Mountain West Conference News and Notes
Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) –
AIR FORCE: Anthony LaCoste came close to breaking the single-game rushing record at Air Force over the weekend, but he had to settle for 262 yards and three touchdowns instead as the Falcons dismissed Army, 42-28, in their meeting as part of the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy series. LaCoste carried the ball 23 times for the Falcons, half of the team’s total run plays as they generated 343 yards and tallied six TDs on the ground. Nate Romine, who placed second on the unit with 31 rushing yards and scored once on seven attempts, also converted 7-of-8 passes for another 111 yards as the Falcons snapped a seven-game slide and finally defeated another member of the Football Bowl Subdivision in the process. The Falcons have a short week this time around as they prepare for a trip to Albuquerque to challenge the New Mexico Lobos in MWC action on Friday night. Air Force won last year’s meeting, 28-23, in order to take a 20-10 advantage in the all-time series.
BOISE STATE: Grant Hedrick threw for 305 yards and five touchdowns as the Boise State Broncos posted a 42-30 win over the Colorado State Rams in Mountain West Conference action at Hughes Stadium. Hedrick converted 19-of-27 passes on the night as the Broncos captured their fourth win in the last five outings. Matt Miller caught six passes for 96 yards and two TDs for the visitors. Defensively, the Broncos were stretched to the limit as they allowed CSU to run 109 offensive plays, leading to 626 yards of offense. Off for the second time in about a month, the Broncos now have more time to prepare for their meeting against Wyoming at home on Nov. 16. Last year, Boise State blew the doors off the Cowboys in a 45-14 final, taking a 7-0 advantage in the all- time series as a result.
COLORADO STATE: The Rams opened their meeting against Boise State with 10 straight points, but that was before CSU surrendered 21 points in the second quarter and went on to lose by 12 at home on Saturday night. Controlling the action for 40 minutes as they generated more than 600 yards of offense on 109 plays from scrimmage, the Rams leaned heavily on Kapri Bibbs who carried the ball 25 times for 69 yards, but scored three touchdowns for the hosts. Quarterback Garrett Grayson converted 36-of-53 passes for 397 yards and a touchdown as well, but in the end CSU simply could not stop an efficient BSU passing attack that accounted for 305 yards and five TDs as the team had a two-game win streak snapped. The Rams play a second straight home game this coming weekend when they entertain the Nevada Wolf Pack. Colorado State owns a 9-2 edge in the all-time series, but it was Nevada that posted a convincing 51-6 win in the most recent matchup back in 2010.
FRESNO STATE: The Bulldogs improved to a perfect 8-0 for just the fifth time in school history, the first time since 1989, as they held on to defeat visiting Nevada, 41-23, on Saturday night. Quarterback Derek Carr continued to show why he has to be considered for some major postseason honors as he converted 39-of-55 passes for 487 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite target by far was Josh Harper who posted a school-record 17 catches for 253 yards and two TDs, while Davante Adams caught eight passes for 84 yards and a score as well. For the first time in a long time FSU also had a significant presence on the ground as Josh Quezada ran for a game-high 115 yards on 17 carries. Despite the victory, Fresno State actually dropped in the AP poll one spot to No. 17 this week, yet remained 16th in the BCS rankings which means they are the top contender outside of the power conferences right now. The Bulldogs hit the road this coming weekend as they head to Laramie to challenge the Wyoming Cowboys. Fresno captured a 42-14 win in the meeting last year and tied the all-time series at 4-4 in the process.
HAWAII: After being delayed in Los Angeles due to the shooting at LAX and not arriving in Utah until early in the morning on game day, the Rainbow Warriors appeared weary during their 47-10 blowout loss to Utah State. Still winless on the season after eight outings, Hawaii also bowed in their 11th straight road test as quarterback Sean Schroeder converted just 13 of his 26 passes for 213 yards and a score, while being picked off three times. The squad managed a mere 59 rushing yards on 25 attempts and had trouble slowing down the Aggies who generated more than 500 yards of total offense as they cruised to the comfortable outcome. Back on the mainland again this coming weekend, the Rainbow Warriors find themselves on the other side of the continent as they clash with the Navy Midshipmen in non-conference play. Hawaii is 2-0 in the series, thanks to a 24-17 win in the most recent contest four years ago.
NEVADA: The Wolf Pack was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time on Saturday night, as they suffered their fourth consecutive setback in a 41-23 defeat at 16th-ranked Fresno State. Nevada actually scored the first points of the night and frustrated the Bulldogs from time to time, but in the end the squad just could not slow down Derek Carr who threw for nearly 500 yards and three touchdowns. Nevada’s Cody Fajardo had his struggled as he completed 14- of-24 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns, was sacked three times and tossed an interception. The signal caller also led the team in rushing with 98 yards on 17 carries. Brandon Wimberly continued to show why he has to be considered one of the top receivers in the league though, as he reeled in six balls for 74 yards and a score. Out on the road for the second straight week and the fourth time in the last five games, the Wolf Pack head to Fort Collins to contend with Colorado State at Hughes Stadium on Saturday. Nevada won the most recent encounter three years ago by a decisive 51-6 score, but still the team trails by a 9-2 margin in the all-time series.
NEW MEXICO: The Lobos were paced by Teriyon Gipson who scored twice on the ground on just five carries this past Saturday, but still New Mexico ended up on the wrong side of a 35-30 decision against San Diego State in conference play at Qualcomm Stadium. Kasey Carrier accounted for a team-high 72 rushing yards, while quarterback Cole Gautsche converted 6-of-16 passes for 101 yards and an interception. Clayton Mitchem stepped up and hit on all four of his passes for 69 yards and a TD in the setback. After scoring just a single touchdown on their first six possessions of the night, the Lobos turned the corner late in the third quarter and proceeded to register three straight TDs, but by then it was too late because SDSU was also credited with three touchdowns on as many possession in the second half. A short week for the Lobos has them back on the field at University Stadium on Friday night versus Air Force. New Mexico lost the matchup last year, 28-23, and as a result trails in the all-time series as well, 20-10.
SAN DIEGO STATE: Adam Muema ran for a season-high 233 yards and three touchdowns as he led the San Diego State Aztecs to a 35-30 win over the New Mexico Lobos in Mountain West Conference play at Qualcomm Stadium. Muema carried the ball 27 times in the contest and accounted for the bulk of San Diego State’s 249 net rushing yards as the Aztecs won for the fourth time in the last five outings. Quarterback Quinn Kaehler connected on all but five of his 21 pass attempts for another 201 yards and a pair of scores. Receiver Ezell Ruffin balanced the attack for the Aztecs as he caught seen passes for 165 yards and a couple of touchdowns as well. The Aztecs hit the road for the first of back-to-back away games as they drop in on the San Jose State Spartans this Saturday. San Diego bowed 38-34 last year to the Spartans and now trail in the all-time series, 19-15-2.
SAN JOSE STATE: Jarrod Lawson rushed for 187 yards and a touchdown as the San Jose State Spartans slipped by the UNLV Rebels, 34-24, in a Mountain West Conference matchup at Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday. Quarterback David Fales went 15-of-30 for 150 yards and a touchdown, and handed the ball to Lawson 28 times as the Spartans (5-3, 4-1 MWC) won their fourth consecutive game. For Fales, the yardage total through the air was by far his weakest effort of the season, particularly after posting back-to-back 400-yard efforts versus Colorado State and Wyoming, and throwing for at least 314 yards in five straight outings. However, the Spartans did well to compensate as they generated 312 rushing yards, their highest total in a game in seven years. San Jose State settles in at home this coming weekend as it entertains San Diego State in conference play. Last year, the Spartans delivered on a 38-34 win over the Aztecs, extending their advantage in the all-time series to 19-15-1.
UNLV: A slow start for the Rebels proved to be costly over the weekend as they lost for the second time in the last three outings, falling to visiting San Jose State at Sam Boyd Stadium, 34-24. UNLV had just three points at the half before Caleb Herring threw a pair of touchdowns and ran for another in a desperate attempt to get back in contention. Herring finished the outing 26- of-49 for 265 yards, but was sacked twice and tossed a couple of interceptions. The quarterback was also the leading rusher for the squad with 55 yards on 14 carries, while Tim Cornett was reduced to a mere 24 net yards on 12 attempts. The Rebels seek revenge against a Utah State team this weekend that dominated them a year ago, 35-13. With that setback, UNLV fell even further behind in the all-time series, 13-7.
UTAH STATE: Darell Garretson threw for a career-high 370 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Utah State Aggies to a convincing 47-10 win over the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in Mountain West Conference action at Romney Stadium. Garretson converted 28-of-41 passing in just his second career start for the Aggies as they posted their second straight win. Joey DeMartino had 104 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 attempts, while Travis Reynolds delivered 152 yards and a score on eight catches for the hosts. Utah State has now won 15 of its last 16 conference games dating back to the 2011 season. The Aggies head to Sin City this coming weekend where they will clash with the surprisingly successful UNLV Rebels in conference play. Last season, USU posted a 35-13 win over the Rebels in order to move to 13-7 in the all-time series.
WYOMING: After a break in the action, the Cowboys get back to playing football this coming weekend as they host the Fresno State Bulldogs at War Memorial Stadium. Heading into last year’s clash, the Pokes owned a slim 4-3 edge in the series between the two teams, but the Bulldogs dominated a 42-14 contest in order to even the score. The Cowboys are hoping to put an end to a two-game slide and post just their second victory since late September.
Categorized in: NCAA Football