll after entering at least one of the two major polls on September 15 at No. 25 for the first time since the program moved to Division I in 1978 … UNLV is coming off a bye week while FS downed New Mexico 38-21 in ABQ … With a 23-20 victory at Kansas the last time out, UNLV earned two road wins over Big 12 Conference opponents in three weeks to become the first non-conference team ever to have multiple road wins against Big 12 competition in the same season … The 12 wins in 17 games under head coach Barry Odom already represent the most victories over any two-season span since John Robinson’s teams went 12-12 in 2000-01 … With the August 31 victory at UH, Odom became the first UNLV head coach to win his first two season-openers at the school since Tony Knap in 1976-77 … The Rebels, who are 11-0 under Odom when leading after the third quarter, are now 3-0 in games decided by a field goal or less … The UNLV defense has forced at least one turnover in 17 of 18 games under DC Michael Scherer … The Rebels have scored 23 total points off turnovers while allowing zero such points from opponents … UNLV returned two All-Americans for the first time in its history — WR Ricky White III and KR/PR Jacob De Jesus. Both are preseason All-America again from multiple outlets.
REBELS vs. BULLDOGS NOTES…
These programs have played each other as part of three different conferences (Big West, WAC & MW) … FS leads the overall series 19-7 and has won six straight vs. UNLV … The last three meetings have been decided by one score … FS interim HC Tim Skipper served as UNLV’s DC in 2018-19 … Longtime Bulldog DBs coach J.D. Williams also worked at UNLV in 2015-16 … PK Andre Meono spent his first two seasons at FS before transferring to UNLV.
MORE REBELATIONS…
The Rebels lead the MW in scoring defense at 13.7 points allowed per game while ranking second in offensive scoring with an average of 40.7 PPG … Saturday’s game will feature the two teams atop the MW in turnover margin as both UNLV and FS are plus-four on the year … QB Matthew Sluka has only 21 completions through three games but six of those have gone for touchdowns and he currently leads the MW in yards per completions at 15.14 per catch … Sluka ranks third in the MW in yards per carry at 6.49 and leads the team with 253 net rush yards. No QB has ever led UNLV rushing for a season and the record for single-season rushing yards by a signal-caller is 780 by Armani Rogers in 2017 … The Rebels have already earned two victories over “P4” opponents in the same season for the first time since winning at Arizona State and vs. Iowa State – both in overtime – in back-to-back weeks in September 2008 … Counting a 40-37 win over Vanderbilt in Las Vegas last fall, UNLV head coach Barry Odom is now 3-1 vs. P4 teams in regular-season matchups since moving to Las Vegas … The Rebels are now 6-2 in true road games under Odom after only winning five total road games in the previous five seasons (5-22) … Odom also has a 6-1 record in non-conference games during the regular season at UNLV after the Rebels only had a combined six such wins from 2018-22 (6-10) … The KU trip marked the second time UNLV played inside an MLS stadium as the Rebels opened the Covid-shortened 2020 season vs. SDSU at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA, which is home to the LA Galaxy … Against Utah Tech, UNLV finished 8-of-8 in the red zone, including five touchdowns. Overall, the Rebels are 14-of-17 in scoring this fall when entering the red zone … The Rebels listed a school-record 111 players on the Week One roster and 53 of them were not on the team a year ago. That’s actually down from 55 new faces last season. The numbers include incoming high school and JC signees, walk-ons and portal additions … Against Utah Tech, UNLV scored its second-most points in a half in building a 44-7 halftime lead … With the starters pulled after halftime, an eye-popping 89 different Rebels saw action in the game with 27 of them being credited with at least one tackle on defense … The Rebels have made all 14 of their extra-point attempts this fall and 139 straight dating back to the first game of 2020 … UNLV earned its first win over Houston after being outscored 153-23 in three previous meetings … In his first game after transferring from Texas, UNLV safety Jalen Catalon brought in two interceptions at UH, including one he tipped to himself and returned 36 yards for a touchdown. After another pick at KU he is now tied for the MW lead with three … Barry Odom’s second UNLV coaching staff includes just one new assistant coach — and even he is not new to the program as first-year safeties coach Nicco Fertitta served as UNLV’s defensive analyst in 2023 … UNLV has not returned a punt for a touchdown in 23 years — the longest drought in the nation. The last Rebel to do it was Troy Mason, who went 52 yards vs. San Diego State on Oct. 13, 2001, at Sam Boyd Stadium … In addition, UNLV’s last kickoff return for a TD came 13 years ago when Deante “Never Nervous” Purvis sprinted 98 yards to the end zone vs. Colorado State on Oct. 29, 2011 … Incredibly, in 2023 had three touchdown drives that lasted less than 10 seconds at UNM last November (:07 after a long punt return, :06 after a fumble recovery and :08 on a long TD pass) and the Rebels’ Go-Go Offense tied with Oregon and Old Dominion for the national lead with 11 touchdown drives under a minute during the regular season … Ray Guy Award candidate Marshall Nichols finished with the second-highest season punting average in school history last fall as his 47.1 yards per attempt ranked sixth in the nation and sat only slightly behind 1984 All-American Randall Cunningham’s 47.5 rate.
San Diego State at Central Michigan
CBSSN 3:30 p.m. ET
New Mexico at New Mexico State
ESPN+ 6 p.m. MT
Air Force at Wyoming*
CBSSN 6 p.m. MT
THE SERIES
• Air Force leads the overall series, 31-27-3, and has a 22-20 mark in conference games. • The Falcons are 19-12-1 at home, 11-15-2 in Laramie and 1-0 in neutral site games. • Air Force defeated Wyoming, 34-27, last season in Falcon Stadium. • Wyoming defeated Air Force, 17-14, in 2022 in the last meeting in Laramie. • Wyoming has won four-straight at home dating back to 2012. • Air Force and Wyoming did not play in 2020 due to COVID, snapping a streak of 40 consecutive years of games • The teams first played Nov. 2, 1957, to a 7-7 tie in Laramie
Air Force Notes
THE GAME
• Air Force leads the overall series, 31-27-3, and has a 22-20 mark in conference games. The Falcons are 19-12-1 at home, 11-15-2 in Laramie and 1-0 in neutral site games. • Air Force defeated Wyoming, 34-27, last season in Falcon Stadium. • Wyoming defeated Air Force, 17-14, in 2022 in the last meeting in Laramie. The Cowboys have won four-straight at home dating back to 2012. • Air Force has won nine of the last 13 games away from Falcon Stadium, including road/ neutral site games.
LAST MEETING
(Oct. 14, 2023) Air Force overcame a 14-0 first-quarter deficit to defeat Wyoming, 34-27, in Falcon Stadium. The Cowboys jumped to a 14-0 lead with an Andrew Peasley touchdown run and pass. Owen Burk got the Falcons on the board with a 15-yard TD run to cut the lead to 14-7 late in the first quarter. John Lee Eldridge III tied the score midway through the second quarter with a 17-yard touchdown reception from Zac Larrier. Following another Peasley TD pass, Matthew Dapore kicked a 24-yard field goal to make it 21-17 at the half. The Falcons opened the second half with a 17-play, 75-yard touchdown march that took the first 10:13 off the clock and took their first lead, 24-21, when Larrier capped the drive with a one-yard run. Dapore added a 43-yard field goal to make it 27-21 with 11:31 left in the fourth. Peasley threw his third TD pass of the game to tie it at 27-all. Trey Taylor kept it tied, blocking the PAT. Eldridge III clinched it for Air Force with a 58-yard scoring run to make up the final margin. Air Force finished with 414 total yards, including 356 rushing. Larrier led the way with a career-high 111 yards rushing while Emmanuel Michel chipped in with 97 yards. The defense was led by Taylor, who had a season-high 10 tackles, a tackle for loss and the blocked PAT. Alec Mock added 10 tackles and Bo Richter had two tackles for loss and a sack.
LAST MEETING IN LARAMIE
(Sept. 16, 2022) Wyoming defeated Air Force, 17-14, to win its fourth straight at home in the series dating back to 2012. The Cowboys jumped to a 10-0 halftime lead behind a strong defense that held Air Force to just 87 total yards and six first downs. The Falcons opened the second half with a Haaziq Daniels to David Cormier touchdown pass to cut the lead 10-7. Air Force took the lead on a Daniels 41-yard touchdown pass to Cade Harris to make it 14-10 with 9:58 to play. Wyoming answered with a Titus Swen five-yard touchdown run with 6:06 to play. The Cowboys forced a punt on Air Force’s next drive and ran out the clock on the following drive to end the game. Swen made the key play in the drive, running for 17 yards on a third-and-13. Wyoming finished with 342 total yards, including 180 rushing. Swen led the Cowboys with 104 yards and a touchdown. Air Force finished with 272 total yards, including 171 rushing. John Lee Eldridge III led the Falcons with 104 yards on 13 carries. Daniels hit 7-14 passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns. AIR FORCE 41-14
LAST FIVE SEASONS
• Air Force is 41-14 the last five full seasons, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season. • Air Force is 1-2 this season. The Falcons were 9-4 last season, finished 10-3 in 2022 and 2021 and 11-2 in 2019. • The Falcons are 23-10 in conference play during the same stretch. Air Force is 0-1 this season and went 5-3 last season and finished tied for fourth. The team was 5-3 and finished second in the Mountain Division in 2022. Air Force shared the Mountain Division title with a 6-2 mark in 2021 and finished second with a 7-1 mark in 2019.
FOLLOWING AN OPEN WEEK
Air Force is 8-8 following an open week under head coach Troy Calhoun. The Falcons are 3-3 at home, 4-4 on the road and 1-1 in neutral site games. Air Force is 4-3 in conference play, including 2-1 mark at home and 2-2 mark on the road. The Falcons have won four of the last five following an open week. Air Force defeated Wyoming, 34-27, last season following the only open week.
Wyoming Notes
Mountain West Openers:
The 2024 season marks the 26th season of the Mountain West Conference, and this year’s Wyoming-Air Force contest is the conference opener for the Cowboys. Wyoming is 13-12 (.500) in Mountain West openers. UW is 9-6 (.600) when opening MW play at home, and is 4-6 (.400) when opening on the road. The Cowboys have won 7 of their last 11 MW openers. The Cowboys and Falcons opened the 2022 conference season in Laramie with the Cowboys earning a 17-14 victory.
Wyoming Hosts 99th Homecoming Game This Week:
This week’s game versus Air Force will mark the 99th Homecoming game in University of Wyoming history, and the 74th Homecoming game to be played in War Memorial Stadium. Last season, Wyoming defeated New Mexico on Homecoming by a score of 35-26.
UW’s Overall Record in Homecoming Games: 49-46-3
UW’s Homecoming Record in War Memorial: 44-27-2
Cowboys Missing with Injuries:
The Cowboys have had numerous injuries to open the season on both sides of the ball. Wyoming has 12 players on the roster that have had injuries this season that have started a game in their career. Those 12 players have combined for 26 missed games this season. That includes a pair of running backs in Daiwaiian McNeely and Harrison Waylee along with safeties Wyett Ekeler and Isaac White among others players.
King to the House:
Wide receiver Tyler King has been excellent this season returning kicks. In fact, King ranks third in the nation and first in the Mountain West averaging 36.7 yards per kick return. He recorded a 100-yard return for the Brown and Gold at North Texas tying the school record held by Sonny Jones, as he recorded a 100-yard return against Colorado State College in 1948.
Scott Does It All:
Running back Sam Scott paced the Cowboy offense against North Texas. He rushed for 39 yards to lead the team and also added three catches tying a career-high and recorded a career-high 52 yards receiving. He hauled in a 41-yard reception for a score in the second quarter for the first of his career. He leads the team with six receptions on the season averaging 12.5 yards per catch.
Gyllenborg Back in Form:
Tight end John Michael Gyllenborg is working his way back into the offense after an injury. He grabbed five catches for a team-high 56 yards against North Texas. The five catches tied a career-high for the tight end, as he had five last season against Texas Tech in the season opener.
Suiaunoa Passes 200 Tackles:
Linebacker Shae Suiaunoa recorded nine tackles to lead the Cowboys at North Texas. He has now recorded 206 tackles in his career in 51 games for the Brown and Gold. He also has 12 tackles for loss in his career and has recorded 119 solo stops for UW.
Shay Settles in as Starter:
Linebacker Connor Shay has settled into his role at linebacker for the Pokes. He recorded eight tackles for a career-high against North Texas. This season, Shay has recorded 25 tackles to rank third on the Cowboys. Him and Suiaunoa have combined for 52 stops this season.
Washington State at RV/25 Boise State
FS1 8 p.m. MT
SERIES HISTORY
WSU leads the all-time series with Boise State 5-1 after claiming a triple overtime thriller 47-44 in the last meeting, 2017 in Pullman. The Cougars are 2-1 all-time in Boise with BSU taking a 31-28 contest in 2016.
Washington State Notes
COUGARS HIT THE ROAD, FACE NO. 25 BOISE STATE SATURDAY NIGHT ON FS1
Washington State heads to No. 25 Boise State for Saturday night matchup on Fox Sports 1. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. (PT).
ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State has opened the season 4-0 for the second straight season after beating San Jose State in double overtime last Friday. The Cougars enter the week with the nation’s No. 10 offense (515.3) and the defense is No. 15 in the country with eight takeaways. Quarterback John Mateer is third in the country in total offense (381.8), seventh in passing touchdowns (11) and has recorded at least one rushing touchdown and one passing touchdown in all four games. Last season, Washington State went 5-7 including a 2-7 mark in Pac-12 Conference play. Head coach Jake Dickert owns a 19-16 career record and is in his third full season.
#25 Boise State Notes
OPENING KICKOFF
1 He may wear No. 2 but the No. 1 running back in the country is an indisputable fact at this point. Ashton Jeanty broke records as he has ran all across teams from coast to coast. Through 2 1/2 games the #HEI2MAN hopeful has 586 yards and 9 touchdowns rushing.
2 Boise State enters this game ranked No. 25 in the AP Top 25 poll. The Broncos have a .843 winning percentage (113-21) 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 5.
3 Saturday’s game is the second of three sellouts (so far) this season at Albertsons Stadium. Last Saturday, 36,972 members of Bronco Nation filled the stands marking the largest crowd to watch a home opener and the fourth-largest crowd ever.
4 Bronco fans everywhere are excited for the return of football and to see what Ashton Jeanty can do in his junior season. The Heisman candidate wowed the nation with video game numbers in 2023, setting the stage for a HEI2MAN-worthy year in 2024. Find out more about Ashton Jeanty’s record-setting performances at HEI2MAN.com.
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.
MOUNTAIN WEST NOTES
• Seven Mountain West programs are in action in Week 5, highlighted by UNLV playing its first game as a ranked squad when it hosts Fresno State to open MW play and No. 25 Boise State welcoming undefeated Washington State. Air Force and Wyoming also square off in Conference play, while New Mexico and San Diego State face nonconference opponents on the road.
• Despite being idle in Week 4, UNLV moved up two spots to No. 23 in the US LBM Coaches (AFCA) Poll this week, while Boise State entered the Associated Press poll at No. 25 for its first ranking since 2020.
• 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.
• 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 19 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 seven at home.
MW vs. Ranked/Receiving Votes Teams (Coaches/AP) (past games’ rankings at time of game; future games are current poll)
Aug. 24: SMU at Nevada
Aug. 31: Colorado State at 4/4 Texas
Aug. 31: Fresno State at 8/9 Michigan
Aug. 31: New Mexico at 21/21 Arizona
Aug. 31: Nevada at Troy
Sept. 7: Boise State at 6/7 Oregon
Sept. 7: Utah State at 14/13 USC
Sept. 13: UNLV vs. Kansas (in Kansas City, Kan.)
Sept. 14: 10/12 Utah at Utah State
Sept. 14: BYU at Wyoming
Sept. 14: San Diego State at California
Sept. 20: San José State at Washington State
Sept. 28: Washington State at Boise State
Oct. 12: Washington State at Fresno State
Oct. 19: Hawai‘i at Washington State
Oct. 26: Washington State at San Diego State
Nov. 9: Utah State at Washington State
Nov. 16: Washington State at New Mexico
Nov. 30: Wyoming at Washington State
• Since 2018, the MW has the best winning percentage over Autonomous 5 teams (26.50) among its peer conferences. MW teams have collected 31 wins over such teams in that span, also the most among its peer conferences.
UNLV MAKING HISTORY
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 (3-0) are also making program history, jumping into the national rankings for the first time last week at No. 25 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and moving up to No. 23 this week.
BOISE STATE BACK IN THE TOP 25
Boise State moved into the Associated Press rankings at No. 25 this week after its 56-14 win over Portland State in Week 4. The Broncos return to the poll for the first time since 2020. Boise State (2-1) opened its season with a 56-45 win at Georgia Southern before falling at No. 6/7 Oregon on a last-second field goal, 37-34. Boise State is 113-21 (.843) 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).
TWO RANKED MW TEAMS
The last time the MW had two teams ranked in either the AFCA or AP poll in the same week was the final poll of the 2021 season, when Utah State (24) and San Diego State (25) both appeared in the AP poll. Utah State was also No. 24 in the final AFCA poll that season.
RUSHING LEADERS
The Mountain West has two teams in the top five of FBS this season in rushing yards per game: Boise State (third, 311.3) and UNLV (fifth, 293.3). The MW has finished a season with multiple teams in the top five in the category three times (2016, 2012 and 2009). Boise State continues to lead the FBS in yards per rush (8.81).
HUGE PLAYS
Boise State has had seven offensive plays of at least 50 yards this season, the most among FBS teams in 2024. Last season, the Broncos had 14 plays of 50-plus yards, with only UCF (15) having more in the FBS.
JEANTY FOR HEI2MAN
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty leads the FBS in all-purpose yards per game (199.33) and rushing yards per game (195.3), is second in rush yards per carry (10.46), rushing touchdowns (nine), total touchdowns (nine), rushing yards (586) and scoring (18.0), and is third in total points scored (54). His nine rushing TDs through BSU’s first two games were the most in MW history and the most in the FBS since Ricky Williams had nine in Texas’s first two games in 1998. Jeanty has three TD runs of at least 70 yards this year, which tie for the most in a season in MW history.
MW CAREER SCORING LEADER
In a Week 1 win at Georgia Southern, Boise State kicker Jonah Dalmas became the MW’s career scoring leader. He kicked six extra points on the day to move past former TCU kicker Ross Evans, who had 407 points from 2008-11. Dalmas, who now has 428 career points, needs just one field goal to tie former Nevada kicker Brandon Talton (2019-23) for first in MW history with 83.
BULLDOGS AMONG FBS ELITE
Since Oct. 15, 2022, Fresno State is 21-5 (.808), the seventh-best record by any FBS team who has competed at the level in all three seasons. The only FBS teams with a better record than the Bulldogs in that time are Georgia, Michigan, Washington, Alabama, Oregon and Ohio State.
NASH RECEIVING PRAISE
This season, San José State receiver Nick Nash leads all FBS players outright in receptions (50), receptions per game (12.5), receiving yards (637), receiving yards per game (159.3) and receiving touchdowns (eight). 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 is 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).
MW TAKEAWAYS
San José State has forced 12 turnovers this season, tied with Oklahoma for most in the FBS. Fresno State is tied for fifth in the FBS with 10 takeaways. FAST START Ken Niumatalolo is the first San José State coach to win each of his first three games as head coach of the school since Lynn Stiles in 1976.
PICKED OFF
Two of the seven FBS players with at least three interceptions play in the Mountain West – Fresno State’s Cam Lockridge and UNLV’s Jalen Catalon (each with three). For his college career, Lockridge has 12 interceptions, the second most by any active FBS player, behind only Quincy Riley’s 14 with MTSU and Louisville.
COMPLETIONS GALORE
Both San José State’s Emmett Brown and Hawai‘i’s Brayden Schager completed exactly 35 passes in Week 4. It was the first weekend that multiple Mountain West QBs had at least 35 completions since Nov. 29, 2013 (Fresno State’s Derek Carr and SJSU’s David Fales in the same game).
FRESNO STATE’S STINGY DEFENSE
Fresno State blanked New Mexico State 48-0 in Week 3, marking its fourth straight season with a shutout. Before the win over the Aggies, the Bulldogs’ last shutout came almost exactly a year prior, when they beat Arizona State 29-0 on Sept. 16, 2023. S
CORING BLITZ
UNLV downed Utah Tech 72-14 in Week 2, matching the fifth-most points scored in a game in MW history. The Rebels rolled up a school-record 695 yards of total offense and rushed for 504, the third-most in program history.
ELITE RETURN MAN
Hawai‘i’s Tylan Hines is one of two FBS players with at least 100 kick return yards and 100 punt return yards this season, along with Iowa’s Kaden Wetjen. Hines is fourth in the FBS in combined kick return yards (253) and second in the MW in kick return yards (143) and punt return yards (110).
NEW CAREER LEADER IN LARAMIE
Wyoming senior kicker John Hoyland booted a pair of field goals in a Week 2 loss to Idaho, connecting from 48 and 22 yards to move past Cooper Rothe for the Cowboys’ career record. With 61 in his career, Hoyland is fourth in MW history.