Best In The West: Week Two
Best in the West is The Aggship's weekly Mountain West football round-up.
Fresno State 36, Oregon State 27
Fresno State, suddenly looking like a conference contender, improved to 2-1 overall on the season with a road win over a future Pac-12 opponent. The Bulldogs scored on their opening drive, as did Oregon State – though a botched extra point try presaged an afternoon of special teams slip-ups for the Beavers.
Oregon State scored another touchdown early in the second quarter, but pushed the edge only to 12-7 as Oregon State again failed on its point-after try. Nursing a 15-14 lead nearing the halftime, disaster struck once more on special teams as the Bulldogs forced Oregon State to send out its punt team after a three-and-out. After back-to-back false starts, Oregon State finally got the snap off to punter AJ Winsor. He couldn't handle it and, in a panic, opted to boot the loose ball directly at Fresno State's Jaden Carillo. He scooped it in stride and ran 42 yards for a preposterously stupid touchdown.
Recovering from that series of events was already a tall task for the Beavers, but Simeon Harris made it much harder. OSU started to drive, looking to punch one more score in before the break, but a pair of penalties forced the Beavers into a passing down. Harris took advantage, picking off a Maalik Murphy throw to end the half with Fresno State on top, 20-15.
Oregon State got the ball out of the break and put together an impressive 11-minute scoring drive capped by, you guessed it, another failed point-after try. Unable to find the end zone in response but trailing by just one point, 21-20, the Bulldogs settled for a field goal on their ensuing drive, which was all they needed to retake the lead.
The Beavers added another special teams blunder – a missed field goal – to their night before scoring another touchdown, failed again on the two-point try and left the Bulldogs with a manageable 27-26 deficit. Fresno State would score twice more, once on a field goal to retake the lead for the final time, and again on a pick six by Jakari Embry. He left only one second on the clock when he crossed the goal line to give the visitors a final 36-27 edge.
Fresno State got plenty of help from Oregon State and its blunders, but E.J. Warner and company seem to be coming together. Warner was 13-of-18 passing for 121 yards, and rushed thrice for 57 yards and a score. Rayshon Luke added 86 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The Bulldogs will host Southern University late this Saturday.
UNLV 30, UCLA 23
Dan Mullen's team has shown a real taste for football daredevilry amid its 3-0 start to the 2025 campaign, but if it works, it works. UNLV shot out to a 23-0 lead with 1:55 to play in the first half of its Sept. 6 meeting with UCLA, spent the vast majority of the next 37(ish) minutes fast asleep at the wheel, and escaped a bizarre game with a 30-23 victory.
Anthony Colandrea delivered in his leading role for the Rebel offense, completing 15 of 21 passes for 203 yards and three scores while rushing 11 times for another 59 yards, second only to tailback Jai'Den Thomas (13 carries, 61 yards). UNLV was outgained for the evening, 428 yards to 351, beaten on four of UCLA's five fourth-down conversion tries, and booked for 13 penalties worth 130 yards. But, the Bruins were keen to match with 14 penalties of their own (129 yards), and Nico Iamaleava provided the decisive play as the clock ticked under one minute, tossing an interception from just outside the red zone to seal the seven-point UNLV victory.
UNLV, while still unbeaten, would probably prefer a slightly more comfortable affair when it returns to the field in week four. The Rebels will hit the road for a matchup against Miami (OH) after a week three bye, squaring off with the presently winless RedHawks on Sept. 20.
Boise State 51, Eastern Washington 14
After a rare 0-1 start, Boise State bounced back with a convincing 51-14 victory over Eastern Washington. The Broncos have now won 22-straight games against FCS opponents, a streak that dates back to 1997. Spencer Danielson's group didn’t waste any time, scoring touchdowns on four of their first six possessions and eventually carrying a 30-7 lead at halftime. Boise State kept piling it on in the latter frames to the tune of a 51-14 beatdown.
It was a much-needed performance to help the Broncos return to form headed into their first bye week. Maddux Madsen connected on 16 of 26 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns. He only ran four times, but added 35 yards and another touchdown when he did. Dylan Riley led on the ground with 123 yards and a touchdown on six carries. Sire Gaines was next in line with 98 yards and a touchdown. Also adding a touchdown were Malik Sherrod and Cameron Bates. In the air, both scores went to Ben Ford, who had three catches for 82 yards. Chris Marshall had four for 132 and Matt Lauter had four for 45.
While the Broncos were taking care of business, their resume got a boost from a very recent foe as USF defeated Florida 18-16, providing some amount of vindication for Boise State’s 34-7 loss to the Bulls the week prior. On the other side of their bye week, the Broncos will be heading to Colorado Springs to play Air Force.
Hawaii 37, Sam Houston 20
After just two games with Micah Alejado running the offense, Hawaii was forced to give the nod to QB2 against Sam Houston while the leading man recovers from an ankle injury. Luke Weaver got off to a great start, though, completing a 47-yard pass to Pofele Ashlock on his first throw and capping Hawaii's opening drive with a one-yard touchdown pass to Landon Sims. By the end of the night, he was 27-of-43 passing for 294 yards and three scores with another 26 yards from 10 carries in Hawaii's 37-20 win over the Bearkats.
Ashlock had seven receptions totaling 125 yards and two touchdowns. Sims added 14 carries for 60 yards and seven receptions for 29 yards and a touchdown. The defense also did its job with four sacks, six tackles for loss and an interception courtesy of Giovanni Iovino, who returned the pick 41 yards for a touchdown. Hawaii was in control for the entire game, but didn’t break away fully until late. The Rainbow Warriors led 20-13 entering the fourth quarter and added 17 points in the frame to earn a comfortable win.
Hawaii may turn again to Weaver with Portland State coming to town this weekend, with Alejado listed as a game-time decision. A victory would move the Rainbow Warriors to 3-1 – their best start since 2019, when signal-caller Cole McDonald led Hawaii to a 10-5 finish and a Mountain West title game berth.
Wyoming 31, Northern Iowa 7
Maybe there is still a bit of the spirit of Craig Bohl left at Wyoming after all. Through two games, the Cowpokes have allowed just seven points, all of which came in their week two victory over Northern Iowa, 31-7.
Sam Scott got Wyoming started with an 18-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Then, after five quarters of spotless defense, the Cowboys gave up a nearly seven-minute, 90-yard touchdown drive that tied the game. The stalemate didn’t last long. The Cowboys added 10 more points before the intermission, first on a Kaden Anderson touchdown pass to John Michael Gyllenborg and then on a last-second 40-yard field goal. They added another touchdown about halfway through the third quarter and one more for good measure in the final frame, while putting together two more quarters of spotless defense.
Wyoming’s defense recorded two sacks courtesy of Ben Florentine and Andrew Johnson, and two interceptions courtesy of Evan Eller and Desman Hearns. It allowed only 59 rushing yards and 170 total yards. On the season, the Cowboys have allowed just 148 yards on the ground, or 74 per game. Offensively, Anderson connected on 17 of 23 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Gyllenborg was the favorite target with five catches for 65 yards, while Scott (eight carries, 58 yards, one TD), Tote Harris (eight carries, 61 yards, one TD) and Terron Kellman (seven carries, 87 yards) all pitched in at least 50 yards on the ground.
Jay Sawvel's group will have this early season resurgence tested in War Memorial Stadium on Saturday night, as the 20th-ranked Utah Utes come to town.
Washington State 36, San Diego State 13
During its trip to Pullman, San Diego State appeared to make a strong start, striking first when Jayden Denegal found Jacob Bostick for a 35-yard touchdown pass. But Washington State added a touchdown, a field goal, a safety and another touchdown before the half to take a 19-7 lead into the break.
The Cougars added another touchdown and a field goal in the third quarter to make it 29 unanswered points before Denegal finally punched in a one-yard rush. WSU logged one more touchdown in the fourth frame to make it 36-13, dropping the Aztecs to 1-1 on the season.
Denegal ended the night 15-of-30 passing for 133 yards and a touchdown. On the ground he added a score, but ended up with minus-28 yards on eight attempts. Lucky Sutton led the team with 15 carries and 88 yards. San Diego State has the week off to address its wounds before facing Cal at home on Sept. 20.
New Mexico 32, Idaho State 22
Mountain West schools have had a hard time getting away from Idaho State this season. It was true in week zero when UNLV staged a comeback to escape, 38-31, and it was true when New Mexico trailed at the half and won by just 10 points in week two – Jason Eck's first victory at the helm for the Lobos.
Scottre Humphrey was the star of the Lobo offense, taking 18 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Damon Bankston also added a score on one of his six carries totaling 28 yards. Quarterback Jack Layne was 13-of-21 passing for 155 yards, and earned a touchdown with his legs.
On the opposite side of the ball, linebacker Jaxton Eck was a defensive force, recording eight solo and 15 total tackles, plus a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry. Safety David Murphy had an interception, three tackles, and half a tackle for loss.
Up next for New Mexico is another Big Ten opponent in another iconic college football stadium. The Lobos are headed to the Rose Bowl to take on a reeling UCLA squad.
Nevada 20, Sacramento State 17
It wasn’t an easy task, but Jeff Choate's Wolf Pack got into the win column after their ill-fated trip to Penn State in week one. Nevada trailed 17-13 with the clock winding down in the fourth quarter, but Jonathan Maldonado intercepted a Cardell Williams pass and ran it back 36 yards to give his team a late 20-17 lead. That proved to be just enough to get the win.
The Hornets threatened to steal the game back on their final series but failed multiple times to convert, first on back-to-back would-be touchdowns called back due to Hornet penalties, then on a missed field goal.
Chubba Purdy was 13-of-23 passing for 168 yards with two picks. He was more dangerous on the ground, where he was the team’s leading rusher with 112 yards and a score on 21 carries. Herschel Turner, who rushed for negative yardage against Penn State, added 69 yards on 10 carries, while Caleb Ramseur pitched in 77 yards on 14 carries. Maldonado, who won the game for the Wolf Pack with his late pick-six, also had 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack.
Nevada is looking to stay in the win column as it hosts the 0-2 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders this week. Nevada can’t take any opponent for granted in its present state, but it should be a good opportunity to build some momentum.
Colorado State 21, Northern Colorado 17
Hosting a seemingly harmless in-state FCS squad, Colorado State was looking for a much-needed tune-up game after its 38-21 loss to Washington in week one. Instead, the Rams came mere seconds from disaster as the Northern Colorado Bears came to Canvas Stadium and pushed them to the brink.
Trailing for most of the night due to a series of blunders, missed opportunities, and bad decisions – the full Jay Norvell experience – the Rams had their backs against the wall. They found themselves down by three, 17-14, when they took over possession of the football at their 23-yard line with a hair under four minutes to play.
Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, who had an otherwise rocky performance, took a 13-yard scramble to the house to eke out a 21-17 lead with 44 seconds remaining, a fitting final touch for a 13-play, 77-yard drive covered in the quarterback's fingerprints.
The dramatic comeback wasn’t complete yet, though, and the Rams wouldn’t escape without controversy. After squandering the lead they enjoyed for nearly the entire game, the Bears marched down the field to try to get it back. They drew within 28 yards of paydirt, and took a shot at the end zone that would have given them the lead with eight seconds left. It was initially ruled a touchdown, but was overturned, despite what certainly looked to be inconclusive video evidence (at best).
However, an unsportsmanlike penalty issued for celebrating the (now-overturned) touchdown was enforced, and the Bears were pushed back 15 yards. They took two more shots at the end zone, both of which were unsuccessful, and the second of which was intercepted by Jahari Rogers.
The Rams are now 1-1 and haven’t looked all that impressive. Norvell’s offense has moved the ball some but is having all sorts of issues otherwise, and is fast-approaching a quarterback battle. After gaining 265 yards on the road against Washington, the Rams improved to 371 yards in week two, though they still only matched their previous 21-point total. Colorado State is headed into a bye week in week three, and if a different team doesn’t emerge against UTSA on Sept. 20, it could spell disaster for the Rams.
Texas 38, San Jose State 7
The final score just about says it all for San Jose State's week two showing at Texas. Now 0-2, Ken Niumatalolo's Spartans fell into a 28-0 deficit before breaking onto the scoreboard with a Jabari Bates four-yard touchdown rush midway through the second quarter – their lone score of the game.
Though Texas added just 10 more points in the second half, San Jose State's offense never found traction against a strong Longhorn defense, accumulating just 188 yards through the air to Texas' 317 and 85 on the ground, a little more than half of Texas' 155. Walker Eget finished the game 21-of-42 passing with an interception, while Bates (10 carries, 44 yards, one TD) and Floyd Chalk IV (nine carries, 39 yards) did most of SJSU's work as rushers.
Like much of the league, San Jose State will take week three to recover and regroup, before returning to play in a Sept. 20 home bout with Idaho – currently 1-1 with a three-point loss at Washington State, a 37-30 win over St. Thomas, and a matchup against 0-2 Utah Tech set for this weekend.