Mountaintop View 9-6-21. Broncos lose late, Rams lose early, Wolf Pack & Aggies take down PAC12, Lobos win.

What a weekend of college football! The Mountain West had some huge wins and some terrible-looking losses. Taking down two PAC teams is awesome, losing to an FCS school is not. No matter the outcome, coverage is still coming your way today in the form of game links from the weekend and original content later today and all of this week.

Broncos lose one late in the Bounce House.

Boise State may have been playing over their heads early against Central Florida, but regardless, they still blew a 21-0 lead. Their offense was literally going backwards, going for -7 yards in the third quarter. That, combined with several bad plays or decisions (dropped TD, dropped INT, late INT on a poor decision to throw) were all big factors that allowed UCF to fight back and win.

Rams are completely overmatched by Jackrabbits.

Don’t all it an upset. Colorado State were underdogs (at home!) going up against South Dakota State and before the first half was over, there was no doubt who the better team was. The Jackrabbits combined a swarming defense with a powerful running game to beat the Rams in a game that was not as close as the final score might indicate. Trey McBride and Ryan Stonehouse looked great for CSU but there wasn’t much else to be pleased about in the season-opener.

Wolf Pack comes from behind to defeat Cal.

After falling behind 14-0, it looked like things could get bad in a hurry for Nevada. Coach Norvell lit a fire under the players on the sideline and the 2021 team began to look a lot like the 2020 team. Their signature deep and multiple passing attack took center stage and there was just enough defense to defeat Cal, one of the tougher games on their schedule. It was a good first step for Nevada in their quest to go undefeated.

Aggies win an odd game, notch a PAC-12 victory.

The game featured scores of 5-3 and 13-8, but the final score (26-23) was all that mattered for the Aggies. Up against Washington State, they showed no fear and survived a back and forth affair to emerge victoriously. Patrick Joyner notched an early sack, while Andew Peasley and Logan Bonner both had positive moments at quarterback. Utah State was at their best with the game on the line, scoring 15 4th-quarter points to beat a PAC-12 team on the road.

New Mexico comes out strong in the season-opener.

The Lobos were able to get their first win of the year right away, defeating Houston Baptist 24-17. It wasn’t always pretty but it is movement in the right direction with many bright spots. Terry Wilson threw three touchdowns in his New Mexico debut and true freshman Keyonta Lanier looks like he will be a big weapon this fall, along with Aaron Dumas and Luke Wysong. The run game is still sound and Devin Sanders recovered a fumble late in the 4th to help seal the game.

MWC record through 15 games.

On the horizon:

• From the weekend: Don’t miss the game recaps from Boise State, New Mexico,
• Later today: MWCConnection Players of the Week: Week 1
• Later today: A new MWC Recruiting Roundup, with the latest news and offers and September Team Recruiting Rankings.
• Later today: Power Rankings: Week 1
• Coming Tuesday: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Week 1
• Coming Wednesday: Peak Perspective: Small Sample Sized First Impressions
• Coming Wednesday: Bowl Projections: Week 1