The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Week 7

We are officially (and sadly) halfway through the college football season. The Mountain West tilt is in full swing, and leaders have emerged in each division. With that being said, let’s take a look at the good, bad, and ugly teams of week seven:

The Good:

Boise State

A 59-37 win over a high powered Hawaii squad is impressive in its own right, but this was a dominating performance for the Broncos. The offense came out with a creative game plan that put the Hawaii defense on its toes from the opening possession. Boise State did an excellent job getting the ball in their playmakers’ hands and executing in the red zone. The 37 points allowed might look worrisome, but the bulk of those points came with the game already decided. A great performance by a Bronco squad that heads to Provo this weekend.

San Diego State

This game was what we thought it would be, a defensive battle that would come down to the team that executed the best. The Aztecs did what they needed to do and were able to grind out enough yards on the ground to open things up for quarterback Ryan Agnew. It was a solid performance for an Aztec squad that could be headed toward another division title. The Aztecs will need to stay on their toes when they take on a pesky San Jose State squad this weekend.

Colorado State

There aren’t many opportunities for wins left on the Rams schedule. They did what they needed to do and beat a bad New Mexico squad. It is hard to gauge this football team. They can’t seem to put the offense and defense together, and they will be tested in two weeks when they take on Fresno State.

Air Force

I expected the Falcons’ showdown with Fresno State to be a defensive battle. Boy, was I wrong. This Air Force squad is the most talented they have had in years; they took care of Fresno State with relative ease in the second half. The next two weeks will shape the Falcons’ season when they take on Hawaii and Utah State, both of which are likely elimination games for the Falcons.

UNLV

Vanderbilt is a really bad football team, but this was an impressive showing by Tony Sanchez and the Rebels. A 34-10 victory over a SEC squad...I sure did not see that coming. Could this be the defining moment where the Rebels turn their season around? I doubt it, but you never know. UNLV’s next game against Fresno State will likely be an elimination game in the West, and the loser will likely stay home come bowl season.

The Bad:

Hawaii

The Rainbow Warriors and their fans made it known that this was going to be a defining week for their program, and it sure didn’t go as expected. Hawaii had a hard time taking care of the ball and had no answer for Boise State’s skilled players. I thought Hawaii would put up more of a fight, but there is still a significant talent gap between the two teams.

Nevada

Yes, I know the Wolf Pack came away with a victory, but that was not pretty. They nearly surrendered a 31-10 and looked inept on defense for most of the second half. I will say this, the Wolf Pack offense looked much better under the leadership of Malik Henry, but they need to do a better job of taking care of the ball. Nevada will be significant underdogs when they travel to Logan this weekend to take on Utah State.

Wyoming

Wyoming has a quarterback problem. Sean Chambers cannot complete passes, and that makes it awfully difficult to win tough, football games. Are Chambers legs enough for him to keep the job? Luckily for the Cowboys, New Mexico’s defense might be the medicine that Chambers and the Cowboys offense needs.

The Ugly:

Fresno State

I expected better from the Bulldogs coming off of a bye. Coming into the season, I was guilty of thinking that Fresno State had the ability to reload. It is sure looking like I was wrong. The Bulldogs surrendered 340 yards on the ground and managed only 59 themselves. That sounds like a recipe for disaster. The Bulldogs need to take care of business against UNLV this weekend, or a bowl game is unlikely.

San Jose State

The Spartans needed this game. Their schedule gets tougher from this point forward. A poor first half dug them in quite a hole. They almost pulled off quite a comeback before falling short. This team has shown significant improvement this season, but their defense still has a way to go.

New Mexico

New Mexico fans, I hope you enjoyed those two victories earlier in the season. Unfortunately for the Lobos, it is hard to see another victory coming their way.

That’s it for this edition of “The Good, the Bad, the Ugly.” What were some good, bad, and ugly moments that stuck out to you?