Sept. 29, 2008

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LAST WEEK'S RESULTS (SEPT. 27)

Saturday, September 27
Bowling Green 45, Wyoming 16 (Laramie, Wyo.; Attendance - 17,411)
California 42, Colorado State 7 (Berkeley, Calif.; Attendance - 63,970)
#2/2 Oklahoma 35, #24/23 TCU 10 (Norman, Okla.; Attendance - 85,158)
#17/17 Utah 37, Weber State 21 (Salt Lake City, Utah. - 45,117)
New Mexico 35, New Mexico State 24 (Las Cruces, N.M.; Attendance - 30,343)
Nevada, Reno 49, UNLV 27 (Las Vegas, Nev.; Attendance - 33,078)
San Diego State 45, Idaho 17 (San Diego, Calif. Attendance - 21,401)

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (SEPT. 29, 2008)

Offensive Player of the Week
RYAN LINDLEY, SAN DIEGO STATE
Freshman, Quarterback, Alpine, Calif./El Capitan HS)
Ryan Lindley completed 24-of-38 passes for 433 yards and four touchdowns with one interception in leading San Diego State to a 45-17 win over Idaho. The Alpine, Calif., native's performance set MWC and SDSU records for most passing yardage and passing touchdowns by a freshman, while his 433 yards marked the top passing effort by a freshman nationally and the sixth-highest passing total by a Bowl Subdivision player this season. His quarterback rating of 198.87 is the 16th-highest rating for a Bowl Subdivision quarterback with at least 25 passing attempts in a game this season and is the highest rating for a freshman (minimum 25 attempts) among all Bowl Subdivision teams this season.

Defensive Player of the Week
JASON BEAUCHAMP, UNLV
Junior, Linebacker, San Diego, Calif./Steele Canyon HS
Jason Beauchamp registered a career-high 21 tackles, including 10 solo stops, 2.5 tackles for loss (-12 yards) and a sack (-8 yards) in UNLV's loss to Nevada, Reno. The junior from San Diego, Calif., also had a fumble recovery in the first quarter that led to a touchdown drive and gave UNLV an early 10-0 lead. Beauchamp, who entered Saturday's game with an 8.0 tackle average this season, now leads the MWC in tackles per game with 10.6, which ranks 13th nationally.

Co-Special Teams Players of the Week
JAMES AHO, NEW MEXICO
Freshman, Place Kicker, Roswell, N.M./Roswell HS
James Aho scored 11 points by making all three of his field goal attempts and a pair of extra points in New Mexico's 35-24 win at New Mexico State. The true freshman from Roswell, N.M., converted field goals of 28, 42 and 22 yards and also had two PATs. Aho has made 10-of-11 field goals in his first five collegiate games while providing the winning margin for both Lobo victories this season.

LOUIE SAKODA, UTAH
Senior, Punter/Place Kicker, San Jose, Calif./Branham HS
Louie Sakoda went 3-for-3 in field goal attempts with four PATs while helping Utah to a 37-21 win over Weber State. The senior from San Jose, Calif., booted field goals of 33, 47 and 38 yards to finish with 13 points in the contest. He also punted twice for an average of 33 yards, landing one kick inside WSU's 20 yard line. Sakoda now has 238 career points and 45 career field goals, setting new school records for both categories.

WEEK 5 RECAP
Mountain West teams posted a 3-4 record in non-conference action on Saturday, Sept. 27. No. 17 Utah extended its win streak to six games with a 37-21 triumph over Weber State, while New Mexico beat in-state rival New Mexico State (35-24) and San Diego State picked up its first win of the season against Idaho (45-17). In other action, No. 24/23 TCU lost at #2 Oklahoma (35-10), Colorado State dropped a 42-7 decision at California, UNLV feel to Nevada, Reno (49-27) and Wyoming couldn't keep up with Bowling Green in a 45-16 defeat in Laramie.

WEEK 6 PREVIEW
All nine Mountain West teams return to action as the 2008 football campaign reaches the halfway point in Week 6. All six contests will be televised with five national broadcasts on VERSUS and The Mtn. No. 15/15 Utah kicks things off with a Thursday night showdown at home against Oregon State (7 p.m. MT, VERSUS), while No. 8/7 BYU visits Utah State for a Friday night match-up (6 p.m. MT, KJZZ). On Saturday, Air Force hosts Navy as the Falcons begins their quest for the Commander-in-Chief trophy, while the rest of the league squares off in conference play with an MWC tripleheader on The Mtn., featuring UNLV at Colorado State (12 p.m. MT, The Mtn.), San Diego State at TCU (5 p.m. CT, The Mtn.) and Wyoming at New Mexico (7:30 p.m. MT, The Mtn.).

BYU AND UTAH IN TOP 25 NATIONAL RANKINGS
BYU and Utah are currently ranked in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches polls. Despite being idle, the Cougars moved up to eighth in the Associated Press and to No. 7 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches polls. Utah jumped up two spots in both polls to 15th. BYU enters the top 10 for the first time since the 2001 season, when the Cougars achieved rankings as high as No. 7 in the Coaches' poll and No. 8 in the AP poll. Prior to this week's polls, BYU's last appearance in the top-10 was on Dec. 2, 2001. The Cougars' No. 7 ranking in the USA Today/ESPN poll is the highest by an MWC team since the final poll of the 2004 season when Utah ranked No. 5.

BYU AND UTAH AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS IN WIN STREAKS
BYU has won 14 consecutive games and currently holds the longest active win streak in the country. Utah has won six games in a row and is tied for second nationally with Alabama, Penn State, LSU and Texas Tech. BYU has also won an MWC-record 15 consecutive home games, a mark that currently ranks tied for third among Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Oklahoma has the longest active home win streak at 20, followed by Wisconsin with 16 and Boise State with 15. The Cougars have also won an MWC-record 17 straight league contests. BYU has not lost to a league opponent since dropping its MWC finale to Utah on Nov. 19, 2005. The 17 consecutive victories is currently the longest active conference win streak in the country.

BYU AND UTAH REMAIN PERFECT
There are currently 18 undefeated teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision heading into Week 6. BYU and Utah boast 4-0 and 5-0 records, respectively, marking the first time in league history the Mountain West has had two teams with unblemished records at this point in the season. The MWC is one of five FBS conferences with two or more undefeated teams:

Big East - Connecticut (5-0), South Florida (5-0)
Big Ten - Northwestern (5-0), Penn State (5-0)
Big 12 - Missouri (4-0), Oklahoma (4-0), Oklahoma State (4-0), Texas (4-0), Texas Tech (4-0)
MWC - BYU (4-0), Utah (5-0)
SEC - Alabama (5-0), Kentucky (5-0), LSU (4-0), Vanderbilt (4-0)

CONFERENCE RECORDS AGAINST AUTOMATIC-QUALIFYING BCS TEAMS
The MWC has posted a 7-5 mark in games against BCS conference opponents this season (includes Notre Dame), with five different teams chalking up victories. TCU is 11-3 and Utah is 10-3 in the last 14 and 13 games, respectively, against automatic-qualifying BCS teams.

NON-CONFERENCE REPORT
The Mountain West Conference is currently 21-10 in non-conference action in 2008. The MWC is 15-9 (.625) against non-conference FBS opponents entering the week, which is the fourth-best mark among the 11 conferences.

BYU POSTS BACK-TO-BACK SHUTOUTS
BYU defeated Wyoming 44-0 the last time out, marking its second consecutive shutout. The Cougars also held UCLA scoreless in Week 3 in the 59-0 win. The last time BYU posted back-to-back shutouts was in 1985 when the Cougars posted identical scores, defeating Wyoming 59-0 and Utah State 44-0. The BYU record is four consecutive shutouts, accomplished in 1937. The Cougars are the second team in MWC history to post back-to-back shutouts. Utah accomplished the feat in 2003 when it blanked BYU 3-0 in the regular season finale and shut out Southern Miss in the Liberty Bowl, 17-0. The MWC record for shutouts in a season is two (by several teams).

100-YARD RUSHERS RARE AGAINST MWC DEFENSES
The MWC has six teams that have not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 2008. In fact, all six institutions are currently riding streaks of four games or longer, led by TCU's 10 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. New Mexico has the second-longest streak at eight games, followed by Colorado State, Utah and Wyoming at five games each and BYU at four games.

AIR FORCE AND BYU NEAR TOP OF FBS FOR FUMBLE RECOVERIES
Air Force and BYU rank second and tied for third, respectively, in fumble recoveries in the latest NCAA stats. Entering Week 6, the Falcons have nine fumble recoveries, while the Cougars have recovered eight. Akron leads the country with 10.

TCU AND UTAH IN TOP 5 FOR RUSH DEFENSE
TCU leads the nation in run defense (29.4 yards per game), while Utah is ranked fifth (60.2 ypg). The Horned Frogs have held their first five opponents to under 100 yards rushing (New Mexico-56, Stephen F. Austin-3, Stanford-71, SMU-minus 8, Oklahoma-25), while the Utes have limited four of their five opponents to less than 100 yards on the ground (Michigan-36, UNLV-129, Utah State-27, Air Force-53, Weber State-56). TCU and Utah also ranked among the elite in tackles for loss in the FBS. The Frogs are tied for second, averaging 9.3 TFL per game. The Utes are sixth with a 8.60 per game average.

UNLV MAKING THE MOST OF RED ZONE CHANCES
UNLV ranked last in the MWC in red-zone scoring in 2007 (73.0 percent - 26 scores in 37 trips -- 15 TDs/11 FGs). Through the first five games, the Rebels are tied for first in the nation with a perfect 15- for-15 mark inside the 20-yard line, including 12 touchdowns and three field goals.

MWC PLAYERS AMONG THE BEST WHEN IT COME TO TACKLES FOR LOSS
Mountain West players own four of the top 11 spots in the latest NCAA statistics for tackles for loss and is the only league with four players in the top 11. Utah's Paul Kruger is second in the country with 11.5 tackles for loss and an average of 2.30 per game. Air Force's Jake Paulson is tied for fourth with 2.00 per game (8 total), followed by San Diego State's Russell Allen ranked tied for eighth with 1.75 TFL per game (7 total) and TCU's Jason Phillips tied for 11th with 1.63 per game (6.5 total).

BYU'S HALL MAKING A CASE FOR HEISMAN
BYU junior QB Max Hall completed 16-of-27 pass attempts for 189 yards and three touchdowns in just two and a half quarters of play in the 44-0 win over Wyoming on Sept. 20. It was the second week in a row he only played a little over a half of the game due to BYU's lead. Hall has 1,284 passing yards and 15 touchdowns through the first four games of the season. He ranks sixth in the FBS in pass efficiency with a 180.8 rating, while his 15 passing touchdowns are tied for fourth nationally.

THREE MWC PLAYERS AMONG FBS ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS FOR TACKLES
The Mountain West has three players ranked in the top 20 of the Football Bowl Subdivision for Active Career Tackles as of Sept. 28.

INSIDE THE MWC RECORD BOOK

INDIVIDUAL

• New Mexico's Rodney Ferguson moved into second place on the league's all-time list for career rushing attempts with 659. The MWC record of 1,028 attempts is held by former Lobo standout DonTrell Moore (2002-05). Ferguson is also ranked among MWC career leaders in rushing yards (3rd-2,982), rushing touchdowns (7th-27), overall touchdowns (t7th-30) and all-purpose yards (t9th-3,577).
• San Diego State's Vincent Brown caught eight passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns against Idaho. His three receiving TDs tied for the second-highest single-game effort in MWC history and also tied the mark for most receiving TDs by a sophomore.
• San Diego State's Ryan Lindley passed for a career-high 433 yards and four touchdowns in the Aztecs` win over Idaho on Saturday, setting new MWC freshman records for both categories. The previous record for passing yardage by a freshman was 360 yards, set by BYU's Matt Berry against Wyoming on Nov. 9, 2002. Lindley had previously tied the single-game record for passing TDs by a freshman with three vs. Cal Poly on Aug. 30, 2008.
• UNLV's Ben Jaekle kicked a 52-yard field goal against Nevada, Reno, tying the MWC record for the longest field goal by a sophomore.
• UNLV's Michael Johnson registered 169 kickoff return yards on seven attempts vs. Nevada, Reno, setting the MWC record for most kick return yards by a freshman. The previous record of 166 yards was held by Colorado State's Dexter Wynn (Oct. 28, 2000 at San Diego State).
• Utah's Brian Johnson currently ranks among the league's Top 10 in six career statistical categories. The senior is second in pass completion percentage (497-756, 65.7%), fourth in completions (497), sixth in passing yards (6,010), sixth in total offense yards (6,729), seventh in pass attempts (756) and ninth in total plays (1,058).
• Utah's Louie Sakoda currently sits among the league's all-time leaders for kicking and overall points (238), ranking fifth and seventh, respectively, in those categories. He is also sixth for career field goals made (45), fourth in punts (200) and fifth in punting yards (8,462).
• BYU's Austin Collie caught two touchdown passes in the Cougars' win over Wyoming, bringing his career total to 20 and tying him for second place on the MWC's list for career receptions. The league record of 29 touchdown receptions is currently held by former Wyoming standout Jovon Bouknight (2002-05).
• BYU's Max Hall passed for an MWC-record seven touchdowns in the Cougars' 59-0 shutout of UCLA. The previous record of five passing TDs was set by several individuals, most recently by former San Diego State QB Kevin O'Connell on Sept. 22, 2007 against Portland State.
• New Mexico freshman James Aho kicked five field goals and three PATs in the Lobos' 36-28 win over Arizona, setting an MWC single-game record for most kicking points (18). The previous record of 17 points was shared by three other individuals and reached most recently by former Air Force kicker Joey Ashcroft on Nov. 9, 2002 at Army. Aho's five field goals tied the MWC record for most field goals in a game and set a new freshman mark. The previous freshman mark of four field goals was shared by current Colorado State kicker Jason Smith and former Utah kicker Bryan Borreson.
• Utah's Paul Kruger equaled an MWC record with 4.0 sacks at Utah State. Kruger is the first MWC player to register four sacks in a game since former New Mexico standout Michael Tuohy achieved the feat against New Mexico State on Sept. 9, 2006. His four sacks are the most by any FBS player thus far in 2008.

TEAM

• BYU's seven passing touchdowns vs. UCLA shattered the previous MWC record of five, last set by San Diego State against Portland State on Sept. 22, 2007.
• BYU's 59-0 victory over the Bruins marked the third-largest margin of victory in MWC history. The Cougars' 35-point onslaught in the second quarter was the second-highest scoring effort in a single quarter in league history, while their 42 points in the first half were the third-most points in a half.
• BYU held UCLA to zero rushing first downs, marking the third consecutive year, and fourth overall, an MWC team had not allowed an opponent to record a rushing first down. The Cougars accomplished the feat against Arizona in 2007, while TCU did it in against Northern Illinois in 2006 and UNLV did it against Arkansas in 2001.
• New Mexico's MWC record-tying five field goals against Arizona marked the most by an MWC squad since Colorado State kicked five in an Aug. 22, 2002 win at Virginia.