The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Week 13

Week 13 of the college football season is behind us, and we are headed for an epic rematch in Boise. The week was full of plenty of exciting moments in the Mountain West. Let’s revisit the good, bad, and ugly moments of week 13.

The Good:

Boise State

It is hard not to start with the Broncos here. This was easily the most meaningful conference game of the week. Since their early season loss to San Diego State, the Broncos have been forced to approach each game like it is a playoff. Lose and you’re done; win and you live to fight another day. The Bronco defense has been limited by significant injuries over the course of the season, but Andy Avalos and the Broncos have continued to show their resiliency. They limited an Aggie offense that averages nearly 50 points a game to 24 points. Utah State was forced to be one dimensional on offense, only running the ball 19 times.

On the other hand, the Broncos were a force in the air (310 yards for Rypien) and on the ground (200 yards for Mattison). The Boise State offense has been a different beast since they have figured things out on the ground. They will need that same kind of balance on Saturday.

UNLV

Win a rivalry game, and save your coach’s job. I would say it was a successful week for the Rebels, who had some nice wins to finish out the season. The Rebels are a much better team with Armani Rogers on the field.

Wyoming

The Cowboys were 2-6 through eight games; they could have quit at that point. After some lineup changes, Wyoming finished the season with four consecutive wins to become bowl eligible. Craig Bohl continues to show why he is one of the best coaches in the Mountain West. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, it is looking like they may have a hard time finding a bowl destination.

Hawaii

Things looked really bad for the Warriors; it looked like bowl eligibility was slipping through their fingers. They were able to overcome a late deficit to defeat UNLV last week and finished the season with a victory over a solid, Aztecs squad. Rolovich is doing some great things on the islands.

The Bad:

Fresno State

I hate putting the Bulldogs here, but that first half performance was puzzling. The game was 3-0 at halftime and the Fresno State offensive line had a hard time dealing with a three man rush. Marcus McMaryion took some brutal hits and looked limited at times. The Bulldog offensive line will need to play much better against the Boise State.

Utah State

Any time you lose a game that gives you a chance to compete for the championship game and you lose, you are going to end up in this category. The Aggies were content with slinging the ball all over the field and relying on the short passing game. Utah State abandoned the run early; I found that decision a bit perplexing. One dimensional teams rarely defeat the Broncos.

The Ugly:

San Diego State

What a miserable end to a promising season. After a victory over Boise State, it looked like the Aztecs were poised to challenge the Bulldogs for Western division supremacy. After a great showing in Boise, SDSU struggled to find consistency even when they became healthier.

Nevada

The Wolf Pack had looked like one of the best teams in the conference in recent weeks. Rivalry games have a tendency to change things. Nevada’s defense struggled to stop the Rebel rushing attack, and a promising season ends with a loss to their biggest rival.

Colorado State and New Mexico

I’m putting these teams together for a reason. Both teams are handicapped by bad coaching contracts. At least Bobo has been able to recruit decently in Ft. Collins. You can’t say the same for Bob Davie and New Mexico.

Next week’s edition of GBU will focus on the Mountain West Championship game, where I will be there in person to take in the match up of two ranked teams. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, and thank you for reading.