Week One Fan Guide

The Mountain West Connection fan guide is back! The last couple of years we have waited until late in the season to start this series. But this year, we will have a weekly article that will help you keep track of what is going on across the conference. With no league games this weekend, we are going to focus on each game and how they impact the conference.

Cal Poly @ Fresno State

This game should be a blowout. The Bulldgos have the best offense in the Mountain West and this game should be over by halftime. Hopefully Bulldog fans can get a preview of their future quarterback. Keep a close eye on the trenches; that is where the Bulldogs need to show growth.

Portland State @ San Jose State

Similar to the game above, this one shouldn’t be close. The conference cannot afford losses to FCS opponents. San Jose State is expected to be better this fall. If that’s the case, this game should be over by halftime.

Boise State @ Oregon State

This game, along with the San Diego State-Arizona game are the most important games of the weekend. This is a winnable game against a decent Power Five program. If Boise State is going to return to the national spotlight, these are the games they have to win.

Colorado State @ Michigan

This is one of the more intriguing games of the weekend. I’m curious to see how the Rams look under Jay Norvell. I don’t expect this game to be particularly close, but if the Rams can put up a fight, it bodes well for the rest of the season.

Northern Iowa @ Air Force

Air Force is expected to be one of the best teams in the conference and should be pretty good on both sides of the ball. The Falcons should win this game easily, even if they are battling some injuries.

Arizona @ San Diego State

Like I stated with the Boise State game, this is a big one for the Mountain West. San Diego State can and should win this game. Reports out of the spring game left Aztec fans optimistic that they would be more well-rounded on the offensive side of the ball. This should be a win for San Diego State in their brand new stadium.

Tulsa @ Wyoming

Tulsa should be a pretty decent team this fall, and Wyoming’s week zero performance against Illinois has me concerned. The Cowboys are at home and need to show that the defense has cleaned up some of their week zero tackling issues and the passing game is making some progress. This will be a tough one for the Cowboys, but a win here could go a long way in changing their season.

Texas State @ Nevada

The Wolf Pack schedule starts to get real in a couple of weeks. They have to win their next two games, or it is going to be a long season. The Wolf Pack are more than capable of handing Texas State a loss, but I have a feeling this is going to be a close game.

Utah State @ Alabama

The Crimson Tide are an early season favorite to win the national championship and the Aggies struggled against UConn in their opening game. Hopefully Utah State was able to clean off the cobwebs and can put up a fight in Tuscaloosa. If this game is remotely close, it could put the Aggies in the national spotlight and make them a darkhorse contender for a New Years Six bowl spot.

Maine @ New Mexico

It is hard to see many wins on New Mexico’s schedule, so this game is critical for the Lobos season. I will be keeping a close eye on the Lobo offense, they struggled mightily last season and need to show that they are making strides. If there is one FCS game I am concerned about this weekend, this is the one.

Western Kentucky @ Hawaii

Hawaii looked defeated and dejected by the end of their game with Vanderbilt. Timmy Chang needs to show that he has the “it” factor this weekend by motivating his squad after last week’s debilitating loss. Hawaii doesn’t necessarily need to win this game, they just need to look better.

Which games are you most excited about this weekend? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.