2024 MW Football Weekly Release – Week 8 – Mountain West Conference

MW talking points

• Ten Mountain West programs are in action in Week 8, with Nevada hosting Fresno State on Friday night to get the action underway. New Mexico visits Utah State, San Jose State hosts Wyoming and Air Force welcomes Colorado State to MW, while Hawaii visits Washington State and UNLV travels to Oregon State in non-conference action.
• Boise State moved up two spots to No. 15 in the AP poll and three spots to No. 19 in the US LBM Coaches (AFCA) poll. The Broncos are idle in Week 8.
• The Mountain West has the strongest non-conference schedule in the FBS. MW teams have 35 non-conference games scheduled against Autonomous 4 opponents this season, 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, of which most part of a scheduling agreement that calls for all 12 MW schools to play either the Beavers or the Cougars. Fifteen of the MW 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 decided in overtime or the last game 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 overall teams earn spots in the 12-team postseason playoffs. With unprecedented access to the CFP, the Mountain West is well-positioned to earn a shot at competing for a national title.
• Mountain West teams will play a total of 22 non-conference games this season against teams that were ranked or receiving votes at the time of the game, or against future opponents currently at the top of the US LBM (AFCA) and/or AP stood or received votes -25 polls, including eight at home.

MW vs. ranked teams (coach/AP)

August 31: Colorado State at 4/4 Texas

August 31: Fresno State on 8/9 Michigan

August 31: New Mexico on 21/21 Arizona

September 7: RV/RV Boise State at 6/7 Oregon

September 7: Utah State at 14/13 USC

September 14: 10/12 Utah at Utah State

November 2: Air Force at 24/22 Army

• Since 2018, the MW has the best winning percentage against Autonomous 5 teams among its peer conferences (27.05). MW teams have earned 33 wins against such teams during that span, also the most among any of their rival conferences.

Notes about the MW

MW TEAMS IN THE RANKING
Boise State rose two spots to No. 15 in this week’s Associated Press poll and three spots to No. 19 in the US LBM Coaches (AFCA) poll. The Broncos are 116-21 (.847) overall. AP Top 25. This is the best record of any team in the last 40 seasons (at least 50 games as a team ranked).

UNLV climbed into the national rankings this season for the first time in school history, participating in the AFCA poll for three weeks and the AP poll for one week. The rebels are receiving votes in both polls this week.

JEANTY FOR HEI2MAN
Boise State running back Ashton JeantyThe Heisman campaign continues. 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)
• Rating (18.0)
• Total points (108)
• Total touchdowns (18)

He has rushed for at least 120 yards in all six games this season and has averaged at least 7.0 yards per carry. That’s tied for the second-longest such streak of 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 rush for 1,000 yards in just five games and needed just 90 carries to reach the mark, the fourth fewest since 2014.

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

He also has four touchdown 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 of any conference last week. The Mountain West has two teams in the top five in the FBS in rushing yards per game this season: Boise State (third, 289.8) and UNLV (fifth, 262.0). Boise State leads the FBS with 7.69 yards per rush.

DALMAS SET ANOTHER MW RECORD
After becoming the MW career leading scorer in Week 1, he became Boise State’s kicker Jonas Dalmas In Week 6, he added another all-time record to his name by converting two field goals, tying him for first in conference history with 85 for his career. He took part in the competitive duel with the former Nevada kicker Brandon Taltonwho had 83 from 2019 to 2023. With 87 field goals now to his credit, Dalmas is tied for fifth in FBS history with Georgia’s Billy Bennett. He is 10 points shy of the FBS record of 97 held by NC State’s Christopher Dunn (2018-22).

UNLV VERSUS A4 COMPETITION
UNLV defeated Big 12 teams Houston (27-7) and Kansas (23-20) this season, becoming the first non-conference team ever to earn 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 that a Mountain West team won a road game against a Big 12 school by more than 20 points.

The Rebels lost in overtime to Syracuse in Week 6, the third of four meetings against A4 competition this season. UNLV visits Oregon State in Week 8.

NATIONAL LEADERS
UNLV leads the FBS in blocked punts (3), passes intercepted (13) and turnover margin (2.00) this season, while Boise State leads the way 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, becoming 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 was the third QB in Mountain West history to have a game with 100+ rushing yards, a completion percentage of 80.0% or better, and 3+ touchdown passes. Williams was 13 of 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 victory over Fresno State.

Williams followed that up with another standout performance against Syracuse in Week 6, completing 21 of 25 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns. His pass rate of 84 percent was just shy 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 ever by a Mountain West player. He is also the first Rebel to score at least three touchdowns in each of his first three starts at the school.

WHITE CHARACTERIZED BY EAST-WEST SHRINE BOWL
After rushing for 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 East-West Shrine Bowl’s Breakout Offensive Player of the Week.

MW TAKEAWAYS
UNLV has intercepted at least one pass in eight straight games since last season, tying Cal for the longest active streak in the FBS. Over the past three seasons, the Rebels have had one pick in 25 games, second in the FBS behind Oklahoma (27), with UNLV having 45 picks ahead of the Sooners during that span.

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

Boise State Andrew SimpsonFresno State Korey Foreman and San Diego State Chris Johnson have forced three fumbles each and are tied for second in the FBS.

HORTON MAKES HIS HISTORY
With seven catches for 75 yards in a Week 7 win over San Jose State wide receiver Colorado State Tory Horton moved to second in MW history in career catches (265) and fourth in receiving yards (3,615). He is now just 34 yards shy of the former Ram’s MW record Rashard Higgins (2013-15) and 18 catches over the MW record of 283 held by UNLVs 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 the former Boise State Bronco Thomas Sperbeck.

NASH receives praise
This season, San Jose 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 score at least ten 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 in sacks (11.0), sacks per game (1.83), tackles for loss (15.0) and TFLs per game (2.5) this season.

LOBO crime on the trail
New Mexico has scored at least 50 points in two straight games without turning the ball over. The only other MW team to ever accomplish this was Boise State in the 2015 season (three straight). The Lobos scored 50 points in consecutive games for the first time in 108 years.