2024 MW Football Weekly Release - Week 8

MW Talking Points

• Ten Mountain West programs are in action in Week 8, with Nevada hosting Fresno State on Friday evening to get the action under way. New Mexico visits Utah State, San José State hosts Wyoming and Air Force welcomes Colorado State in MW action, while Hawai‘i visits Washington State and UNLV heads to Oregon State in nonconference play.
• Boise State moved up two spots to No. 15 in the AP poll and three spots to No. 19 into the US LBM Coaches (AFCA) poll. The Broncos are idle in Week 8.
• 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 nine one-possession games against A4 opponents this season, with four of those games settled in overtime or on the final play of regulation.
• It’s a new era for the College Football Playoff in 2024, as the five highest-ranked FBS conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked at-large teams will earn spots in the 12-team postseason playoff. With unprecedented access to the CFP, the Mountain West will be well-positioned to earn a shot at competing for a national title.
• Mountain West squads have a total of 22 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.

• Since 2018, the MW has the best winning percentage over Autonomous 5 teams (27.05) among its peer conferences. MW teams have collected 33 wins over such teams in that span, also the most among its peer conferences.

Notes Around the MW

MW TEAMS IN THE RANKINGS
Boise State jumped two spots in this week’s Associated Press poll to No. 15 and three spots in the US LBM Coaches (AFCA) poll to No. 19. The Broncos are 116-21 (.847) 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.

JEANTY FOR HEI2MAN
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty‘s Heisman campaign rolls on. The junior leads the FBS in several categories:

• all-purpose yards per game (214.5)
• rush yards per carry (9.90)
• rushing touchdowns (17)
• rushing yards (1,248)
• rushing yards per game (208.0)
• scoring (18.0)
• total points scored (108)
• total touchdowns (18)

He has run for at least 120 yards and averaged at least 7.0 yards per rush in all six games this season. That is tied for the second-longest such streak by any FBS player since 1996 (Georgia’s Nick Chubb in 2014-2015) behind Stanford’s Bryce Love (seven straight in 2017).

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.

Jeanty has two games this season with at least 250 rushing yards and 4-plus rushing TDs, while no other FBS player has a single such game this season. Of the 10 200-yard rushing games in the FBS this season, Jeanty has three of them.

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.

RESPECT THE RUN GAME
In Week 7, Mountain West teams averaged 5.1 yards per rush and totaled 28 rushing touchdowns. Those were both the most by any conference during last week. The Mountain West has two teams in the top five of the FBS this season in rushing yards per game: Boise State (third, 289.8) and UNLV (fifth, 262.0). Boise State’s 7.69 yards per rush leads the FBS.

DALMAS CLAIMS ANOTHER MW RECORD
After becoming the MW’s career scoring leader in Week 1, Boise State kicker Jonah Dalmas added another outright record to his name in Week 6, converting a pair of field goals to take sole possession of first in Conference history with 85 for his career. He entered the contested tied with former Nevada kicker Brandon Talton, who had 83 from 2019-23. Now with 87 field goals to his credit, Dalmas is tied for fifth in FBS history with Georgia’s Billy Bennett. He is 10 back of the FBS record of 97, held by NC State’s Christopher Dunn (2018-22).

UNLV 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 in the third of four meetings against A4 competition this season. UNLV visits Oregon State in Week 8.

NATIONAL LEADERS
UNLV leads the FBS this season in blocked punts (3), passes intercepted (13) and turnover margin (2.00), while Boise State leads with 4.83 sacks per game this season and Wyoming is one of six teams in the FBS with a 100-percent success rate in the red zone.

All-American wide receiver Ricky White III has two of UNLV’s three blocked punts, making him the first Rebel with multiple blocked punts in a season since 2006.

WILLIAMS’ OUTSTANDING DEBUT
In his first start at the FBS level, UNLV’s Hajj-Malik Williams became the third QB in Mountain West history to have a game with 100-plus rushing yards, an 80.0% or higher completion percentage and 3-plus TD passes. Williams was 13-for-16 for 182 yards and three touchdowns through the air and rushed 12 times for 119 yards and a score in UNVL’s 59-14 win over Fresno State.

Williams followed that up with another outstanding effort against Syracuse in Week 6, completing 21-of-25 passes for 227 yards and three TDs. His 84-percent pass completion percentage was just short of the school record of 86 percent set by Caleb Herring in 2013 (24-of-28).

Williams has recorded at least three passing touchdowns and 50 rushing yards in his last three games, the longest such streak by a Mountain West player all-time. He is also the first Rebel to throw for at least three touchdowns in each of his first three starts at the school.

WHITE HONORED BY EAST-WEST SHRINE BOWL
After recording 138 yards and two touchdowns on just seven catches in a 50-34 win at Utah State, UNLV receiver Ricky White III was named the Breakout Offensive Player of the Week by the East-West Shrine Bowl.

MW TAKEAWAYS
UNLV has intercepted at least one pass in eight straight games dating back to last season, tied with Cal for the longest active streak in the FBS. Over the last three seasons, the Rebels have had a pick in 25 games, second in the FBS to Oklahoma (27), with UNLV having 45 picks to the Sooners’ 43 in that span.

While UNLV shares the FBS leads in interceptions and turnover margin, the Rebels and San José State are tied for third in the FBS this season with 15 turnovers gained. UNLV’s Jalen Catalon and Jackson Woodard are tied for second nationally with four INTs apiece, and Fresno State’s Cam Lockridge and Nevada’s Michael Coats Jr. each have three, tied for sixth in the FBS.

Boise State’s Andrew Simpson, Fresno State’s Korey Foreman and San Diego State’s Chris Johnson have forced three fumbles each, tied for second in the FBS.

HORTON MAKING HIS-TORY
With seven catches for 75 yards in a Week 7 win over San José State, Colorado State wide receiver Tory Horton moved into second in MW history in career catches (265) and fourth in receiving yards (3,615). He is now just 34 yards shy of the MW record held by former Ram Rashard Higgins (2013-15) and 18 catches back of the MW record of 283, held by UNLV’s Ryan Wolfe (2006-09).

Horton is one of two FBS players since 1996 to have at least 3,500 receiving yards and 150 passing yards. The other is former Boise State Bronco Thomas Sperbeck.

NASH RECEIVING PRAISE
This season, San José State receiver Nick Nash leads all FBS players in receptions (62), receptions per game (10.3) and receiving touchdowns (10) and is second in receiving yards (806) and receiving yards per game (134.3).

Nash is the first Mountain West player to have at least 10 receiving touchdowns and two passing touchdowns in a season. The last FBS player to have such a season was North Carolina’s Quinshad Davis in 2013.

AZTEC SACKS
San Diego State has recorded at least five defensive sacks in its first two Conference games this season. The only other Mountain West teams to do this in their first two league games of a season were Nevada in 2021 and New Mexico in 2000.

The Aztecs’ Trey White continues to lead the FBS this season in sacks (11.0), sacks per game (1.83), tackles for loss (15.0) and TFLs per game (2.5).

LOBO OFFENSE ON TRACK
New Mexico has scored at least 50 points without turning the ball over in back-to-back games. The only other MW team to do this all-time was Boise State during the 2015 season (three straight). The Lobos have score 50 points in consecutive games for the first time in 108 years.