WAC Report
Louisiana Tech 27 Hawaii 6
I do not like Wednesday games for College Football. I suspect that Greg McMackin hates them even more than anyone in the country right now. This is the main reason that the Mtn networks was created. Talk about exposure. I suspect that after only one day of practice on Sunday, a travel day on Monday and one day of practice on Tuesday and a game on Wednesday that Hawaii did not have much of a chance. If this game had been played on Saturday it would have been more of a game and the student athletes at Hawaii would have been able to attend class. Even if the Warriors were slightly unprepared for the game, Daniel Porter's 160 rushing yards was nothing to laugh about.
Nevada 63 UNLV 28
Luke Lippincott ran through the Rebel defense. Luke Lippincott caught passes. Luke Lippincott even through a touchdown pass. Not bad for the former All-WAC running back who got a chance to shine in his first start in his rare 6th year of eligibility for the Wolfpack. But Luke was just one of the stars that ran all over the UNLV defense. Mike Stanford must be scratching his head and does not have a lot of time to fix whatever is wrong. He has BYU in Las Vegas and Utah in Salt Lake City next. It may be a good time to begin working on your resume, Mike!
Boise State 34 UC-Davis 16
Remember when Appalachian State beat Michigan two year ago? Well, it wasn't that bad in Boise, but it was not the dominating performance that you expect when a top-5 FBS team takes on an FCS team. Expect the Broncos to drop a place or two in the polls this week. The team that look like the best in the WAC this week is...
Idaho 31 Colorado State 29
Robb Akey seems to have already sewn up the WAC coach of the year award. Getting a key 4th down stop at one point in the fourth quarter, and the stopping a wildcat play on a two-point conversion attempt. Finally, the Vandal defense picks off CSUs final drive. They just scored an impressive win against a pretty good Colorado State team. The Vandals are now 4-1 and should win at least 4 more. The schedule favors the Vandals down the stretch. Now the Rams should not hang their head. They have the tools to get back to a bowl this year, but they are halfway through the toughest part of their schedule and have two consecutive losses to show for it.
Utah State at BYU...see the conference of the winner
New Mexico State at San Diego State...see the conference of the winner
WAC Offensive Player of the Week: Nevada RB Luke Lippincott
Defensive Team of the Week: Louisiana Tech
Game of the Week: Idaho 31 Colorado State 29
Interesting Stat: Out of BSU's seven remaining opponents, only two have winning records right now.
Power Rankings (Bowl Projection)
1. Boise State (Orange)
2. Fresno State (Poinsettia)
3. Idaho (Humanitarian)
4. Louisiana Tech (New Mexico)
5. Hawaii
6. Nevada
7. San Jose State
8. Utah State
9. New Mexico State
Big Sky Report
Montana State 26 Weber State 21
This game was upsetting for a Weber State fan. WSU was stuffed on 4th and goal at the 1 with less than one minute remaining. Even if you are a neutral, objective observer, you have to be shaking your head. WSU had four red-zone trips in the first half where they came away empty. They had the opportunity to put the Bobcats away in the first half. But MSU took advantage of the opportunity and took the momentum in the second half. When turnovers are the difference between being 5-0 and 2-3, you have to look at the coaching staff. Something is wrong in the head of Cameron Higgins and the coaching staff needs to fix it.
Sacrament State 31 Portland State 14
The Hornets won the bounce-back bowl. They needed this in a big way. Their offense was looking anemic and impotent. They took the long drive north on I-5 and gave that disease to the Vikings. PSU lost two yards rushing. One way to beat a run and shoot team is to take away the run and it becomes no run and shoot-yourself-in-the-foot.
Eastern Washington 38 Idaho State 3
Eastern has a smothering defense and ISU needs a week off. This outcome is of little surprise.
Northern Arizona 35 Northern Colorado 27
Well, if your offense is struggling how about a trip to Flagstaff? For the third straight week, there is a nail biter at the Walkup Skydome, but this time the Lumberjacks finally slammed the door on the opposition in regulation time.
Offensive Player of the Week: Sacramento State RB Terrance Dailey
Defensive Team of the Week: Sacramento State
Game of the Week: Montana State 26 Weber State 21
Power Rankings
1. Montana
2. Eastern Washington
3. Montana State
4. Weber State
5. Northern Arizona
6. Sacramento State
7. Portland State
8. Northern Colorado
9. Idaho State
Mountain West
BYU 35 Utah State 17
Some people expected this to be a shootout, and other expected the Cougars to run up 70 on the Aggies. But with a healthy Harvey Unga in the backfield, Bronco Mendenhall choose to let his workhorse control the clock and keep the potent Aggie attack on the sideline. Similar to the strategy that worked against Oklahoma. Max Hall was still a little too generous with the Ball and USU got 10 points off of 3 BYU turnovers. The other TD came in garbage time.
Texas Tech 48 New Mexico 28
I predicted an ugly game and ugly it was. A combined 11 turnovers on both teams. This game should have healed the Red Raiders, but after this I have doubts that they could be Baylor. The Lobos took out Tech's starting QB in the 3rd quarter. And a very poor New Mexico team, one of the worst in the country, made this one way too interesting. Not that I mind.
Navy 16 Air Force 13
I thought that this one would be a battle. The service academy game at the end of the season gets all the hype, but this game was far more interesting that that game will be. The Air Force defense was everything that they needed to be. The Navy defense was everything that they needed to be. This game boosted my confidence in our national defense. This game should have continued, if it had not been for a shanked field goal at the end of the first overtime it may have continued forever.
Wyoming 30 Florida Atlantic 28
The Cowboys run and shoot is now beginning to...run and shoot. Dave Christensen got his first road win in his head coaching career in a barn burner. For the second consecutive week the Cowboys showed that they can win a close game down the stretch. They will likely not figure into the MWC championship picture, but they will put a scare into one of the big 3. Besides, Wyoming will have to pull off at least one upset to become bowl eligible.
TCU 39 SMU 14
The Horned Frogs used a balanced rushing attack to run up the score and win against their metro rivals. TCU's offense is not very pretty...reminds me of the old Nebraska offense in the Tom Osbourne era...but they have been getting the job done. The Frogs now enter the roughest stretch of their season.
UNLV vs Nevada--Belongs in the conference of the winner.
Colorado State vs Idaho--Also belongs in the conference of the winner.
San Diego State 34 New Mexico State 17
The Aztecs broke open a 17 all tie to double up the NM-Aggies. It was a solid 4th quarter for Brady Hoke's team. It gives them something positive to build upon for the rest of the season.
Offensive Player of the Week: BYU RB Harvey Unga
Defensive Team of the Week: Air Force
Game of the Week: Navy 16 Air Force 13
Power Rankings (Bowl Projection)
1. TCU (Las Vegas)
2. BYU (Poinsettia)
3. Utah (Humanitarian)
4. Air Force (Armed Forces)
5. Wyoming (New Mexico)
6. Colorado State (Hawaii)
7. San Diego State
8. UNLV
9. New Mexico
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