The college football season is firing on all cylinders, and games are happening every weekend. The rankings are back for another week. Read on to see how this week's slate of games affected each team's status in the MWCConnection Mountain West rankings.
BYE WEEK
The Rebels had the biggest win in the Mountain West, for the second weekend in a row. After some up-and-down games in the first month, they are starting to look like the team most assumed this would be this season, having won three in a row. It seems like UNLV will go as far as Jackson Arnold can take them, and they should continue to win in conference play.
The Bison finally got a loss, looking lifeless on offense this week. Part of that could be due to the health of their quarterback, which is supported by an uncharacteristic three interceptions. Or perhaps it's because they played the best team they have faced thus far, and they didn't have enough to overcome it. North Dakota State's critique has been the strength of their schedule, and this loss only justifies that. NDSU will need to show they can regroup and get a big win the next opportunity they have.
No Liam Szarka? No problem for the Falcons, at least for this week. That's the benefit of playing a Mountain West bottom-feeder. While they aren't a program known for their passing feats, they leaned into their triple-option ways in the most extreme way possible, not completing a single pass. In fact, they only attempted one all game. Instead, Air Force put up 439 rushing yards, with four players notching 50 yards or more on the night. This version of the team can definitely make a bowl game and potentially play spoiler against some teams that are better than them. It will be fun to watch how they handle having to adapt on the fly for the rest of the year.
In the ever-changing middle of the rankings, the Cowboys grab the 5th spot this week after emerging from a battle against San Jose State with a win. It's nice to see them showing signs of life, even if it's hard to see it carrying over to future games. Wyoming still has a path towards a bowl game, although they will still need to find ways to score more points. Perhaps a sold-out rushing attack is the way to do so.
The Spartans drop a spot for the second week, as they don't look like a threat. That doesn't mean they are without positive traits, but it seems like every win takes a lot of effort compared to most of the teams above them. San Jose State's offense doesn't have the same passing attack that gave defenses fits a year or two ago. In fact, their running game keeps them afloat, which is good, but they don't have a standout skill or player. They are still in the hunt for a bowl game, but it will be a grind for SJSU.
The Wolf Pack moved up after not playing last week and unfortunately moved down following a victory this week. Wyoming had the stronger win, which should count for something. Nevada's offense is at its best with a strong rushing attack, like it was in this game. They have proven they can be the top of the bottom tier, or the bottom of the middle tier of the conference, depending on one's perspective, but it remains to be seen if they can be more.
In another year, like last year, the Rainbow Warriors may be at the bottom of the Mountain West. Thankfully for them, they are only in eighth, despite the poor play. No team has been a bigger disappointment than Hawaii; their offense is a shell of itself and can't seem to gain any traction week to week. It would not be surprising to see them drop games against either of the teams below them, but this team needs to find a way to be better.
The Miners had a chance to make a statement win, but instead got embarrassed by Nevada. Having to go with the backup quarterback didn't help matters, although Raymond Moore III played well, and that may bode well for them going forward. But regardless, UTEP doesn't have many potential wins remaining on their schedule, and it's possible we could have already seen the high point of their season.
The Huskies were coming off the bye week, and some of them probably wished they could've stayed there. During a bye week, the team can focus on improving on how they were the previous day. But during a game week, they get tested against another team, and unfortunately, NIU continues to fail those tests. The team barely eclipsed 250 yards of total offense and managed just one lowly touchdown. It's hard to see how the team finds a win this year, but it's not for a lack of effort.
