2024 MW Football Weekly Release - Week 9

MW Talking Points

• Eleven Mountain West teams take the field in Week 9, highlighted by No. 19/17  Boise State visiting UNLV in a battle of Conference leaders and a rematch of the 2023 MW Football Championship on Friday night. Colorado State, also atop the MW standings at 2-0, is on a two-game win streak and welcomes red-hot New Mexico, who has captured its last three contests. Wyoming hosts Utah State, San José State visits Fresno State and Hawai‘i welcomes Nevada. San Diego State, also 2-0 in MW play, steps out of Conference play to host Washington State.
• Boise State is ranked for the fifth straight week, sitting at No. 17 in the Associated Press poll and No. 19 into the US LBM Coaches (AFCA) poll. UNLV is receiving votes in both polls.
• 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 10 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 (27.42) 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.

Notes Around the MW

MW TEAMS IN THE RANKINGS
Boise State is No. 17 in this week’s Associated Press poll and No. 19 in the US LBM Coaches (AFCA) poll. 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.

TITLE GAME REMATCH
UNLV hosts No. 19/17 Boise State on Friday in a rematch of the 2023 MW Football Championship, which was won by the Broncos (44-20). Since the introduction of the MW title game in 2013, there have been just three regular-season rematches the following year, with the reigning champion winning all three contests. Boise State defeated Fresno State in 2018 after downing the Bulldogs in the 2017 title tilt – though Fresno State evened the score with a win in the 2018 championship game. The Broncos beat Hawai‘i in 2020 after winning their title bout in 2019, and Fresno State topped BSU in 2023 after winning the 2022 MW Championship over the Broncos.

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 (214.5, 1st)
• rushing yards (1,248, 1st)
• rushing yards per game (208.0, 1st)
• scoring (18.0, 1st)
• rush yards per carry (9.90, 2nd)
• rushing touchdowns (17, 2nd)
• total points scored (108, 2nd)
• total touchdowns (18, 2nd)

He has run for at least 120 yards and averaged at least 7.0 yards per rush in all six of his 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. 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 11 200-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.

BRONCOS RUNNING WILD
Boise State ranks third in the FBS in points per game (46.8) and second in rushing yards per game (289.8). 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.

DALMAS CLAIMS ANOTHER MW RECORD
Boise State kicker Jonah Dalmas has become the MW’s career scoring leader and career leader in field goals this season. 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).

REBELS GOING BOWLING
UNLV topped Oregon State for its sixth win of the season in Week 8, becoming the first MW team to become bowl-eligible this season. The Rebels will be going bowling in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.

ROAD REBS
UNLV has won a school-record six straight road games dating back to last season. The Rebels are 4-0 on the road this year and have outscored their opponents 133-86 in those contests.

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 but beat Oregon State in Week 8, 33-25, to become bowl-eligible.

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 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. He is also the first Rebel to throw for at least three touchdowns in each of his first three starts at the school.

NASH RECEIVING PRAISE
This season, San José State receiver Nick Nash leads all FBS players in receptions (72), receptions per game (10.3) and receiving touchdowns (11) and is second in receiving yards (904) and receiving yards per game (129.1).

Nash has had a receiving touchdown in seven consecutive games, the longest active streak in the FBS and tied for the fifth-longest in MW history. It’s also tied for the longest such streak to start a season in MW history, joining Fresno State’s Jalen Cropper in 2021. Nash is also 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.

SACK CENTRAL
UNLV had six sacks at Oregon State after also having six at Houston in its season opener. Of the seven FBS teams this season with multiple games having at least six sacks, three play in the MW, with Boise State and San Diego State joining UNLV. 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).

OTHER NATIONAL LEADERS
UNLV leads the FBS this season in blocked punts (4), while Boise State leads with 4.83 sacks per game this season. UNLV All-American wide receiver Ricky White III leads the FBS with three blocked kicks, while Rebel freshman placekicker Caden Chittenden leads the nation in total made field goals (17) and field goals per game (2.43). Nevada cornerback Michael Coats Jr. paces the FBS with 15 passes defended and 1.9 per game.

MW TAKEAWAYS
San José State and UNLV are tied for second in the FBS with 13 interceptions each, while the Spartans are second with 18 turnovers gained and the Rebels fourth with 16 turnovers gained. UNLV’s Jalen Catalon and Jackson Woodard are tied for second nationally with four INTs apiece. Boise State’s Andrew Simpson, Fresno State’s Korey Foreman and San Diego State’s Chris Johnson have forced three fumbles each, tied for fourth in the FBS.

LOBO OFFENSE ON TRACK
New Mexico has tied a MW record by scoring 50 or more points in three straight games, the seventh time that has happened in conference history. The Lobos are the first team to score 50+ points in three straight games against FBS opponents since USC did so to start the 2023 season.

The Lobos’ Devon 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. The only other FBS QB to hit those marks this season is Alabama’s Jalen Milroe.

HORTON’S RECORD PURSUIT OVER
Colorado State wide receiver Tory Horton suffered a season- and career-ending injury in Week 7, meaning he will finish his career second in MW history in career catches (265) and fourth in receiving yards (3,615). 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.

WATCH LIST ADDITIONS
The MW saw three additions to award watch lists last seek. Hawai‘i return specialist Tylan Hines was named to the Jet Award’s midseason watch list, while San Diego State edge Trey White was added to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list. Boise State’s Spencer Danielson was named to the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award watch list.