UNLV (3-5) at AIR FORCE (5-3)%
Falcon Stadium (52,480)
USAFA, Colo.
Noon (MT)
AFA leads 3-1
1998, AFA won 52-10
NEW MEXICO (3-5) at UTAH (6-3)%
Rice-Eccles Stadium (45,634)
Salt Lake City, Utah
1 p.m. (MT) / ESPN+Plus
Utah leads 26-12-2
1998, Utah won 41-7
12/15 BYU (8-1) at WYOMING (5-3)%
War Memorial (33,500)
Laramie, Wyo.
4 p.m. (MT) / KSL, KTWO
BYU leads 34-28-3
1997, BYU won 28-25
COLORADO STATE Idle. Next up: vs. AIR FORCE, Thursday, Nov. 18 (AFA leads series 22-14-1).
SAN DIEGO STATE Idle. Next up: at UNLV, Saturday, Nov. 20 (Series tied 4-4).
LAST WEEK:
Saturday, November 6
AIR FORCE 28, Army 0 (USAFA, Colo. attendance 53,155)
BYU 30, SAN DIEGO STATE 7 (San Diego, Calif. attendance 40,836)
COLORADO STATE 36, NEW MEXICO 22 (Albuquerque, N.M. attendance 26,710)
WYOMING 43, UTAH 29 (Salt Lake City, Utah attendance 40,149)
UNLV Idle
BYU CONTROLS ITS OWN DESTINY
With a win at Wyoming this week, BYU can claim the first Mountain West Conference title. The Cougars have won 18 conference championships under 28-year coach LaVell Edwards. BYU became bowl-eligible with a win over UNLV on Oct. 23. BYU¹s final regular season game is Nov. 20 vs. Utah.
Colorado State and Utah are in a tight race for second place. Both have a 3-2 conference record (6-3 overall). The MWC has three bowl-eligible teams and two more can win their sixth game this weekend. CSU will host Air Force on Nov. 18 and travels to Las Vegas to face UNLV Nov. 27. Utah has two remaining games, both in the state of Utah. The Utes face New Mexico this Saturday and play BYU in Provo on Nov. 20. Air Force has three games remaining (vs. UNLV, at CSU, at UNM) and can finish 8-3 overall if it wins out. Two of the three remaining Wyoming games will be played in Laramie. The Cowboys could also finish 8-3 with wins over BYU, New Mexico and San Diego State to finish the season. (see bowl-tie information on page 2).
BOWL LINE-UP: The regular-season champion will represent the MWC at the AXA Liberty Bowl for the next three years and play the Conference USA champ in 1999 on Dec. 31 in Memphis, Tenn. (ESPN, 5 p.m. Eastern Time). The runner-up or second-choice team will play the WAC champ in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 18, 1999 (ESPN2, 6 p.m. Eastern Time). MWC teams have a 3-3 record in Liberty Bowl games and a 1-2 record in the EA Sports Las Vegas Bowl. Both agreements are three-year deals beginning in ¹’99. Commissioner Craig Thompson is working on securing other bowl affiliations for the MWC.
Liberty Bowl Results
1964 Utah 32, West Virginia 6
1989 Mississippi 42, Air Force 29
1990 Air Force 23, Ohio State 11
1991 Air Force 38, Mississippi State 15
1992 Mississippi 13, Air Force 0
1998 Tulane 41, BYU 27
Las Vegas Bowl Results
1994 UNLV 52, C. Michigan 24
1997 Oregon 41, Air Force 13
1998 N. Carolina 20, SDSU 13
WEEKLY HONORS:
(Based on Nov. 6 games)
Frank Rice, Colorado State, WR, Junior (MWC Co-Offensive Player of the Week)
Frank Rice caught three passes for a career-best 130 yards and scored twice in the Rams’ 36-22 win at New Mexico. Rice’s first pass on the first play from scrimmage covered 58 yards for a touchdown, and he later scored on a 66-yarder. Rice also carried twice from scrimmage on reverses, gaining 13 yards, and scored on a 12-yard run in the fourth quarter. In total, Rice¹s three touchdown plays covered 136 yards. Colorado State (6-3, 3-2/2nd-place tie) is idle this week. The Rams host Air Force (5-3, 1-3/6th-place tie) after a 12-day layoff on Thursday, Nov. 18 (6 p.m., ESPN).
Jay Stoner, Wyoming, QB, Junior (MWC Co-Offensive Player of the Week)
Jay Stoner had his second-best passing day of his career and the third-best performance by a MWC quarterback, going 21-of-38 for 349 yards in Wyoming’s 43-29 win at Utah. Prior to the game, Utah had ranked ninth in passing efficiency defense by allowing just 98.4 passing yards per game. Since Stoner’s performance, Utah has dropped to 16th nationally. Wyoming (5-3, 2-2/4th-place tie) hosts MWC-leader BYU (8-1, 5-0) on Saturday at 4 p.m. (MT).
Rob Morris, BYU, LB, Senior (MWC Defensive Player of the Week)
Rob Morris had a game-high 15 tackles, including 14 solo tackles, in the 30-7 win at San Diego State. Morris collected a season-high five tackles for a combined loss of 30 yards, including three sacks for minus-25 yards. He also forced two key fumbles and recovered one. His forced fumble in the third quarter broke the game open when Hans Olsen scooped up the ball and ran for a 24-yard touchdown.
Deone Horinek, Colorado State, P, Senior (MWC Special Teams Player of the Week)
Deone Horinek punted eight times for a 46.6-yard average and two of his punts were downed inside the New Mexico 20-yard line. His third-quarter punt, which traveled 72 yards and rolled dead at the Lobos’ 1-yard line with the Rams trailing 14-6, changed the momentum of the game. UNM quarterback Sean Stein fumbled and was tackled in the end zone for a safety, which was the beginning of a 23-point run for CSU.
The following is a list of MWC Players of the Week:
Sept. 6 Kevin McDougal, CSU Brian Urlacher, UNM Deone Horinek, CSU
Sept. 13 Kevin Feterik, BYU Kevin Thomas, UNLV Aaron Elling, WYO
Sept. 20 Kevin Feterik, BYU Jay Hill, UTAH Jackson Whiting, AFA
Sept. 27 Jack Hawley, SDSU Matt Lehning, WYO Tom Waring, WYO
Oct. 4 Mike Thiessen, AFA Greg Pollard, CSU C.W. Hurst, CSU
Oct. 11 Jeremi Rudolph, UNLV Brain Urlacher, UNM Duane James, UNLV
Oct. 18 Scotty McKay, AFA Kimball Christianson, UTAH Steve Smith, UTAH
Oct. 25 Darnell Arceneaux, UTAH Ula Tuitele, CSU Owen Pochman, BYU
Nov. 1 Kevin Feterik, BYU Jared Lee, BYU Dallas Davis, CSU
Nov. 8 Frank Rice, CSU Rob Morris, BYU Deone Horinek, CSU
Jay Stoner, WYO
THIS WEEK’S GAME NOTES:
Saturday, October 13
New Mexico (3-5, 2-2) at Utah (6-3, 3-2), Rice-Eccles Stadium, 1 p.m. (MT), ESPN+Plus
Utah leads the all-time series 26-12-2 against the Lobos and has won the past four meetings. Last year, the Utes earned a 41-7 victory in Albuquerque as Utah forced six New Mexico turnovers and jumped out to a 27-0 halftime lead. Lobo All-American Brian Urlacher racked up 20 tackles in the loss, as Utah RB Mike Anderson scored three touchdowns. Utah holds a 14-3-1 advantage in Salt Lake City. New Mexico’s last victory in the series was a memorable one. In 1994, the unbeaten and ninth-ranked Utes were defeated 23-21 in Albuquerque. The two teams have met every year since 1983. Utah head coach Ron McBride has a 6-3 career record against New Mexico, while UNM’s Rocky Long is 0-1. As a Lobo quarterback, Long rushed for four touchdowns against Utah in 1971. The longest pass play in Utah football history occurred against the Lobos. In 1976, Daniel Hagemann and Jack Steptoe hooked up for a 98-yard touchdown. In a 41-39 loss to Utah in 1989, New Mexico quarterback Jeremy Leach rewrote the Lobo record book with his 41-of-68 passing performance. He threw for a school record 622 yards as well as four touchdowns.
BYU (8-1, 5-0) at Wyoming (5-3, 2-2), War Memorial Stadium, 4 p.m. (MT), KTWO and KSL
1999 marks the 66th meeting between the Cougars and the Cowboys. BYU leads the all-time series 34-28-3, and the Cougars have won the last six meetings. The last time BYU and Wyoming met on the gridiron was in the 1996 WAC Championship game - the Cougars earned a 28-25 overtime victory. In that game, the Cowboys led 25-20 and took a safety on a punting play to make it 25-22. BYU then took the ball the length of the field and tied the game on a 20-yard field goal by Owen Pochman as time expired. Pochman would kick a 32-yarder in overtime to win the game. Wyoming leads the series 15-12-3 in games played in Laramie, but lost the last meeting in War Memorial Stadium, 31-28 in 1992. The Cowboys’ longest winning streak in the series is seven games (1963-69), but they have won consecutive games against the Cougars just once since 1970 (1987-88). This will be Wyoming head coach Dana Dimel’s first game against BYU, while LaVell Edwards has an 18-5 career record vs. the Cowboys.
UNLV (3-5, 1-3) at Air Force (5-3, 1-3), Falcon Stadium, Noon (MT)
Air Force leads the overall series 3-1 against UNLV, including a 52-10 victory in Las Vegas last year. In that contest, the Falcons held the Rebels to minus-6 yards rushing, while rolling up 383 yards on the ground. The first meeting between the two teams was in 1981 with UNLV claiming a 24-21 victory. The next game between the two did not occur until 1996. In that game, the Falcons earned a 65-17 victory. The 65 points is the fifth-most in Falcon football history. Air Force won the only meeting at Falcon Stadium, 25-24 in 1997. In that game, UNLV receiver Len Ware caught an 82-yard touchdown pass, the second-longest pass reception in school history. This will be head coach John Robinson’s first game against the Falcons.
LAST WEEK’S GAMES:
Saturday, October 6
Colorado State 36, at New Mexico 22
CSU QB Matt Newton threw touchdown passes of 58 and 66 yards to Frank Rice, and Deone Horinek’s 72-yard third quarter punt helped CSU in its win over host New Mexico. The Rams struck for 16 points in the third quarter to erase a 14-6 deficit. Horinek¹s career-best punt to the New Mexico 1-yard line changed the momentum of the game. On second down, UNM QB Sean Stein was tackled in the end zone for a safety and the Lobos were on the heels the rest of the game. The Rams added two TDs in the final eight minutes of the quarter. The first was a 2-yard run by Newton and the second was a 3-yard run by Kevin McDougal. Stein threw a 52-yard TD pass to Germany Thompson and a 3-yard pass to Tommy Hemphill in the first half. But the Lobos, who had 223 total yards in the first half to CSU¹s 88, missed a 43-yard FG attempt and failed to score after recovering a CSU fumble at the Rams’ 29-yard line in the second quarter. UNM got within 29-22 with 9:39 left in the game but with 5:38 left, CSU scored a 12-yard TD run by Rice.
Wyoming 43, at Utah 29
Wyoming LB Patrick Chukwurah led a defensive charge that helped Wyoming produce 23 fourth-quarter points. Freshman Cliff Brye had TD runs of 16 and 21 yards in the final quarter, and QB Jay Stoner was 21-of-38 for 349 yards the second-best passing performance in his career and third-best performance by a MWC quarterback this season. Utah’s starting QB Darnell Arceneaux fumbled the ball in the end zone after a hard hit by a Wyoming defender and Wyoming¹s Courtney Barnes recovered to give the Cowboys a 35-17 lead with 8:54 to play. Arceneaux left the game with a "massive concussion" and was sent to the hospital. Reserve QB T.D. Croshaw, who has played in every game this season but the opener, threw an 80-yard TD strike to Cliff Russell on the Utes’ next play from scrimmage, pulling the Utes’ within 36-23. The Utah defense forced a punt in the next series, but Croshaw was intercepted by Al Rich. The Cowboys capitalized on the turnover, scoring four plays later on a 21-yard run by Brye, and the Utes added a final score with a 4-yard TD pass with 34 seconds left. Wyoming head coach Dana Dimel directed his team from the press box, becoming the first coach this season to coach from upstairs by his own decision. Wisconsin’s Barry Alvarez coached from the press box earlier this season while recovering from a knee replacement, and Georgia Tech’s George O’Leary served a one-game penalty infraction of NCAA rules.
No. 15 BYU 30, at San Diego State 7
BYU DT Hans Olsen returned a fumble 24 yards for a score and Kevin Feterik threw for two TDs as the Cougars won their eighth game of the season and retained sole possession of first place in the MWC. SDSU scored first with a 9-yard run by QB Jack Hawley with 3:22 left in the opening period. One of the big plays of the game came when LB Rob Morris sacked Hawley and forced a fumble, which Olsen picked up and returned for his first career TD. Morris recovered a fumble in the second quarter, setting up the first of three field goals by Owen Pochman. Morris recovered a Larry Ned fumble, which was forced by Byron Frisch, giving the Aztecs a third turnover in as many plays and the Cougars picked up the ball on the SDSU 8, later settling on a 23-yard field goal by Pochman.
At Air Force 28, Army 0
Air Force QB Mike Thiessen ran for a touchdown, Corey Nelson returned an interception for another score and AFA shut down the nation’s top rushing attack as the Falcons claimed their third consecutive Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. In early October, AFA defeated Navy, 19-14. The Falcons gained 323 yards and held Army, which had been averaging 320 rushing yards per game, to 90 on the ground and 100 total. Army crossed midfield only once, reaching the AFA 25-yard line midway through the third period. QB Cale Bonds returned to action after missing the previous three games with a sprained ankle. He moved the AFA offense on their first three series but they managed only a field goal. The Falcons scored 19 points in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 22-0 lead. They added two field goals in the fourth quarter by Dave Adams (46-yarder) and Jackson Whiting (27 yards).
ROAD WARRIORS: MWC teams have fared better on the road than at home this season. Last Saturday, all three MWC road teams posted victories. Four teams have won at least one conference home game. They are: BYU (vs. Colorado State and Air Force), Colorado State (vs. Utah), Utah (vs. SDSU) and New Mexico (vs. UNLV).
Conference road record: 13-5
Conference home record: 5-13
A GLANCE AT THE RECORDS:
Overall League
Team Home Away Neutral Home Away
Air Force 2-2 2-1 1-0 0-2 1-1
BYU 4-1 4-0 --- 2-0 3-0
Colorado State 3-1 2-2 1-0 1-1 2-1
New Mexico 2-3 1-2 --- 1-2 1-0
San Diego State 1-3 2-3 --- 0-3 1-1
UNLV 0-3 3-2 --- 0-2 1-1
Utah 3-1 3-2 --- 1-1 2-1
Wyoming 2-2 3-1 --- 0-2 2-0
ABOUT MWC FOOTBALL: The first series between two MWC teams started in 1899, when Wyoming and Colorado State faced each other. Prior to forming the MWC, six of the eight schools had played at least 120 games vs. MWC teams. Colorado State has played the most games vs. MWC teams (320 total prior to 1999).
The success and experience of its coaches are also hallmarks of the MWC. Prior to 1999, league schools have head coaches with a combined 94 years of head coaching experience and an overall winning percentage of .646. The MWC coaching ranks include numerous conference championships (WAC, Pac-10), Coach of the Year awards and NFL coaching experience. UNLV’s John Robinson coached in eight bowl games while serving as head coach at USC and took the Los Angeles Rams to six postseasons, including two NFC Championship appearances. SDSU¹s Ted Tollner took USC to two bowl games, winning the Rose Bowl and Pac-10 title in 1984, before moving on to the professional ranks where he spent a total of seven years in the NFL as an assistant coach for three different organizations. Earlier this season, Air Force’s Fisher DeBerry became the winningest service academy coach with 124 wins in games vs. Army and Navy. At BYU, LaVell Edwards is in his 28th season at the helm and has taken the Cougars to 21 bowl games. In fact, his 243 coaching victories prior to the season ranked seventh all-time among NCAA Division I-A coaches. The most cohesive unit in the country, BYU has not had a change in its coaching staff for five straight years. Meanwhile, Ron McBride at Utah recently posted his eighth winning season in 10 years. Colorado State’s Sonny Lubick has been named conference coach of the year twice (1994 and ‘97) and won three conference titles in his six seasons. The former offensive coordinator at Miami (Fla.) from 1989-92, Lubick is the school’s all-time winningest coach and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame on Oct. 9, 1998. The two newer coaches to the group are Wyoming’s Dana Dimel (3rd season) and New Mexico’s Rocky Long (2nd season). Dimel posted back-to-back 8-win seasons in his first two years at Wyoming. Long recently served as defensive coordinator in the Pac-10 (UCLA, 1996-97) and Oregon State (1991-95).
MWC vs. OTHER CONFERENCES: Collectively, MWC teams are 21-11 (.656) vs. all non-conference opponents in 1999 and 7-5 vs. conferences affiliated with the Bowl Championship Series. In its inaugural season, the MWC compiled the following records vs. BCS opponents Pac-10 (4-1), Big 12 (3-1), Big Ten (0-1), SEC (0-1), ACC (0-1). In total, MWC faced 12 BCS teams during the 1999 regular season. The MWC is 14-6 vs. other non-conference opponents.
EXPOSURE: Twelve games have been televised nationally on either ESPN (Washington at BYU, CSU at BYU and Utah at CSU), ESPN2 (Wyoming at Tennessee, Virginia at BYU, Air Force at San Diego State, Utah at Air Force, CSU at Wyoming, Wyoming at Utah) or Fox Sports Net (CU-CSU, Air Force at Washington, Air Force at Navy). On September 25, the Mountain West Conference reached a milestone by surpassing the one million mark in total attendance (all games, home and away). After 10 weeks of play, a total of 1,727,276 fans had watched MWC teams play in person (44 games total). The average home attendance in the MWC is 36,127 (1,192,194/33 games). BYU leads the conference, averaging 65,034 after five home games.
In total, 30 of the 50 games (60 percent) which includes at least one MWC team this season will be televised by either one of the national or regional networks, or as point-to-point broadcasts.
WHERE THE MWC IS STATISTICALLY: Offensively, Air Force is second nationally in rushing offense (276.1 ypg), while BYU is ninth in passing offense (321.8 ypg) and 12th in total offense (440.2 ypg). BYU leads the conference in scoring (33.1 ppg, 18th nationally), followed by Utah (32.3 ppg, 20th nationally). CSU’s Kevin McDougal leads the conference in rushing (106.4 ypg, 20th nationally). BYU’s Kevin Feterik is atop the MWC stat leaders in passing efficiency (7th nationally, 146.3) and total offense (8th nationally, 313.4 ypg). One of his primary targets, Margin Hooks, leads the MWC in receiving yards (87.22 per game, 29th nationally).
In scoring, BYU’s Lucas Staley, a true freshman, ranks 11th among national leaders with 9.75 points per game. He has scored 13 touchdowns to date, which leads the MWC. Teammate K Owen Pochman is 20th nationally with 8.89 points per game. He connected on three field goals last Saturday vs. SDSU and extended his FG streak to a school-record 13. Pochman is tied for fourth among field goal leaders, with 1.78 per game.
Defensively, BYU leads the MWC in rushing defense, allowing just 95.9 yards per game (13th nationally) on the ground and ranks seventh nationally in total defense (288.0 ypg). However, the Cougars are third in the MWC among pass efficiency defense leaders (20th nationally,106.3 ypg), behind UNLV (13th, 100.5) and Utah (16th, 102.4).
On special teams, CSU is second in punt returns and the Rams’ Dallas Davis ranks third nationally. Utah is second in the MWC and seventh national in punt returns, thanks in part to Stevonne Smith (15.44).
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE POLLS: BYU moved up in the ESPN/USA TODAY poll this week, ranking a season-high No. 12. The Cougars are coming off a 30-7 win on the road over San Diego State. BYU and CSU have each been ranked in the polls consecutive weeks. BYU has been ranked six consecutive weeks, while CSU was ranked for two weeks straight and Air Force has been in the polls twice. Air Force was ranked 25th in the AP poll four weeks ago but dropped out after a 21-15 loss at home to unranked Utah on Oct. 16. BYU had lost to Virginia at home on Sept. 25, 45-40, and dropped out of both polls after being ranked 17th (AP) and 19th (ESPN).
Here’s a look back:
Date ESPN Poll AP Poll
Week 1 (Aug. 29) No team ranked No team ranked
Week 2 (Sept. 5) No team ranked CSU (#24)
Week 3 (Sept. 12) CSU (No. 24) BYU (#25), CSU (#23)
Week 4 (Sept. 19) BYU (#19), AFA (#25) BYU (#17), AFA (#24)
Week 5 (Sept. 26) No team ranked No team ranked
Week 6 (Oct. 3) BYU (#24) BYU (#24)
Week 7 (Oct. 10) BYU (#20) BYU (#21), AFA (#25)
Week 8 (Oct. 17) BYU (#19) BYU (No. 19)
Week 9 (Oct. 24) BYU (#15) BYU (No. 16)
Week 10 (Oct. 30) BYU (#13) BYU (No. 15)
Week 11 (Nov. 7) BYU (#12) BYU (No. 15)
Other MWC teams receiving votes in the Polls (Nov. 7):
ESPN/USA TODAY Poll Colorado State 23 (No. 31), Air Force 4 (No. 42).
Associated Press Poll Utah 4 (No. 38), Wyoming 1 (No. 46).
TEAM NOTES
AIR FORCE FALCONS (5-3, 1-3/6th-tie Mtn. West)
With AFA’s win over Army last Saturday the Falcons claimed their 13th Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy and 11th under Coach DeBerry. AFA has won the trophy more times than Army (6) and Navy (5) combined … K Jackson Whiting remains perfect this season (11-for-11 FGs) … WR Matt Farmer moved into third on the AFA career receiving yards list and fourth in career receptions. Farmer now has 82 catches for 1,314 yards … LB Corey Nelson had an interception and touchdown last Saturday vs. Army both career firsts … AFA held Army to minus-2 yards on its first 14 plays. Army entered the game with the nation’s top rushing offense with a 320-yard average and was held to 90 yards rushing and 100 total yards … With the win over Army, DeBerry won his 125th career game (125-67-1 record) and improved his CIC record to 26-6. The Falcons have won 11 straight games over Army in Falcon Stadium … In the last three games, the Falcons have allowed an average of 91.3 rushing yards per game. In the previous four games, the Air Force defense allowed 167.3 rushing yards per game.
BYU COUGARS (8-1, 5-0/1st Mtn. West)
Ranked a season-high 12th in the ESPN/USA TODAY poll and 15th in the AP poll this week … Freshman Luke Staley extended his scoring streak to eight games with a 20-yard reception from Kevin Feterik in the second quarter vs. SDSU last Saturday. He leads the MWC with 13 TDs (10 rushing TDs and 3 TD receptions) … K Owen Pochman extended his consecutive field goal streak to a school record 13. He is 16-of-21 on the season and currently holds the BYU record with 44 career field goals. Pochman has also connected on 24 straight PATs, dating back to the second quarter of the Virginia game (Sept. 25) … The Cougars extended their NCAA record to 309 games without being shutout. BYU has not been shutout since a Sept. 27, 1975, loss vs. Arizona State … BYU has thrown at least one TD pass in 14 straight games. During that stretch, BYU is 11-3 … The BYU defense has scored twice this season. Last Saturday vs. SDSU, LB Rob Morris caused a fumble which Hans Olsen recovered and ran for the TD. Against Virginia, CB Brian Gray returned an interception for a TD … QB Kevin Feterik threw for two scores last Saturday to tie Virgil Carter for ninth place on the career TD receptions list with 50. Feterik also ranks eighth on BYU’s all-time passing list with 7,132 career passing yards. He needs 333 yards to pass Steve Sarkisian for seventh. Feterik has 2,883 passing yards on the season and a career-high 22 touchdowns this season.
COLORADO STATE RAMS (6-3, 3-2/2nd-tie Mtn. West)
Idle this week … The Rams are bowl eligible after capturing a sixth win at UNM last Saturday … CSU has won three consecutive games for the first time this season, marking the longest streak since a 5-game winning streak in 1998 … CSU is 16-2 in November games under Sonny Lubick. The only two CSU losses came at the hands of Wyoming in 1996 and ‘98 … The Rams have just one road game remaining this season (at UNLV, Nov. 27). In November road games under Lubick, the Rams have been a perfect 9-0 … RB Kevin McDougal is now fifth in career rushing with 2,585 yards. He wore No. 34 in Saturday’s game vs. UNM (as opposed to his No. 36 jersey) in tribute to boyhood idol Walter Payton … RB Rashaan Sanders has gained 389 yards, sixth highest by a freshman in school history and fourth most by a true freshman … CSU will play its sixth and final night games in 1999 Nov. 18 at home vs. Air Force (televised by ESPN).
NEW MEXICO LOBOS (3-5, 2-2/4th-tie Mtn. West)
TB Jarrod Baxter became the first Lobo to rush for over 100 yards (131 vs. CSU last Saturday) since Eric Jaworsky had 104 vs. CSU in the 1997 WAC championship game (a span of 29 games) … WR Germany Thompson has caught at least one pass in 19 consecutive games and has one reception in every game during his UNM career. Thompson had a season-high seven catches vs. CSU last weekend and became the 17th Lobo to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for his career. He now has 1,076 receiving yards … WR Martinez Williams’ six receptions for 71 yards last week gives him 102 career catches (6th in school history) for 1,287 yards (11th in school history) … QB Sean Stein’s 52-yard TD pass to Thompson vs. CSU was the longest passing play of the season for the Lobos … TE Tommy Hemphill was the first tight end to register a TD reception this season in last week’s game and the Lobos first TE to score in 16 games (dating back to the 1998 game vs. San Jose State) … S Brian Urlacher had 14 tackles vs. CSU, giving him 395 for his career. In the process, he moved two spots and into fourth-place on the UNM career tackles list. He would need 12 more tackles to move into the third spot on the list.
SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS (3-6, 1-4/8th Mtn. West)
Idle this week … Redshirt freshman QB Lon Sheriff both attempted and completed his first career pass after relieving Jack Hawley in the third quarter. The play, Sherriff’s first since the opener vs. South Florida, resulted in a 7-yard completion by Derrick Lewis … The Aztec had suffered three losses by a combined seven points, including a pair of conference losses by just four points total before dropping a 30-7 game to BYU … SDSU has turned the ball over a total of 22 times in the six losses on the season. In the Aztecs’ three wins, they have just one turnover total … TE Gray McNeill finished the game vs. BYU with a team-high five receptions (59 yards), matching his career-high … 40,836 fans attended the BYU-SDSU game at Qualcomm Stadium, marking the first time the 40,000-plateau was broken since Nov. 25, 1995, when the Aztecs hosted CSU with the WAC title at stake … SDSU held BYU to 13 points in the first half last Saturday. Only Washington’s defense could do better this season … WR Damon Gourdine’s career was ended on Oct. 23 due to an injury (ligament damage) he suffered in the Utah game. Through the first eight games, he led the team in receptions (38), receiving yards (439) and TD receptions (4).
UNLV REBELS (3-5, 1-3/4th-tie Mtn. West)
Idle last week … WR Len Ware is tied with Randy Gatewood (1993-94) in the school’s record book for 100-yard games in his career with eight. He is also in the top five on several other career leaders list: receptions (152, 5th), receiving yards (2,149, 5th), receiving TDs (16, t-6th), and all-purpose yardage (3,079, 7th) … Ware has been out with a knee injury and underwent arthoscopic surgery on Oct. 6. He had four catches for 39 yards in his return vs. UNM on Oct. 30 after a three-game absence. Ware needs four more receptions to move into a tie for third on the school’s career list with 156, while seven more will put him all alone in second place at 159. He also needs just 41 yards receiving to move past Keenan McCardell into fourth place in career receiving yards at UNLV with 2,190 ... LB Jerrad Peirucci’s three tackles vs. UNM last Saturday moved him into eighth place on the Rebel’s career tackles list with 230. He needs five more to move up a spot to seventh ... RB James Wofford had 57 yards vs. UNM last Saturday, giving him 1,584 yards for his career and he needs just nine yards to break the top-10 list at UNLV. The Rebels earned their first win in Laramie, Wyo., in 20 years on Oct. 9 (35-32 decision) … UNLV underwent an $18 million renovation and expansion of 28-year-old Sam Boyd Stadium over the summer.
UTAH UTES (6-3, 3-2/2nd-tie Mtn. West)
Defensive backs Jay Hill and Andre Dyson have combined to score five TDs this season. Hill has scored twice on interceptions and once on a blocked field goal kick, while Dyson has one pick and one blocked FG attempt returned for a TD … After going four straight games without committing a turnover, Utah had six turnovers in its 43-29 loss to Wyoming last Saturday … Coach McBride is guaranteed his seventh straight winning season, which is the longest streak for a Utah team since former coach Ike Armstrong led the Utes to 15 consecutive winning seasons from 1928-1942 … RB Mike Anderson is 10th on the school’s career rushing leaders list with 1,866 net yards (19 games). Anderson also ranks fourth (10, 1999) and second (12, 1998) on Utah’s single-season rushing touchdowns list … Anderson needs one more 100-yard rushing game to tie him for third in the Utah record books. He has 10 career 100-yards games, including three in 1999 … DE John Frank surpassed 63 yards in tackles for loss vs. AFA Oct. 16, setting a new single season record at Utah. He now has 17 tackles (88 yards) for loss on the season … Frank’s 25 career sacks ties him for second all-time at Utah with Jeff Reyes (25, 1980-83) and Jimmy Bellamy (25, 1990-91). His 161 career yards in sacks ranks second in Utah’s record book … Frank registered three tackles for loss (9 yards) vs. Utah last Saturday. He needs one more tackle for loss to tie the record of 29, which is held by Luther Elliss (1991-94) … Backup QB T.D. Crowshaw has played in every game but the season-opener and has started twice (vs. AFA and CSU) in place of an injured/sick Arceneaux. Croshaw had a career game vs. CSU Oct. 28, completing 18-of-29 passes for 241 yards and 1 TD … Anderson surpassed the 1,500 rushing yard mark on Oct. 2 and now has 1,866. He has 22 career rushing TDs, which is fourth-best in Utah history … Utah has lost key offensive threats due to the injury bug. WR Chris Christensen (broken fibula) and No. 1 punt returner Cortney Richins (torn ACL) are out for the season, along with DE Chuck Pine (broken tibia), LB Brooks Bahr (dislocated knee) and DB Brandon Dart (torn ACL). OG Sam White sprained his knee (MCL) Oct. 2 at Boise State and will likely return for the Wyoming game.
WYOMING COWBOYS (5-3, 2-2/4th-tie Mtn. West)
QB Jay Stoner posted the second-best passing game of his career when he threw for 349 yards vs. Utah last Saturday. Stoner completed 21-of-38 passes (.553) and was eight yards shy of tying his career-high … Stoner also passed the 5,000-yard milestone in career passing yards to rank No. 4 all-time at Wyoming … WR Wendell Montgomery caught a pass in his 38th consecutive game vs. Utah on Nov. 6 surpassing the previous school record of 36 games, which was set by Ryan Yarborough (1990-93). Montgomery had four catches for 111 yards vs. the Utes … Wyoming is riding a three-game road winning streak. The last time the Cowboys lost on the road was the season-opener vs. defending national champion Tennessee … Forcing turnovers has been a strength for the Wyoming defense this season. Against Utah last Saturday, the Cowboys forced six turnovers (3 fumbles, 3 interceptions). Two interceptions later resulted in touchdowns, and one of the fumble recoveries came on a Cowboy sack, which was recovered in the end zone for a TD. For the season, Wyoming has forced 11 opponent fumbles and picked off 12 opponent passes. Those turnovers have resulted in 13 TDs, 3 FGs and one safety for a total of 102 points … K Aaron Elling has three of the conference’s five longest field goals this year. He has connected on field goals of 56, 55 and 52 yards.
HONORS CANDIDATES:
Fred Biletnikoff Award Nominees (Best Wide Receiver)
Matt Farmer, Senior, Air Force Academy and Wendell Montgomery, Senior, Wyoming.
Mike Fox/Bronco Nagurski Award Nominees (Best Defender)
Rob Morris, Senior, BYU, Kabeer Gbaja Biamila, Senior, San Diego State, Brian Urlacher, New Mexico.
Rotary Lombardi Award (Best Lineman)
Rob Morris, Senior, BYU.
Jim Thorpe Award Nominees (Best Defensive Back)
Brian Gray, Senior, BYU, Brian Urlacher, Senior, New Mexico.
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Nominee (Top Senior Quarterback)
Kevin Feterik, BYU.
Dr. Pepper Doak Walker Award Nominee (Best Running Back)
Mike Anderson, Senior, Utah, Kevin McDougal, Senior, Colorado State.
MWC PRESEASON NOTES
MWC TELEVISION PACKAGE: ESPN, Inc. and the Mountain West Conference announced a seven-year agreement on February 1, 1999, giving ESPN exclusive national and regional television rights to MWC football and men’s basketball games beginning with the 1999-2000 academic year. The football programming includes an average of 21 conference and/or non-conference games per season, with minimums of two games on ABC, four games on ESPN, five games on ESPN2 and an average of eight games syndicated by ERT. The schedule will also guarantee a minimum of three annual appearances on ESPN’s Thursday Night Game of the Week. The 1999 ESPN Thursday night slate includes Washington at BYU (Sept. 9), CSU at BYU (Sept. 16), Utah at CSU (Oct. 28) and Air Force at CSU (Nov. 18).
Each of the four MWC Thursday night games kickoff at 8:01 p.m. (ET) and are preceded by a 30-minute college football pre-game show.
Mountain West Conference Television Schedule, Football
(last revised Nov. 8)
ESPN Regional (ESPN+Plus)
Sept. 4, S. Florida at San Diego State ** (SDSU won 41-12)
Sept. 25, Wyoming at Air Force (Wyoming won 10-7)
Oct. 9, UNLV at Wyoming (UNLV won 35-32)
Oct. 16, San Diego St. at Colorado State (SDSU won 17-10)
Oct. 23, San Diego State at Utah (Utah won 38-16)
Oct. 30, Air Force at BYU (BYU won 27-20)
Nov. 6, Colorado State at New Mexico (CSU won 36-22)
Nov. 13, New Mexico at Utah
Nov. 20, Utah at BYU
ESPN
Sept. 9, Washington at BYU (BYU won 35-28)
Sept. 16, Colo. State at BYU (BYU won 34-13)
Oct. 28, Utah at Colorado St. (CSU won 31-24)
Nov. 18, Air Force at Colorado State
Nov. 27, Wyoming at San Diego State &
ESPN2
Sept. 4, Wyoming at Tennessee (UT won 42-17)
Sept. 25, Virginia at BYU (Virginia won 45-40)
Oct. 2, Air Force at San Diego State (AFA won 23-22)
Oct. 16, Utah at Air Force (Utah won 21-15)
Oct. 23, Colorado State at Wyoming (CSU won 24-13)
Nov. 6, Wyoming at Utah (Wyoming won 43-29)
Nov. 27, Air Force at New Mexico
ABC
Sept. 18, SDSU at USC (USC won 24-21) **
Oct. 9, California at BYU (BYU won 38-28) **
**Not under MWC contract, & Saturday ESPN game
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS: In both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA TODAY Top 25 preseason college football polls, BYU led the way for Mountain West Conference teams, ranking 26th in both polls. Air Force, which came off a 12-1 season and a conference championship, was ranked 30th in the AP Poll and 32nd in the USA TODAY/ESPN Poll. Wyoming was the only other MWC team to receive votes in both polls. The Cowboys were 34th in the AP and 49th in the ESPN/USA TODAY Poll.
PRESEASON MWC POLLS/ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS: At the inaugural MWC football media day in Colorado Springs on July 26, the MWC released its preseason polls and preseason all-conference team. The following are the results (next page):
MWC Coaches’ Poll MWC Media Poll
1. BYU (5) 47 1. BYU (35) 372
2. Air Force (3) 44 2. Air Force (1) 282
3. San Diego State 32 3. San Diego State (4) 253
4. Utah 30 4. Utah (4) 252
5. Colorado State 29 5. Wyoming (5) 248
6. Wyoming 22 6. Colorado State 206
7. New Mexico 13 7. New Mexico 81
8. UNLV 7 8. UNLV 70
Player of the Year: Rob Morris, BYU
Offensive Player of the Year: Mike Anderson, Utah
Defensive Player of the Year: Rob Morris, BYU
Newcomer of the Year: Jeremi Rudolph, UNLV
NEW LOGOS: The old saying “change is good” doesn’t always hold true but three MWC teams have changed their logos as they begin play in a new conference. The administrative and coaching staffs of three MWC institutions decided to make some changes in their logo, and one team undertook a major change and introduced its first major uniform change in 30 years. On August 16, BYU unveiled its new logo, colors and uniform. The change has received regional and national attention. The most notable change in the Cougars’ uniform is the re-introduction of the blue helmet, which marks the first time since 1968 that the Cougars will wear a blue helmet.
Air Force and New Mexico changed their respective logos as well. Air Force introduced their logo last spring and New Mexico revealed its new logo to the media August 30th. The New Mexico women’s soccer team was one of the first Mountain West Conference sports teams to compete and sported the new logo at its Aug. 27th game at Colorado College.
STABILITY IN COACHING STAFF: The 1999 season is LaVell Edwards’ 28th as head coach at BYU. According to a recent survey, BYU has one of the most experienced and stable coaching staffs in the nation. 1999 is the fifth year without a staff change for BYU, making it the most cohesive unit currently in existence, ahead of Penn State, which is entering its fourth year. Cougar coaches have an average tenure of 15.5 years at BYU, the third-highest average in the nation behind Penn State (19.9) and Florida State (15.7).
