Rebels surge to the top of this week's MW power rankings

Nov. 15—LARAMIE — Chaos ensued at the top of the Mountain West standings last weekend.

Conference front-runners Air Force and Fresno State both took losses in week 11, and UNLV blew out the University of Wyoming to move into a two-way tie for first place in the standings. Two weeks remain in the regular season to determine which two teams will face off in this year's MW title game next month.

1. UNLV (Last week: 3)

The Rebels (8-2 overall, 5-1 MW) are one of the hottest teams in the country, winning seven of their past eight games to move into a two-way tie with Air Force at the top of the conference standings. UNLV had a strong performance against the Cowboys last weekend, holding on for a big 34-14 win in Las Vegas. The Rebels raced out to an early 21-0 lead with touchdowns on their first three drives, a run that UW was never able to overcome. UNLV will have another huge test this weekend, traveling to face Air Force at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Colorado Springs. The Falcons opened as 3-point favorites.

2. Air Force (Last week: 1)

The Falcons (8-2, 5-1) are on a two-game skid after starting the season 8-0 and 5-0 in conference play. Air Force had a bad 27-13 loss to Hawaii last weekend in Honolulu, and the team has totaled 10 turnovers in its past two games while forcing none. Quarterbacks Jensen Jones and Ben Brittain combined for three interceptions in the loss to the Rainbow Warriors. Air Force will look to get back on track with a home matchup with UNLV this weekend.

3. Fresno State (Last week: 2)

The Bulldogs (8-2, 4-2) took their second conference loss of the season last weekend, losing 42-18 to San Jose State on the road. Fresno State was outgained 459-308 in total yardage, and allowed 313 yards to the Spartans on the ground. The Bulldogs lost the turnover battle 2-0, resulting in a lopsided 24-point loss. Fresno State will host New Mexico at 8:30 p.m. Saturday in California, opening as 23.5-point favorites.

4. San Jose State (Last week: 5)

The Spartans (5-5, 4-2) are on a surprising four-game winning streak after taking down Fresno State last weekend. SJSU is in a three-way tie with Boise State and Fresno State for second place in the conference standings, and now hold a crucial tiebreaker over the Bulldogs with two games remaining. The Spartans' defense was stout against Fresno State's potent offense, holding the Bulldogs to just 83 yards rushing in the blowout win. SJSU will host a struggling San Diego State team at 8:30 p.m. Saturday in California, opening as 14.5-point favorites.

5. Boise State (Last week: 6)

The Broncos (5-5, 4-2) unsurprisingly blew out New Mexico 42-14 last weekend, but that wasn't the biggest news of the weekend. Boise State fired its head coach, Andy Avalos, following the win, marking the first time the program has fired a coach since becoming an FBS school in 1996. Boise State is still in the running for the MW title game, but needs wins over Utah State and Air Force to stay in contention. The Broncos will start by traveling to face the Aggies at 5 p.m. Saturday in Logan. Boise State opened as 3.5-point favorites.

6. Wyoming (Last week: 4)

The Cowboys (6-4, 3-3) continue to fall after another disappointing road loss to UNLV last weekend in Las Vegas. UW fell to 0-4 on the road this season, including crucial conference losses to Air Force, Boise State and the Rebels. Coach Craig Bohl's road record fell to 16-39 since being hired in 2014, and he is now 19-41 away from Laramie when accounting for bowl games. UW will look to right the ship with its final home game this weekend. The Cowboys will host Hawaii at noon Saturday in Laramie, opening as 14.5-point favorites.

7. Utah State (Last week: 7)

The Aggies (5-5, 3-3) moved one game closer to bowl eligibility with a 41-24 home win over Nevada last weekend. Quarterback Cooper Legas had a bumpy showing against the Wolf Pack, throwing for three touchdowns and two interceptions while completing just 55% of his passes. The offense was strong overall, totaling 474 yards and 292 yards on the ground against Nevada. Utah State will host Boise State this weekend in Logan.

8. Colorado State (Last week: 8)

The Rams (4-6, 2-4) held on for a 22-19 win over SDSU last weekend in Fort Collins. CSU outgained the Aztecs 427-273 in total yardage, with running back Justin Marshall leading the way with 119 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. The Rams will need to win out to become bowl eligible, starting with another home game this weekend. CSU will host Nevada at 1 p.m. Saturday in Fort Collins, opening as 11.5-point favorites.

9. Hawaii (Last week: 10)

The Rainbow Warriors (4-7, 2-4) pulled one of the biggest upsets of the conference season with their win over Air Force last weekend. Hawaii's defense totaled four takeaways in the win, including an interception by former UW cornerback Cam Stone. The Rainbow Warriors are also chasing bowl eligibility this weekend, taking on the Cowboys on Saturday in Laramie.

10. Nevada (Last week: 9)

The Wolf Pack (2-8, 2-4) are on a two-game skid with back-to-back losses to Hawaii and Utah State. Nevada fell behind 24-10 at halftime to the Aggies last weekend, and the team was never able to overcome the early deficit to fall to 2-4 in conference play. The Wolf Pack will finish out the season with CSU and UW, starting with the Rams this weekend in Fort Collins.

11. New Mexico (Last week: 11)

The Lobos (3-7, 1-5) lost big on the road to Boise State last weekend, allowing 484 yards to the Broncos in the 28-point loss. New Mexico allowed running back George Holland to run loose for 95 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, while backup Jambres Dubar totaled 91 yards on 15 carries. Coach Danny Gonzales' promise of a bowl game won't come to fruition this season with just two games left on the schedule. The Lobos will travel to face Fresno State this weekend in California.

12. San Diego State (Last week: 12)

The Aztecs (3-7, 1-5) have been the biggest disappointment in the conference this year, and will also go through a coaching change after Brady Hoke announced his plans to retire at the conclusion of this season. The news came after SDSU's road loss to CSU last weekend. The Aztecs are tied with New Mexico for last place in the conference standings going into this weekend's matchup with SJSU in California.

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 X at @alex_m_taylor22.