Air Force

While Falcons coach Troy Calhoun is unable to discuss specifics regarding his 2011 recruiting class due to the academy's appointment process, quarterback Jaleel Awini, Colorado's Gatorade Player of the Year from Rangeview High in Aurora, was more than willing to talk about Air Force.

"I think the success they're having --- four straight bowl games and four straight winning seasons --- to be honest, they're the best team in Colorado right now," Awini told the Colorado Springs Gazette.

The 6-foot-2, 192-pound Awini threw for 1,259 yards and 23 touchdowns this season. He also rushed for 17 touchdowns while amassing 1,088 yards on the ground.

Awini is apparently not the only in-state prospect to share that sentiment. At least six other Colorado players have also stated their intentions of committing to Air Force.

"We've had a little more exposure," Calhoun told the Gazette. "Playing in bowl games has been helpful, and playing in the Mountain West and the success of the league has been beneficial."

Boise State

The Broncos, who will kick off their inaugural season in the MWC this fall, have spent 38 straight games in the Top 25 and hold a ranking of No. 5 in ESPN's preseason poll.

With those kind of credentials, beating the bushes for prospects isn't necessarily an onus.

Boise State added 22 recruits to its roster, 18 of them high school seniors. The other four players are comprised of three grayshirts from last year's class and a junior college transfer.

The headliners include 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker Blake Renaud, a product of perennial power Concord (Calif.) De La Salle High, and running back Jay Ajayi, a graduate of Frisco Liberty High in Plano, Texas, who carried 225 times last season for 2,240 yards and 35 touchdowns. With 2010 Heisman Trophy finalist Kellen Moore entering his final season, the Broncos also signed quarterback Jimmy Loughrea from Rocklin, Calif.

BSU added a total of six linemen, including a pair of all-state players in 6-foot-2, 280-pound offensive lineman Marcus Henry (Bellevue, Wash.), and 6-foot-4, 285-pound defensive tackle Jeff Worthy, a two-time all-state selection from Whittier Christian High in La Habra, Calif.

"We want these kids to know exactly what they're walking into," coach Chris Petersen told the Idaho Statesman. "We tell them, 'Hey, look at the past record. There's going to be a price for that. There's a price for everything that's worthwhile in life.' "

Colorado State

Being a former quarterback, Colorado State coach Steve Fairchild has no qualms about going deep --- even into the heart of Texas.

Of the Rams' 27 signees, no fewer than 10 hail from the Lone Star State, the largest number of recruits from Texas in the program's history. And while such players as 6-foot-3, 276-pound offensive lineman Trey Cassidy (Angleton, Texas) and wide receiver Robert Nunn (Bastrop, Texas) could play a role in the continued rebuilding of a program looking for its first winning season in three years, it's running back Kapri Bibbs who could have a hand in expediting that effort.

CSU, which ranked seventh rushing in the nine-team MWC last season, has signed a player in Bibbs (Plainfield, Ill.) who was touted by ESPNChicago.com as the best offensive player in the Windy City. In his final two years at Plainfield North High, Bibbs rushed for 61 touchdowns and 4,210 yards, averaging 8.6 yards per carry. A consensus first-team all-state selection as a senior, he averaged 8.8 yards per carry (300 attempts, 2,654 yards), with 38 rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns. He averaged 294.9 yards per game as a senior.

"He kind of reminds me, body type in the way he moves, a little bit like when we took Marshall Faulk to San Diego State," Fairchild told The Coloradoan, citing his days as quarterbacks coach with the Aztecs from 1990-92. "He has that type of suddenness and potential."

Bibbs will have competition, however, in Dorian Brown, who is already enrolled at CSU. Brown, a graduate of Loveland (Colo.) Valley High, ran for 1,975 yards and 17 touchdowns as a high school junior but suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament prior to the start of his senior year.

New Mexico

Lobos coach Mile Locksley has endured more than his share of trials since arriving in Albuquerque in 2009. In the past two seasons, New Mexico has posted a combined mark of 2-22. Last year, the Lobos struggled in virtually every statistical category, ranking last in the conference in scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense and total defense.

Locksley, however, believes the program's 2011 recruiting class is the most talented he's signed.

"When you watched us play last year, there were times it was very noticeable that we weren't as athletic as we needed to be," Locksley told the Albuquerque Journal. "...This is by far, in my opinion, the most athletic class from top to bottom that we've signed, and I'm excited about it."

The 20 signees include Korian Chambers, a 6-foot-6, 322-pound offensive lineman from Arizona Western Junior College; running back Crusoe Gongbay from Rockville High in Rockville, Md., who ranks among Maryland's all-time Top 10 rushers with more than 5,000 career yards; and defensive back Deshon Marman, a transfer from City College of San Francisco whose team played in last year's JC national championship game.

"We're extremely pleased with this recruiting class and feel we've signed a great group of impact players," Locksley said. "Our goal is to continue to get better and I feel like we accomplished that."

San Diego State

The Aztecs may have lost head coach Brady Hoke to Michigan, but they kept intact a 23-player recruiting class which will join a team coming off its most successful season since 1977.

Former defensive coordinator Rocky Long, who was tabbed to succeed Hoke last month, signed 21 players from California, five of whom hail from San Diego County. Among the five is Micah Seau, a linebacker from The Bishop's School in San Diego. Seau is the nephew of former NFL standout Junior Seau.

SDSU, which lost a pair of MWC first-team selections in senior wide receivers Vincent Brown and DeMarco Sampson, signed four wide receivers, including Larry Clark (Venice, Calif./Venice High); Jemond Hazely (Corona, Calif./Santiago High); Paul Pitts (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Los Osos High); and Anthony Sheffield (Los Angeles/West Adams Prep).

All members of SDSU's 2011 class are high school players. Fourteen are projected as offensive players, while nine are expected to compete on defense.

"Our belief as a staff is that the program should be run the same way that it has the last two years," Long said. "We will continue to recruit student-athletes who will help our program be successful and are a good fit for San Diego State University. That being said, we placed an emphasis on recruiting athletes, and we were able to do that with this class."

The Aztecs return three of the top players in the league in quarterback Ryan Lindley, running back Ronnie Hillman and linebacker Miles Burris. Hillman was the MWC Freshman of the Year last season.

TCU

While standout quarterback Andy Dalton may be on his way to the NFL, TCU coach Gary Patterson apparently has no intention of abandoning the forward pass.

Among the 24 players signed by Patterson was LaDarius Brown (Waxahachie, Texas/Waxahachie High), considered one of the top wide receivers in the nation. Brown, who was also being courted by Alabama, Auburn, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech, was viewed by recruiting services as the top-rated athlete in Texas and the seventh-ranked prospect in the state, regardless of position.

Another wide receiver, Brandon Carter (Euless, Texas/Trinity High), chose TCU over Oklahoma after totaling 2,300 yards total offense and 18 touchdowns as a senior.

Linebacker Deryck Gildon (Arlington, Texas/Martin High) could play as a true freshman. The Horned Frogs also addressed needs in the secondary by signing seven defensive backs, including highly-regarded cornerback Kolby Griffin (Houston, Texas/St. Pius X High) and safety Quincy Aldridge (Whitehouse, Texas/Whitehouse High).

"As I tell people all the time, it's a case of paper tigers," said Patterson, whose Horned Frogs finished undefeated and became the second MWC team since 2008 to win a BCS game when they defeated Wisconsin in this year's Rose Bowl. "When they get here, the slate is clean. They have no stars anymore. They haven't scored any touchdowns for TCU or made any tackles. You have to move forward.

"One thing I like about this class is they are both great people and good football players, not just good athletes. It will be interesting to see how this class develops. Some of them are going to have to play early, just because of the number of safeties, linemen and wide receivers who graduated. It's tough to replace that many guys in one season. It will be interesting between now and Sept. 3, who rises to the top and helps us become a better football team."

UNLV

Many coaches argue that the best way to build a college football program is to recruit high school players. And while UNLV's 2011 recruiting class includes 15 prep players, it also features eight junior college transfers. A year ago, the Rebels recruited one JC player.

"We have a group of junior college players that can provide us some immediate help," said second-year coach Bobby Hauck. "It was necessary to recruit a number of JC players because the size of our junior class was so small. The basis of our recruiting remains high school, but we needed to balance the numbers out."

Among those expected to contribute immediately is Louvan Green, a 6-foot-2, 295-pound defensive tackle who was a first-team junior college All-American at College of the Sequoias in Visalia, Calif., last season. Hauck didn't stop with Green, signing three other players from College of the Sequoias, including 6-foot-4, 300-pound offensive lineman Allen Carroll; running back/kick returner Eric Johnson (a midyear transfer already enrolled at UNLV); and defensive back Ken Spigner, who is also expected to return kicks.

The Rebels also added linebacker Princeton Jackson, a first-team junior college All-American from Blinn College in Brenham, Texas.

"We're trying to change the make-up of our team, trying to get bigger and more physical and certainly this class answers some of those concerns," Hauck said. "It takes some time to develop the young guys, but down the road this will provide us with a big, physical group."

Wyoming

When sophomore quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels announced last month that he was leaving the program, Cowboys coach Dave Christensen was faced with finding a new signal-caller. And fast.

Christensen signed two.

The Cowboys' 2011 recruiting class includes 20 high school players and four junior college transfers. Among the group is quarterback Brett Smith, who is already enrolled at Wyoming. Smith was tabbed Oregon's Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior at West Salem High after throwing for 2,146 yards and 26 touchdowns. Meanwhile, quarterback Adam Pittser (Richmond, Ill./Richmond-Burton High) has been rated by recruiting services as being the 13th-best overall prospect in the state of Illinois.

Running back Kody Sutton, one of nine players from Texas signed by Wyoming, rushed for 1,718 yards and 17 touchdowns last season at Texas High in Texarkana.

Among the Cowboys' junior college recruits, linebacker Korey Jones finished No. 10 in the nation last season with 108 tackles at Garden City Community College in Kansas.

Wyoming also signed a highly-regarded placekicker in Daniel Sullivan, who earned all-state honors at Jackson High in Snohomish, Wash.

"This class is one, in terms of the level of athlete who we were able to attract, that really excites me," Christensen said. "There were certain needs that we knew we needed to fill. Quarterback was one of those. Placekicker was another. We feel like we've been able to attract young men who can step in right away and compete for starting spots at those positions. We're also excited about the balance, between offense (12 players) and defense (10) that we were able to put together in this class."

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No. 4/4 TCU (11-0, 7-0) at NEW MEXICO (1-10, 1-6), 2 P.M. MT
TV: VERSUS HD

The lowdown: TCU, which has a 24-game regular season winning streak, can clinch its second straight outright MWC title and its third in six years. A victory would give the Horned Frogs their second consecutive undefeated regular season. New Mexico, which has not beaten TCU since 1997, is trying to avoid finishing 1-11 for the second straight season. After meeting in the 2008 season opener in Albuquerque, TCU and New Mexico are closing the regular season against each other for the second straight year. Since beginning MWC play in 2005, TCU has won all five meetings with New Mexico, including a 51-10 victory last season. New Mexico's last two wins over TCU came when Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson was the Lobos' defensive coordinator --- 27-7 in 1996 and 40-10 in 1997.

TCU: The Horned Frogs, who are coming off a bye week, have outscored New Mexico 190-62 in going 5-0 against the Lobos since 2005.TCU has outscored MWC opponents this season 276-58. The Horned Frogs rank No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense (10.9 ppg), total defense (223.4 ypg) and pass defense (134.6 ypg). TCU also ranks No. 1 in the country in fewest first downs allowed per game (11.6). Senior quarterback Andy Dalton needs 40 yards to pass former BYU quarterback Max Hall (11,569) as the MWC career leader in total offense. In three games against New Mexico, Dalton has thrown for 497 yards and six touchdowns. Asked if his team needed to beat New Mexico by a substantial margin to maintain its lead over Boise State in the BCS standings, coach Gary Patterson said: "Do I want to win a national championship? Yes. But not at the expense of (running up the score). You have to do things the right way. I'm one of those people who still believes that's what college football is all about. It's not about teaching young people the wrong message."

New Mexico: New Mexico is coming off a 40-7 loss at BYU. Junior middle linebacker Carmen Messina, who had 10 tackles against the Cougars, became the first Lobos player since Brian Urlacher (1998-99) to record 100 tackles in back-to-back seasons. The leading tackler in the nation last season, Messina has 104 tackles this season despite being limited by a high ankle sprain. "Carmen Messina is a byproduct of what a lot of our players have done this season," said coach Mike Locksley. "Obviously, injuries have played a huge role in our season this year, but no one has made excuses. Carmen is a great player, and the good thing for us is that he'll be back for another year. We're really looking forward to him getting healthy during the off-season and helping us take that next step next year." Despite working with four different quarterbacks this season, sophomore tight end Lucas Reed has 21 catches for 328 yards and four touchdowns over his last five games. New Mexico has rushed for more than 100 yards in five of its last six contests.

UNLV (2-9, 2-5) at SAN DIEGO STATE (7-4, 4-3), 5 P.M. PT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: In last year's meeting, UNLV erased a 24-7 deficit en route to a 28-24 win when quarterback Omar Clayton threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Phillip Payne with 1:24 left. Prior to that match-up, the Aztecs had won three in a row and six of seven against the Rebels. San Diego State has won the last four games in the series at Qualcomm Stadium by an average margin of 15.8 points. UNLV"s last victory in San Diego was a 31-24 decision on Nov. 25, 2000.

UNLV: UNLV is coming off a 35-20 loss to Air Force last Thursday in Las Vegas. True freshman running back Tim Cornett has eight touchdowns this season, tying the mark by former Rebels wide receiver Lenny Ware for the most touchdowns by a freshman in the program's history. Cornett has scored a touchdown in five straight quarters. Senior Omar Clayton, who sits in second place behind Randall Cunningham on the school's career list for passing yards, has played a school-record 38 games at quarterback. Wide receiver Phillip Payne is tied for fourth place on UNLV's career receiving touchdown list with 18. In last season's game against SDSU, Payne had five catches for 107 yards and a touchdown. The Rebels are averaging 43.6 points in their two victories this season and 13 points in their nine losses. UNLV has returned an interception for a touchdown in six straight games vs. SDSU. Of Aztecs quarterback Ryan Lindley, who has averaged 346 yards passing in two starts against the Rebels, UNLV coach Bobby Hauck said: "He sees the field well. He knows what defenses are trying to do, and he's got all the throws."

San Diego State: The Aztecs, who are bowl eligible for the first time since 1998, are looking to snap their first two-game losing streak of the season. SDSU amassed 587 total yards last week against No. 25 Utah, but was unable to overcome a minus -3 turnover margin and a blocked punt inside its 5-yard line, falling 38-34 after building a 27-10 lead. Junior quarterback Ryan Lindley threw for a career-high 528 yards and four touchdowns and senior wide receivers Vincent Brown (eight catches, career-high 184 yards, three touchdowns) and DeMarco Sampson (season-high 12 catches, 154 yards) each surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the season. Brown posted his 12th career 100-yard receiving game and second in as many weeks. Linebacker Miles Burris leads the MWC in sacks (8.0) and tackles for loss (15.5). It's the final home game for 17 SDSU seniors. "We look forward to Saturday night," said second-year coach Brady Hoke. "In this program, we always play for our seniors. They'll always remember their last home game as a class. We have 17 guys who have done a tremendous job of leading this team and handling a transition. They've done a great job of understanding expectations that we all have. It's been a great group and one that we want to do a great job of honoring with loved ones and family. We're going to go out and play our tails off for them."

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18

AIR FORCE (7-4, 4-3) at UNLV (2-8, 2-4), 7 P.M. PT (THURSDAY)
TV: CBS College Sports Network HD

The lowdown: Air Force has won seven of its last eight against UNLV. The Falcons, who are bowl eligible for the fourth straight season during coach Troy Calhoun's tenure, are coming off a 48-23 win against New Mexico. UNLV, which is averaging 43.6 points in its two wins this season, rolled to a 42-16 win over Wyoming last week. The last two games played in Las Vegas between the Falcons and Rebels have been decided by a combined four points.

Air Force: The Falcons, who are playing their regular-season finale, can finish with at least eight wins for the fourth straight season. Quarterback Tim Jefferson, who left the game with a broken nose late in the first half last week against New Mexico, is expected to play. If Air Force has an advantage here it's on the ground. The Falcons, whose average of 315.64 yards rushing per game ranks first in the MWC and second in the nation, will be matched against a defense that is yielding 211.9 yards on the ground, a total that ranks 114th among the nation's 120 FBS teams. Running back Asher Clark finished with 160 yards and three touchdowns against New Mexico last week. "(UNLV is) playing the best football they have all season," fullback Nathan Walker told the Colorado Springs Gazette. "We definitely can't take them lightly, and be ready to go."

UNLV: This is home finale for the Rebels, who have won their final home game three straight years. UNLV snapped a five-game skid against Wyoming last week, as freshman running back Tim Cornett earned MWC Offensive Player of the Week honors by accounting for four touchdowns. Establishing rhythm is key for the Rebels, whose two victories have come by 35 and 26 points but whose offense has managed an average of just 12.1 points in the team's eight losses. Senior quarterback Omar Clayton needs 191 passing yards to move into second place behind Randall Cunningham on the school's career passing list. "I wish I had one more or two more years to play for Coach (Bobby) Hauck," senior defensive tackle Isaako Aaitui told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "I can see this program (being) good for the next (few) years."

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20

COLORADO STATE (3-8, 2-5) at WYOMING (2-9, 0-7), Noon MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: This is the season finale for both teams, who are meeting for the 102nd time in the battle for the Bronze Boot. Colorado State has won eight of the last 11 meetings in the series, which began in 1899 and is the oldest rivalry for both teams. The home team in the series had won six straight in the "Border War" before CSU posted a 31-20 win in Laramie in 2008, and Wyoming came away with a 17-16 victory last year in Fort Collins. Both CSU and Wyoming have claimed the Bronze Boot 21 times since its inception in 1968. This is longest continuous rivalry west of the Mississippi.

Colorado State: The Rams, who prior to last week's 49-10 loss to BYU had won two of their previous three, have posted an average margin of victory of 15 points in their eight wins against Wyoming in the teams' last 11 meetings. CSU has won two of its last three season finales, all against the Cowboys. Rams quarterback Pete Thomas, a candidate for freshman All-America honors, leads the nation among freshmen with a .662 completion percentage. That mark ranks 18th in the nation overall and fourth among quarterbacks with at least 358 attempts. No true freshman on record has compiled a higher completion percentage, the closest being Tennessee's Peyton Manning (.616) in 1994. Linebacker Ricky Brewer had 13 tackles last week against BYU, becoming the first CSU player since Eric Pauly (2002-03) to record multiple 100-tackle seasons. "I think that this year has been exactly what I thought it would be in terms of progress," said coach Steve Fairchild. "We knew that we were going to be awfully young in certain spots. ...In some ways, I'm more encouraged. I think we've taken some huge steps and I think we have some talented kids in our program. Now it's just up to us to develop them as quickly as we can, and get them in the right spots. We would certainly like to close out this season on a good note with a win up in Laramie, and then get back to work in January."

Wyoming: The Cowboys, who are trying to avoid finishing winless in conference play for the third time since 2000, got 92 yards rushing from Alvester Alexander in last week's loss at UNLV. Alexander, who scored on a 72-yard run on the game's first play from scrimmage, has rushed for 243 yards and four touchdowns in the team's last two games. Wyoming has two players ranked among the top 50 tacklers in the nation in strong safety Shamiel Gary (No. 28) and free safety Chris Prosinski (T-34), one of 13 Wyoming seniors playing in their final game. "It's important because it's our rivalry game and that makes it the most important game on our schedule," said coach Dave Christensen. "It'll always be the most important game on our schedule. It's big to the people of the state of Wyoming, it's big to everyone in our fanbase, our alumni and the kids in our program."

NEW MEXICO (1-10, 1-5) at BYU (5-5, 4-2), 4 P.M. MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: BYU has won five straight in the series, including a 24-19 decision in Albuquerque last year in which New Mexico had two field goals and an extra point hit the upright and had another field goal blocked. The Lobos have not won in Provo since posting a 21-14 victory in 2004.

New Mexico: The Lobos, who snapped a nine-game losing streak a week earlier, are coming off a 48-23 loss at Air Force in which they rushed for more than 100 yards for the fourth time in five games. Over the last four contests, New Mexico sophomore tight end Lucas Reed has caught 19 passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns. Junior linebacker Carmen Messina, the nation's leading tackler last season, has recorded double-digit tackles in six consecutive games. "It's been a long, long year for us and we need to finish this thing off with some enthusiasm and some momentum as best we can as we get ready to head into next season," said coach Mike Locksley. "It's our job as coaches to try and pull these guys along, and they've continued to let us do that as a team."

BYU: The Cougars have rebounded with three straight wins and can become bowl eligible for the sixth straight season with a win, a notable reversal of field considering the Cougars started 1-4. The contest marks BYU's final home game of the season before facing rival Utah next week. The Cougars, who have never lost to New Mexico under coach Bronco Mendenhall, averaged 15.2 points over the first five games but have averaged 31.2 over the last five while going 4-1. Defensively, BYU allowed 28.8 points during its 1-4 start but has surrendered an average of just 17.8 over the last five games. After leading UNLV 38-0 at the half two weeks ago, the Cougars built a 35-0 lead at intermission last week at Colorado State to win their first road game of the season. It marked the first time BYU has scored at least five touchdowns in the first half of consecutive games since 2001. "It's hard to gauge, but I have certainly seen it growing, and I have seen it grow every week for about the past five or six weeks," Mendenhall said of the rise in the team's confidence level. "I've lost track, but I have seen it being built, and I have seen it from different areas and different players, and really where it shows is in smiles on their faces, even when the game is being played. Just because they feel prepared, and they have a great chance to execute and to have success. I think that's gratifying for any coach, knowing that all we are trying to do is help these kids perform better."

Click HERE to read more about the MWC Fans' Football Game of the Week.

BYU (4-5, 3-2) at COLORADO STATE (3-7, 2-4), Noon MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: BYU, which has won six in a row against Colorado State, has recovered from a 1-4 start to win three of its last four. The Cougars can become bowl eligible for a sixth straight season by winning two of their last three. In its last visit to Fort Collins in 2008, BYU won 45-42 when CSU surrendered a touchdown with 22 seconds left. The lead changed hands five times during the course of the contest.

BYU: In last week's 55-7 win over UNLV, the Cougars opened the game by scoring 38 unanswered points, their highest total in a half this season and the most since scoring 42 in the opening half against UCLA in 2008. Much of BYU's recent success can be attributed to its rush defense. After holding its previous three opponents to first quarter rushing totals of minus-10 (San Diego State), 20 (TCU) and minus-31 (Wyoming) yards, respectively, the Cougars did not allow a single yard on the ground against UNLV in the first quarter. BYU has yet to win a road game this season. "To make a phantom out of playing on the road, to make it bigger than it is, I'm not going to do that," said coach Bronco Mendenhall. "The games we have lost on the road were representative of where the team was at that time, and hopefully we're at a different time. Our execution is still what I'll be spending most of my emphasis on."

Colorado State: Despite a 24-19 loss at San Diego State last week, the Rams continued to make significant strides, particularly on defense. Facing an offense ranked No. 2 in the conference and No. 23 in the nation, CSU held the MWC's leading passer, Ryan Lindley, to a season-low 171 yards. Lindley's 14 completions matched a season low. The Rams also held in check the conference's top two receivers, DeMarco Sampson (two catches, 23 yards) and Vincent Brown (three catches, 40 yards). Sampson's yards were a season low and his catches tied a season low. Brown's catches also matched his lowest output on the year. The Rams' five takeaways (two interceptions, three fumble recoveries) were their most in a game since a 35-20 win over Nevada last season. CSU has a chance to finish 4-1 at home, its best mark since 2005. It's the final home game for 16 CSU seniors. "We've had tremendous leadership; we're going to miss this senior class, just the way they've handled themselves," said coach Steve Fairchild. "They're very talented players. It is a good way to honor them at this last home game, and I know they're excited to go out there at Hughes (Stadium) one more time. It's a very good class with a lot of good senior leadership; it's been a pleasure to coach this football team."

No. 15/15 UTAH (8-1, 5-1) at NOTRE DAME (4-5), 2:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC HD

The lowdown: This is the first meeting between the teams. Utah is 1-3 all-time against independents, its lone win coming against Navy in the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl. Notre Dame is 28-8 against current MWC members, but is just 1-8 (0-4 last season) in games played in November over the last two years. Utah is 8-3 on the road in November since 2002.

Utah: The Utes are coming off a 47-7 loss to No. 3 TCU, a setback that equaled the fourth-worst defeat in school history. Utah surrendered more than 500 yards for the first time this season. After climbing as high as No. 5 in the BCS Standings and No. 6 in the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches' polls on Oct. 31, Utah is No. 14 in this week's BCS Standings. The Utes need one win to secure their fourth consecutive nine-win season. The game against Notre Dame marks the latest date the Utes have played a non-conference opponent since they beat Utah State on Nov. 12, 1988. Their last November game against a non-conference opponent played outside the state of Utah was on Nov. 19, 1977, a 38-29 loss at Florida. Utah is 2-4-1 in non-conference games played on Nov. 13. "We will find out what we are made of this weekend and the leaders need to step to the forefront," said coach Kyle Whittingham. "We got whipped and we can't feel sorry for ourselves; we need to move on."

Notre Dame: The Irish have been wildly inconsistent, losing three straight from Sept. 11-Sept. 25 before winning three straight from Oct. 2-Oct. 16, with one of the wins coming against Big East Conference leader Pittsburgh. Currently, Notre Dame, which is coming off a bye week, has dropped two straight, its last outing resulting in a 28-27 loss to Conference USA member Tulsa on Oct. 30. The Golden Hurricane rushed for 102 yards on 11 carries in the first quarter, an average of 9.3 yards per carry. Tulsa also registered a 66-yard interception return for a touchdown and a 59-yard punt return for touchdown. The last Notre Dame opponent to record a defensive and special teams touchdown in the same game was Michigan State on Sept. 12, 1998. Asked about Utah, coach Brian Kelly said: "Well, it's a confident group, certainly. You look at some of the scores that they have had. They really believe in what they do offensively. It's a physical presence. So I think what I take away from Utah is a personality. They clearly have a personality on the football field. Very confident about what they can do, and they have exhibited that on a very consistent basis."

NEW MEXICO (1-8, 1-4) at AIR FORCE (6-4, 3-3), 4 p.m. MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: Air Force has won two in a row and five of its last six against New Mexico. The Falcons, who are bowl eligible for the fourth straight season under coach Troy Calhoun, have not lost to the Lobos in Colorado Springs since Oct. 21, 2000.

New Mexico: The Lobos snapped a nine-game losing streak last week with a 34-31 win over Wyoming. True freshman quarterback Stump Godfrey completed 16-of-20 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns. Godfrey, who was expected to redshirt but was pressed into service due to a rash of injuries at the quarterback spot, also rushed 23 times for 69 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Lucas Reed had seven catches for 100 yards for New Mexico, which put the game away on a 38-yard field goal by James Aho as time expired. The Lobos had dropped 23 of their previous 24 games. "It means a lot to get the team its first win and coach (Mike) Locksley's first win (of the season)," Godfrey told the Albuquerque Journal. "He does a great job with us. You've got to respect him for all the stuff he goes through. But he puts that aside when he comes out to practice, and he gives us his all and we give him our all. So, to be able to get him a win, it's a great feeling."

Air Force: The Falcons put the brakes on a three-game skid at Army last week, capturing their first Commander-In-Chief's Trophy since 2002 with a 42-22 win. Fullback Nathan Walker rushed for a career-high 109 yards and a touchdown against the Black Knights, while Jonathan Warzeka had touchdown catches of 53 and 63 yards. This is the final home game for Air Force's seniors. The class has posted a 31-18 overall record and has helped Air Force to three bowl games, winning the 2009 Armed Forces Bowl. The seniors will join the classes of 1986 and 1993 by playing in four straight bowl games. "It's pretty awesome for these kids to do that, especially at a service academy and playing in one of the best conferences in college football," coach Troy Calhoun said of the team becoming bowl eligible. "But we aren't done one bit. We've got to play better football this week. We better not have bruises from patting ourselves on the back. We need to realize how lucky we are to have a chance to have a winning season."

WYOMING (2-8, 0-6) at UNLV (1-8, 1-4), 7 p.m. PT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: In a series tied 9-9, the home team has won this game the last three years by an average of just five points. Wyoming has won five of the last six, including a 30-27 victory last year when UNLV fumbled a game-tying field goal snap with 1:15 left.

Wyoming: The Cowboys, who are trying to avoid going winless in MWC play for the third time since 2000, got a career-high 151 yards rushing and three touchdowns from running back Alvester Alexander in last week's loss at New Mexico. Alexander's 94-yard touchdown run was the second-longest in Wyoming history behind a 95-yard scoring run by Nate Scott against Central Michigan in 2000. Running back Robert Herron and quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels also had career days against the Lobos, rushing for 122 and 119 yards, respectively. "Our kids have not quit, which is very encouraging," said coach Dave Christensen. "It's a young team. They know this is not the end of the road for them. We've got 12 seniors who are going to soon be playing in their last game, but the majority of this football team is going to be here for a couple more years, and they know what you have to do to win games. A number of people have said, 'Last year, you had great success,' but five plays changed our season last year. One drive on offense or defense in four games this year could have made a different season this year. It's a game of inches and doing all the little things right. The difference between winning and losing changes dramatically if you don't make plays in crucial situations."

UNLV: The Rebels, who beat Wyoming 22-14 in the teams' last meeting in Las Vegas in 2008, are trying to avoid their first six-game losing streak since dropping eight in a row in 2007. Quarterback Omar Clayton completed 26-of-43 passes for 260 yards in last week's loss at BYU. The contest against Wyoming marks the team's Homecoming game, where members of the Rebels' 2000 squad, which won the Las Vegas Bowl, will serve as honorary captains. "Everybody around here's pressing, I guarantee," said coach Bobby Hauck. "No one around here likes what's going on. There's an adage in my house which was, 'Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser.' No one here likes to lose and we're going to keep instilling and developing the hate to lose around this program, because we've got to detest it."

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AIR FORCE (5-4, 3-3) at ARMY (5-3), Noon ET
TV: CBS College Sports Network HD

The lowdown: Air Force, which has won four in a row and 12 of its last 13 against Army, can win its first Commander-in-Chief's Trophy title since 2002 with a victory. The Falcons have won the last four meetings against the Black Knights by an average of 23.3 points. Air Force has not lost a game at West Point since 1996.

Air Force: The Falcons provided a stern test for No. 6 Utah last week, but were ultimately undone by five turnovers in a 28-23 loss. Quarterback Tim Jefferson completed 8-of-13 passes for a career-high 201 yards and a touchdown and also scored on a career-long 59-yard run. Linebacker Brady Amack recorded a career-high 15 tackles against the Utes. Air Force continues to lead the MWC and ranks second in the nation in rush offense at 313.56 yards per game. The Falcons, whose four losses have come against teams with a combined mark of 30-3, are trying to put the brakes on a three-game losing streak. "We have had a little rough stretch going in," said junior safety Jon Davis. "But what team in the nation doesn't? We just have to keep our heads up and keep working. It just makes us want to work harder to get back to where we were."

Army: As with Air Force, the Black Knights thrive on running the ball. Army's average of 281.38 yards per game ranks seventh-best in the nation. In last week's 29-7 win over VMI, fullback Jared Hassin rushed 14 times for a career-high 159 yards and a touchdown. Hassin has exceeded the 100-yard mark in three straight games. Defensively, the Black Knights have held six of their eight opponents to 125 or fewer rushing yards. A win would qualify Army for its first bowl game in 14 years. "Obviously, Navy and Air Force have been consistently good and occasionally great for years, especially Air Force," coach Rich Ellerson told the (Middletown, N.Y.) Times Herald-Record. "We're trying to get to that. We've made some great progress, but there is an awful lot of football to be played, especially this week, before we can say that we belong."

UNLV (1-7, 1-3) at BYU (3-5, 2-2), Noon MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: BYU, which posted its highest point total of the season (59) in this game a year ago, has won five straight against UNLV by an average margin of 30.2 points. The Rebels are looking for their first win in Provo since 2004.

UNLV: The Rebels, who are coming off a 48-6 loss to TCU, have endured one of the toughest schedules in college football, having faced four teams that are ranked this week. UNLV is one of only four teams in the nation to have already played at least three teams that are in the current top 10 of either poll. The seven teams that have defeated UNLV currently boast a record of 44-15. Not helping matters is that the injury-ravaged Rebels have been forced to play 23 true and redshirt freshmen this season. "I don't know if I've ever been around anything like it," coach Bobby Hauck told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "For instance, if we had more than one corner go down (last week), we didn't have a fourth corner." Senior QB Omar Clayton has moved into third place on the school's career list with 5,811 passing yards and is now 386 yards behind Jon Denton (1996-97).

BYU: The Cougars, who defeated Wyoming 25-20 on Oct. 23, are coming off a bye week. Having participated in a bowl game five consecutive seasons, BYU finds itself on unfamiliar turf and must be wary of a UNLV team that has won three times in its last seven trips to Provo. "I think there has been urgency for quite some time," coach Bronco Mendenhall told the Salt Lake Tribune. "Whether it is in relation to a bowl game or not, I can't say that's the motive. I hope it is just [because] we are working really hard to improve, and reach our potential, which I don't think we have done yet." BYU has made significant strides defensively since Mendenhall assumed the defensive coordinator duties last month. In their last outing, the Cougars held Wyoming to a minus-31 yards on six rushes in the first quarter, minus-4 yards rushing on four rushes in the second quarter, one yard on nine rushes in the third quarter and 19 yards on seven rushes (plus one Wyoming rush for 47 yards) in the fourth quarter. In all, Wyoming was held to negative or no yardage on 34-of-56 plays.

WYOMING (2-7, 0-5) at NEW MEXICO (0-8, 0-4), 4 P.M. MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: Wyoming snapped a four-game losing streak in this series last season, scoring its first touchdown against the Lobos since 2006. Since 1993, the Lobos are 5-1 against the Cowboys in games played in Albuquerque, winning by an average of 24.0 points per game.

Wyoming: The Cowboys are coming off a 48-38 home loss to San Diego State in which they posted their highest point total since Oct. 1, 2005. Sophomore quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels completed 20-of-40 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns, while senior wide receiver David Leonard caught had seven receptions for a season-high 75 yards and two TDs. The Wyoming defense, which has produced six interceptions in its last three games, limited San Diego State to just 76 yards on the ground. With last week's loss, the Cowboys were officially eliminated from the 2010 bowl picture. "Hopefully everybody has a sense of pride within them," Carta-Samuels told the Laramie Boomerang. "Hopefully we all bleed Wyoming colors. For that, these last three games are extremely important. I want to win for everybody here, regardless. I think all my teammates do. In terms of pride, that's probably the biggest thing to play for and that's still there."

New Mexico: The Lobos, who have won eight of their last 10 against Wyoming, are coming off a 38-14 loss at Colorado State. True freshman quarterback Stump Godfrey, one of four signal-callers utilized by New Mexico this season, threw his first career touchdown pass, while receiver Ty Kirk posted season highs with five catches for 91 yards. The Lobos have scored first in four of their last five games, but have been plagued by injuries at quarterback. Starter B.R. Holbrook suffered a shoulder injury last week. Backup Brad Gruner had to have surgery on his throwing hand after cutting his pinkie finger while carving a Halloween pumpkin and Tarean Austin, another true freshman, has an injured ankle. "The tough part is just the consistency," said coach Mike Locksley. "We've got one quarterback who I think is a little different and maybe a little bit above the other three in terms of being able to operate the full spectrum of our offensive system and at the speed at which we like to operate it at. And then we've got two young guys that are developing with each practice and each day. They're limited somewhat in what they can go out and get executed. It's kind of maybe forced us to pare down what we want to get accomplished."

COLORADO STATE (3-6, 2-3) at SAN DIEGO STATE (6-2, 3-1), 7 P.M. PT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: San Diego State trailed 21-7 at the half in this game last season, only to stage its biggest comeback since 2000 with a 35-point outburst in the second half. Aztecs quarterback Ryan Lindley threw a conference-record six touchdown passes. SDSU has won three of its last four against the Rams.

Colorado State: The Rams have won two of their last three games, but have dropped 10 straight in contests played away from Hughes Stadium. Nonetheless, CSU has won six of its last seven against SDSU in games played at Qualcomm Stadium. The game marks a homecoming for true freshman quarterback Pete Thomas, who prepped at Valhalla High in nearby El Cajon. The only true freshman to start all of his team's games at quarterback this season, Thomas completed 17-of-25 passes for 256 yards in a 38-14 win over New Mexico last week. The Rams also found success on the ground, with running backs Leonard Mason (124) and Chris Nwoke (98) combining for 222 yards rushing. The Aztecs rank third in total defense in the MWC. "I have a lot of respect for (SDSU defensive coordinator) Rocky Long," said Rams coach Steve Fairchild, who grew up in San Diego and served as an assistant at SDSU in 1986. "I thought he was a tremendous head coach (at New Mexico) and defensive coach every time that we have had to go against him. It is a unique defense in structure and the way that it plays. They tackle and play extremely hard; they are sound in what they do. It's tough to get ready for in one week; we will have our hands full preparing this week as an offensive staff. But we have been up to the challenge before."

San Diego State: The Aztecs have matched their best start to a campaign in the last 14 seasons (since SDSU opened 6-2 in 1996). This is also the first time an Aztec team has been four games above .500 at any point during the season since SDSU owned an 8‐3 record after the 1996 campaign. San Diego State's six wins makes it bowl-eligible for the first time since 1998. That season, the Aztecs advanced to the Las Vegas Bowl and finished the year with a 7-5 record after falling to North Carolina, 20-13. Senior wide receiver DeMarco Sampson, who amassed 257 receiving yards against the Rams last season, has posted three straight 100-yard games. In SDSU's 48-38 win at Wyoming last week, Sampson caught seven passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns. In the team's last three meetings against Colorado State, quarterback Ryan Lindley has completed 29-of-43 passes for 459 yards and six TDs. The Rams are allowing an average of 225.67 yards passing per game, second-most in the MWC. "It's a lot of fun; you have more kids around campus saying, `Hey good game on Saturday,' " junior offensive tackle Tommie Draheim said of the team's success thus far. "I'm glad that we've been able to represent them in a good way. To have them meet us (after last week's win at Wyoming) with the band and fight song, it was just a lot of fun. People have really been lifting their support for us. You can tell they're proud of us."

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CBS College Sports Network Free Preview Oct. 25 - Nov. 6: CBS College Sports Network will offer a free preview from Monday, October 25 - Saturday, November 6. The free preview will put CBS College Sports Network in approximately 60 million homes nationally, including full distribution on Dish Network. Time Warner Cable, Charter, Mediacom, Cox (select markets), Comcast (select markets) and BrightHouse (select markets), among other distributors, have committed all or a number of systems to the additional carriage.

SAN DIEGO STATE (5-2, 2-1 MWC) at WYOMING (2-6, 0-4 MWC), Noon MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: The visiting team in this series is 5-15 and has lost six of the last seven. SDSU led Wyoming 27-6 in the fourth quarter in San Diego last year before the Cowboys rallied to win on a field goal with 23 seconds left.

San Diego State: The Aztecs, a 30-20 winner last week at New Mexico, received votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches' polls this week, marking the first time SDSU has received a vote in either of the polls since receiving one vote in the USA Today poll in 2004. The last time the Aztecs appeared in the AP poll was when they debuted at No. 25 in November of 1995. Under second-year coach Brady Hoke, SDSU has matched its best start in 33 years. Though freshman running back Ronnie Hillman, the league's leading rusher, suffered a hip pointer at New Mexico, he is expected to play. Senior wide receiver DeMarco Sampson has posted back-to-back 100-yard games for the first time in his career, averaging 116.5 yards in the two contests. "(The polls) are great, and people like reading about it and the controversy of it, but we don't put a whole lot of stock in it," Hoke said. "As a program, we're 1-0 in the second half of the season and we've got a tough challenge in Laramie."

Wyoming: The Cowboys, who fell 25-20 at BYU last week, scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to erase a 21-point deficit last year in San Diego. Wyoming has won two straight against SDSU and holds an 11-4 advantage in games played in Laramie. Quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels completed 16-of-22 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown last week against BYU. He also rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown. Safety Shamiel Gary recorded 13 tackles (seven solo). Asked about the resiliency of his players, who have endured losses to five teams that at one point were or remain ranked in the Top 25, four in the Top 10, coach Dave Christensen said, "Our players have been very resilient. It hasn't been this way everywhere I've been. Our kids have bounced back with great attitudes every week. They're excited to play. They prepare, they practice hard and I don't expect that to change."

NEW MEXICO (0-7, 0-3 MWC) at COLORADO STATE (2-5, 1-2 MWC), 4 P.M. MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: New Mexico snapped a 14-game losing streak in this game a year ago on a field goal with 12 seconds left. The lead changed hands four times in the second half. Colorado State has dropped five of its last seven against the Lobos.

New Mexico: The Lobos showed signs of finding a rhythm on offense last week, as running back Demond Dennis rushed for 133 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown run, on just seven carries in a 30-20 loss to San Diego State. Tight end Lucas Reed had five catches for a career-high 95 yards, while wide receiver Ty Kirk caught six passes for 58 yards. Though quarterback B.R. Holbrook reaggravated a knee injury against San Diego State, coach Mike Locksley said he expects Holbrook to play against the Rams. "We have a lot of young players, where every snap and every we game we play the rest of the season is going to be important to the development of our program," said Locksley, whose team has officially been eliminated from the bowl picture. "Obviously, we're very disappointed that we weren't able to send our seniors out with a winning record or a bowl game, but they'll be part of this foundation as we continue to move forward and build this program."

Colorado State: The Rams, who posted a 43-10 win over UNLV before suffering a 59-6 loss at Utah last week, are hopeful of reprising their 2008 performance at Hughes Stadium when they beat the Lobos 20-6, the only game of the last four in the series that has not been decided by a field goal. Redshirt freshman running back Chris Nwoke made his first career start last week, rushing 15 times for 48 yards and catching eight passes for 49. True freshman quarterback Pete Thomas, the conference's second-leading passer, completed 19-of-28 passes for 185 yards. Asked about the progress he's seen in his offense since the start of the season, coach Steve Fairchild said, "I think we've taken a few big steps. I feel a lot more confident about our guys knowing the scheme. You can see the timing is better in our run game and in our passing game. We're close. We've got a talented group that probably isn't as explosive as I'd like it to be right now, but we've definitely got some things here that we can build on."

No. 4/4 TCU (8-0, 4-0 MWC) at UNLV (1-6, 1-2 MWC), 8 P.M. PT
TV: CBS College Sports HD

The lowdown: TCU, which has allowed 10 points in its last four games, two of which were shutouts, blanked UNLV last year 41-0. The Horned Frogs have won six straight against the Rebels, their only loss coming in Las Vegas as a member of the Western Athletic Conference in 1997.

TCU: The Horned Frogs, who own a 21-game regular-season winning streak, rank first in the nation in scoring defense (9.0 points per game) and are second in total defense (219.88 yards per game). In last year's meeting with UNLV, TCU limited the Rebels to 160 total yards, 40 of which came on one run. Offensively, the Horned Frogs rushed for 390 yards, their most since joining the MWC in 2005. TCU is coming off a 38-7 win over Air Force in which it did not punt, the first time the Frogs have accomplished that feat since a 45-14 win at Colorado State in 2006. Following this week's game, TCU has a date with No. 9 Utah in Salt Lake City, a game that's expected to determine the conference champion. "Once you get in the grind of things, it's really hard to look ahead," said coach Gary Patterson. "Maybe you look ahead earlier in the year when you're not tired and you haven't been going for three months. Before we played Utah last year, we went out and played very well at San Diego State. With the senior group that we have, I'd be very surprised if we were looking forward."

UNLV: The Rebels, who are coming off a bye week, have scored a combined 37 points against TCU in the teams' five meetings as members of the MWC. Last year's 41-0 loss marked the first time in 68 games that UNLV failed to score. The Rebels are coming off a 43-10 loss at Colorado State in which running back Deante' Purvis carried 14 times for 85 yards in his first career start and tight end Austin Harrington established career highs with four catches for 39 yards. First-year coach Bobby Hauck's team has been besieged by injuries, with 23 true or redshirt freshmen having seen action thus far. "You find out what kind of character you have," Hauck said. "It's not easy going out and getting beat on Saturdays and getting up Monday morning to go back to work to try and come out on top the next week. It takes some character, and I think we're finding that out about ourselves."

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WYOMING (2-5, 0-3 MWC) at BYU (2-5, 1-2 MWC), Noon MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: This is the 77th meeting in the series, with BYU having won six straight against and nine of the last 10. The Cougars have posted consecutive shutouts against the Cowboys by a combined score of 96-0. The average score during BYU's six-game winning streak in the series has been 41-9. In last season's 52-0 win, the Cougars finished with 543 total yards and averaged 8.1 yards per pay. Wyoming was limited to 225 total yards.

Wyoming: All five of the Cowboys' losses have come against teams ranked in the Top 25. According to the Sagarin computer ratings, Wyoming has played the third-toughest schedule in the nation. In a 30-6 loss to Utah last week, the Cowboys ended an eight-quarter scoring drought when backup quarterback Dax Crum threw a 10-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, providing Wyoming with its first fourth-quarter points this season. Starting quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels, who did not play in the previous week's game against TCU, passed for 84 yards and rushed for 27 as the Cowboys were limited to 183 yards by one of the top defenses in the nation. Wyoming safety Chris Prosinski, who led the defense with 12 tackles, is one of three Cowboys players ranked among the top 30 in the nation in tackles. "Our (offensive) schemes and things we're trying to do are sound," coach Dave Christensen told the Laramie Boomerang. "What we have to do is put our players in the best position for them to execute and have success, and that's been difficult at this point ant time."

BYU: The Cougars are coming off a 31-3 loss at TCU. After managing just one first down and 13 total yards in the first half, the Cougars finished with 147 total yards in failing to score a touchdown for the first time this season. BYU, which had snapped a four-game losing streak the week before by rushing the ball 62 times for 271 yards (both season highs) against San Diego State, tallied only 56 yards on the ground against TCU. Quarterback Jake Heaps, who finished 14-of-30 for 91 yards, set a BYU freshman record for completions in a season (110), but also threw two interceptions and was sacked three times. Cougars senior safety Andrew Rich, who had a game-high 13 tackles against TCU (10 solo), is tied for 18th in the nation and ranks first in the MWC with an average of 10.3 tackles per game. "Undermining (our offense) right now I would say would be confidence, and confidence usually comes with success," said coach Bronco Mendenhall. "The way to build that is through simple successes of running a precise route, getting the right protection or getting the key first down. Building simple successes in practice and at key moments in the game really are what we're focusing on."

COLORADO STATE (2-5, 1-2 MWC) at No. 9/9 UTAH (6-0, 3-0 MWC), 4 p.m. MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: The Utes, forced to rally from a two-touchdown deficit in last year's 24-17 win in Fort Collins, have beaten the Rams four straight times by an average margin of 19 points. CSU is looking for its first win in Salt Lake City since 2002. Utah, which is bowl-eligible for an eighth-straight season, has won 20 straight home games, the third-longest active win streak in the nation, second-longest in school history and the longest in MWC history. The Rams are playing their third ranked team over a four-week stretch and their second top 10 opponent in that span.

Colorado State: The Rams, who are coming off a 43-10 win over UNLV, have a combined 544 rushing yards in their last two games (285 vs. Air Force, 259 vs. UNLV). Senior running back Leonard Mason, who rushed for a career-high 139 yards and a touchdown against Air Force, finished with 121 yards and a touchdown against UNLV. In last year's meeting with Utah, Mason rushed for a then career-high 130 yards. Defensive tackle Guy Miller established a school record last week with 4 1/2 sacks and also eclipsed the MWC record of 4. Miller's performance matched the most sacks by a player this season, tying Robert Eddins of Ball State, who had 4 1/2 against Central Michigan on Oct. 2. True freshman quarterback Pete Thomas, who completed his first seven passes for 219 yards and three touchdowns last week, has one interception in his last 110 attempts. "If you look back (to our season opener against Colorado), like I told (Buffaloes coach) Dan Hawkins after that game, we could have played until midnight and we weren't going to score," said CSU coach Steve Fairchild. "But we're flashing things longer at times both in practice and in games. We have to keep working. We have a long way to go, but I can see that we're going to start making some strides here pretty quickly."

Utah: The Utes, who lead the nation in kickoff returns (29.2 average), also rank in the top 10 nationally in scoring offense (No. 4/45.8 ppg) and scoring defense (tied for No. 9/14.0 ppg). Utah has been particularly efficient in the second quarter this season, outscoring opponents 117-7. In last week's 30-6 win at Wyoming, the Utes surrendered just 67 yards rushing, the fourth time this season they have held an opponent to fewer than 100 yards on the ground. Utah, which leads the nation in tackles-for-loss yardage allowed, finished with 11 tackles for loss for 52 yards, a season-high. Running back Matt Asiata had a season-high 109 yards on 16 carries to become Utah's first 100-yard rusher this season. Asiata had 74 rushing yards by halftime. Utah, which is off to its third 6-0 start in the last seven years, has outscored its last five opponents 248-60. "I think we are sitting where we hoped to be sitting (at the midpoint of the season)," said coach Kyle Whittingham. "Our offensive production has been productive. We have had a lot of guys contribute. Both quarterbacks (Jordan Wynn and Terrance Cain) and our offensive line have played big roles and a different receiver steps up each week."

SAN DIEGO STATE (4-2, 1-1 MWC) at NEW MEXICO (0-6, 0-2 MWC), 8 p.m. MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: Prior to last year's 23-20 win, San Diego State had lost eight straight in the series. Matched against their former head coach, Rocky Long, who is in his second season as the Aztecs' defensive coordinator, the Lobos never advanced past their own 40-yard line after SDSU took the lead with 7:54 left. The game marks the first time Long has returned to Albuquerque after spending 11 seasons at the helm at New Mexico.

San Diego State: The Aztecs, who are 4-2 for the first time in 14 years, beat a Top 25-ranked team for the first time since 1996 last week when they held off No. 23 Air Force 27-25. SDSU never trailed in the game, the first time that has happened against a ranked opponent since 1988. Freshman running back Ronnie Hillman, the MWC's leading rusher, carried 24 times for 191 yards, scoring on runs of 65 and 44 yards. Hillman's performance marked his third 100-yard game of the season. Meanwhile, senior wide receiver DeMarco Sampson, who had two touchdown receptions in last year's meeting with New Mexico, finished with four catches against Air Force for 106 yards, the third 100-yard receiving game of his career. "Ronnie has been doing a good job," Lindley said of Hillman, who ranks seventh in the nation with an average of 130.8 yards per game. "He needs to continue to grind, because it's a long season and we're just starting the second half. So he knows he needs to continue working hard and doing what he's been doing. He's done an awesome job for a first-year guy to come in and buy into the program. And that's a testament to the offensive line as well with the way they've been working hard. They're really opening up holes for him and letting him run."

New Mexico: The Lobos, who are coming off a bye week, allowed their fewest points of the season in a 16-14 loss to New Mexico State in their last outing. True freshman Stump Godfrey became the fourth quarterback to be utilized by coach Mike Locksley this season, completing 2-of-3 passes for 15 yards and rushing the ball 12 times for 41 yards. Junior linebacker Carmen Messina, who led the nation in tackles last season, has posted double-digit stops in each of the last two games. New Mexico is searching for answers across the board. In addition to ranking 117th among the nation's 120 FBS teams in total offense, the Lobos are 108th in total defense, 120th in scoring defense and 118th in turnover margin. "You just keep focusing," Locksley told the Albuquerque Journal. "We've upped our ante of how many days of ball-security (drills) we've done. We've reinforced with the quarterbacks about being smart with the football; it's OK to punt it. It's been my experience that it corrects itself if you keep emphasizing, and we'll continue to emphasize it."

Click HERE to read more about the MWC Fans' Football Game of the Week.

UNLV (1-5, 1-1 MWC) at COLORADO STATE (1-5, 0-2 MWC), Noon MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: Colorado State, which leads the series 12-5-1, had beaten UNLV six straight times before falling for the first time ever in Las Vegas last year. Since joining the MWC, five of the 11 games between the schools have been decided by four points or less.

UNLV: The Rebels, who will play nine teams this season that participated in bowl games last year, suffered their worst loss of the season in falling 49-10 at West Virginia last week. Beset by injuries, UNLV played 12 freshmen against the Mountaineers. The Rebels have listed 12 players as either out of the lineup or doubtful for this week's game. "We're fighting an uphill battle, and I admire the kids' willingness to go out and fight," coach Bobby Hauck told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Colorado State: The Rams, who hadn't rushed for more than 108 yards in a game this season and ranked last in the nation in rush offense, finished with 285 yards on the ground against Air Force last week. Senior Leonard Mason, filling in for starting running back Raymond Carter, who will miss his second consecutive game with a knee injury, finished with a career-high 139 yards on 22 carries. Mason, the team's leading rusher last year, suffered a hamstring injury before the start of fall camp and missed the first four games of the season. "I just wanted to come back and finish where I left off," Mason told The Coloradoan. "I've been waiting on the sidelines, so I've got to take advantage of the opportunity."

No. 10/11 UTAH (5-0, 2-0 MWC) at WYOMING (2-4, 0-2 MWC), 4 P.M. MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: This is the 83rd meeting in the series between the two teams. Utah has won three straight against Wyoming by an average of 31.6 points. The Utes would become bowl eligible with a win. The Cowboys are looking for their first victory against Utah since posting a 31-15 win in Laramie on Oct. 14, 2006.

Utah: The Utes are off to their third 5-0 start in the last seven years. Utah has scored more than 50 points in its last three contests and is averaging 49.0 points per game. The Utes lead the nation in kickoff returns (31.17 average), sacks allowed (1, tied with Boise State) and tackles for loss allowed (11). Utah also ranks first nationally in sack yardage allowed (4) and tackles for losses yardage allowed (33). Utah leads Wyoming in the series 50-31-1. Quarterback Jordan Wynn and wide receiver/kick returner Shaky Smithson were named the MWC Offensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for their roles in Utah's 68-27 rout of Iowa State last week. Wynn passed for 325 yards and two touchdowns while orchestrating the biggest scoring output by a Utah team in 27 years. Smithson finished 261 all-purpose yards, including 145 on punt returns and a career-high 75 receiving yards. He also threw a touchdown pass and caught a touchdown pass. Despite the win at Iowa State, Utah slipped to No. 11 in the Associated Press poll, but remained at No. 11 in the USA Today Coaches' poll. "We don't get bent out of shape about that," coach Kyle Whittingham told the Deseret News. "In fact, we kind of enjoy flying under the radar and just doing our thing."

Wyoming: The Cowboys have played three Top 5-ranked teams through the first six weeks of the season. No other program in the nation has faced that many highly-ranked teams this season. Wyoming is coming off a 45-0 loss at TCU in which it was forced to play without starting quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuuels, who was held out of the game for unspecified reasons and did not make the trip to Fort Worth. Last year's MWC Freshman of the Year, Carta-Samuels this season has completed 65 percent of his passes for 803 yards and four touchdowns. "He's good to go," coach Dave Christensen said at his weekly press conference. "One hundred percent cleared to go."

No. 23/23 AIR FORCE (5-1, 3-0 MWC) at SAN DIEGO STATE (3-2, 0-1 MWC), 5 P.M. PT
TV: CBS College HD

The lowdown: Air Force, which leads the series 19-9, has won three straight against the Aztecs by an average margin of 23 points. San Diego State's last victory in the series came in a 19-12 decision in San Diego on Oct. 21, 2006.

Air Force: The Falcons, who are coming off a 49-27 win over Colorado State, rank first in the nation in rush offense (352.67 yards per game) and are second in kickoff returns (29.75). Kick returner Jonathan Warzeka rolled up 149 on three returns against CSU last week, including a 100-yard return for a touchdown. Air Force's 5-1 start is its best since 2003 and the team is 3-0 in the MWC for the first time since 2006. The Falcons are ranked for consecutive weeks and in both polls for the first time since 2002. Prior to Air Force's current three-game win streak against SDSU, the Aztecs had won three straight in the series. Prior to last week, Air Force had not allowed a point in the fourth quarter this season. "I think San Diego State is a team that is two plays away from being ranked in the top 20," said Falcons coach Troy Calhoun "One was a block in the back (that resulted in the winning touchdown at Missouri) and the other was a reviewed fumble (in last week's loss at BYU). They are a very capable football team."

San Diego State: The Aztecs' two losses have come by a total of six points. SDSU has its best five-game record in seven seasons (since 2003) and has matched its best record in the last 14 seasons (since 1996), despite a 24-21 loss at Brigham Young last week. Trailing 14-0 before picking up a first down and finishing the game with a time of possession discrepancy of 45:01 to 14:59, the Aztecs rallied to within a field goal twice in the second half but were unable to complete the comeback. Senior wide receiver Vincent Brown posted his second straight 100-yard receiving game and the ninth of his career with 101 yards on six catches. Air Force is the second ranked opponent SDSU has faced this season. The Aztecs lost at then No. 25 Missouri, 27-24, on Sept. 18 when the Tigers scored on a 68-yard pass play with 51 seconds left. Asked about his approach to Air Force's triple option, coach Brady Hoke said, "Stop the fullback. You have to be disciplined, but you have to take the fullback out of the game. It starts with him. If you can pound and take him away, then you help yourself. They have good fullbacks. You have to make them two-dimensional with speed options. They're awfully committed to what they do, so it will be a task.

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COLORADO STATE (1-4, 0-1 MWC) at RV/No. 25 AIR FORCE (4-1, 2-0 MWC), Noon MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: The winner takes home the Ram-Falcon Trophy. Air Force has won the trophy 17 times, while Colorado State has won it 13 times. Air Force is ranked No. 25 in this week's Associated Press poll, the first time the Falcons have made an appearance in either the AP or USA Today Coaches' polls since 2003. Air Force won last year's meeting in Fort Collins, 34-16. The Falcons have won four straight in the series, which began in 1957.

Colorado State: The Rams, who dropped a 27-0 decision last week to No. 5 TCU, are facing back-to-back ranked teams for the first time since 2004 (N0. 1 USC, No. 22 Minnesota). CSU is looking for its first win at Falcon Stadium since 2002. Quarterback Pete Thomas needs only eight passing yards to eclipse the freshman school record of 1,204 set by Caleb Hanie in 2004. With starting running back Raymond Carter out of the lineup with a knee injury suffered against TCU, the Rams, who rank last in the nation among FBS teams in rushing (56.2 ypg) are likely to take a running back-by-committee approach with seniors John Mosure and Leonard Mason, redshirt freshman Chris Nwoke and true freshman Tony Drake. "We need something," running backs coach Anthoney Hill told The Coloradoan. "We need somebody that can give us a spark and make something happen."

Air Force: In last year's meeting with CSU, the Falcons finished with nearly 400 total yards, including 271 on the ground. TCU last week rushed for 364 yards against the Rams. Now comes Air Force, which boasts the No. 1 rushing offense in the nation at 376.3 yards per game. Fullback Jared Tew, running back Asher Clark and quarterback Tim Jefferson are averaging a combined 250.8 yards rushing per game. Defensively, Air Force is one of only two teams in the nation (Oregon) not to have allowed a point in the fourth quarter this season, while its offense has scored 54. The Falcons are allowing an average of 5.4 points in the second half. "We want to step up to a level where we never just give into a team," nose guard Ryan Gardner told the Colorado Springs Gazette. "We want them to feel our pressure."

UNLV (1-4, 1-1 MWC) at WEST VIRGINIA (3-1, 0-0 BIG EAST), 3:30 P.M. ET
TV: Big East Network/KVVU/ESPN Game Plan

The lowdown: The game not only marks the first meeting between the schools, but UNLV's first game against a school from the Big East Conference. The Rebels have not ventured this far east since playing at Miami in 1972. West Virginia is 4-2-1 against MWC teams and is riding a 15-game home non-conference winning streak.

UNLV: The Rebels dropped a 44-26 decision to then No. 25-ranked Nevada last week. Wide receiver Phillip Payne had eight catches for a career-high 170 yards, including a personal-best 65-yard reception. Quarterback Omar Clayton moved into third place on the school's career passing list with 5,490 yards. The Rebels have endured their share of struggles on both sides of the ball, ranking 1110th among the nation's 120 FBS teams in total offense and 101st in scoring defense. The Mountaineers are one of nine teams UNLV faces this season that participated in bowl games last year. "When you're trying to build things, it's difficult to play the type of schedule we've played," Hauck said. "When it's uphill every week, it's hard."

West Virginia: The Mountaineers, who were idle last week, held a ranking of No. 21 in the nation before dropping a 20-14 decision at No. 15 LSU on Sept. 25. Paced by running back Noel Devine, a Heisman Trophy candidate averaging 97.8 yards per game, West Virginia is 15-3 when Devine rushes for at least 100 yards. Devine ranks No. 1 nationally among active players in career rushing yards, No. 4 in all-purpose yards and No. 5 in yards per carry. The question is whether Devine will play. He suffered a toe injury against LSU and is questionable for Saturday's game. "He is trying to get on the mend; he has a bone bruise under his toe," West Virginia coach Bill Stewart told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. "It's a bone bruise, so when he pivots, that aches. ... A bone is not like a muscle or a joint, but hopefully he will be good."

SAN DIEGO STATE (3-1, 0-0 MWC) at BYU (1-4, 0-1 MWC), 4 P.M. MT
TV: The Mtn. HD.

The lowdown: BYU has won four straight and eight of its last nine against San Diego State. The Cougars have won seven of the last eight in Provo by an average of 21 points. The Aztecs have not won in Provo since 2000 (16-13).

San Diego State: The Aztecs, who were idle last week, are off to their best start since 1993 and have matched their best four-game record in the last 29 seasons. SDSU completed non-conference play with a 41-7 victory over Utah State on Sept. 25. Senior wide receiver Vincent Brown caught five passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns, while junior quarterback Ryan Lindley posted his third 300-yard passing day of the season, completing 17-of-24 passes for 362 yards and three touchdowns. True freshman running back Ronnie Hillman, who has two 100-yard games to his credit this season, finished with 89 yards and a touchdown. The Aztecs are one of six teams in the nation that rank among the top 25 in scoring offense (15th, 38.25 ppg), total offense (7th, 509.5 ypg), total defense (22nd, 296.0 ypg) and scoring defense (9th, 13.75 ppg). SDSU ranks 1st in the MWC in pass offense, total offense, pass efficiency defense and punting. "We're not satisfied; we want to be 4-0," said defensive back Andrew Preston. "Three and one is better than 2-2 and all that, but we want to be 4-0. We're glad that non-conference is over and we can get into conference play. We want to go out and win a Mountain West Conference championship."

BYU: The Cougars, who are coming off a 31-16 loss at Utah State, have lost four straight for the first time since 1993 and are 1-4 for the first time in 37 years. BYU has not lost five in row since dropping the final two games of the 1990 season and the first two of the '91 campaign. The Cougars have struggled across the board. Among the nation's 120 FBS teams, BYU ranks 120th in rush defense, 101st in scoring defense, 118th in passing efficiency, 114th in scoring offense and 96th in total offense. The Cougars could be without as many as five defensive starters for the game. Linebacker Jordan Pendleton is expected to miss 2-6 weeks after spraining his knee at Utah State, while safety Andrew Rich has been deemed as "possible" this week after suffering an upper-arm contusion and a shoulder stinger last week. Safety Steven Thomas is not expected to return from a concussion suffered against Florida State in Week 3, and linebacker Jameson Frazier is out for a month with a broken thumb. Nose tackle Romney Fuga (knee) is out for the season. "I have learned more the past four weeks, than I think I have learned in the previous five years combined," coach Bronco Mendenhall told the Salt Lake Tribune. "Because, number one, we are not accustomed to it. And number two, it wasn't expected, at least to this level ... So it has been a phenomenal learning experience, one I wouldn't like to go through multiple times."

No. 10/10 UTAH (4-0, 2-0 MWC) at IOWA STATE (3-2, 1-1 BIG 12), 6 P.M. CT
TV: Fox College Sports

The lowdown: Utah jumped to No. 10 this week in both polls, moving up three places in the Associated Press poll and two spots in the USA Today Coaches' poll. It marks the Utes' highest ranking in two seasons. Utah, which finished the 2008 season ranked No. 2 in the nation, did not crack the top 10 until Oct. 26 that year. While Iowa State leads the series 4-0, all four games were played in the 1970s. The last time the Cyclones played in MWC opponent was in 2008, when they lost to UNLV 34-31 in Las Vegas.

Utah: The Utes are ranked in the top 10 in the nation in both scoring offense (44.2 ppg, tied for No. 6) and scoring defense (12.8 ppg, No. 7). Utah is also ranked No. 7 in total defense (246.8 yards per game), No. 7 in pass efficiency offense (172.8) and No. 11 in rushing defense (86.8 ypg). The defense has not allowed a touchdown in the last five quarters and has yielded just three TDs in the last 16 quarters. In their last outing, a 56-3 rout of San Jose State, the Utes limited the Spartans to seven first downs and 172 total yards. The Utes are 28-48-3 all-time against the Big 12. In the past 20 years, Utah is 3-2 against the Big 12, with wins over Kansas in 1993 and 1996, a win over Texas A&M in 2004, and losses to Nebraska in 1992 and Texas A&M in 2003. The Utes have more wins against BCS schools than any other non-automatic qualifier. Since the BCS began in 1998, the Utes own 20 wins against BCS opponents and are 20-11 "They are very similar to Pitt," coach Kyle Whittingham said of the Cyclones (Utah beat Pittsburgh 27-24 in overtime in its season opener). "Their personnel is what you see in a typical Big 12 football team. They are big up front on offense and have hard-running tailbacks. They employ tight ends on nearly every snap. Their defense is active - their secondary in particular is very good. It's about what you expect from a Big 12 football team."

Iowa State: The Cyclones are coming off a 52-38 win at home against Texas Tech in which they finished with a season-high 441 yards total offense. ISU had two running backs (Alexander Robinson, 103) and Shontrelle Johnson, 102) surpass the 100-yard mark in the same game for the first time since 2004. Quarterback Austen Arnaud completed 20-of-28 passes for 190 yards and a career-high four touchdowns, as the Cyclones staged their best offensive output since posting a 55-22 Big 8 Conference win against Kansas State in 1972. It was the Cyclones' most points in a game since a 58-6 win against nonconference Tennessee Tech in 2002. Defensively, ISU ceded 508 total yards against Texas Tech, including five passing touchdowns. Opponents are averaging 384.4 total yards against the Cyclones. "It (could) be a big showcase," said Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads, whose team is 9-0 when limiting opponents to fewer than 24 points, but just 1-8 when allowing more than 24 points.

NEW MEXICO (0-5, 0-2 MWC) at NEW MEXICO STATE (0-4, 0-1 WAC), 6 P.M. MT
TV: AggieVision/ESPN Game Plan

The lowdown: This is the 101st meeting in a series that began in 1894. New Mexico, which leads the series 66-29-5, had won eight straight against the Aggies before dropping a 3-point decision last year. New Mexico has won three straight games in Las Cruces.

New Mexico: The Lobos are awaiting word on the status of sophomore quarterback B.R. Holbrook, who resumed practicing this week after undergoing exploratory knee surgery on Sept. 22. If Holbrook is cleared by doctors to play on Friday, he will start against the Aggies. Holbrook's last start came in a Week 2 loss to Texas Tech, a game in which the Lobos finished with 433 total yards. With true freshman Taurean Austin and junior Brad Gruner sharing the duties in Holbrook's absence, New Mexico has failed to eclipse the 300-yard mark. "It's a huge difference," coach Mike Locksley told the Albuquerque Journal. "It allows us to go into a game with a playbook full of plays, to be able to execute tempos and do all the different things this offense is versed to do. When you play a young freshman quarterback for the sake of him going out and being able to execute, you obviously condense what you do. You can only execute so many things with his lack of experience."

New Mexico State: The Aggies have won back-to-back games in the series just once since 1969, the victories coming in 1988-99. New Mexico State is coming off a 59-0 loss to then No. 3 Boise State in which it surrendered 602 total yards and an average of 9.7 yards per play. New Mexico State could be without quarterback Matt Christian, who left last week's game with a sprained shoulder. If Christian is unable to play, redshirt freshman Tanner Rust would make his first career start. "I would say the odds are against (Christian), but never say never," coach DeWayne Walker told the Las Cruces Sun News. "He's close enough to where, if we could have a little luck in terms of getting him ready for the game, we're definitely going to bank on that before kickoff."

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BYU (1-3, 0-1 MWC) at UTAH STATE (1-3, 0-1 WAC), 6 P.M. MT (FRIDAY)
TV: ESPN HD

The lowdown: In the 80th meeting of the battle for the "Beehive Boot," the Cougars lead the series 43-33-3, with the Aggies having lost 10 straight and 20 of the last 21. BYU has never failed to score more than 30 points in the series since 1982. USU is 3-26 against the Cougars since 1975.

BYU: The Cougars have lost three straight for the first time under coach Bronco Mendenhall and for the first time since 2004. BYU has been hit with significant injuries on both sides of the ball, losing junior quarterback Riley Nelson to a shoulder injury in Week 3 and losing standout nose tackle Romney Fuga to a knee injury in last week's loss to Nevada. Both players are out for the season. Additionally, starting free safety Steven Thomas will miss this week's game with a concussion, and starting outside linebacker Jameson Frazier will be out three to four weeks with a broken thumb suffered against Nevada." A lot of unique challenges this year," said coach Bronco Mendenhall. "I'm learning a lot, growing a lot as an individual, and really impressed with our team's resiliency. I know over time and at some point we will execute in a manner, and I will be able to help them execute in a manner that will pay off. But certainly, a lot of challenges right now." The Cougars have scored a total of 37 points in their last three games and rank 116th in scoring offense among the nation's 120 FBS teams. Running back J.J. Di Luigi scored the team's lone touchdown against Nevada, carrying 15 times for 67 yards. True freshman Jake Heaps, now the starting quarterback in the absence of Riley, completed 24-of-45 passes for 229 yards. BYU ranks 118th in the nation in rush defense (263.5 ypg).

Utah State: After losing by a touchdown at No. 7 Oklahoma in their season opener, the Aggies have dropped three straight to Idaho State, Fresno State and San Diego State. Although he threw for just 130 yards (14-of-31) last week against the Aztecs, USU quarterback Diondre Borel holds the program's single-season records for total offensive yards (3,34 in 2009) and single-season rushing yards by a quarterback (632 in 2008). Against San Diego State, however, Borel was sacked four times and finished with a minus -54 yards on the ground. The Aggies, whose 41-7 loss to SDSU marked their lowest scoring total of the season, are allowing 32.5 points per game, seventh in the WAC and 101st in the nation. USU head coach Gary Andersen injured his neck in a fall at home on Monday and will wear a neck brace on the sideline. Andersen joins an injury list that includes 11 starting players. "There are a lot of injuries -- there is no doubt about that -- but that will never come up in our conversations," USU defensive coordinator Bill Bush told the Deseret News. "We just get 11 guys out there, and they need to play. We have guys down, but I imagine everyone does."

No. 5/5 TCU (4-0, 0-0 MWC) at COLORADO STATE (1-3, 0-0 MWC), Noon MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: TCU has an 18-game regular-season win streak and has won six straight against Colorado State. The Horned Frogs, who lead the series 6-1, have won the last five meetings by an average of 22.8 points, outscoring the Rams by an average margin of 32-9.

TCU: The Horned Frogs have won seven straight regular-season road games but are playing outside the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex for the first time this season. TCU is coming off a 41-24 victory at SMU in a game where it surrendered 192 rushing yards after allowing an average of 88 in its first three games. Facing a defense that has ranked No. 1 in the nation each of the last two seasons, Mustangs fullback Zach Line ran for a career-best 139 yards. "For me, to allow somebody to run for over 100 yards is like the 11th Commandment in football," said coach Gary Patterson. "We don't let that happen at our place. A lot of it had to do with tackling. We're excited to be 4-0, but we understand that we need to play a whole lot better when we play (at) Colorado State this week." TCU rushed for 275 yards in last year's win over CSU.

Colorado State: The Rams put an end to a 12-game losing streak with last week's 36-34 win over Idaho. CSU finished with a season-high 108 yards on the ground, while true freshman quarterback Pete Thomas threw for a career-best 386 yards and three touchdowns. Thomas, who has exceeded the 300-yard mark in each of the team's past two games, will be facing the nation's ninth-best pass defense (143.3 ypg). "This was an emotional week for our football team, but one thing we keep preaching is that we're never out of the fight," said coach Steve Fairchild.

UTEP (3-1, 1-1 C-USA) at NEW MEXICO (0-4, 0-2 MWC), 4 P.M. MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: New Mexico leads the series 42-30-3. UTEP has lost 14 times in its last 16 visits to Albuquerque, its last win coming in a 22-19 decision in 1998. The Miners and the Lobos first met in 1919 and square off for the 76th time, making it UNM's second-oldest series next to New Mexico State (100 games). UTEP has averaged 13.5 points in its last 16 games at University Stadium and has been held to 14 points or less nine times during that span.

UTEP: The Miners are coming off a 16-13 win against Memphis in which Dakota Warren kicked three field goals, including the game-winning 18-yarder as time expired. Warren also connected from 57 and 50 yards. Quarterback Trevor Vittatoe completed 16-of-33 passes for 171 yards, while running back Donald Buckham, who missed the first three games of the season with a bruised knee, rushed 13 times for a team-high 59 yards. UTEP ranks first in Conference USA in kickoff returns and punt returns, an area of concern for New Mexico this season. "I haven't seen the Lobos give up on one play," said coach Mike Price. "In the fourth quarter you can see who's not running to the ball and who's walking around with their head down. I haven't seen that from them. They have had three really difficult games. A lot of teams would be 0-3 playing their schedule. I think they're disappointed. I'm sure they thought they had a chance to beat UNLV (last week)."

New Mexico: It's Homecoming at New Mexico, where the Lobos are 3-1 in such games against UTEP. True freshman quarterback Tarean Austin made his first career start at UNLV last week, completing 17-of-40 passes for 177 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Running back Desmond Dennis rushed for a season-high 88 yards, while wide receiver Chris Hernandez had a career-high seven catches for 66 yards. "I think when you look at where we are as a program, we're a young team," said coach Mike Locksley. "As a coaching staff, we've got to continue to find ways to bring them along as quickly as possible."

WYOMING (1-3, 0-1 MWC) at TOLEDO (3-1, 2-0 MAC), 7 P.M. ET

The lowdown: It's Homecoming for Toledo, which comes into the contest having won three straight road games. It's also a homecoming of sorts for Wyoming coach Dave Christensen, who spent nine seasons at Toledo as an offensive line coach and offensive coordinator. Though the teams have never met, the Cowboys are 3-2 against Mid-American Conference opponents.

Wyoming: The Cowboys are trying to put the brakes on a three-game losing streak, having dropped a 20-14 decision to Air Force in their MWC opener last week. Even though Wyoming rushed for a season-high 174 yards, it has endured its share of offensive struggles. The Cowboys are averaging 13.75 points per game, tied for 117th among the nation's 120 FBS teams, and rank 118th in rush offense. "I don't think we have an identity (on offense)," said quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels. "I think we all just want to win football games and whatever that takes, that's what we're going to do. That's all I want and that's all we want."

Toledo: The Rockets won their third straight last week, posting an impressive 31-20 road win at Purdue. Sophomore quarterback Austin Dantin (24-of-31, 209 yards) threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more scores. Toledo led 17-0 at the half. Sophomore wide receiver Eric Page had a season-high 10 catches for 94 yards and a touchdown as the Rockets finished with a season-high 378 yards of total offense "We're believing in what we're doing," said coach Tim Beckman. "We've got a simple plan and we're executing."

No. 25/25 NEVADA (4-0, 0-0 WAC) at UNLV (1-3, 1-1 MWC), 7 P.M. PT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: It's the annual Battle for the Freemont Cannon in a series led by Nevada 20-15. The Wolf Pack have won five straight against the Rebels, including last year's 63-28 decision in which Nevada finished with 773 yards total offense. The Wolf Pack have rushed for 1,003 yards in their last two meetings with the Rebels.

Nevada: The Wolf Pack, which jumped into the Top 25 last week with a 27-13 win over BYU, are off to their best start since 1991, when they began 12-0. Making its first appearance in the AP Top 25 poll since 1948, Nevada limited BYU to just 91 yards rushing last week and features the No. 1 pass efficiency defense in the WAC (109.11). Yet it's the talents of senior quarterback Colin Kaepernick that could make the Wolf Pack a serious threat to No. 3 Boise State when the teams collide in late November. Kaepernick, who ranks No. 3 in the nation in total offense, directs a group that ranks sixth in the country in rush offense (286.3 ypg) and is averaging 529.0 total yards. Nevada has allowed just one sack, the best mark in the NCAA. "That Fremont Cannon is a special trophy," said Nevada coach Chris Ault. "It is the largest rival trophy in America. And it is special because it represents the entire state of Nevada. We have been fortunate to have it for five years and our full intention is to keep it for six."

UNLV: The Rebels gave first-year coach Bobby Hauck his first victory with last week's 45-10 win over New Mexico. UNLV's point total was its highest since posting a 54-10 win over Idaho State in 2006. Wide receiver Michael Johnson finished with career highs in catches (eight), receiving yards (138) and receiving touchdowns (three). Quarterback Omar Clayton moved into third place on the school's career TD passes list with 39. UNLV scored more touchdowns on offense in the first half (four) than its previous three games combined (three). Two of the Rebels' previous five scores came on defense and special teams. UNLV has six sacks in the last six quarters after having none in its first 10 quarters this season. "It's a big week," said Hauck, "and if our guys aren't juiced up for this one, then we've got problems."

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BYU at FLORIDA STATE, 3:30 P.M. ET
TV: ESPNU

The lowdown: Florida State has won all three meetings in the series, including a 54-28 win last year in Provo. The Seminoles' point total marked their highest ever against a ranked team. This is BYU's first trip to Tallahassee.

BYU: The Cougars struggled in the passing game in last week's 35-10 loss at Air Force. Junior Riley Nelson and true freshman Jake Heaps combined to throw for just 88 yards, the team's lowest total in seven years. Nelson has started BYU's first two games and will do so again this week. BYU has not started a season 1-2 since 2006. "I just see (this week's game) as the next juncture," said coach Bronco Mendenhall. "I knew at the beginning of the season with a relatively young team that there would be some things we would have to learn and grow from, and hopefully win along the way. But I am not putting any more stock in this game than I have the last two. It is the next chance for us to improve our team, and really no more than that. Hopefully, we play well enough to win. If we don't, there will be lessons we have to apply and apply quickly to get better for the next one. So I don't ever put more or less stock in a given game."

Florida State: The Seminoles took a national ranking of No. 17 into their game at Oklahoma last week and were taken to the woodshed, 47-17. FSU surrendered 487 total yards, including 394 yards passing. Said Seminoles wide receiver Bert Reed of the BYU matchup: "It is important, not because of our opponent, but because we have to respond. It's just going out there and doing what we do. If we go back to our basics of what we do, everything's going to be fine."

COLORADO STATE at MIAMI (OHIO), 3:30 P.M. ET
TV: Ohio News Network, ESPN Game Plan and ESPN3.com

The lowdown: Miami leads the series 1-0, winning 41-21 in Fort Collins in 2003 behind quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Colorado State: The Rams (0-2, 0-0 MWC), who are in the midst of an 11-game losing streak dating to last season, have played 17 freshmen this season. "I just think we are really young," said coach Steve Fairchild said. "These kids are eager to play. We'll get going here and put it behind us. I think we will get this program back in fairly good shape pretty quick. We're just young, and the more guys play, the better we will get."

Miami (Ohio): Redhawks senior running back Thomas Merriweather was named the Mid-American Conference's East Division Player of the Week after rushing for 150 yards and three touchdowns last week's 28-21 win over Eastern Michigan. "Merriweather is the type of player that really responds to hard coaching," said coach Michael Haywood. "The harder you coach him, the better he performs. Right now, Merriweather is getting all [the coaching] he can handle." The Redhawks, who lost at Florida 34-12 in their season opener two weeks ago, finished 1-11 last season.

BAYLOR at NO. 4/5 TCU, 3:30 P.M. CT
TV: VERSUS HD

The lowdown: The series is tied 49-49-7. In the teams' last meeting in 2007, TCU blanked the Bears 27-0. As a member of the MWC, TCU is 5-2 against Big 12 teams. The Horned Frogs have won 15 straight home games.

Baylor: Baylor is 2-0, having beaten Sam Houston State 34-3 in its season opener before defeating Buffalo 34-6 last week. The Bears are paced by sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin III, a world-class hurdler whose season was cut short last year when he suffered a knee injury in the third week of the season. Considered by many as the best running quarterback in college football, Griffin will be matched against a TCU defense that is allowing just 82.5 yards rushing per game. "For us, it is just another step," Bears coach Art Briles said of the TCU matchup. "We have got to keep improving as a football team. That is what our goal has been from day one, to go out and be better in Week three than we were in Week two, Week two than Week one. That will be our goal this Saturday. We will be a better football team than we were last week."

TCU: The last meeting between TCU and Baylor, a 27-0 Horned Frog victory in the 2007 season opener, marked the collegiate debut of Horned Frogs quarterback Andy Dalton. Then a redshirt freshman, Dalton completed 18-of-30 passes for 205 yards. Three years later, Dalton has 31 victories and is TCU's all-time winningest quarterback as well as the nation's leader in victories by an active quarterback. Since 1999, TCU is 57-6 (.905) in its last 63 home games at Amon G. Carter Stadium. In their last five home games, the Frogs have allowed just six touchdowns while outscoring their opponents 253-51. On preparing for Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, TCU coach Gary Patterson said: "He can run around. Obviously, he's a great athlete. He's a guy who probably, one day, will be able to go to the Olympic trials in the hurdles. He has world-class speed. You have to worry about that. He can throw the football. He makes good decisions. The team plays with a lot more confidence when he's on the field than they did a year ago."

SAN DIEGO STATE at MISSOURI, 6 P.M. CT
TV: Missouri Pay Per View (check local listings)

The lowdown: Missouri leads the series 2-0, but the teams have not met since 1980. San Diego State is looking for its first win against a team from a current BCS automatic-qualifying conference since 1999 when it beat Kansas, 41-13. Missouri has won 19 straight regular-season nonconference games.

San Diego State: The Aztecs, who are coming off a 41-21 win at New Mexico State, are 2-0 for the first time since 1994. Although it's early in the season, SDSU has shown dramatic improvement under second-year head coach Brady Hoke. Through last Saturday, San Diego State ranked among the top 25 nationally in six major statistical categories - total offense (6th), scoring defense (14th), passing offense (14th), scoring offense (16th), total defense (20th) and rushing offense (21st). The Aztecs are looking for their first 3-0 start to a campaign since 1981. "You have to give them respect for what they've done," junior quarterback Ryan Lindley said of Missouri, which is ranked No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches' poll. "We know they're a respectable opponent. But, really, it comes down to executing, whether we play an FCS team or the No. 1 team in the country. It's all about how you play the game and execute your assignments on Saturday."

Missouri: The last time the Tigers lost a regular-season nonconference game was against MWC member New Mexico in 2005. Missouri defeated Illinois 23-13 in its season opener before rolling past McNeese State 50-6 last week. ""Brady Hoke is a coach who I have great respect for, I've known him over the years," said Tigers coach Gary Pinkel. "You can see the footprint of his program in a couple years, building it through recruiting."

No. 14/14 UTAH at NEW MEXICO, 6 P.M. MT
TV: The Mtn. HD

The lowdown: Utah has won three straight in the series by an average of 17 points per game. However, each of the Utes' past two visits to Albuquerque have ended in 3-point wins. Utah is 3-2 against New Mexico when the Utes are nationally ranked. A ranked Utah team lost to New Mexico in 1994 and 2003. Utah's 45-14 win over New Mexico last year marked the first career start of Utes quarterback Jordan Wynn. In the best starting debut by a Utah true freshman quarterback, Wynn passed for 297 yards and two touchdowns. Also in the game, running back Eddie Wide set the Utah school record for consecutive 100-yard games with six. Wide's career-best 145-yard game included 122 in the third quarter. New Mexico is looking for its first win of the season following losses to Oregon and Texas Tech.

Utah: The Utes have held the upper hand in the series of late, but have had a tendency to struggle in Albuquerque, where they have won just 13 of the 26 games played at University Stadium. "Albuquerque has been a tough place to play for us," said coach Kyle Whittingham. "There's no answer as to why. Even in 2008 (when Utah finished undefeated), it was down to the wire (13-10). New Mexico has played us tough perennially and it's been a tough matchup. It's been a good series since I've been at Utah."

New Mexico: After managing only 107 total yards at Oregon a week earlier, New Mexico amassed 433 in Saturday's loss to Texas Tech. The Lobos also improved defensively (Oregon had 702 yards; Texas Tech finished with 462). Yet New Mexico was also plagued by a mountain of penalties. The Lobos were flagged 16 times (one fewer than the school record) for 145 yards, 17 shy of the school record. "I think our players have gone out and given great energy, (but) the part we've got to continue to correct is playing smart football," said Lobos coach Mike Locksley. "I'm very hopeful that we can put together a game in which we give ourselves an opportunity to win by playing smart."

NO. 3/3 BOISE STATE at WYOMING, 6 P.M. MT
TV: CBS College Sports HD

The lowdown: Future MWC member Boise State leads the series 4-0, with its most recent victory against the Cowboys coming in a 24-14 win in 2007. Wyoming, however, has outgained the Broncos in each of the past two meetings in 2006 and '07.

Boise State: The Broncos have been idle since knocking off then-No. 10 Virginia Tech in Landover, Md., in their season opener on Sept. 4. Boise State owns a 26-game regular-season win streak. Overall, the Broncos are in the midst of a 15-game win streak, with their last loss coming to TCU in the 2009 San Diego Credit union Poinsettia Bowl in 2009. "It's great, I think a lot of people were paying attention," coach Chris Petersen said of his team's win over Virginia Tech. "It's great for Boise State University, I think it's great for Idaho, but it really just makes us 1-0 and nothing more than that."

Wyoming: The Cowboys are facing a Top 5-ranked team for the second straight week after falling to Texas 34-7. Nearly 1,000 people attended a memorial service on campus Monday for freshman linebacker Ruben Narcisse, who was killed in a one-car accident on Sept. 6. At Saturday's game, the university will distribute 5,000 T-shirts with Narcisse's number, 12, and the phrase "Ruben Narcisse: Always a Cowboy." The game is expected to be a sellout. Wyoming's last victory over a Top 25 ranked team came on Oct. 26, 2002, when the Cowboys defeated No. 22 ranked Air Force 34-26 in Laramie. "Boise's an unbelievable team," Cowboys quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels told the Idaho Statesman. "I'm one of those people who really doesn't like to put them in the underdog role at all. I'm sick of people thinking of them as an underdog. They've proven themselves to be a powerhouse. It's a great opportunity for us to play a team like that."

UNLV at IDAHO, 8:30 P.M. MT
TV: ESPNU

The lowdown: UNLV leads the series 3-2, with the Rebels' last win coming in a 34-31 victory in Las Vegas in 2005. This is UNLV's first trip to Moscow, Idaho, since 1977. The Vandals went 2-0 in games against the MWC last season. This game completes a home-and-home series that began in 2005.

UNLV: Although he began the season as the team's starting quarterback after unseating incumbent Omar Clayton during fall camp, Rebels junior Mike Clausen has asked coach Bobby Hauck to be moved to safety. Clayton, who relieved Clausen in UNLV's season-opening loss to Wisconsin, played the entire game last week against Utah, completing 18-of-37 passes as the Rebels fell to 0-2. "Being on the sideline is not really helpful for the team if I'm a good enough athlete to play another position and help the team in another way," Clausen told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Idaho: The Vandals (1-1, 0-0 WAC), whose 8-5 season in 2009 marked the second biggest turnaround (Idaho was 2-10 in 2008) in the nation, are coming off a 38-17 loss against No. 6 Nebraska. "We have the makings of a good football team," said coach Robb Akey, whose team beat Bowling Green in last year's Roady's Humanitarian Bowl. "We have to have a great sense of urgency in what we do. We have to clean up things we weren't happy about from the previous ballgame. Everybody has to be accountable for what they're accountable for. That's the way you go about it."

UNLV: The Rebels struggled on offense in the first half of last week's loss to No. 12 Wisconsin. UNLV was limited to just 15 plays, managing 12 total yards and two first downs. Coach Bobby Hauck wants to see more consistent play from his offensive line this week: "The consistent theme was we had breakdowns by different people at different times," Hauck told the Las Vegas Sun. "All it takes is one of five to have a breakdown and a play breaks down. We have to shore that up and it has to be better."

Utah: Sophomore wide receiver DeVonte Christopher was named the MWC Offensive Player of the Week after catching eight passes for a game- and career-high 155 yards and a touchdown in last week's 27-24 overtime win against No. 15 Pittsburgh: "We knew he was a talented kid when we recruited him, and we always believed in his ability," Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said of Christopher, a Las Vegas native. "Last year he was stuck behind some good receivers and there was not a lot of opportunity for him. He got that opportunity and made the most of it in the last game."

TENNESSEE TECH at No. 4/5 TCU, 6 P.M. CT
TV: NONE

Tennessee Tech: The Golden Eagles (0-1) are in the Ohio Valley Conference, the same league as Jacksonville State, which pulled off a double-overtime victory last week at Ole Miss. Tennessee Tech is coming off a season-opening 44-3 loss at No. 14 Arkansas, but did not have a turnover in the game and led 3-0 after the first quarter: "We've got to do it all again this week," said coach Watson Brown. "I think our team got better. We didn't get anybody hurt seriously in the game -- just some bumps and bruises. Now, we go and play a team that's even better than the one we played. If we can come out of it healthy, we will be a better team."

TCU: Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson knows what it's like to be ambushed by an underdog. In his first home game as TCU's head coach in 2001, the Horned Frogs suffered a 27-24 overtime loss to Northwestern State of the Southland Conference. "I still remember what I felt about that one," Patterson said. "I thought I was going to be cleaning my office out that Sunday." Since the loss to Northwestern State, TCU has breezed against FCS teams in home openers, beating UC Davis 46-13 in 2006; Stephen F. Austin 67-7 in 2008; and Texas State 56-21 last season.

WYOMING at No. 5/4 TEXAS, 6 P.M. CT
TV: FOX SPORTS NET

Wyoming: The Cowboys head to Austin with heavy hearts after teammate Ruben Narcisse, a freshman linebacker, was killed in a one-car accident early Monday morning. Freshman cornerback Trey Fox, freshman wide receiver C.J. Morgan and freshman linebacker J.J. Quinlan were injured in the crash, which took place on Highway 287 between Laramie and Fort Collins, Colo., where they had gone to visit high school friends. A memorial service for Narcisse is tentatively scheduled for 5 p.m. Monday on campus. Coach Dave Christensen said the team will wear a decal on its helmets to honor Narcisse. A different player will wear his No. 12 jersey in a game the rest of the season. Sophomore safety Shamiel Gary will wear it against Texas. There will be no last name on the jersey: "He always had a smile on his face," senior receiver and co-captain David Leonard told the Laramie Boomerang. "He was a tremendous guy and had a tremendous work ethic. ...We know that he's with us, and we know we're missing a great person."

Texas: The Longhorns will hold a pregame tribute for Narcisse. Texas coach Mack Brown said the tribute will include a moment of silence, as well as a photograph of Narcisse on Texas' scoreboard video screen. The Texas band will also play a song for the Wyoming team: "It's such a sad day to see a life taken so early," Brown said. "Our thoughts go out to Ruben's family, and we pray for them and the families of the injured young men."

TEXAS TECH at NEW MEXICO, 6 P.M. MT
TV: THE MTN. HD

Texas Tech: Asked this week if his players would have difficulty taking the Lobos seriously following their 72-0 loss at No. 11 Oregon last Saturday, Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville admitted it could be a problem: "Sure it is. But as I told them all along, we didn't worry about SMU (a 35-27 win last week). We worried about ourself, and I thought they handled that pretty good. New Mexico got off to a slow start, but they're playing their home opener. We'll get a much different team. I'm not going to have to sell that to our players."

New Mexico: The last time the teams met in Albuquerque (2004), the Lobos snapped an 11-game losing streak against Texas Tech. New Mexico coach Mike Locksley this week referred to his players as "resilient." Said Locksley: "I really believe in this team. These guys have worked really hard. They've prepared well. They've given great effort. The missing ingredient is playing with the discipline that we need to play with as a team, (avoiding) turnovers and being efficient in all three phases of our team. That's the missing link for us and that's something we've got to get corrected. I have no doubt in my mind that this team will bounce back."

SAN DIEGO STATE at NEW MEXICO STATE, 6 P.M. MT
TV: ESPN3.COM, CHANNEL 4 SAN DIEGO

San Diego State: The Aztecs rushed for 218 yards in a 47-0 win over Nicholls State last week, their highest total since recording 226 against Colorado State on Oct. 25, 2008. SDSU also scored four rushing touchdowns, something it hadn't done since Oct. 1, 2005, against BYU: "It shows that we can be more dynamic and we can have a two-dimensional offense," said senior wide receiver Vincent Brown, a first-team All-Mountain West Conference preseason pick. "We don't want to just be able to pass the ball. We don't want to just be able to run the ball. We want to be able to do both and attack defenses from both sides, and that's something we were able to show during the game."

New Mexico State: While San Diego State, a 34-17 winner over New Mexico State last season, was able to find more offensive balance in its season opener, Aggies coach DeWayne Walker knows that the Aztecs' strong suit is still the passing game: "(Last season) we were scared to death of their wide receivers and the quarterback (junior Ryan Lindley). When I look at them offensively, it's the same offense from a year ago. They got the same guys. I'm sure they think they're better; we think we're better, too. From an offensive standpoint, we're going to have to do a good job defensively to try to contain them, because I know Rocky (SDSU defensive coordinator Long) is going to get after us pretty early, to try to harass our quarterback and try to really discourage our offense."

COLORADO STATE at NEVADA, 7:30 P.M. PT
TV: ESPNU

Colorado State: The Rams face the challenge of trying to slow Wolf Pack senior Colin Kaepernick, one of the nation's premiere quarterbacks. Kaepernick entered the season needing roughly 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards passing to become just the second player in NCAA history to rush for 4,000 yards and throw for 8,000 yards (Brad Smith, Missouri): "Not only can he run, he can explosively run," said CSU coach Steve Fairchild. "Then you add that he's a talented guy that can throw the football around, and he's hard to defend. He generates a lot of total offense. We have to do a good job; obviously they are going to make plays. They run the ball effectively and they run some numbers up, but limiting the big plays is huge, controlling the ball offensively is huge. There are a lot of aspects to it; it's obviously a team game. But he is an impressive player."

Nevada: The Wolf Pack are hoping to avenge last year's 35-20 loss to CSU, their second-worst loss of the season. Nevada turned the ball over five times, with Kaepernick being intercepted twice: "They beat us soundly," coach Chris Ault told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "They physically handled us. Not kind of handled us. They completely handled us. It was just that simple."

Air Force Asking Fans to Arrive Early

Fans attending Saturday's BYU-Air Force game at Falcon Stadium are urged to be in their seats by 1:30 p.m. The day will begin with 20,000 mini American flags and 10,000 US Constitutions being handed out at the stadium gates. In addition, a giant flag covering the entire field will be unveiled at halftime. The cadet march-on will have special guests, and will be followed with a special 9-11 video tribute. In addition, a steel girder from the World Trade Center will be on display on the east side of the stadium in front of the flag pole before the game.

NYPD detective Steve Hayden and FDNY firefighter Kenny Haskell will serve as honorary game captains for Air Force and will take part in the pregame coin toss. Several members of the Academy family who have recently deployed will also be on hand and will honored with local firefighters and police. Finally, the Wings of Blue will jump with an American flag that was recently flown over the World Trade Center site and presented to the Academy at last week's game.