Linebackers Kwabena Peprah and Patrick Chukwurah rank third and fifth, respectively, in the MWC for tackles. Peprah has tallied 94 for the season, while Chukwurah has posted 84.
Key Stat: The Cowboys are holding opponents to an average of 16.3 yards per kickoff return to lead the conference.
THIS WEEK IN THE MWC
Wyoming at Colorado State
Thursday, November 16
Hughes Stadium (30,000)
Fort Collins, Colo.
6 p.m. (MT), ESPN
Game Notes
The "Border War" is the longest running rivalry for both schools. This marks the 92nd meeting and the 101st anniversary of the first contest played. Colorado State has won five of the last seven meetings with Wyoming. However, the Cowboys have won three of the last four games played at Hughes Stadium, including each of the last two. The visiting team has left victorious in each of the last five games.
The Series
Colorado State leads, 47-38-5. Last meeting: Colorado State 24-13, October 23, 1999, in Laramie, Wyo.
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. Sonny Lubick is 85-48 overall in 11-plus years as a head coach and 64-29 during his seven-plus year tenure at Colorado State. Lubick is 5-2 vs. Wyoming.
Players to Watch - Colorado State (8-2, 5-1 MWC)
Passer: Matt Newton (10 GP, 310-183-13, 59.0 Pct, 2,404 Yds, 19 TD, Longest Pass - 69 Yds)
Rusher: Cecil Sapp (10 GP, 135 Att., 777 Yds, 5.8 Avg Per Rush., 9 TD, Longest Rush - 89 Yds)
Receiver: Pete Rebstock (10 GP, 46 Rec., 768 Yds, 16.7 Avg Per Rec., 6 TD, Longest Rec. - 69 Yds)
Tackler: Rick Crowell (9 GP, 73-36-109, 1 Sack, 5 TFL, 2 INT, 3 PBU, 1 Caused Fumble)
Players to Watch - Wyoming (1-9, 0-6 MWC)
Passer: Jay Stoner (8 GP, 256-161-9, 62.9 Pct, 1,465 Yds, 10 TD, Longest Pass - 72 Yds)
Rusher: Nate Scott (9 GP, 94 Att., 553 Yds, 5.9 Avg Per Rush, 5 TD, Longest Rush - 95 Yds)
Receiver: Ryan McGuffey (10 GP, 57 Rec., 609 Yds, 10.7 Avg Per Rec., 3 TD, Longest Rec. - 43 Yds)
Tackler: Kwabena Peprah (10 GP, 55-39-94, 1 Sack, 4 TFL, 3 QB Hurries, 2 Forced Fumbles, 1 Recovery, 3 PBU)
New Mexico at BYU
Saturday, November 18
Cougar Stadium (62,000)
Provo, Utah
4 p.m. (MT), KSL, KRQE
Game Notes
LaVell Edwards leads BYU onto the Cougar Stadium field for the last time as head coach of the Courgars. Edwards' teams have compiled a 132-34 home record during his tenure. BYU has a 13-game home-win streak against New Mexico. The Lobos last victory in Provo came during the 1971 season. This marks the 50th straight year the teams have met. Since 1970, the Cougars have won 26 of the last 30 meetings.
The Series
BYU leads 36-12-1. Last Meeting: BYU 31-7, October 16, 1999, in Albuquerque, N.M.
The Coaches
New Mexico's Rocky Long is in his third season at the helm of the Lobos and is 12-22 in his two-plus seasons in Albuquerque. Prior to his days at New Mexico, Long was the defensive coordinator for UCLA. LaVell Edwards is in his 29th and final season at BYU with a 255-100-3 overall record. His teams are 26-2 against New Mexico.
Players to Watch - New Mexico (5-6, 3-3 MWC)
Passer: Rudy Caamano (11 GP, 167-96-7, 57.5 Pct, 1,092 Yds, 10 TD, Longest Pass - 43 Yds)
Rusher: Holmon Wiggins (11 GP, 168 Att., 662 Yds, 3.9 Avg Per Rush., 5 TD, Longest Rush - 46 Yds)
Receiver: Ted Iacenda (11 GP, 26 Rec., 258 Yds, 9.9 Avg Per Rec., 2 TD, Longest Rec. - 25 Yds)
Tackler: Mike Barnett (11 GP, 41-28-69, 8 Sacks, 17 TFL, 2 Fumble Recoveries)
Players to Watch - BYU (4-5, 2-2 MWC)
Passer: Charles Peterson (7 GP, 237-139-4, 58.6 Pct, 1,582 Yds, 6 TD, Longest Pass - 48 Yds)
Rusher: Luke Staley (7 GP, 94 Att., 409 Yds, 4.4 Avg Per Rush., 4 TD, Longest Rush - 22 Yds)
Receiver: Margin Hooks (9 GP, 52 Rec., 590 Yds, 11.3 Avg Per Rec., 2 TD, Longest Rec. - 31 Yds)
Tackler: Justin Ena (9 GP, 36-42-78, 3 Sacks, 8 TFL, 2 PBU, 1 QB Hurry, 1 Forced Fumble)
San Diego State at Air Force
Saturday, November 18
Falcon Stadium (33,500)
Colorado Springs, Colo.
1 p.m. (MT), ESPN+Plus
Game Notes
Air Force clinched a bowl berth with its win last week. Each of the last seven games in the series have been decided by a touchdown or less. All three San Diego State victories this season have occurred on the road. The Aztecs are 2-7 all-time in Colorado Springs, last winning in 1993.
The Series
Air Force leads 13-5. Last Meeting: Air Force 23-22, October 2, 1999, at San Diego, Calif.
The Coaches
Fisher DeBerry has compiled a 133-72-1 overall record in 16-plus seasons at Air Force. His teams are 10-4 against CSU. Ted Tollner is in his seventh season at the helm of the Aztecs and 11th overall as a head coach. He is 39-38 at SDSU and 65-58-1 lifetime. Before coming to SDSU in 1994, Tollner was the head coach at Southern California (1983-86).
Players to Watch - San Diego State (2-6, 2-2 MWC)
Passer: Lon Sheriff (7 GP, 208-112-9, 53.8 Pct, 1,418 Yds, 3 TD, Longest Pass - 71 Yds)
Rusher: Larry Ned (6 GP, 139 Att., 357 Yds, 2.6 Avg Per Rush, 6 TD, Longest Rush - 22 Yds)
Receiver: J.R. Tolver (8 GP, 44 Rec., 609 Yds, 13.8 Avg Per Rec., 0 TD, Longest Rec. - 71 Yds)
Tackler: Jomar Butler (8 GP, 55-15-70, 2 Sack, 6 TFL, 1 INT, 2 PBU, 1 QB Hurry, 2, Caused Fumbles, 1 Fumble Recovery)
Players to Watch - Air Force (7-3, 4-2 MWC)
Passer: Mike Thiessen (10 GP, 178-102-4, 57.3 Pct, 1,565 Yds, 12 TDs, Longest Pass - 81 Yds)
Rusher: Mike Thiessen (10 GP, 164 Att., 623 Yds, 3.8 Avg Per Rush., 9 TD, Longest Rush - 34 Yds)
Receiver: Ryan Fleming (10 GP, 48 Rec., 889 Yds, 18.5 Avg Per Rec., 5 TD, Longest Rec. - 61 Yds)
Tackler: C.J. Zanotti (10 GP, 30-48-78, 4 Sack, 12 TFL, 3 PBU, 2 Fumble Recovery)
MWC BOWL TIE-INS
The Mountain West Conference has three guaranteed bowl berths in 2000. The conference champion is slated for the AXA Liberty 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. Newly added to the MWC bowl lineup is the Silicon Valley Football Classic on Dec. 31 from San Jose, Calif. The inaugural game will be carried by Fox Sports Net and pits the Mountain West third selection against the third pick from the WAC. The addiditon of the Silicon Valley Football Classic to the MWC bowl lineup gives the conference six bowl berths in its two-year history.
HEAD OF THE CLASS
The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced its 2000 class of National College Scholar-Athletes. Mountain West Conference players claimed two of the six Division I-A postgraduate scholarships awarded. Air Force fullback Scott Becker and BYU safety Jared Lee will be awarded $18,000 postgraduate scholarships at the Foundation's 43rd Annual Awards Dinner held at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, December 12th. The selection criteria is based upon superior academic performance, outstanding football ability, strong leadership, and citizenship.
GROZA FINALIST
BYU senior placekicker Owen Pochman is one of 20 finalists for the Lou Groza Award, presented annually to the nation's top placekicker. Pochman has converted all 23 point after touchdown attempts this season and has connected on 12-of-17 field goal attempts. He leads the Cougars in scoring and has a string of 53 straight PATs dating back to September 25, 1999. The three finalist for the Award will be announced December 5th.
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 255-101-3 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 entered the 2000 season with the third-most wins (251) and the third-best winning percentage (.723) among active coaches.
EDWARDS TIES TOM OSBORNE
With the Cougars 19-7 victory over Wyoming on October 26th, head coach LaVell Edwards recorded his 255th win, tying him with longtime Nebraska coach Tom Osborne as the sixth winningest coach in college football history.
BROTHER ACT
Utah brothers Patrick and Andre Dyson now also have the Mountain West Conference record book in common. The pair are tied for second place in the conference for longest interception return. Each has returned an INT 58 yards for a touchdown this season. Andre was the first to reach paydirt with his pick coming against California on September 9th. Not to be out done, Patrick got into the act with touchdown return vs. Colorado State, October 21st.
REEL 'EM IN
The Mountain West Conference record for receiving yards in a game has been broken three times this season. BYU senior Jonathan Pittman turned in a record-setting performance in the Cougars' overtime win at Virginia with 161 yards. His record stood for almost two months until Air Force wide out Ryan Fleming set a new mark with a 163-yard effort at Notre Dame. Two weeks later, Colorado State junior Pete Rebstock put his name atop the MWC record book with a 168-yard outing at Air Force.
PREMIUM RETURNS
Colorado State kickoff returner Dexter Wynn made the most of his two returns against San Diego State. The redshirt freshman took the game's opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, marking the longest return in Mountain West Conference history. He then returned his second kickoff 66 yards (fifth longest in conference history), setting a MWC record for most return yards in a game with 166.
OH SO CLOSE
Mountain West Conference teams have concluded the nonconference portion of their schedules vs. BCS teams. Although this season's record against BCS teams was 2-18, with a few breaks in the closing seconds of some of the games, the final record could have a different complexion. Consider:
