The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Week Thirteen

The regular season has concluded, and Fresno State and Boise State will be meeting in the championship game for the fourth time. Before we dive into the biggest game of the season for the Mountain West, we need to dive into performances from this past weekend. Here are the good, bad, and ugly performances from the final weekend of the regular season.

The Good

Boise State

The Broncos entered this game missing a number of important players, but they were able to capitalize on some turnovers and a great performance by Taylen Green. The Broncos continued to struggle on the defensive side of the ball. The defensive staff will need to rise to the occasion as they prepare for their toughest test since opening weekend with a healthy Jake Haener and the talented receiving corps of Fresno State.

Colorado State

Despite having one of the most frustrating seasons of any team in the Mountain West, the Rams managed to finish the season on a high note with a comfortable victory over New Mexico. Jay Norvell will have his hands full this offseason as the Rams may need to add as many as 40 players.

Fresno State

The Bulldogs are clicking on all cylinders and are winners of seven consecutive games heading into the Mountain West Championship. It felt like this team was sending a message to Boise State with dominant performances in all three aspects of the game. This team has a really good opportunity to bring the Mountain West Championship back to Fresno.

San Jose State

Chevan Cordeiro was able to win the one game he likely had circled on his calendar when the season started. The San Jose State quarterback and Hawaii transfer led his team to victory in the season finale. The Spartans have been through a lot this season, but they were able to finish the season on a high note and will look to build on that going into their bowl game.

Air Force

The Falcons didn’t put up a lot of points, but the defense rose to the occasion. Air Force’s defense held San Diego State to three points, allowing the Falcons to leave San Diego with a 13-3 victory. Brad Roberts likely secured the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, carrying the ball 35 times for 187 yards and scoring the only touchdown of the game.

The Bad

UNLV

Sure, they won a rivalry game and they might even get a spot in a bowl game by default. But this team's finish to the season was embarrassing; they fell off late. This team looked like they had the ability to contend for a championship when the season started. By the time it finished they looked like one of the worst teams in the league.

Nevada

This was a heartbreaking loss for the Wolf Pack who had a chance to pull off the upset with four failed chances to punch it in late. This team was playing for pride against their biggest rival. They put up a valiant effort but ultimately fell short. This recruiting cycle and success in the transfer portal will dictate where this program goes in the future.

Utah State

The Aggies put up an impressive effort against the Mountain Division champions. Cooper Legas was impressive, passing for more than 300 yards and extending plays with his legs. But late interceptions haunted Legas and the Aggies, who fell apart late.

Hawaii

Nobody wants a 3-10 season. But if I was a Rainbow Warrior fan, I would look back at this season and feel hopeful. This team fought hard and did it with players that would be third-stringers at most Mountain West schools. It might take a few years, but Timmy Chang is going to get this program on track.

The Ugly

Wyoming

This was a puzzling performance. Fresno State is a really good football team, but the Cowboys looked like they had zero interest in playing a football game. Wyoming was clearly drained after two emotional games against Colorado State and Boise State. Bohl chose to sit many of his banged-up players and the result was a convincing loss in Fresno.

New Mexico

Congratulations, Lobos, you get the award for the worst team in the Mountain West after an embarrassing performance against Colorado State. The Lobo offense failed to take advantage of the opportunities to win this game that the defense gave them. This offseason will be interesting for New Mexico. Will they make changes, or will they give Gonzales and his staff one more chance?

San Diego State

This is not the way you want to finish the season for a team that finally seemed to find its footing on the offensive side of the ball. The Aztecs managed only three points and finished the game with -1 yards on the ground.

What stood out to you from this past weekend? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.