Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!
This is a big week in the Mountain West Conference. With six of
the eight teams meeting in conference action this week, the
front-runners of the conference will be determined in an evenly
matched MWC.
New Mexico (3-3, 0-1 MWC)
Coming off a 34-7 victory last week against Utah State, the
Lobos now head into their only bye week of the season.
“It’s nice to get a win heading into the bye week,” Lobo head
coach Rocky Long said. “Now we can get healthy heading into the
conference schedule.”
The Lobos have played one conference game this season. They lost
that game to BYU at home 10-7.
Next week they travel to San Diego State.
Wyoming (1-4, 0-1) at Utah State (1-4)
Saturday at 6 p.m.
The Cowboys come off of a bye week in which, according to coach
Joe Glenn, they worked hard on protecting star quarterback Casey
Bramlet. The Cowboys offensive line has given up 18 sacks this
season, and they need to start giving their quarterback more time
to make decisions.
“He can make things happen if we give him time,” Glenn said.
The Aggies are coming off a loss to New Mexico, and will face
their third MWC foe of the season.
This is the 100th meeting between the two schools, with the last
one coming on Sept. 22, 2001, in Logan, Utah. The Cowboys scratched
out a 43-42 victory.
CSU (3-3, 0-1) at Brigham Young (3-3, 2-1)
Thursday at 8 p.m. TV: ESPN2
BYU has three conference games under its belt heading into a
showdown with CSU. The Cougars are 2-1, and in solid position in
the conference standings. Last week they defeated San Diego State
44-36 behind the arm of freshman quarterback John Beck.
While the pass offense finally came to life, the pass defense
was once again suspect last week allowing 352 yards in the air. BYU
coach Gary Crowton knows that the Rams will test his secondary this
week.
“We will have to keep their receivers underneath us,” he said.
“We have good match-ups whether we play zone or man defense.”
The winner of this game has won the conference title each of the
last three years and CSU has not won in Provo, Utah, since
1994.
UNLV (4-1, 0-0) at Air Force (5-1, 2-0)
Saturday at 1 p.m. TV: ESPN+Plus
This conference showdown will be the first for UNLV and the
third for the Falcons. The Falcons come into this weekend suffering
a devastating 28-25 loss to rival Navy, in which the Falcons
received a taste of their own medicine, as they were unable to stop
Navy’s triple option.
“Their fullback game was devastating,” said Falcons head coach
Fisher DeBerry. “We couldn’t stop it.”
Air Force is no longer ranked in the top 25.
The Rebels’ fortunes last week were the total opposite of the
Falcons.
Last week the Rebels defeated in-state rival Nevada 16-12, and
inched closer to cracking the top 25 for the first time this
year.
UNLV’s defense will be key this week as they attempt to do
something they couldn’t last year: stop Air Force quarterback
Chance Harridge. Last year Harridge accounted for four touchdowns
(two passing, two rushing) in AFA’s 49-32 victory.
San Diego State (3-3, 0-1) at Utah (4-1, 1-0)
Saturday at 5 p.m.
Utah is on an impressive three-game winning streak that has seen
them knock-off two BCS foes, (Oregon and California) and conference
foe Colorado State in Fort Collins.
“The ability of our players to focus each week has been key,”
said head coach Urban Meyer. “They play so hard and don’t take
anything lightly.”
The Aztecs were knocked off last week at home by BYU 44-36, but
did find positives in the return of quarterback Adam Hall and the
emergence of receiver Jeff Webb. Webb hauled in 10 catches for 253
yards last week, and will be looked upon to do the same this week
against a solid Ute defense.
“It was nice to see Adam back on the field,” said head coach Tom
Craft. ” I think no one was as happy as Jeff Webb.”
The Aztecs took last year’s meeting in San Diego 36-17.
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