Week nine of the college football season had major implications for teams in both the Mountain West and PAC-12. Boise State, Oregon State, and New Mexico all have big goals in sight, with potential bids in the College Football Playoff within their grasp. Did all three teams keep their hopes alive? Are any other teams emerging as potential spoilers? This week's action was nothing short of exciting. Let's take a look at how this past weekend's games impacted the conference races in the PAC-12 and Mountain West in this week's edition of "The Good, the Bad, the Ugly."
North Dakota State
It wasn't the Bison's best performance of the year, but they were able to overcome a slow first half and rally after the break to come away with a comfortable 31-7 win over UTEP. The Bison defense was excellent, forcing three turnovers that resulted in 14 points for North Dakota State. I'm still concerned about this offense, but the defense is top-tier and will keep them competitive in conference play.
Fresno State
I had a sneaky feeling the Bulldogs were going to pull off the upset over Oregon State this weekend, but I didn't think they would do it in such dominating fashion. Matt Entz is a really good football coach, and his experience, along with an extra week to prepare, made the difference in this game. Fresno State's bend-but-don't-break defense was effective, particularly on fourth down, and they were able to hold the Beavers to field goals. The offense was efficient running the ball, while the passing game came up with some explosive plays that kept the Beaver defense on its toes. The win keeps the Bulldogs in the championship picture, but they will need another Oregon State loss to get there.
Air Force
The Falcons hosted a solid UConn team on Saturday, and a Herculean effort on the ground helped them become bowl eligible. Air Force is now 6-2 on the season, and backup quarterback Kemper Hodges is a big reason why. Hodges carried the ball 35 times for 200 yards. You know the running game is effective when Air Force can come away with a victory despite completing just one pass. While a conference championship is unlikely, this team has a chance to put together its best season in years and maybe even play spoiler with a game against New Mexico looming to close out the season.
Utah State
The Aggies have looked like a much different football team over the last three weeks, and with McCae Hillstead under center, it looks like they might finally be figuring things out on offense. This was the most well-rounded performance of the year for the Aggies. They held a dynamic Colorado State offense to just 14 points while scoring a season-high 31 points, with Hillstead leading the team in both passing and rushing yards. The Aggies have a chance to shake things up this weekend if they can pull off a massive upset over Fresno State.
New Mexico
It was arguably the worst showing of the season for the Lobos, but at least they came away with a road victory. Toa Fa'avae had his worst showing of the season, throwing three interceptions and finishing with just 111 passing yards. Fortunately for New Mexico, they were able to run the ball effectively and held San Jose State to just 238 yards of total offense. Hopefully, this was a narrow win that leads to something bigger rather than a sign of things to come for the Lobos, especially with a few tricky games remaining on their schedule.
San Diego State
The Aztecs kept their bowl hopes alive with a 26-20 home victory over Washington State. They overcame a rough performance from freshman quarterback Stone Saunders by putting together a big day on the ground, with Lucky Sutton leading the way. The Aztec defensive line also shut down the Cougar rushing attack, holding Washington State to fewer than three yards per carry. The win keeps San Diego State's championship hopes alive as well, but they will need a lot of help to get there.
UNLV
I understand the Rebels won, but it was a narrow escape at home against arguably the worst team in the FBS. Earlier in the season, we were bragging about how much the Rebel defense had improved, but now they are coming off consecutive performances in which they looked lost. NIU has one of the worst offenses in the country and nearly managed 500 yards against UNLV. This was nearly the worst loss of the Dan Mullen era, but they won, and that is ultimately what matters. Now the question becomes whether this team can regroup and make another run at the conference championship game. However, it will take a massive road upset over New Mexico to get there.
Boise State/Texas State
I couldn't decide which of these two teams to put in this category, so I decided to include both. This was one of the most aggravating yet entertaining football games I have ever experienced. Both teams made some puzzling decisions in the second half that nearly cost them, but ultimately, Boise State was able to score when it needed to and get a stop when it had to. Texas State still has an outside chance to compete for the conference title if it wins out, while Boise State continues to control its own destiny for a spot in the College Football Playoff. I don't think anyone would oppose seeing these two teams meet again in the conference championship game.
UTEP
The Miners had a promising start to the game, heading into halftime trailing just 10-7 and looking like they had a chance to pull off the biggest upset in Mountain West play this season. However, once the second half got underway, the talent gap between the two teams began to take its toll as the Miners failed to score after the break. The fact is, this team is not ready to compete with the top half of the Mountain West. It all starts in the trenches. This program has to find a way to improve up front, and it will likely be up to a new coaching staff to figure out how to do so.
Colorado State
The Rams were flat-out awful on Saturday. They got manhandled by one of the bottom teams in the PAC-12 and looked like a team that was more focused on Halloween than playing football. One of the top offenses in the conference managed just 14 points against Utah State. Hauss Hejny had his worst performance of the year, throwing for just 186 yards, while Utah State kept him in check on the ground, limiting him to -5 rushing yards.
How did you feel about your team's performance this past weekend? Which Group of Six school should be the favorite to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
