Week five was an interesting week for football in the Mountain West. The Broncos were humbled, the Bulldogs were upset, and the top of the conference is ripe for the taking. It was certainly a crazy week and there is plenty to talk about. Here are your good, bad, and ugly performances of week five.
The Good:
Nevada
It took the Wolf Pack a while, but they were able to figure out that the Broncos can’t stop the run. Nevada was able to force three turnovers in Boise State territory that resulted in 10 points. That proved to be the difference in the game.
Hawaii
The Rainbow Warriors were sure opportunistic on Saturday night and maybe had a little bit of luck on their side. Hawaii forced six turnovers, with five of the six coming in their own territory when Fresno State was close to scoring. Backup quarterback Brayden Schager was not spectacular, but he made some solid throws in the fourth quarter to help lead the comeback effort.
San Jose State
Even without their starting quarterback, the Spartans were able to take care of business against New Mexico State. Nick Nash was efficient, completing 15 of 18 passes and adding 34 yards on the ground. The pass defense struggled, but a win is a win. This isn’t the same Spartan squad as last year, but they will be in the bowl conversation.
Air Force
The Falcon offense is really good. Their team speed at running back and quarterback are going to give them a chance to win every football game on their schedule. The race for the Mountain Division title is going to be a good one, and with talent like Haaziq Daniels and Brad Roberts, the Falcons have a good chance of being in the conversation. It will be interesting to see how they stack up against Wyoming this weekend.
The Bad:
Utah State
It was a valiant effort by the Aggies, but they couldn’t shut down the BYU rushing attack. Logan Bonner and Calvin Tyler Jr. were clearly playing through pain. This Aggie team is vastly improved and will likely be in the conversation for a division title with their favorable schedule.
UNLV
The Rebels have had their chance to win football games this year but continue to fall short. It is hard to see where Marcus Arroyo gets his first win as a head coach. Musical chairs at the quarterback position hasn’t helped either. The Rebels need to be consistent on the offensive side of the ball if they are going to get into the win column this year.
The Ugly:
Fresno State
The Bulldogs won the box score, but they did not win the football game. That’s what six turnovers will do to you. All four of Haener’s interceptions were in Hawaii territory. It was the perfect storm of mistakes. If one of those interceptions was dropped, the outcome likely would have been different for the Bulldogs.
New Mexico
I honestly thought the Lobos were going to be better than they have been to this point. The defense is not where I thought they would be, and they are wildly inconsistent on defense. They never had a chance against Air Force, losing 38-10.
Boise State
Like the Bulldogs, we saw the impact that turnovers can have on a football game. Poor pass protection, a battered defensive line, and a poor special teams performance cost the Broncos the victory. Hank Bachmeier was masterful in defeat, but it was not enough to overcome turnovers and a poor defensive performance.
That’s it for this edition of “The Good, the Bad, the Ugly.” Which performance from this past weekend stood out to you? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.