Cowboys maintain top spot in MW power rankings

Sep. 13—LARAMIE — Week two was a little less explosive for the Mountain West, with one of the conference's teams getting blown out by an FCS opponent, and another barely scraping by an FCS team in double overtime.

The MW went 7-4 overall, with seven of the conference's 11 games coming against FCS opponents. Colorado State was the only team to have an early bye during the week two slate.

1. Wyoming (Last week: 1)

The Cowboys (2-0 overall, 0-0 MW) got off to a dominating start against Portland State last weekend, but let off the gas in the fourth quarter, allowing the Vikings back into the game. While UW still won by 14 points, the win was a bit of a letdown after a week one upset over Texas Tech in double overtime. Through their first two games, the Cowboys are 95th in the country in defense, allowing an average of 387.5 yards per game, including 344 yards allowed to Portland State last weekend. UW will have one of the toughest matchups in the country this weekend. The Cowboys will face No. 4-ranked Texas at 6 p.m. Saturday in Austin. The Longhorns upset then No. 3-ranked Alabama last weekend in Tuscaloosa and opened as 28.5-point favorites.

2. Air Force (Last week: 3)

The Falcons (2-0, 0-0) don't have any impressive wins on their résumé yet, with wins over Robert Morris and Sam Houston to start the season. Air Force struggled against Sam Houston last weekend, squeaking out a 13-3 win after scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter. The Falcons' defense has been the biggest story thus far, with Air Force leading the country in total defense at 118 yards allowed per game through its first two games. The Falcons will start conference play as 9.5-point favorites against Utah State this weekend. Air Force will host the Aggies at 6 p.m. Friday in Colorado.

3. Fresno State (Last week: 2)

The Bulldogs (2-0, 0-0) had one of the worst performances in the conference last weekend, going in as 31.5-point favorites at home against Eastern Washington. Fresno State was able to come away with the 34-31 win in double overtime, but the team struggled just one week after upsetting Big 10 opponent Purdue on the road. First-year starting quarterback Mikey Keene was up and down against the Eagles, going 23-of-39 for 233 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the win. The Bulldogs will play Arizona State at 8:30 p.m. Friday in Tempe, with Fresno State opening as 3-point road favorites.

4. San Diego State (Last week: 5)

The Aztecs (2-1, 0-0) were the first team in the conference to reach two wins, but had a setback last weekend in a 35-10 loss to UCLA at home. SDSU's offense has been subpar thus far, ranking 115th in the country at 322 yards per game. Quarterback Jalen Mayden struggled against the Bruins, finishing 19-of-37 for 196 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions in the blowout loss. The Aztecs will have another tough matchup this weekend, facing No. 16-ranked Oregon State at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Corvallis.

5. Boise State (Last week: 4)

The Broncos (0-2, 0-0) haven't looked good through their first two games, with consecutive losses to No. 10-ranked Washington and a 18-16 loss to Central Florida at home last weekend. The typically explosive Boise State offense is ranked 119th in the country in scoring at 17.5 points per game, which has led to the Broncos' first 0-2 start since 2015. Andy Avalos is now just 8-6 on Boise State's blue turf since taking over as head coach, and last weekend's loss to UCF was the Broncos' first loss in a home-opener since 2001, according to Jordan Kaye of Bronco Nation News. Boise State will look to bounce back with a home matchup with North Dakota at 10 a.m. Saturday in Idaho.

6. UNLV (Last week: 7)

After a blowout win over Bryant to start the season, the Rebels (1-1, 0-0) covered a 38-point spread in Ann Arbor last weekend, losing 35-7 to No. 2-ranked Michigan. Holding one of the most dynamic offenses in college football to five touchdowns is a win for UNLV's defense. The Rebels will host Vanderbilt at 5 p.m. Saturday in Las Vegas, with the Commodores opening as four-point favorites.

7. San Jose State (Last week: 6)

The Spartans (1-2, 0-0) started the season with a pair of Power 5 matchups, losing to No. 6-ranked Southern Cal and No. 18-ranked Oregon State before bouncing back with a 59-3 home win over Cal Poly last weekend. Preseason MW offensive player of the year Chevan Cordeiro was efficient at quarterback against Cal Poly, finishing 15-of-21 for 205 yards and two touchdowns in the win. The Spartans will travel to play Toledo at 5 p.m. Saturday in Ohio, with the Rockets opening as 8-point favorites at home.

8. Utah State (Last week: 9)

The Aggies (1-1, 0-0) have put two solid performances together to start the season, losing to No. 25-ranked Iowa 24-14 before blowing out Idaho State 78-28 at home last weekend. Utah State had 591 yards of offense against the Bengals, including 380 yards on the ground. Five of the Aggies' touchdowns came from the running game, and the team added two more scores defensively. Utah State starts conference play at Air Force at 6 p.m. Friday in Colorado.

9. Hawaii (Last week: 8)

The Rainbow Warriors (1-2, 0-0) got in the win column with a 31-20 win at home over Albany last weekend. Quarterback Brayden Schager is sixth in the country at 324 yards per game, and is tied for second with 10 touchdown passes through three games. Hawaii will have its hands full this weekend, traveling to play No. 13-ranked Oregon at 6 p.m. Saturday in Eugene. The Ducks opened as 37.5-point favorites.

10. New Mexico (Last week: 12)

The Lobos (1-1, 0-0) dominated Tennessee Tech last weekend, coming away with a 56-10 win in their home-opener. UAB transfer quarterback earned MW offensive player of the week honors in the win, finishing 13-of-17 for 273 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt also had a big game, rushing for 162 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries. The Lobos will host their in-state rivalry game with New Mexico State at 6 p.m. Saturday in Albuquerque.

11. Colorado State (Last week: 10)

The Rams (0-1, 0-0) played just one game before their bye week, but have already benched starting quarterback Clay Millen. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi will get the start in the Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado this weekend, according to Kevin Lytle of the Coloradoan. CSU's only game this season was a 50-24 blowout loss at home to Washington State in week one. The spotlight will be bright this weekend, with ESPN's College Gameday coming to Boulder for the Rams' matchup with No. 18-ranked Colorado at 8 p.m. Saturday. The Buffs opened as 23-point favorites over CSU.

12. Nevada (Last week: 12)

The Wolf Pack (0-2, 0-0) have now lost 12 consecutive games dating back to last year, the latest being a 33-6 loss to FCS opponent Idaho at home last weekend. Nevada totaled just 266 yards of offense against the Vandals, with quarterbacks Brendon Lewis and A.J. Bianco each throwing an interception. It won't get any easier for the Wolf Pack this weekend, as the team hosts Kansas at 8:30 p.m. in Reno. The Jayhawks opened as 28.5-point favorites.

Alex Taylor is the assistant editor for WyoSports and covers University of Wyoming athletics. He can be reached at ataylor@wyosports.net. Follow him on Twitter at @alex_m_taylor22.