MW Talking Points
- 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.
- 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.
SCORING 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.
NEW LEADERSHIP
Eight of the 12 MW programs are under new leadership this season.
Boise State’s Spencer Danielson enters his first full season for the Broncos after serving as their interim coach for the final four games of the season, while Fresno State’s Tim Skipper, who served as acting coach for the Bulldogs in their win in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl last season, will serve as Fresno State’s interim coach this season after former coach Jeff Tedford stepped down in July. Jeff Choate (Nevada), Bronco Mendenhall (New Mexico), Sean Lewis (San Diego State), Ken Niumatalolo (San José State), Nate Dreiling (Utah State, interim) and Jay Sawvel (Wyoming) enter their first seasons at the helms of their respective programs.
Mendenhall, the 2006 MW Coach of the Year, was the head coach at BYU from 2005-10, while Sawvel served on former Pokes coach Craig Bohl‘s staff since 2020 as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach. Niumatalolo, who was a three-time American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year during a successful 15-year run at Navy, served as an assistant coach in the MW at UNLV from 1999-2001 and played (1987-89) and coached (1990-94) at Hawai‘i before the Rainbow Warriors joined the league.
| Saturday, Sept. 28 | Time | Network | National Radio |
| Fresno State at 23/RV UNLV* | 12:30 p.m. PT | FS1 | SiriusXM (FS feed) SiriusXM channel 382 (UNLV feed) |
| San Diego State at Central Michigan | 3:30 p.m. ET | CBSSN | SiriusXM channel 384 |
| New Mexico at New Mexico State | 6 p.m. MT | ESPN+ | SiriusXM |
| Air Force at Wyoming* | 6 p.m. MT | CBSSN | SiriusXM (AF feed) SiriusXM channel 380 (WYO feed) |
| Washington State at RV/25 Boise State | 8 p.m. MT | FS1 | SiriusXM channel 160 or 201 |
