The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Week Two

Week two has concluded, and it was another rough week for the Mountain West. Multiple teams lost to FCS teams and another had a heartbreaking last-second loss to a PAC 12 foe. The week also featured the first conference matchup of the season and a convincing victory for Air Force. Let’s take a look at the good, bad, and ugly moments from week two.

The Good

Air Force

The Falcons are good...really good. This was a convincing victory and Air Force is clearly the favorite as they get ready to start conference play this weekend. Air Force ran for more than 400 yards on the ground and were able to use the rainy conditions to their advantage, holding Colorado to less than 200 yards of total offense on their way to a 41-10 victory over a PAC 12 program.

Boise State

Bronco Nation wasn’t feeling a whole lot better about the offense after this one, but the defense made a statement against New Mexico. The Lobos were scoreless for the majority of the game, and the Boise State defense was dominating. The Broncos finished with six sacks and 12 tackles for loss on their way to a 31-14 victory.

UNLV

I’m not a big believer in moral victories, but Rebel fans should feel good about where this program stands heading into the rest of the season. They fought toe-to-toe with a PAC 12 team and nearly left Berkley with a victory. This team is a legitimate bowl contender.

San Diego State

It wasn’t the most reassuring victory, but the Aztec defense rose to the occasion when it needed to. The Aztecs continued to struggle to move the ball through the air, but great special teams play and a solid run game led the Aztecs to a convincing 38-7 victory over Idaho State.

San Jose State

It was a valiant effort for the Spartans. For a while, it really looked like they were going to leave Auburn with the upset. Ultimately, the size and speed of Auburn wore the Spartans down, but this was an important win for San Jose State after their opening week struggles against Portland State

Wyoming

It wasn’t as dominating of a victory as Cowboy fans would like. But this offense looks like they are starting to figure things out and the game was never in doubt. We are going to learn where this team really stands this weekend, as the Cowboys will host Air Force in their first conference game of the season.

The Bad

Fresno State

What a heartbreaker for the Bulldogs. They looked poised to walk away with a huge victory, but a late penalty and some defensive letdowns allowed Oregon State to leave Fresno with a last-second victory. The loss was rough, but Jake Haener was amazing, and the Bulldogs are clearly one of the top two teams in the conference right now.

New Mexico

I was really impressed with the Lobo defense. They were stout on the defensive line and made Boise State earn every yard. On the offensive side of the ball, this team has a long way to go. They relied heavily on deep shots that were largely ineffective. If this team is going to make any noise in conference play, they will need to establish the run.

The Ugly

Utah State

The Aggies not only lost to an FCS opponent, but they were also thoroughly dominated by an FCS school in Weber State. Utah State quarterback Logan Bonner really struggled and seemed to be shaken. Weber State marched into Logan and left with a 35-7 victory. Maybe Alabama broke the Aggies?

Nevada

The first few weeks of the season set up beautifully for Nevada’s new coaching staff. After opening the season with two wins, it appeared that the Wolf Pack would coast to a 3-0 start as they hosted Incarnate Word. The Wolf Pack defense was completely dominated by an FCS opponent giving up over 600 yards on their way to a 55-41 loss. The honeymoon period is over in Reno.

Hawaii

The Rainbow Warriors made the long trek to Ann Arbor, Michigan to take on the Wolverines. This one was over before it even started. Hawaii suffered its third convincing loss of the season. They will look to secure their first victory of the season this weekend against FCS opponent Duquesne.

Colorado State

The Rams were absolutely dominated by Middle Tennessee in the first half. We knew we would have a good idea of where this program stands after this game. Rams fans thought that Jay Norvell could fuel an instant turnaround, but that does not appear to be the case. Colorado State will need to turn things around quickly, they head to Pullman this weekend to take on Washington State.

That’s it for this edition of “The Good, the Bad, the Ugly.” Which moments from week two stood out to you? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.