2024 MW Football Weekly Release - Week 6

MW Talking Points

• Nine Mountain West programs are in action in Week 6. No. 23/25 UNLV hosts a 3-1 Syracuse squad on Friday, while No. 21 Boise State opens league play when it hosts Utah State on Saturday. Also on Saturday, Air Force welcomes Navy, Colorado State visits Oregon State, San José State hosts Nevada and Hawai‘i heads to San Diego State.
• After appearing in the US LBM Coaches (AFCA) Poll in each of the previous two weeks, UNLV entered the Associated Press poll at No. 25 this week, earning its first ranking in the AP poll since moving to Division I. Boise State moved up four spots to No. 21 in the AP poll and is the first team out of the AFCA poll.
• 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 15 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 five at home.

• Since 2018, the MW has the best winning percentage over Autonomous 5 teams (27.12) among its peer conferences. MW teams have collected 32 wins over such teams in that span, also the most among its peer conferences.

Notes Around the MW

MW TEAMS IN THE RANKINGS
When Boise State and UNLV were both ranked after Week 4, it marked the first time the MW had two teams ranked in either the AFCA or Associated Press poll in the same week since 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.

UNLV entered the AFCA poll on Sept. 15 for its first national ranking at the Division I level. The Rebels entered the AP poll on Sept. 29 for their first ranking in that poll at the DI level.

Boise State entered the AP poll on Sept. 22 of this season for its first national ranking since 2022. The Broncos are 114-21 (.844) 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 AGAINST A4 COMPETITION
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 face Syracuse on Friday for the third of four meetings against A4 competition this season. UNLV also visits Oregon State on Oct. 19.

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+ rushing yards, an 80.0% or higher completion percentage and 3+ TD passes, joining Wyoming’s Brett Smith (2013) and BYU’s Brandon Doman (2001). 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. For his efforts, he was named one of the Davey O’Brien Award’s Great 8 and a Manning Award Star of the Week.

JEANTY FOR HEI2MAN
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty‘s Heisman campaign was bolstered by another stellar effort in Week 5, as the junior had 26 carries for 259 yards and four touchdowns in the Broncos’ 45-24 win over Washington State. Jeanty leads the FBS in all-purpose yards per game (216.0), rush yards per carry (10.30), rushing touchdowns (13), rushing yards (845), rushing yards per game (211.3), scoring (19.5), total points scored (78) and total touchdowns (13). His 13 TD runs in 2024 are the second-most by any FBS player through four team games over the last 25 seasons (Buffalo’s Jaret Patterson in 2020).

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. His two 200-yard rushing games this season are just one away from entering the MW’s single-season top five, while the four in his career are good for a tie for fourth in MW history.

He also has three TD runs of at least 70 yards this year, which tie for the most in a season in MW history.

RESPECT THE RUN GAME
Jeanty has deservedly commanded plenty of individual attention, but the Mountain West also has two teams in the top six of FBS this season in rushing yards per game: Boise State (third, 302.5) and UNLV (sixth, 283.0). 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 (8.52).

Against New Mexico State in Week 5, New Mexico’s Devon Dampier and NaQuari Rogers became the third duo in MW history to each have 3-plus rushing TDs in the same game, joining Utah State’s Gerold Bright and Darwin Thompson (2018) and BYU’s Brian McDonald-Ashford and Luke Staley (2001).

DALMAS CLAIMS ANOTHER MW RECORD
After becoming the MW’s career scoring leader in Week 1, Boise State kicker Jonah Dalmas added another record to his name in Week 5, converting his only field-goal attempt of the day to move into a tie for first in Conference history with 83 for his career. With one more FG make, Dalmas will pass former Nevada kicker Brandon Talton (2019-23) to own the record outright.

BRONCOS PLAY DEFENSE, TOO
Boise State leads all FBS teams with 19 sacks this season, the third-most through four games in MW history (2020 Fresno State and 1999 Colorado State – 20 each). Boise State’s four straight games with 4-plus sacks is the longest active streak in FBS.

MW TAKEAWAYS
UNLV has intercepted nine passes this season, tied for the second most through four games of a season in MW history (BYU – 10 in 2002). Since the beginning of 2022, UNLV’s defense has 41 interceptions with only Oklahoma (42) having more in FBS in that time. This season, the Rebels’ Jalen Catalon shares the FBS leads with four total interceptions and an average of 1.0 per game.

San José State ranks fifth in the FBS this season with 12 forced turnovers, while Fresno State and UNLV are tied for eighth with 10 apiece. Fresno State’s Cam Lockridge is tied for third in the FBS with three interceptions so far.

NASH RECEIVING PRAISE
This season, San José State receiver Nick Nash leads all FBS players in receptions (50), receptions per game (12.5) and receiving touchdowns (eight) and is second in receiving yards per game (159.3). 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 was 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).

WIN NO. 1
New Mexico coach Bronco Mendenhall and Wyoming coach Jay Sawvel both got their first wins at their programs in Week 5. Mendenhall led the Lobos to a 50-40 win over rival New Mexico State, while Sawvel directed the Cowboys to a 31-19 victory over Air Force.

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.

HOYLAND CAREER FG 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. Now with 62 in his career, Hoyland is fourth in MW history, just two back of Utah State’s Dominik Eberle (2016-19).

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.