Mountain West Conference Football Press Release Week No. 9

Oct. 26, 2009

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31
	Air Force (4-4, 3-2) at Colorado State (3-5, 0-4) Hughes Stadium (32,500) - Fort Collins, Colo. 2 p.m. MT Series: AFA Leads 27-19-1 Last meeting: 2008, AFA 38-17
	UNLV (3-5, 1-3) at 6/8 TCU (7-0, 3-0) Amon G. Carter Stadium (44,358) - Fort Worth, Texas 3 p.m. CT Series: TCU Leads 6-1 Last meeting: 2008, TCU 44-14 HD
	New Mexico (0-7, 0-3) at San Diego State (3-4, 1-2) Qualcomm Stadium (54,000) - San Diego, Calif. 4:30 p.m. PT Series: SDSU Leads 20-15 Last meeting: 2008, UNM 70-7 HD
	Wyoming (4-3, 2-1) at 19/19 Utah (6-1, 3-0) Rice-Eccles Stadium (45,017) - Salt Lake City, Utah 6 p.m. MT Series: Utah Leads 49-31-1 Last meeting: 2008, Utah 40-7 /
Idle This Week: BYU (6-2, 3-1) Next Week: at Wyoming - Nov. 7

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS (OCT. 24)

Saturday, October 24
#7/10 TCU 38, #16/16 BYU 7 (Provo, Utah; Attendance - 64,641)
San Diego State 42, Colorado State 28 (Fort Collins, Colo.; Attendance - 20,631)
UNLV 34, New Mexico 17 (Albuquerque, N.M.; Attendance - 24,021)
#20/19 Utah 23, Air Force 16 OT (Salt Lake City, Utah; Attendance - 45,129)

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (OCT. 26)

Co-Offensive Players of the Week
RYAN LINDLEY, SAN DIEGO STATE
Sophomore, Quarterback, Lakeside, Calif./El Capitan HS
Ryan Lindley completed 29-of-43 pass attempts for a career-high 459 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions in leading San Diego State to a 42-28 come-from-behind win at Colorado State. The bulk of the sophomore quarterback's efforts came after the break, as Lindley guided the Aztecs on five consecutive scoring drives to help SDSU rally from a 21-7 halftime deficit. He finished with 17-of-23 passing for 327 yards and five touchdowns in the second half. The Lakeside, Calif., native's six touchdown passes set a new league record for most TD passes in an MWC contest, while his 459 passing yards are the most by an MWC player this season and ranks sixth nationally.

DeMARCO SAMPSON, SAN DIEGO STATE
Senior, Wide Receiver, Chula Vista, Calif./Castle Park HS
Filling in for injured receiver Vincent Brown, senior DeMarco Sampson registered 15 catches for 257 yards and three touchdowns (all career highs) to help San Diego State post a 42-28 win at Colorado State. Sampson's 15 catches tie for third-most in a single game in MWC history and are sixth-most nationally in 2009, while his 257 receiving yards set an MWC record for most in a Conference game and ranks second nationally in 2009. Sampson's three receiving touchdowns also ties the MWC record for most in a Conference game. Six of the Chula Vista, Calif., product's catches came on third down, including four times when SDSU needed eight or more yards for a first down. Of Sampson's 15 receptions, 12 went for first downs and 11 were for more than 10 yards. He caught six passes on three key SDSU scoring drives in the second half, including a 33-yard TD reception that tied the game at 21-21 midway through the third quarter, and a 38-yard TD catch that put the Aztecs on top for good with 9:29 remaining in the game.

Defensive Player of the Week
JASON BEAUCHAMP, UNLV
Senior, Linebacker/Defensive End, San Diego, Calif./Steele Canyon HS
Jason Beauchamp registered nine total tackles, including six solo stops, two sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble as UNLV picked up its first Mountain West Conference road victory since 2004 with a 34-17 win at New Mexico. All three of the senior linebacker/defensive end's sacks came on drives in which UNM was forced to punt. In the second quarter, Beauchamp sacked Lobo quarterback Donovan Porterie for an eight-yard loss on first down. In the third quarter, he brought Porterie down again, this time for a six-yard loss on third-and-six. In the fourth quarter, the San Diego, Calif., product sacked Lobo running back Kasey Carrier for a four-yard loss on second-and-seven. On UNM's next drive, Beauchamp sealed his team's victory by forcing Porterie to fumble after the quarterback had run for a first down. The fumble was recovered by UNLV and the Rebels eventually ran out the clock.

Special Teams Player of the Week
SEAN SELLWOOD, UTAH
Freshman, Punter, Salt Lake City, Utah/Judge Memorial HS
Freshman Sean Sellwood averaged 48.1 yards on eight punts for a total of 385 yards in No. 20 Utah's 23-16 overtime victory against Air Force. The Salt Lake City, Utah, native placed three punts inside the 20 and had three punts of over 50 yards. He pinned Air Force at the three-yard line with 3:44 remaining and at the seven-yard line with 20 seconds left in regulation.

MWC GAME HIGHS - WEEK 8

Passing
Ryan Lindley, So., QB, San Diego State - 459 yards on 29-of-43 passing, 6 Pass TDs
Rushing
Harvey Unga, Jr., RB, BYU - 123 yards on 21 carries
Receiving
DeMarco Sampson, Sr., WR, San Diego State - 257 yards on 15 receptions, 3 TDs
Tackles
Carmen Messina, So., LB, New Mexico - 17 Tackles (9 solo, 8 assisted), 1 TFL, 1 sack

WEEK 9 PREVIEW
The Mountain West will celebrate Halloween with four Conference tilts that will be televised nationally on Oct. 31. Saturday's slate will kick off with Air Force battling in-state rival Colorado State (The Mtn., 2 p.m. MT), followed by No. 6/8 TCU hosting UNLV (VERSUS HD, 3 p.m. CT). CBS College Sports Network will broadcast the New Mexico and San Diego State match-up in San Diego (4:30 p.m. PT), and The Mtn. will wrap up the day's action with a broadcast of Wyoming at No. 19 Utah (6 p.m. MT). BYU has the week off before resuming play with a Nov. 7 trip to Wyoming.

TCU NAMED TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK
TCU's 38-7 win at BYU last Saturday earned it the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week by the FWAA for games of the weekend of Oct 24. TCU QB Andy Dalton threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns, while the Horned Frog defense recorded five sacks. This is the second straight year TCU has received the honor following a win over BYU. The Horned Frogs were also selected after last season's 32-7 victory in Fort Worth. TCU was also a 2005 recipient following a 17-10 win at Oklahoma.

This week's award marks the second such honor for a Mountain West team this season. BYU was named the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week on Sept. 8 after the 14-13 win over Oklahoma. The FWAA has named a national team of the week since 2002. This is the sixth season the award has been sponsored by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

MWC IN THE TOP 25 POLLS
Two Mountain West teams are currently ranked in the national polls. TCU is the MWC's highest-ranked team at No. 6 in the Coaches' poll, seventh in the Harris poll and eighth in the Associated Press poll. Utah is #19 in all three polls. TCU has appeared in the polls for 19 straight weeks. BYU dropped out of the polls this week for the first time in 29 weeks (Nov. 18, 2007-Oct. 19, 2009).

TCU's No. 6 position in this week's USA Today Coaches' Top 25 is its highest ranking this early in the polls since the Horned Frogs were fourth in the Oct. 15, 1956 Associated Press poll. The No. 6 ranking is also the highest in the final week of October since the 1938 national championship season, when the Horned Frogs were No. 2 in the AP poll.

BCS STANDINGS
The streak of nine consecutive weeks with at least three Mountain West teams in the BCS standings came to an end this week. TCU and Utah remain in this week's standings at No. 6 and No. 16, respectively, while BYU has dropped out. The No. 6 ranking by the Horned Frogs is the highest for an MWC team since Utah was in the sixth position on Oct. 23, 2004.

A LOOK INSIDE THE RANKINGS
The MWC has had at least two teams ranked in both of the Coaches' and AP polls since the preseason rankings were released in August. This is the first time in league history it has accomplished that feat. The only other time the league has had two or more teams ranked in both polls for consecutive weeks was during the 2008 season when it had at least two teams in the polls for 16 straight weeks. Below is a look at how many teams each of the 11 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences have in each of the polls.

TCU REMAINS UNDEFEATED
TCU is 7-0 for the first time since 2003, when it won its first 10 games, and for only the third time since 1942. The Horned Frogs are one of seven teams that are still undefeated this season (Alabama, Boise State, Cincinnati, Iowa, Florida, Texas).

TCU'S WIN STREAK FOURTH NATIONALLY
TCU has won nine games in a row dating back to last season and has the fourth-longest win streak in the country (Florida 17, Iowa 12, Texas 11). The Horned Frogs' last nine-game win streak came in 2006-07 when they won their final eight games in 2006 and the season opener in 2007.

HOME WIN STREAKS
Utah has won 14 consecutive home games, while TCU has won 11 straight. The Utes' 14- game streak ranks second in league history, while the Frogs' 11-game streak is third. Below is a look at how the current streaks rank in the league record book.

UTAH'S CONFERENCE WIN STREAK
Utah has won 11 straight Conference games dating back to Nov. 24, 2007. The Utes' current streak is the second-longest in the country behind Florida's 12 and one ahead of Boise State's 10.

CONFERENCE COMPARISONS
The Mountain West Conference currently has two teams with one or fewer losses (TCU 7-0 and Utah 6-1) and three teams with two or fewer losses (BYU 6-2). Below is look at how the MWC compares to the other 10 FBS conferences in two or fewer loss teams.

BOWL ELIGIBILITY
With six wins apiece in 2009, BYU, TCU and Utah have each earned bowl eligibility. The MWC is one of four conferences with three teams bowl-eligible heading into Week 9. The Utes (6-1) are bowl-eligible for the seventh consecutive season, including all five seasons under head coach Kyle Whittingham. Utah currently owns the nation's longest postseason win streak (eight games), which dates back to 1999. The Cougars (6-2 overall) and the Horned Frogs (7-0 overall) have each earned bowl eligibility for the fifth straight year. BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall is the only coach in school history to qualify the Cougars for bowl games in each of his first five seasons. TCU has earned bowl eligibility in eight of the last nine seasons under the direction of head coach Gary Patterson.

Mountain West - BYU, TCU, Utah
Big East - Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, West Virginia
Big Ten - Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State
SEC - Alabama, Florida, LSU, South Carolina

CONSECUTIVE GAMES THROWING A TOUCHDOWN PASS
San Diego State QB Ryan Lindley extended his consecutive games with a TD pass to 13 this past weekend against Colorado State. Lindley's streak is the longest current streak in the MWC and ranks fourth all-time in league history.

DEFENSE PROVIDING POINTS FOR AIR FORCE
Air Force forced two turnovers (2 fumbles) at Utah this past Saturday and currently has 23 takeaways (10 interceptions, 13 fumbles) on the year. The Falcons are a +19 in turnover margin this season and lead the nation with a +2.25 turnover margin average. Air Force has forced two or more turnovers in six of eight games this season and in 19 of the last 24 overall. The Falcons have scored five defensive touchdowns this season. The five touchdowns are the most in a single season in Academy history. Air Force has scored on three interception returns (Anthony Wright - 47 yards vs. SDSU and 67 yards vs. Navy, Jon Davis - 38 yards vs. New Mexico) and a pair of fumble returns (Wale Lawal - 10 yards vs. Nicholls State, Reggie Rembert - 47 yards vs. SDSU).

AZTEC DUO PAIRS UP FOR RECORD-SETTING PERFORMANCE
San Diego State QB Ryan Lindley and WR DeMarco Sampson teamed up for a record-setting effort in Saturday's 42-28 win at Colorado State. Lindley passed for 459 yards and six touchdowns to set a new league mark for most passing TDs in a Conference contest, while Sampson caught 15 passes for 257 yards and three TDs, establishing a new league record for receiving yards in a Conference contest. Sampson's three scores also tied an MWC record for most receiving TDs in a Conference game. Lindley's six TD strikes also marked the most passing scores by a sophomore in MWC history. The previous single-game record of five passing TDs was shared by several individuals, most recently TCU's Jeff Ballard (Nov. 18, 2006 vs. San Diego State). The old sophomore record of four TD passes was also shared by several players, most recently by TCU's Andy Dalton (Oct. 25, 2008 vs. Wyoming). The previous record of 253 receiving yards was set by San Diego State's Jeff Webb (Oct. 4, 2003 vs. BYU). Sampson's 257 receiving yards and Lindley's 459 passing yards are single-game highs for the Conference this season, while ranking second and sixth in the nation, respectively.

AZTEC COMEBACK
San Diego State overcame a 21-7 halftime deficit at Colorado State this past Saturday in Fort Collins and captured a win after being down by at least 14 points for the first time since trailing Wyoming by 21 points on Nov. 3, 2007 (SDSU won 27-24). The Aztecs also won for the first time when trailing in the fourth quarter since that same 2007 Wyoming contest. The last time SDSU trailed by at least 14 points and came back to win on the road was Nov. 4, 2000, when the Aztecs won 17- 16 at New Mexico after being down by 16 points.

SAN DIEGO STATE HALTS THREE STREAKS IN ONE GAME
San Diego State's victory at Colorado State snapped three different streaks for the Aztecs. First, SDSU ended a 10-game road losing streak, dating back to a 38-30 victory at UNLV on Nov. 10, 2007. Second, the Aztecs halted a seven-game Mountain Time zone losing streak dating back to a 24-20 win at Colorado State on Oct. 6, 2007. Finally, SDSU snapped a two-game MWC losing streak dating back to a 42-21 victory over UNLV on Nov. 22, 2008.

THIRD-DOWN DEFENSE
The TCU, Air Force and Utah defenses have been solid on third-down conversions this season. The Horned Frogs rank fourth nationally, limiting opponents to 29-of-104 conversions (27.88 percent). The Falcons are fifth, holding opponents to a 28.07 conversion rate (32-of-114), while the Utes have held opponents to 30-of-102 third-down conversions to rank sixth, limiting foes to a 29.41 percent success rate. The MWC is one of only two conferences (SEC) with three teams ranked in the top 10 for thirddown conversion defense.

THIRD-DOWN OFFENSE
BYU is making the most of its third-down opportunities this season and currently leads the country with a 59.81 conversion rate. The Cougars have been successful on 64-of-107 third-down conversions. UNLV is fourth nationally, converting 53.04 percent (61-of-115) third-down chances.

NEW MEXICO AND ROCKY LONG REUNITE IN WEEK 9
New Mexico will face its former head coach in Rocky Long on Saturday when the Lobos take on San Diego State. Long, a 1974 UNM graduate and Lobo quarterback from 1969-71, is in his first season as the Aztecs' defensive coordinator. This will be the first time Long will be on the opposite sideline from his alma mater since he was an assistant coach at Wyoming from 1981-85. He left New Mexico as the all-time wins leader in Lobo history with 65 victories in 11 seasons (1998-2008) in Albuquerque.

THE MWC IN WEEK 8

• Of the 26 touchdowns scored last week by MWC teams, 17 were scored in the air, while nine were rushing TDs.
• Five MWC teams threw for over 200 yards last week. San Diego State led the way with 459 yards in the air, followed by TCU (285), New Mexico (219), UNLV (213), and Colorado State (205). Overall, MWC quarterbacks averaged 13.1 yards per completion on Saturday, led by TCU who netted 20.4 yards per catch.
• Air Force and UNLV both ran for over 200 yards on Saturday. At Utah, Air Force's running attack gained 254 total yards, while UNLV rushed for 210 yards at New Mexico.
• UNLV, Colorado State and Air Force each held their Conference foes to fewer than 100 rushing yards. The Rebels limited New Mexico to 68 rushing yards, while San Diego State only gained 72 rushing yards at Colorado State. Air Force's defense kept Utah's run game to 100 yards on the ground.
• Seven of the eight MWC teams in action last week made at least one sack totalling 18 sacks overall. TCU had five quarterback sacks, while UNLV collected four. Air Force earned three sacks, while BYU and San Diego State each tallied two sacks apiece. The defenses of Colorado State and New Mexico also recorded one sack apiece.
• San Diego State's offensive unit gained a total of 531yards at Colorado State to mark the first 500+ yard output for the Aztecs since their 45-17 victory over Idaho on Sept. 27, 2008. SDSU gained a total of 603 yards in that contest.
• San Diego State converted on 13-of-18 (.722) third-down attempts at Colorado State. The Aztecs entered the contest having been successful on 29-of-78 third downs (.372), and the performance at CSU raised the team's average to .438 to rank third in the MWC.
• TCU had a season-low in rushing yards (127) at BYU and a season-high in passing yards (285).
• BYU's crowd of 64,601 against TCU is the third highest for LaVell Edwards Stadium since its modification in 2003. In 2004, 65,251 fans witnessed BYU's 20-17 win over Notre Dame, and in 2007, 64,749 people were present for the Cougars' 17-10 defeat of Utah. BYU's attendance on Saturday marks the 16th consecutive sellout at LaVell Edwards Stadium, which matches the school's all-time record that was previously set from 1990-92.
• Utah's attendance of 45,129 marks a ninth straight sellout at Rice-Eccles Stadium, dating back to 2008.
• With 1:42 remaining in the first half, BYU RB Harvey Unga made a threeyard reception to score the Cougars' first and only touchdown of the day. Unga has accounted for the first touchdown in five of BYU's eight games this season.
• The overtime contest between Air Force and Utah was the 26th overtime game in the history of the MWC, and the 12th between Conference teams. The game marked the seventh contest to go into overtime in program history for Utah, as the Utes' last overtime contest was its 41-34 win at BYU on Nov. 19, 2005. The game also marked the ninth overtime contest for Air Force, who is 0-2 in overtime games this season after dropping a 16-13 OT decision at Navy on Oct. 3.