Mountain West Conference power rankings
1.)Nevada (4-1. 1-0); Next game: Wyoming
The Wolf Pack sit atop the Mountain West Conference with a sparkling 4-1 record. Nevada goes into its second week of conference play ranked 4th overall in rushing yards. The Wolf Pack is also 14th in points for as they have a dynamic offense under Nevada head coach Chris Ault.
2) Fresno State (3-2, 1-0); Next game: at Colorado State
Fresno State heads to Fort Collins to face a struggling Colorado State team mired with injuries. In Jim McElwain’s first year as head coach, the Rams are facing a four-game losing streak. Their sole win was against in-state rival Colorado, 22-17. The Bulldogs routed the Buffaloes 69-14 at home earlier in the season.
3.) Boise State (3-1, 1-0); Next game: at Southern Miss
Boise State takes on Southern Miss on the road in what should be an easy victory for the Broncos. After suffering defeat to Michigan State in the first week of play, Boise State has rebounded and now sits third in the conference. Head coach Chris Petersen has done an excellent job of continuing the Broncos momentum without the aid of pro quarterback Kellen Moore.
4.) UNLV (1-4, 1-0); Next game: at Louisiana Tech
The Rebels’ defense faces a tough road task this Saturday against Louisiana Tech. Tech is ranked fifth among bowl subdivision schools averaging 52 points per game. All of the Bulldogs’ games so far have been against bowl subdivision schools. Fresno State and UNLV will not face each other in conference play this season.
5.) Air Force (2-2, 1-1); Next game: Navy
The Falcons will host the Navy Midshipmen in the annual classic Service Academy game. Air Force leads the overall series 27-17 and has won the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy a total of 18 times straight. The Falcons are first in the nation in rushing yards. They average 396.3 yards a game and are ranked 28th in points for.
6) Wyoming (1-3, 0-0); Next game: at Nevada
Wyoming will have its hands full this week at Nevada. Containing junior running back Stefphon Jefferson (122 rushes for 877 yards) is the main problem. But containing quarterback Cody Fajardo (77 rushes for 513 yards) is a whole other problem in itself.
7.)New Mexico (2-3, 0-1); Next game: Texas State
The Lobos go into week six facing a non-conference opponent in Texas State. New Mexico currently sits seventh in the MWC after suffering losses to 17th ranked Texas, Texas Tech and Boise State. The Lobos are still in the hunt for MWC title has their running game has the ability to keep them in games. Currently, New Mexico is ranked 10th overall in rushing yards.
8.) San Diego State (2-3, 0-1) Next game: Hawaii
The Aztecs offense will look to rebound off last week’s 52-40 loss to Fresno State (three interceptions, two forced fumbles that all resulted in points scored). Against Hawaii, San Diego State faces a team that ranks second-to-last among bowl subdivision schools in points allowed.
9.) Colorado State (1-4, 0-1); Next game: Fresno State
Colorado State has a lot to do in order to make up ground in the conference. Currently, the Rams sit in ninth place, one ahead of Hawaii. If they hope to turn around their season, the Rams will need to start winning games, especially on the road. Facing a tough opponent in the Bulldogs this week, Colorado State will have to match the offensive output of Fresno State in order to have a chance. However, the Rams are currently ranked 116th in rushing yards and 115th in points for overall.
10) Hawaii (1-3, 0-0) Next game: at San Diego State
The benefit of the doubt could have been given to the Warriors in their first game, a 49-10 loss to USC — then top-ranked in the nation. Since then, Hawaii has won one game, a 54-2 bashing of Lamar University, a championship subdivision program. The Hawaii offense is ineffective both ways: it averages 175 passing yards and 115 rushing yards per game. Those numbers rank 114th and 110th, respectively, among bowl subdivision schools.