This Week's Schedule:

Saturday, Sept. 9
BYU (1-1) at Air Force (1-0)
Falcon Stadium (52,480)
Colorado Springs, Colo.
11 a.m. (MT), KXRM/KXTU/KSL
BYU leads 17-3
1999, BYU 27-20

UNLV (0-0) at Iowa State (1-0)
Jack Trice Stadium (43,000)
Ames, Iowa
1 p.m. (CT), KFBT
Iowa State leads 5-0
1999, Iowa State 24-0

East Tennessee State (1-0) at Colorado State
Hughes Stadium (30,000)
Fort Collins, Colo.
3 p.m. (MT), KTVD/KTVS
First Meeting

UTAH (0-1) at California (0-0)
Memorial Stadium (75,028)
Berkley, Calif.
3 p.m. (PT), Fox Sports Bay Area
California leads 3-1
1964, Utah 14-0

WYOMING (0-1) at Texas A&M (0-1)
Kyle Field (80,322)
College Station, Texas
6 p.m. (CT), Fox Sports Net
First Meeting

Oregon State (1-0) at New Mexico (0-2)
University Stadium (31,218)
Albuquerque, N.M.
6 p.m. (MT)
New Mexico leads 1-0
1979, New Mexico 35-16

21/21 Illinois (1-0) at San Diego State (0-1)
Qualcomm Stadium (71,400)
San Diego, Calif.
7 p.m. (PT), ESPN2
Illinois leads 1-0
1999, Illinois 38-10

WEEKLY HONORS

Bret Engemann, BYU, QB, Sophomore (MWC Co-Offensive Player of the Week)
Bret Engemann completed 34-of-41 (83 percent) pass attempts for a career-high 447 yards and led the Cougars to a stunning 38-35 overtime victory at Virginia. Trailing 21-0 at the half, the Provo, Utah, native threw for 318 yards in the second half as BYU scored 38 points after intermission. Named Chevrolet Player of the Game in just his second career start, Engemann threw for two touchdowns and finished the game with 12 straight completions.

Matt Newton, Colorado State, QB, Senior (MWC Co-Offensive Player of the Week)
Matt Newton threw for a career-high 327 yards and four touchdowns to lead Colorado State to a 28-24 come-from-behind victory over 25th-ranked Colorado at Mile High Stadium in Denver. The Englewood, Colo., native got the Rams off to a quick start with a pair of touchdown passes to give Colorado State a 14-0 lead. Trailing 24-14 in the second half, Newton threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Frank Rice and then completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jose Ochoa for the eventual game-winner.

Will Demps, San Diego State, SS, Junior (MWC Defensive Player of the Week)
Will Demps recorded a game- and career-high 13 tackles in a 10-7 loss to Arizona State on Thursday night. The Palmdale, Calif., native had three tackles for loss and seven of his 13 tackles resulted in gains of two yards or less for the Sun Devils. Demps also recorded a tackle inside the five-yard line on third down, which forced Arizona State into a field goal attempt.

Dallas Thompson, Air Force, PK/P, Senior (MWC Special Teams Player of the Week)
In his first action since the 1996 season, Dallas Thompson handled the punting and k i c k o ff duties in Air Force's 55-6 win against Cal-State Northridge. The Arlington, Texas, native had four punts for a 41.5 yard average, including two punts inside the 20-yard line. Thompson also recorded six touchbacks on eight kickoffs. Thompson was the Falcons' placekicker in 1996 before leaving for a two-year church mission. He kicked the game-winning field goal to defeat eighth-ranked Notre Dame in 1996.

LAST WEEK
The first full week of the 2000 college football season was highlighted by Colorado State's victory over 23/25-ranked Colorado, 28-24, at Mile High Stadium in Denver. The Rams victory marked the first win of the season over a ranked opponent for the Mountain West Conference. Senior QB Matt Newton threw for 327 yards and four TDs in CSU's second consecutive victory over in-state rival Colorado. Earlier in day, BYU overcame a 21-point halftime deficit to defeat Virginia on the road. Sophomore QB Bret Engemann connected on 34-of-41 pass attempts for 447 yards and two TDs. Senior PK Owen Pochman secured the victory with a 26-yard field goal in overtime. Air Force captured the third win of the weekend for the conference with a convincing 55-6 victory over Cal State-Northridge. The Falcons broke six MWC single-game records in the win. New Mexico and Utah both fell in their home openers. The Lobos lost to Boise State 31-14, while the Utes fell 17-3 to Arizona. On Thursday, Wyoming dropped its season opener at Auburn 35-21 and San Diego State lost a 10-7 nail-biter to Arizona State in Qualcomm Stadium.

BYU vs. AIR FORCE KICK-OFF CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
The race for the 2000 Mountain West Conference football title begins this weekend as BYU visits Air Force Saturday, Sept. 9 for the first intra-conference game of the season. The next conference match-ups do not appear on the schedule until Sept. 23 when UNLV travels to BYU and Air Force plays at Utah.

AIR FORCE FALCONS
* QB Mike Thiessen became the first MWC player to rush for over 100 yards in the 2000 season.
* AFA had 16 players with positive rushing yards, eight with receptions and three play QB vs. the Matadors.
* The 698 total yards on offense was two-yards shy of the Academy record of 700 total yards vs. UTEP in 1994.
* The 38 total first downs and 30 rushing first downs tied the Falcons single-game records in both catagories.

BYU COUGARS
* BYU extended its NCAA-record streak to 314 games without being shutout. The current streak dates back to Sept. 27, 1975.
* The Cougars hadn't seen the endzone in 10 quarters, extending back to the Utah game on Nov. 20, 1999. BYU final ended the touchdownless streak at the 12:26 mark of the third quarter at Virginia.
* RB Brian McDonald's third-quarter TD was the first rushing TD for BYU since the fourth quarter of the Wyoming game on Nov. 13, 1999. His three rushing TDs in the game was the most by a Cougar back since 1998.
* WR Jonathan Pittman had a career-high six receptions for 161 yards vs. the Cavaliers.
* QB Bret Engemann completed an astounding 34-of-41 passes (83 percent) for 447 yards and two TDs vs. Virginia. Engemann threw for 318 yards in the second half and ended the game with 12 straight completed passes.
* BYU's 447-yard passing performance was the first 400-yard performance allowed by the Cavaliers since Florida State piled up over 400 yards in 1995.

COLORADO STATE RAMS
* QB Matt Newton was 19-of-30 for 327 yards and four TDs in the 28-24 win over Colorado. Both numbers are career-highs. His four TD passes broke the school record of three set by current offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild vs. Air Force in the 1980 season opener.
* The Rams defeated Colorado in back-to-back years for the first time since 1948-49.
* WR Frank Rice led all CSU receivers with four receptions for 113 yards and two TDs. In three games vs. the Buffaloes in Mile High Stadium, Rice had six receptions for 216 yards (54.0 avg.) and four TDs.
* Colorado State won for the first time since 1996 when trailing in the fourth quarter. In `96, the Rams came back from a 41-28 deficit entering the fourth quarter to defeat Air Force 42-41.

NEW MEXICO LOBOS
* New Mexico outgained its opponent on the ground for the second consecutive game this season, but fell again, 31-14, to Boise State.
* New Mexico's six-game streak of forcing an opponent turnover ended this past week vs. Boise State. The last time the Lobos failed to force a turnover by their opponent was on Oct. 16, 1999 vs. BYU.
* Despite the two losses, the Lobos' defense is improved from a year ago. UNM gave up an average of 371.4 yards last season and is allowing just 281.1 in 2000.

SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS
* Despite the 10-7 loss to Arizona State, the Aztec defense held its opponent to 10 points or less for the third consecutive game dating back to the final two contests of the `99 season.
* San Diego State recorded more first downs (21-16) and more total yards (319-270) than the Sun Devils in the loss.
* The loss was just the second season-opening defeat for San Diego State since the 1990 season, and dropped the Aztecs to 8-2-1 in their last 11 home openers.
* This is the fourth consecutive season the Aztecs have played a member of the Big 10 conference, a streak which will continue next season with San Diego State scheduled to play at Ohio State on Sept. 15.
* San Diego State will be trying to knock off a nationally-ranked opponent for the first time since defeating 16th-ranked Wyoming, 28-24, on Nov. 7, 1996.

UNLV REBELS
* UNLV opens its 2000 campaign at Iowa State Sept. 9.
* The Rebels are 17-15 all-time in season openers. They had lost four in a row prior to last season when they kicked-off John Robinson's coaching debut with a 26-3 win over North Texas.
* UNLV will open a season with a new quarterback for the fourth consecutive year. Jason Thomas, a transfer from Southern California, will get the call against Iowa State.

UTAH UTES
* The Utes will face their second-consecutive Pac-10 team this week in California.
* Utah fell to Arizona this past week, 17-3, despite racking up 370 total yards to Arizona's 146. The Utes also had 12 more first downs and did not allow a third-down conversion to the Wildcats (0-12).
* In the loss to Arizona, Utah failed to score a touchdown for the first time since 1993.
* Freshman Jason Kaufusi had a solid college debut at defensive end for the Utes. He led the team with eight tackles, including one for a loss, a pass break-up and 1 QB hurry.
* WR Cliff Russell had a stellar perfomance with 10 catches for 141 yards vs. Arizona. The 10 receptions is the second highest total ever in a single game in the MWC.

WYOMING COWBOYS
* Redshirt freshmen Wide receivers Ryan McGuffey and Malcom Floyd had solid collegiate debuts. McGuffey hauled in five receptions for 42 yards and two TDs, while Floyd has three catches for 42.
* Punter Tom Waring had nine punts for a 44.2 average.
* Since 1991, Wyoming has won four consecutive games after losing its season opener.
* Wyoming is playing both a SEC and a Big 12 team in the same season for the first time since 1978 (LSU/Texas).
* Of the 68 players on the Cowboy travel roster, 30 played in their first collegiate game at Auburn. Of the 44 players on the Wyoming two-deep, 20 played their first game at Auburn.

MWC RECORD BOOK
Air Force set six new Mountain West Conference records in its 55-6 victory over Cal State-Northridge.

First Downs: 38
First Downs Rushing: 30
Offensive Plays: 94
Total Yards: 698
Rushing Yards: 583
Margin of Victory: 49 Points

BYU QB Bret Engemann set a new sophomore passing record with 447 yards and is second on the all-time list behind former BYU QB Kevin Feterik who passed for 501 yards vs. Washington last season.

Senior QB Matt Newton tied a MWC record for touchdown passes in a single-game with four.

MWC STREAKS
Utah saw its three-game win streak snapped with the 17-3 loss to Arizona on Saturday. Colorado State extended its six-game regular-season win streak with a 28- 24 victory over Colorado. The Rams won their final five conference games to end the 1999 season before falling, 23-17, to Southern Miss in the AXA Liberty Bowl. The Rams last regular-season loss was a 17-10 loss to San Diego State at Hughes Stadium on Oct. 16, 1999. BYU ended its four-game losing streak with its 38-35 overtime win at Virginia. The Cougars dropped the final three games of the `99 season and their first of the 2000 season (Florida State).

COACHING CONNECTION
San Diego State head coach Ted Tollner and Illinois head coach Ron Turner are quite familiar with each other. Tollner hired Turner as his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Southern California in his final two seasons at USC in 1985 and 1986. The Trojans went 6-6 and 7-5 in those two seasons before Tollner went to the NFL as an assistant coach. San Diego State defensive coordinator Ken Delgado was Ron Turner's defensive line coach for one year in 1992 at San Jose State. Illinois quarterback coach Craig Ver Steeg also was a graduate assistant on Tollner's staff at Southern California from 1984-86.

BYU PERFECT IN OVERTIME
BYU's 38-35 overtime victory at Virginia pushed its all-time overtime record to a perfect 4-0. The Cougars were the only team in the MWC to go into overtime last season, defeating Utah State 34-31 in Logan, Utah, and is the first team in 2000. The other Cougar overtime victories include a 19-16 win at SMU in 1997 and a 28-25 victory vs. Wyoming in the 1996 Western Athletic Conference Championship game in Las Vegas, Nev.

MWC BOWL TIE-INS
The Mountain West Conference has two guaranteed bowl berths in 2000. The conference champion is slated for the AXALiberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., on Dec. 29. The game will be aired on ESPN starting at 1:30 P.M. (ET) vs. the champion of Conference USA. The Las Vegas Bowl has the second choice from the MWC vs. an at-large opponent in a game scheduled for Dec. 21 at 5 p.m. (PT) on ESPN2.

LAVELL EDWARDS TO CALL IT QUITS AFTER 2000 SEASON
LaVell Edwards, the seventh-winningest coach in the history of college football, announced on Thursday, Aug. 17, that he will retire as Brigham Young University's head coach at the conclusion of the 2000 season. Edwards, who will be 70 in October, has compiled a 252-96-3 overall record in 28-plus seasons with the Cougars. His teams have won 20 conference titles and have appeared in 22 bowl games. In 1984, he was named National Coach of the Year after BYU finished the season 13-0 and won the National Championship. He needs just four victories to pass Tom Osborne as the sixth-winningest college football coach in history. He entered the 2000 season with the third-most wins (251) and the third-best winning percentage (.723) among active coaches.

DOAK WALKER AWARD CANDIDATES
The Mountain West Conference placed two athletes on the preseason Doak Walker Award list presented by the Southwestern Bell - SMU Athletic Forum. Air Force's Scotty McKay and San Diego State's Larry Ned were among the preseason candidates for the award annually given to the nation's top college running back. The list will be cut down to eight semifinalists on Nov. 8. The 2000 Doak Walker Award winner presented by Vectrix will be announced live on ESPN's Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Thursday, Dec. 7.

FIVE MWC PLAYERS NAMED TO NAGURSKI WATCH LIST
Five players from MWC schools, including two from BYU, have been named to the Mike Fox/Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list for the 2000 college football season. The Nagurski Trophy was created in 1993 by the Football Writers Association of America to honor the best defensive player. It is presented annually by the Charlotte Touchdown Club of Charlotte, N.C. Of the 38 national candidates, the following MWC players are on the list: Patrick Chukwurah (LB, Wyoming), Rick Crowell (LB, Colorado State), Chris Hoke (DT, BYU), Jared Lee (S, BYU) and Kautai Oleveo (LB, Utah).

JIM THORPE WATCH LIST INCLUDES THREE MWC PLAYERS
BYU senior Jared Lee, Utah senior A n d re Dyson and UNLV junior Kevin Thomas are among 40 defensive backs that meet the criterion of the Jim Thorpe Association, which has awarded the trophy to the nation's top defensive back since 1986. Finalists for the Thorpe Award will be invited to ESPN's College Football Aw a rds Show at Disney World in Orlando, Fla., where the winner will be announced December 7. Aformal presentation will take place at a banquet in February in Oklahoma City, which is home to the Jim Thorpe Association. Last year's winner was Tyrone Carter of Minnesota. Greg Myers of Colorado State, who took home the trophy in 1995, remains the only winner from a current Mountain West school.

COLLEGE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
Wyoming's first All-America football player in 1950, Eddie Talboom, will also become Wyoming's first player to be inducted to the National Football Foundation's College Hall of Fame on Dec. 12, 2000. Two former Wyoming coaches have already been inducted: Bob Devaney and Bowden Wyatt. Talboom played tailback and place-kicker for Wyoming from 1948-50. He led the NCAA in career scoring average for almost 20 years until Steve Owens of Oklahoma overtook him in 1969. Entering the 2000 season, Talboom still ranked No. 5 all-time on the NCAAcareer scoring average list.

MWC vs. Nonconference Opponents
ACC 1-1 .500
Big 12 1-1 .500
Big West 0-1 .000
Pac-10 0-2 .000
SEC 0-1 .000
Other 1-0 .000
Total 3-6 .333

MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE BEGINS WEEKLY RADIO SHOW
The Mountain West Conference has forged a partnership with Nevada Sports Network, Las Vegas, for a weekly radio show, dubbed "This Week in the Mountain West." The show is being produced through a joint effort by the Nevada Sports Network, formerly Elmore Sports Network, Las Vegas, and the Talk America Radio Network, also of Las Vegas. The Talk America Radio Network spans more than 400 affiliates nationwide.

Program content will showcase football and basketball, highlighting the latest news from around the conference. The weekly show will also feature interviews with coaches, student-athletes and special guests, and provide updates on each of the 19 sports and 18 championships sponsored by the Mountain West Conference.

"This Week in the Mountain West" will join the Big Ten, SEC and Big 12 conferences as weekly national radio shows dedicated to highlighting the latest news throughout their respective conference. The 30-minute show will discuss the past week in football and basketball throughout the season, and feature in-depth analysis of upcoming games in the conference.

"This Week in the Mountain West" will be picked up by radio stations across the country, including Armed Forces Radio and Cable Radio Network. The broadcast will be fed on CD-Rom and ISDN in a 30-minute format. Parties interested in broadcasting the show should contact Alex Shelton at the Nevada Sports Network (702-269-6518) or Dan Butterly at the Mountain West Conference (719-533-9513).

Mtn. West Leader Board (through Sept. 2)

200-Yard Passing Games
Bret Engeman, BYU 1
Matt Newton, Colorado State 1
Jack Hawley, San Diego State 1

300-Yard Passing Games
Bret Engeman, BYU 1
Matt Newton, Colorado State 1

100-Yard Rushing Games
Mike Thiessen, Air Force 1

100-Yard Receiving Games
Cliff Russell, Utah 1
Frank Rice, Colorado State 1

MWC Coaches Poll
1. Utah (4)
2. Colorado State (3)
3. BYU (1)
4. Air Force
5. San Diego State
6. Wyoming
7. UNLV
8. New Mexico

Media Poll
1. Utah (17)
2. Colorado State (10)
3. BYU (3)
4. Air Force
5. Wyoming
6. UNLV
7. San Diego State
8. New Mexico

Week 3 Game Previews

BYU at Air Force
Saturday, September 9
Falcon Stadium (52,480 Cap.)
Colorado Springs, Colo.
11 a.m. (MT), KXRM/KXTU & KSL

GAME NOTES
Air Force and BYU meet for the 21st time this weekend at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs. This will be the first conference match-up of the 2000 season. The Cougars will be making their first trip to Falcon Stadium since 1995, when they fell 38-12. That loss snapped a 12-game BYU win streak vs. Air Force.

THE SERIES
BYU leads 17-3. Last Game: BYU 27, Air Force 20, Oct. 30, 1999 in Provo, Utah

THE COACHES
LaVell Edwards is in his 29th season at BYU and has compiled a 252-96-3 overall record. Edwards is 16-3 in 19 meetings vs. Air Force. Fisher DeBerry has compiled a 127-69-1 overall record in 16 seasons at the helm of the Falcons and is 2-12 against BYU.

Players to Watch - Air Force (1-0, 0-0 MWC)
Passer: Mike Thiessen (1 GP, 12-7-0, 58.3 Pct, 75 Yds, 0 TDs, Longest Pass - 16 Yds)
Rushing - (10 Att., 101 Yds, 10.1 Avg Per Rush., 1 TD, Longest Rush - 34 Yds)
Rusher: Scott Becker (1 GP, 13 Att., 97 Yds, 7.5 Avg Per Rush., 0 TD, Longest Rush - 13 Yds)
Receiver: Ryan Fleming (1 GP, 2 Rec., 25 Yds, 12.5 Avg Per Rec., 0 TD, Longest Rec. - 15 Yds)
Tackler: Zach Johnson (1 GP, 3-3-6, 1 Sack, 3 TFL)

Players to Watch - BYU (1-1, 0-0 MWC)
Passer: Bret Engeman (2 GP, 69-46-4, 66.7 Pct, 586 Yds, 2 TD, Longest Pass - 70 Yds)
Rusher: Brian McDonald (2 GP, 23 Att., 102 Yds, 4.4 Avg Per Rush., 3 TD, Longest Rush - 23 Yds)
Receiver: Margin Hooks (2 GP, 11 Rec., 142 Yds, 12.9 Avg Per Rec., 1 TD, Longest Rec. - 25 Yds)
Tackler: Justin Ena (2 GP, 11-13-24, 1 Sacks, 3 TFL)

UNLV at Iowa State
Saturday, September 9
Jack Trice Stadium (43,000 Cap.)
Ames, Iowa
1 p.m. (CT), KFBT

GAME NOTES
UNLV opens its season at Iowa State on Saturday. The Cyclones enter the game 1-0 after defeating Ohio last week 25-15.

THE SERIES
Iowa State Leads 2-0. Last Game: Iowa State 24, UNLV 0, Sept. 18, 1999 in Las Vegas.

THE COACHES
John Robinson begins his second season at UNLV after compiling a 3-8 record in `99. Robinson coached Southern California for 12 years (1976-82, `93-97) and the NFL's Los Angeles Rams for nine years (1983-91) prior to his arrival at UNLV. His college coaching record stands at 107-43-4, while his NFL record was 79-74. Dan McCarney is in his 6th season at the helm of the Cyclones. He is 13-42 overall and 8-8 in nonconference games. McCarney holds a 2-2 record against Mountain West teams. He is 2-0 vs. UNLV (won 57-30 in `95 and 24-0 in `99) and 0-2 vs. Wyoming (lost 41-48 in OT in `96 and 56-10 in `97).

Players to Watch - UNLV (1999 Record - 3-5, 1-6 8th MWC)
Top Returning Passer: Jason Vaughn (8 GP, 195-104-6, 53.3 Pct, 1,043 Yds, 9 TD, Longest Pass - 45 Yds)
Top Returning Rusher: Jeremi Rudolph (10 GP, 155 Att., 693 Yds, 4.5 Avg Per Rush., 4 TD, Longest Rush - 28 Yds)
Top Returning Receiver: Nate Turner (11 GP, 45 Rec., 627 Yds, 13.9 Avg Per Rec., 6 TD, Longest Rec. - 46 Yds)
Top Returning Tackler: James Sunia (11 GP, 78-41-119, 4 TFL, 2 Sack)

Players to Watch - Iowa State (1-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Passer: Sage Rosenfels (1 GP, 30-16-1, 53.3 Pct, 196 Yds, 0 TD, Longest Pass - 36 Yds)
Rusher: Ennis Haywood (1 GP, 22 Att., 159 Yds, 7.2 Avg Per Rush., 2 TD, Longest Rush - 73 Yds)
Receiver: J.J. Moses (1 GP, 5 Rec., 49 Yds, 9.8 Avg Per Rec., 0 TD, Longest Rec. - 17 Yds)
Tackler: James Reed (1 GP, 3-1-4, 1 Sacks, 2 TFL)

East Tennessee State at Colorado State
Saturday, September 9
Hughes Stadium (30,000 Cap.)
Fort Collins, Colo.
3 p.m. (MT), KTVD/KTVS

GAME NOTES
Colorado State and East Tennessee State meet for the first time this weekend. ETSU defeated Liberty, 37-20, in its season opener last week.

THE SERIES
First Meeting

THE COACHES
Sonny Lubick is 79-46 overall in 11 years as a head coach and 58-27 in seven-plus seasons at Colorado State. Paul Hamilton enters his fourth season at East Tennessee State and has a 18-16 overall record.

Players to Watch - Colorado State (1-0, 0-0 MWC)
Passer: Matt Newton (1 GP, 30-19-2, 63.3 Pct, 327 Yds, 4 TD, Longest Pass - 52 Yds)
Rusher: Cecil Sapp (1 GP, 18 Att., 76 Yds, 4.2 Avg Per Rush., 0 TD, Longest Rush - 20 Yds)
Receiver: Frank Rice (1 GP, 4 Rec., 113 Yds, 28.3 Avg Per Rec., 2 TD, Longest Rec. - 52 Yds)
Tackler: Doug Heald (1 GP, 7-6-13)

Players to Watch - East Tennessee State (1-0, 0-0 Southern)
Passer: Todd Wells (1 GP, 18-7-0, 38.9 Pct, 283 Yds, 3 TD, Longest Pass - 74 Yds)
Rusher: Terrance Sims (8 GP, 7 Att., 135 Yds, 19.3 Avg Per Rush., 1 TD, Longest Rush - 23 Yds)
Receiver: Tim Turner (1 GP, 3 Rec., 145 Yds, 48.3 Avg Per Rec., 3 TD, Longest Rec. - 42 Yds)

Utah at California
Saturday, September 9
Memorial Stadium (75,028 Cap.)
Berkeley, Calif.
3 p.m. (PT), Fox Sports Bay Area

GAME NOTES
Utah will play its second of three straight games vs. the Pac-10 when it travels to California this Saturday. It is the first meeting between these two teams in 36 years. The Utes are 7-8 against the Pac-10 in coach Ron McBride's 10-plus seasons. California is 11-6 overall against Mountain West Conference opponents, but has lost three of the past four contests against MWC teams since 1994, including a 38-28 decision last year at BYU.

THE SERIES
California Leads 3-1. Last Game: Utah 14, California 0, Nov. 14, 1964 in Berkeley, Calif.

THE COACHES
Utah head coach Ron McBride has compiled a 71-47 overall record in 10 seasons at the helm of the Utes. Tom Holmoe is 12-21 in three seasons as a head coach at Cal. Holmoe is a 1983 graduate of BYU and played for the Cougars from 1979-82.

Players to Watch - Utah (0-1, 0-0 MWC)
Passer: T.D. Croshaw (1 GP, 29-10-0, 34.5 Pct, 159 Yds, 0 TD, Longest Pass - 33 Yds)
Darnell Arcenueax (1 GP, 22-11-2, 50.0 Pct, 151 Yds, 0 TD, Longest Pass - 48 Yds)
Rusher: D'Shaun Crockett (1 GP, 17 Att., 41 Yds, 2.4 Avg Per Rush., 0 TD, Longest Rush - 20 Yds)
Receiver: Cliff Russell (1 GP, 10 Rec., 141 Yds, 14.1 Avg Per Rec., 0 TD, Longest Rec. - 48 Yds)
Tackler: Jason Kaufusi (1 GP, 3-5-8, 1 TFL, 1 PBU)

Players to Watch - California (0-0, 0-0 Pac-10)
Top Returning Passer: Kyle Boller (10 GP, 259-109-15, 38.6 Pct, 1,303 Yds, 9 TD, Longest Pass - 83 Yds)
Top Returning Rusher: Joe Igber (11 GP, 148 Att., 694 Yds, 4.7 Avg Per Rush., 2 TD, Longest Rush - 55 Yds)
Top Returning Receiver: Phillip Pipersburg (9 GP, 13 Rec., 85 Yds, 6.5 Avg Per Rec., 0 TD, Longest Rec. - 16 Yds)
Top Returning Tackler: Andre Carter (9 GP, 33-20-53, 10 Sacks, 20 TFL)

Wyoming at Texas A&M
Saturday, September 9
Kyle Field (80,322 Cap.)
College Station, Texas
6 p.m. (CT), Fox Sports Net

GAME NOTES
Wyoming and Texas A&M meet for the first time on Saturday. The Cowboys are 16-49-2 all-time vs. current Big 12 members and 4-5 in the 1990's. Wyoming has won three of its last four contests against the Big 12, with its only loss coming to Colorado (20-19) on Sept. 27, 1997. The Aggies will be opening their home schedule with Wyoming after a 24-10 loss to Notre Dame last week in South Bend. Texas A&M has won 19 straight games at home. A&Mis 3-2 all-time vs. current MWC institutions (1-2 vs. BYU, 1-0 vs. New Mexico, 1-0 vs. Utah).

THE SERIES
First Meeting

THE COACHES
Vic Koenning is in his first season at the helm of the Cowboys. He spent the past three seasons as the Wyoming defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach. R.C. Slocum is 102-33-2 in 11-plus seasons at Texas A&M and has led the Aggies to six conference/division titles and nine bowl games.

Players to Watch - Wyoming (0-1, 0-0 MWC)
Passer: Jay Stoner (1 GP, 35-19-1, 54.3 Pct, 158 Yds, 2 TDs, Longest Pass - 21 Yds)
Rusher: Al Rich (1 GP, 13 Att., 39 Yds, 2.7 Avg Per Rush., 0 TD, Longest Rush - 8 Yds)
Receiver: Ryan McGuffey (1 GP, 5 Rec., 42 Yds, 11.9 Avg Per Rec., 2 TD, Longest Rec. - 12 Yds)
Tackler: Patrick Chukwurah (1 GP, 5-0-5, 2 Sacks, 1 Forced Fumble)

Players to Watch - Texas A&M (0-1, 0-0 Big 12)
Passer: Mark Ferris (1 GP, 28-16-1, 57.1 Pct, 165 Yds, 0 TD, Longest Pass - 35 Yds)
Rusher: Rich Whitaker (1 GP, 13 Att., 71 Yds, 5.5 Avg Per Rush., 1 TD, Longest Rush - 19 Yds)
Receiver: Robert Ferguson (1 GP, 5 Rec., 79 Yds, 15.8 Avg Per Rec., 0 TD, Longest Rec. - 35 Yds)
Tackler: Cornelius Anthony (1 GP, 5-5-10, 1 Sacks, 1 TFL)

Oregon State at New Mexico
Saturday, September 9
University Stadium (31,218 Cap.)
Albuquerque, N.M.
6 p.m. (MT)

GAME NOTES
The Lobos continue their season vs. Oregon State this week in Albuquerque. The Beavers opened their season with a 21-19 win over Eastern Washington last Saturday. OSU currently owns an 11-game non-conference regular-season winning streak.

THE SERIES
New Mexico Leads 1-0. Last Game: New Mexico 35, Oregon State 16, Sept. 8, 1979

THE COACHES
New Mexico's Rocky Long is in his third season at the helm of the Lobos. He is 7-18 in his two-plus seasons in Albuquerque. Prior to his days at New Mexico, Long was the defensive coordinator for UCLA. He was also a defensive coordinator at Oregon State from 1991- 95. Dennis Erickon is in his second season in Corvallis after leading Oregon State to a 7-5 record last season and its first bowl since 1964. Erickson has also had head coaching stints at Idaho, Wyoming, Washington State, Miami, Fla. and the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.

Players to Watch - New Mexico (0-2, 0-0 MWC)
Passer: Jeremy Denson (2 GP, 32-11-2, 34.4 Pct, 105 Yds, 0 TD, Longest Pass - 25 Yds)
Rusher: Jared Baxter (2 GP, 29 Att., 145 Yds, 5.0 Avg Per Rush., 1 TD, Longest Rush - 32 Yds)
Receiver: Dwight Counter (2 GP, 4 Rec., 46 Yds, 11.5 Avg Per Rec., 0 TD, Longest Rec. - 25 Yds)
Tackler: Mike Barnett (2 GP, 11-5-16, 2 Sacks, 3 TFL)

Players to Watch - Oregon State (1-0, 0-0 Pac-10)
Passer: Jonathan Smith (1 GP, 29-13-2, 44.8 Pct, 132 Yds, 0 TD)
Rusher: Ken Simonton (1 GP, 40 Att., 200 Yds, 5.0 Avg Per Rush., 3 TD)
Receiver: T.J. Houshmandzadeh (1 GP, 6 Rec., 54 Yds, 9 Avg Per Rec., 0 TD)

Illinois at San Diego State
Saturday, September 9
Qualcomm Stadium (71,400 Cap.)
San Diego, Calif.
7 p.m. (PT), ESPN2

GAME NOTES
San Diego State and Illinois will meet for the second time in history on Saturday. The Illini enters the game 1-0 after defeating Middle Tennessee 35-6. San Diego State is 2-6 against the Big Ten, including 0-1 vs. Illinois, 0-1 vs. Iowa (Holiday Bowl '86), 1-1 vs. Minnesota, and 1-3 vs. Wisconsin. The Aztecs are 2-2 against members of the league at Jack Murphy/Qualcomm Stadium. San Diego State has dropped four consecutive games to members of the Big Ten Conference.

THE SERIES
Illinois Leads 1-0. Last Game: Illinois 38, San Diego State 10, Sept. 11, 1999 in Champaign, Ill.

THE COACHES
Ted Tollner is in his seventh season at the helm of the Aztecs and 11th overall season as a head coach. He is 37-33 at SDSU and 63-53-1 overall. Before coming to SDSU in 1994, Tollner was the head coach at Southern California (1983-86). Ron Turner is 12-23 in two seasons at Illinois.

Players to Watch - San Diego State (0-1, 0-0 MWC)
Passer: Jack Hawley (1 GP, 57-24-1, 42.1 Pct, 219 Yds, 1 TD, Longest Pass - 31 Yds)
Rusher: James Truvillion (1 GP, 19 Att., 73 Yds, 3.8 Avg Per Rush., 0 TD, Longest Rush - 14 Yds)
Receiver: J.R. Tolver (1 GP, 7 Rec., 77 Yds, 11 Avg Per Rec., 0 TD, Longest Rec. - 15 Yds)
Tackler: Will Demps (1 GP, 10-5-15, 3 TFL, 2 PBU)

Players to Watch - Illinois (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Passer: Kurt Kittner (1 GP, 26-18-1, 69.2 Pct, 183 Yds, 3 TD, Longest Pass - 30 Yds)
Rusher: Antonieo Harris (1 GP, 21 Att., 128 Yds, 6.1 Avg Per Rush., 1 TD, Longest Rush - 36 Yds)
Receiver: Greg Lewis (1 GP, 5 Rec., 54 Yds, 10.8 Avg Per Rec., 3 TD, Longest Rec. - 24 Yds)
Tackler: Muhammad Abdullah (1 GP, 10-3-13)