It was a good week for the Mountain West Conference to start the season. The main disappointment was how ugly the Lobos lost at Texas A & M. But it is MWC 2 Big XII 1.
I did not expect BYU to come out on top of a defensive battle. I expected a game like last year's Holy War where the Cougars faded in the 4th quarter. Suddenly, the hold OU to a FG and score the game winning TD. Max Hall did not have a Heisman worthy game, but he was good enough when the game was on the line. The Sooners will still be a force in the Big XII South this year. They will be healthy by the time Miami comes to town. I am looking forward to the Red River rivalry game. Also of note: If BYU runs the table, Jaime Hill deserves a head coaching job.
Terrance Cain got the butterflies out early and the Utes. And Matt Asiata carried the load. Utah State has a bright rising star in Robert Turbin who had two LONG touchdown runs. The Aggies will scare a few teams this year.
Colorado State jumped out big over Colorado at Folsom Field in Bolder in the first half and then put the game in the hands of their defense in the second half. It is very likely to have four MWC teams go unbeaten in non conference games, with a chance at five! Colorado State has their hardest non-conference game behind them. BYU still has Florida State on the schedule. Utah has to travel to Oregon. TCU has a date at Death Valley. Air Force has to travel to Minnesota and Navy.
Mountain West
Offesnive Player of the week: BYU QB Max Hall
Defensive TEAM of the week: BYU and Colorado State
Game of the week: BYU 14 Oklahoma 13
(Bowl projection in parentheses)
1. BYU (Fiesta)
2. TCU (Las Vegas)
3. Utah (Poinsettia)
4. Colorado State (Armed Forces)
5. Air Force (Humanitarian)
6. UNLV (New Mexico)
7. Wyoming
8. San Diego State
9. New Mexico
This coming week, Air Force carries the MWC banner against Minnesota of the Big 10. While the Texas Longhorns find out what traveling to Laramie is all about. TCU plays Virginia of the ACC--suffering a crisis after a loss to FCS William and Mary. BYU travels to New Orleans to take Tulane. The other MWC vs C-USA game has Tulsa visiting New Mexico. Utah gets former WAC foe San Jose State. Oregon State rolls into Vegas to take on UNLV. Going down a division sees Colorado State host Weber State and SDSU hosting Southern Utah.
MWC out of Conference so far
Big XII 2-1
PAC-10 0-1
WAC 1-0
FCS 3-0
The WAC went much as expected. Boise State did well against Oregon, but most of the rest of the conference did not exactly live up. Snarky comment of the week: Idaho is undefeated...we'll see how long that will last! But I now have a reason not to put Utah State at the bottom. Thier freshman running back and I think that Hawaii's near loss to Arkansas State at Aloha is more telling than anything else in the first week of the season. (Of course their HC was suspended for this game.)
WAC
Offesnive Player of the week: Utah State RB Robert Turbin
Defensive TEAM of the week: Boise State
Game of the week: Hawaii 25 Arkansas State 20
(Projected Bowl)
1. Bosie State (Fiesta)
2. Fresno State (Hawaii)
3. Louisiana Tech (New Mexico)
4. Nevada (Humanitarian)
5. San Jose State
6. Idaho
7. Hawaii
8. Utah State
9. New Mexico State
This coming week, Boise State host Miami of Ohio from the MAC, Fresno State travels to Camp Randall Stadium to take on Wisconsin, Idaho travels to Washington, Louisiana Tech visits Navy, Hawaii takes a trip to the Palouse to visist Washington State, New Mexico State hosts Prairie View A & M and San Jose State hosts Utah.
WAC out of conference so far:
PAC 10 1-1
MWC 0-1
FBS Ind 0-1
SEC 0-1
FCS 2-0
Weber State almost came away from Laramie with a win. Cameron Higgins threw 5 interceptions. That will not get the job done, even against the Northern Colorado-s of the College Football World. But all in all, everyone in the Big Sky either played a FBS team and lost or played an D-II team and won. No reason to change the power rankings.
Big Sky
Offensive Player of the Week: Montana WR Stephen Pfaler
Defensive TEAM of the Week: Montana
Game of the Week: Wyoming 29 Weber State 22
1. Montana
2. Weber State
3. Eastern Washington
4. Montana State
5. Sacramento State
6. Portland State
7. Idaho State
8. Northern Colorado
9. Northern Arizona
This coming week will see Idaho State visit Oklahoma, Montana State host D-II Dixie State, Northern Colorado hosting El San Diego Torros, Portland State plays down against Southern Oregon, Weber State playing the MWC again against Colorado State, Eastern Washington visits Berkly to play California, Sacramento State playing in-state rival Cal Poly, Northern Arizona going south to play Arizona and Montana traveling to Sacramento to play the other school there--Cal Davis.
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