The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Week Three

Week three didn’t exactly go how we expected for teams in the Mountain West. A key conference matchup between Air Force and Wyoming turned into a defensive battle, a team from Nevada appears to be taking steps in the right direction, and traditional powerhouses are struggling to find their identity. Here are the good, bad, and ugly performances from the opening weekend.

The Good

Wyoming

I have to be honest, I was completely shocked by this result. The Wyoming defense had not shown much of a pulse early in the season, but Craig Bohl and his staff know how to scheme the triple option. This was a huge win for the Cowboys and puts them in position to make some real noise this season.

UNLV

This team is going to be really dangerous. The Rebels ran the ball down the throats of North Texas. Aidan Robbins had an impressive performance carrying the ball 29 times for 227 yards and three touchdowns. We are going to learn a lot about this team this weekend when they take on Utah State.

Hawaii

It was not exactly what I would consider an impressive victory, but the Rainbow Warriors were able to get their first victory of the year over Duquesne. The offense failed to gain 200 yards, but the defense came to play. Hopefully the Rainbow Warriors can use the game to build some momentum.

New Mexico

I think we are finally starting to see the improvement from this Lobo squad that we wanted to see last season. New Mexico has the defensive talent to play with most teams in the conference, but I’m still not sure if the offense is ready to rise to the occasion.

The Bad

Boise State

I think you could make a good case to put the Broncos in the “Good” category. The defense played great and special teams had their best performance of the year. But, the offense struggled again, especially in the second half. This does not look like a championship team.

Fresno State

Most people did not expect the Bulldogs to win this game. They put up a good fight, but struggled to finish drives. The worst result of this game was the high ankle sprain suffered by Bulldog quarterback Jake Haener. Haener will likely be out for a while, but the good news is that backup quarterback Logan Fife did a nice job in relief. The timing could be worse; Fresno State has a bye this week and faces UCONN in two weeks.

Air Force

I’m not going to put too much stock into this loss. The Falcons were without some key contributors on offense and the team battled a virus over the week. The Falcons struggled to run to the outside, and the Falcon defense showed some vulnerability in the secondary. If this team can get healthy, they will have a shot to contend for a championship.

The Ugly

Colorado State

I don’t think anyone expected Colorado State to contend for a championship immediately, but this team is far behind the expectations that most people had for them. They are struggling on offense and the defense is bad, really bad. This weekend is a big game against Sacramento State. The Rams have to win this game to find their identity. But this won’t be easy as Sacramento State is one of the best games in the FCS ranks.

San Diego State

This isn’t the Aztecs team we are accustomed to seeing. They aren’t the elite defense that has propelled them to championships, and the offense has absolutely no identity. If the Aztecs can’t right the ship soon, their championship hopes will be gone and their bowl hopes might go with it.

Nevada

The circumstances were tough for the Wolf Pack. They had to overcome a long weather delay. The Wolf Pack defense put up a valiant effort, but they were facing one of the best defenses in the nation in Iowa. Maybe the Wolf Pack have found their new quarterback in Shane Illingworth, but we will have to wait a few weeks to know.

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