By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports activities
This week brings a four-game slate within the Mountain West.
Boise State and Nevada will get the schedule began with a Friday night time assembly in Reno.
The three Saturday video games supply a trio of intriguing matchups.
Bronco Mendenhall will take his present squad again to his previous stomping grounds.
San Diego State will head as much as Fresno for a matchup with championship recreation ramifications between a few faculties trying to make noise within the Mountain West earlier than bolting to the Pac-12 subsequent season.
And Colorado State and Wyoming will battle for the Bronze Boot within the Border Struggle, however the Rams can be doing it with a distinct captain steering the ship.
Here’s a take a look at the four-game slate for the MW this week.
Boise State Broncos at Nevada Wolf Pack
Friday, October 24
7:00 PM PT, CBS Sports activities Community
Line: Boise State –21.5
Over/Underneath: 50.5
Boise State is coming off an enormous win over UNLV that gave them the within monitor on the convention championship recreation.
This week they appear to get bowl eligible for the twenty seventh consecutive season with win No. 6.
Final week, Dylan Riley ran for 201 yards on simply 15 carries as he torched the Rebels. His seven runs this season of 30 yards or extra are tied for probably the most within the nation.
Nevada has solely allowed three runs this season of 30-plus, however the Pack have allowed 35 runs this season of 10-plus yards with a median of 4.22 yards per run.
This could possibly be one which the Broncos backs discover some area to run.
Nevada has carried out a fairly good job of limiting groups within the passing recreation this season, so the Broncos might lean on the bottom assault.
The Wolf Pack has had a number of issues transferring the soccer this season. Nevada barely averages over 300 yards of offense per recreation and at present rank 128th within the nation in whole offense.
The Boise State protection should not have any downside placing the clamps down. Nevada is barely scoring 15.6 factors per recreation, the fourth-lowest scoring output within the nation.
The Broncos run away with this one, and the nation’s second-longest bowl streak will develop by yet another yr.
In opposition to the unfold: Boise State
Factors Complete: Over
Outright winner: Boise State
Utah State Aggies at New Mexico Lobos
Saturday, October 25
12:00 PM PT, MW Community
Line: New Mexico –3
Over/Underneath: 61.5
Call it the Bronco Mendenhall Bowl. The present Utah State Aggies coach heads to Albuquerque to face the Lobos of New Mexico, the squad he coached final season.
Each groups enter at 4-3 on the season, coming off wins every week in the past. USU is 2-1 in convention play whereas UNM is 1-2 in league motion.
The truth that each groups have a successful document is a rarity on this collection.
That is simply the fifth time in 31 conferences between the 2 faculties during which each groups are above .500. The final such assembly got here in 1964, when each groups had been 3-1 and the Aggies left College Stadium with a 14-3 win.
Apparently sufficient, that was the final recreation the Lobos would lose that season en path to a 9-2 season. USU would solely win yet another recreation that season to complete at 5-4-1.
This yr’s model of the matchup options groups which have arrived at their 4 wins in a distinct method.
Utah State is thirty eighth within the nation in whole offense whereas New Mexico is 86th within the nation.
The Lobos should not nice on the defensive aspect of the ball, however have held their very own at occasions.
The Aggies, alternatively, haven’t stopped anybody, rating 128th within the nation in whole protection.
So, that 61-and-a-half factors doesn’t look so dangerous.
Sure, loads of factors can be scored on this one, however the majority of them can be scored by the visiting group.
Bryson Barnes ranks both first or second in six totally different MW stat classes and is within the top-15 nationally in each passing TDs and speeding TDs. Search for him to have an enormous recreation.
USU will get the win in an entertaining matchup.
In opposition to the unfold: Utah State
Factors Complete: Over
Outright winner: Utah State
San Diego State Aztecs at Fresno State Bulldogs
Saturday, October 25
12:30 PM PT, FS1
Line: San Diego State –3.5
Over/Underneath: 47.5
A pair of groups exceeding expectations to start out 2025 do battle on this one.
Fresno State is off to a 5-2 begin with a 2-1 convention document. San Diego State is 5-1 and 2-0 in convention play and already two video games higher than their remaining win whole from 2024.
Each groups are coming off a bye, with Fresno State falling to Colorado State 49-10 two weeks in the past in a loss that’s going to turn out to be extra inexplicable because the season goes on.
The Aztecs had been on a four-game win streak previous to the week off, successful these video games by a median rating of 32.3-9.3.
San Diego State is a balanced soccer group. The protection is suffocating.
The 12.2 factors per recreation allowed is the fifth-best mark within the nation whereas the 259.7 yards surrendered per outing is ninth within the land.
The offense has scored 40+ in three of their six video games.
The Bulldogs have an excellent protection of their very own, rating 27 within the nation in yardage allowed, and are limiting opponents to only 23.7 factors per recreation.
This contest could possibly be a slug fest. And tight defensive showdowns usually go to the group that makes fewer errors.
Turnovers may resolve it, and the Aztecs have solely turned it over twice this season, the third fewest within the nation. However they’ve solely created 5 takeaways.
Fresno State has pressured some turnovers—11 on the season—however have additionally given it away extra than simply about anybody within the nation with 14 turnovers misplaced.
Of their two losses, the Bulldogs are minus-seven within the turnover division, whereas they’re plus-four within the wins.
The Aztecs will get some takeaways and get the win in Fresno State’s Black Out recreation.
In opposition to the unfold: San Diego State
Factors Complete: Underneath
Outright winner: San Diego State
Colorado State Rams at Wyoming Cowboys
Saturday, October 25
4:30 PM PT, CBS Sports activities Community
Line: Wyoming –6
Over/Underneath: 46.5
Tright here is a lot at stake for Wyoming and Colorado State within the Border Struggle.
Whereas the conferences of the groups will change subsequent yr, fortunately the Bronze Boot will nonetheless be contested as a non-conference assembly via 2036.
Including to the intrigue on this one is the truth that the Rams will take the sector with out Jay Norvell as head coach for the primary time since 2021.
Tyson Summers is the interim head man for CSU, and we are going to see if the teaching change can present a right away spark because it has at a few different faculties this season.
Wyoming has been stricken by gradual begins within the first half this season, having been outscored by 42 factors earlier than half time.
In opposition to Air Pressure final week, the Cowboys took a 7-6 lead into the locker room however failed to hold on to it.
The Pokes had no reply for the bottom assault of the Falcons. This week, they won’t be seeing an analogous speeding assault.
CSU is coming off a loss to Hawai’i during which they solely mustered 85 yards on the bottom on 34 carries—which was clearly aided by six sacks and 35 detrimental yards on these sacks.
Wyoming shouldn’t be a straightforward group to run towards, the Air Pressure recreation however, however they’re extraordinarily stout towards the cross.
UW is second within the convention at stopping the cross and so they may make the Ram offense one-dimensional, particularly if CSU nonetheless has points in cross safety.
I don’t assume we are going to see lightning strike with this teaching change. Wyoming is the higher group and can make extra performs.
The Cowboys get the win and canopy at house.
In opposition to the unfold: Wyoming
Factors Complete: Underneath
Outright winner: Wyoming
writes about varied subjects for SuperWest sports activities, together with stats and information, faculty sports activities, and motorsports. He additionally based and runs the Sports activities and Leisure Analysis Heart (SERC).
