Wow! Week one is behind us, and it was a roller coaster for teams in the Mountain West. There were some games that teams should have won and some games that the teams had no business winning. With that being said, let’s revisit the good, bad, and ugly moments of the opening week.
The Good:
Boise State
What a second half performance by the Broncos! They looked like an elite defense, and the offense moved the ball with ease. The Broncos managed more than 200 yards rushing against the best defensive line they will see this year. Also, what a performance by true freshman quarterback Hank Bachmeier with more than 400 yards passing! What is even more impressive is his ability to get up from some vicious hits.
San Jose State
It may have been an FCS team, but any win is a good win for the Spartans. I could see them finishing with four or five wins by the end of the season.
Nevada
What a comeback by the Wolf Pack! It looked like they were done, but they pulled off a great comeback. Nevada has found their quarterback of the future in Carson Strong who had a great performance with 295 yards through the air. Any P5 win is a good win for Nevada and the conference.
Air Force
I am going to be honest; this was a painful game to watch. Colgate is not exactly a great opponent, and neither team was a threat in the air. But the Falcons did what they needed to do and destroyed an FCS opponent.
Wyoming
I knew the Cowboys were going to be the surprise team in the Mountain West this season, but I didn’t know they had the ability to beat an SEC team. This is a huge win for the Wyoming program and the Mountain West Conference. The Cowboys were able to generate some timely turnovers and big plays to come away with a great win.
UNLV
It is hard to take much away from this game. Southern Utah was a 1-10 FCS program last year. The Rebels looked dynamic on offense, but their secondary is a major question mark. If they are going to be taken seriously, they have to beat Arkansas State at home next week. With that being said, they did what they needed to do week one.
The Bad:
Fresno State
Bulldog fans shouldn’t feel too bad after this one. They hung tough with a solid USC team, but there were plenty of opportunities for them to win this game. Ronnie Rivers struggled to run the ball, and they relied heavily on the arm and legs of Jorge Reyna. If this becomes a trend, the health of their quarterback might be in jeopardy. With that being said, I still think the Bulldogs have the best squad in the West, but the gap might be closing.
New Mexico
They may have gotten the win, but one thing was clear, this team is going to struggle this year. Their defense is really bad, but it looks like their offense might be slightly improved. However, the Lobos need to focus on something bigger than football at the moment, and that is the health of head coach Bob Davie. Prayers up for a speedy recovery.
Utah State
The Aggies have a ton of questions on defense. Their secondary was eaten alive by the Wake Forest wide receivers. However, David Woodward deserves a shout out. What a performance by the Aggie linebacker who finished the game with 24 tackles! He will likely receive defensive player of the week honors.
The Ugly:
Colorado State
The Rams showed some promise in this game and might be able to play spoiler over the course of the season. However, their defense still has plenty of issues, as they struggled to stop a Colorado squad that will be one of the worst teams in the PAC 12.
San Diego State
I hate to put a winning team in this category, but it must be done. Weber State is a great FCS program, but six points is not good. The Aztecs are clearly going to have a dominant defense again, but they still have a plethora of offensive issues that they need to iron out. SDSU is going to have to find a way to generate some offense. Juwan Washington was limited to 55 yards on 22 carries. If they don’t figure this out quickly, Nevada and Hawaii might give them a run for their money.