Utah Captures Second Straight Mountain West Title
Utah clinched its second-straight outright MWC crown with its win at Wyoming and BYU's loss to New Mexico last Saturday. The Utes are the second team in league history to claim two outright titles (Colorado State in 2000 and 2002), and first team to win back-to-back outright MWC regular season crowns. Heading into the final week of the season, the Utes are 6-0 and have a two-game lead in the conference standings over BYU and New Mexico, both at 4-2. If Utah can defeat BYU Saturday, it would become the first team in MWC history to finish the regular season undefeated. The Utes would also be just the second team in Conference history to go through a league season undefeated. BYU went 7-0 in 2001.
The league title marks the fourth time in Utah history that the program has won back-to-back league titles, and the first since the Utes were Skyline Conference champions from 1951-53. Utah won three straight Big Seven Conference titles from 1940-42 and captured six straight Rocky Mountain championships from 1928-33. During their stint as a Western Athletic Conference member (1962-98), the Utes never repeated as league champs, winning a total of two titles.
Let's Talk About Rankings
Utah climbed to #5 in the AP Poll and #6 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll this week. The Utes' No. 5 ranking is the highest for a Mountain West team since Nov. 25, 2001 when BYU was 7th in the Coaches Poll. Utah is currently sixth in this week's BCS Rankings. The Utes must finish in the Top 6 of the final BCS Rankings to automatically qualify for a BCS bowl game. You can find more information on the Nov. 15 BCS Rankings on page 6 of this release.
ESPN+Plus Game of the Week
The ESPN+Plus Game of the Week will feature Wyoming at New Mexico Saturday at University Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M. Gary Bender (play-by-play), Kelly Stouffer (color) and Anne-Marie Anderson (sidelines) will call the action beginning at 1 p.m. MT.
ESPN College Football GameDay To Visit The University of Utah
Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso bring the ESPN College Football GameDay Show to Salt Lake City Saturday as #5/6 Utah hosts in-state rival BYU. ESPN will broadcast from the University of Utah campus Friday afternoon starting at 3:00 p.m. Saturday's ESPN live national broadcast of College Football GameDay will run from 8:30-10:00 a.m., with continued segments throughout the day. Herbstreit and Corso will break from the set during the game to provide color commentary. Mike Tirico will handle the play-by-play, while Jill Arrington will handle the sideline reports.
Week 12 Preview
Four conference games are on tap in the final week of the 2004 regular season. No. 5/6 Utah hosts in-state rival BYU Saturday. The Utes must win to complete an undefeated regular season, while BYU needs the victory to become bowl eligible. New Mexico hosts Wyoming in Albuquerque - the winner would finish no lower than second place in the league standings. Colorado State faces in-state rival Air Force in Colorado Springs, with the both teams looking to salvage a 5-6 season and possibly place as high as a tie for third in the conference standings. San Diego State welcomes UNLV to Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego in the final game of Rebels' head coach John Robinson's storied career.
Week 11 Wrap
Utah scored over 40 points for the fifth straight game, and improved to 10-0 overall and 6-0 in the MWC, with a 45-28 at Wyoming. The Cowboys lost at home for the first time in 2004 (5-1). New Mexico became bowl eligible with a 21-14 win at BYU. The Lobos are 6-4 on the year and 4-2 in the MWC. The Cougars dropped to 3-3 in league play and 5-5 overall. BYU will need a win at Utah Saturday to become bowl eligible. San Diego State captured its first conference win of the season at Air Force, 37-31. The loss ends the Falcons hopes of going to a bowl game this season. Colorado State cruised to a 45-10 victory over UNLV in Fort Collins. The win evened the Rams' conference record at 3-3, while the Rebels fell to 1-5.
GAME PREVIEWS
UNLV at San Diego State
Saturday, November 20
Quakcomm Stadium (54,000)
San Diego, Calif.
7 p.m. (PT) - SportsWest
Game Notes
RB Dominque Dorsey rushed for 89 yards on 19 carries in UNLV's 45-10 loss at Colorado State. It was the Rebels fourth straight defeat. San Diego State compiled 456 yards of total offense, including 224 rushing and 232 passing, in the 37-31 win at Air Force. QB Kevin O'Connell connected on 17-of-32 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns, while RB Brandon Bornes rushed for 103 yards on 28 carries and scored and a pair of TDs. The UNLV-San Diego State winner had never scored less than 20 points before last year's 7-0 Aztec win. The 2003 game also marked the first shutout by either team and was the lowest-scoring game in UNLV history. Only five of the 13 games have been decided by seven points or less.
The Series
San Diego State leads the series 7-6. Last Meeting: November 8, 2003, in Las Vegas, Nev.; a 7-0 Aztec win.
Wyoming at New Mexico
Saturday, November 20
University Stadium (37,370)
Albuquerque, N.M.
1 p.m. (MT) - ESPN+Plus
Game Notes
RB DonTrell Moore rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown on 25 attempts in New Mexico's 21-14 win at BYU. WR Hank Baskett was a key to the Lobo victory with four receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown. QB Corey Bramlet threw for 278 yards on 17-of-28 completions and two touchdowns in the 28-45 loss to Utah in Laramie. The game was delayed an hour and 39 minutes due to a power outage at the stadium. New Mexico has won four of that last five games against Wyoming in MWC play. The Lobos have won three straight over the Cowboys in Albuquerque, dating to 1993, but Wyoming has the overall edge, 16-13, in games played in New Mexico.
The Series
Wyoming leads the series 31-25. Last Meeting: November 22, 2003, in Laramie, Wyo.; a 26-3 Lobo win.
Colorado State at Air Force
Saturday, November 20
Falcon Stadium (52,480)
Colorado Springs, Colo.
1 p.m. (MT)
Game Notes
QB Caleb Hanie completed 12-of-16 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns as Colorado State cruised past UNLV, 45-10, last Saturday in Fort Collins. WR David Anderson threw a 34-yard scoring strike to fellow WR Dustin Osborn in the first quarter. Anderson was the first player other than a QB to throw a TD pass since 2001 when RB Henri Childs connected with QB Bradlee Van pelt on a 56-yard TD pass at UNLV. Air Force fell to San Diego State last week, 31-37. The Falcons were led by QB Adam Fitch, who rushed for a career-high 135 yards and two scores. The annual in-state rivalry between Air Force and Colorado State dates back to 1957. Since 1980, the two teams have played for possession of the Ram-Falcon Trophy. The Rams have won three consecutive games and four of the last five. CSU leads the series 8-3 since Sonny Lubick arrived in Fort Collins in 1993. Air Force head coach Fisher DeBerry is 10-10 all-time vs. the Rams. Eleven of the last 14 games in the series have been decided by 10 points or less.
The Series
Air Force leads the series 23-18-1. Last Meeting: October 16, 2003, in Fort Collins, Colo., a 30-20 Ram victory.
BYU at Utah
Saturday, November 20
Rice-Eccles Stadium (45,017)
Salt Lake City, Utah
5 p.m. (MT) - ESPN2
Game Notes
QB John Beck completed 22-of-37 pass attempts for 247 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the 14-21 loss to New Mexico in Provo. WR Austin Collie led all BYU receivers with four catches for 83 yards. QB Alex Smith completed 17-of-27 passes for 244 yards and three touchdowns as Utah scored on its first five possessions in the 45-28 win at Wyoming. This rivalry between BYU and Utah is so intense that the two institutions can't even agree on their series record. Independent researchers contend that the second-longest series in Ute gridiron history dates back to 1896 when BYU was known as the BY Academy. Therefore, the Utah record books have the Utes leading the series 50-31-4. However, BYU doesn't count the BY Academy years, equally removing three Ute wins and losses for a 47-28-4 record. Utah has won six of the last 10 games, including each of the last two. Utah leads 34-16-1 in Salt Lake City.
The Series
Utah leads the series 47-28-4. Last Meeting: November 22, 2003, in Provo, Utah; a 3-0 Ute win.
Bowl Scenario
New Mexico joined Utah and Wyoming as the third MWC team to become bowl eligible. The Lobos improved to 6-4 with their win at BYU. The Utes are currently 10-0, while the Cowboys are 6-4. BYU is 5-5 on the year and needs a win at Utah Saturday to become bowl eligible.
Utah's Smith Among National Leaders in Rushing Touchdowns by a Quarterback
Utah junior quarterback Alex Smith has rushed for nine touchdowns this season and currently ranks tied for fourth nationally in rushing touchdowns by a QB.
1. Walter Washington (Temple) 15
2. Jared Zabransky (Boise State) 12
3. Aaron Polanco (Navy) 10
4. Vince Young (Texas) 9
Kent Smith (Central Michigan) 9 Alex Smith (Utah) 9
7. Reggie McNeal (Texas A&M) 8
Josh Cribbs (Kent State) 8
9. Pat Julmiste (South Florida) 7
James Kilian (Tulsa) 7
BYU's Payne is MWC's All-Time Field Goal Leader, CSU's Babcock Close Behind
BYU senior Matt Payne is the MWC's all-time leader in field goals with 55 in his career. Colorado State's Jeff Babcock is currently second on the list with 50.
Making Their Points
UNLV and Wyoming played a triple-overtime thriller won by the Cowboys, 53-45, on Nov. 6, tying as the longest game in MWC history (Utah over Air Force, 48-45 - 3 ot, Nov. 1, 2003). The 98 combined points rank as the highest-scoring conference game in MWC annals, and third-most points all time. The Rebels' point total of 45 is the most scored in a loss for an MWC contest, and matches the all-time MWC record for most points scored in a loss (BYU 45-72 defeat at Hawai`i in 2001). Utah and Colorado State joined the points party after netting a total of 94 in their contest, which currently sits sixth all-time. The Utes' compilation of 63 points against the Rams ties for the most points scored in a conference game (BYU over Air Force, 63-33 in 2001), and third-most all-time.
First Time for Overtime
The Mountain West saw its first overtime game of the year Nov. 6 with Wyoming defeating UNLV, 53-45, in triple overtime. There have been 26 overtime games played this season in NCAA Division I-A football, with only three of those contests going beyond two overtimes. The UNLV/Wyoming game matches the Michigan/Michigan State three overtime contest, won by the Wolverines, 45-37, on Oct. 30. The Eastern Michigan vs. Central Michigan game is the longest this season, with EMU winning in four overtime periods, 61-58, this past Saturday. The ACC and MAC lead the nation with four overtime games apiece in 2004.
Home and Road Record Comparisons
Five of eight MWC teams have posted perfect home records, but no MWC team has gone unbeaten at home in league play since New Mexico accomplished the feat in 2002. Colorado State is the only MWC team to win four conference games at home in a season (2000). Four of eight MWC teams have posted perfect road records since 2001, with Utah holding the longest road win streak in MWC history with its current seven straight victories (BYU won five in a row from 2000-2001 and Colorado State won five straight from 2001-03).
Utah's Alex Smith a Heisman and O'Brien Award Candidate
Utah junior QB Alex Smith received official notification from the Heisman Trophy Trust that he is a candidate for the 2004 Heisman Trophy. Smith is among approximately 15 players who received notification. The Heisman ballots will be mailed out on November 17 to 923 Heisman electors, who are comprised of 870 media representatives, the previous 52 Heisman winners and one fan vote. The votes will be tabulated on December 8 by the independent accounting firm of Deloitte. The Heisman finalists will be invited to New York for the 70th anniversary of the Heisman Presentation. On December 11, the winner will be announced live from the presentation on ESPN.
Smith is also one of 13 semifinalists for the 2004 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, presented annually to the nation's best QB. Three finalists will be announced Tuesday, Nov. 23 by the National College Football Awards Association in a joint effort among college football award programs. The thirteen semifinalists in alphabetical order, are: Jason Campbell, Sr., Auburn; Timmy Chang, Sr. Hawaii; David Greene, Sr., Georgia; Chris Leak, So., Florida; Stefan LeFors, Sr., Louisville; Matt Leinart, Jr., USC; Reggie McNeal, Jr., Texas A&M; Kyle Orton, Sr., Purdue; Aaron Rodgers, Jr., California; Alex Smith, Jr., Utah; Andrew Walter, Sr., Arizona State; Jason White, Sr., Oklahoma; and Jared Zabransky, So., Boise State. The winner of the 2004 Davey O'Brien Award will be announced on the 2004 Home Depot College Football Awards Show Thursday, Dec. 9.
Inside the Numbers
91% - Utah head coach Urban Meyer's winning percentage against automatic qualifying BCS opponents. In 11 career games, Meyer is 10-1 against BCS teams. The win over Texas A&M in the season opener avenged his only loss to a BCS school. Meyer is 5-1 against the BCS as Utah's head coach.
17 - Wyoming snapped its 17-game MWC road losing streak with a 53-45 triple-overtime victory at UNLV Nov. 6. The Cowboys' last conference road win was Nov. 6, 1999 when they defeated Utah 43-29 in Salt Lake City. The Cowboys will attempt to win back-to-back conference road games this weekend for the first time since 1998 when they were a member of the WAC (defeated TCU and CSU).
18 - The number of scoring drives Utah has compiled in excess of 80 yards this season.
18 - The number of 100 yard rushing games for New Mexico running back DonTrell Moore, surpassing Winslow Oliver's (1992-95) school record of 16. Moore, the MWC's all-time leading rusher, also passed Oliver for second place on the school's career rushing list with 3,415 yards.
15 - The total number of pass breakups by New Mexico CB Brandon Payne. He leads both the Mountain West and NCAA in pass breakups this season. He broke Eric Jack's single-season school record of 14 set in 1993 after posting one pass deflection oin Nov. 6 at Colorado State.
14 - Utah's current win streak that ranks third nationally (Boise State-20, Southern California-19). The Utes won their final four games in 2003 and are 10-0 this season. The 14-game streak is the second-longest in school history behind the 16 straight wins from 1928-30. The Utes' last loss was Oct. 25, 2003 against New Mexico, 47-35.
10 - The Utes' consecutive road or neutral site win streak that started on Sept. 27, 2003 at Colorado State.
6 - Utah moved up to sixth in the latest BCS Poll released Monday, Nov. 15, after defeating Wyoming, 45-28. The Utes had the highest debut by a non-automatic qualifying BCS team ever in the initial poll of a season at number seven on Oct. 18. The previous high was Northern Illinois at No. 10 in 2003. Only one non-automatic qualifying BCS school to be ranked in the initial Top 15 has ever completed the regular season undefeated (Marshall in 1999).
5 - The current number of undefeated teams remaining in the NCAA in 2004, including Utah at 10-0 (Auburn, Boise State, Oklahoma, and Southern California).
5 - New Mexico will be looking for its first five-game win streak under head coach Rocky Long when it faces Wyoming Saturday. A win would also mark the longest win streak by the Lobos since opening the 1997 season 6-0 under former head coach Dennis Franchione.
4 - The number of touchdowns BYU WR Todd Watkins has caught in excess of 69 yards this season.
2 - Utah ranks second in the nation in scoring offense and total offense. The Utes are currently averaging 45.7 points per game, which trails only Boise State (48.22) nationally, and are on pace to break their school record of 42.5 ppg. Utah's 499.20 yards per game of total offense is second behind only Louisville (528.13 ypg) this season.
2 - The number of receptions BYU WR Austin Collie needs against Utah to break Matt Bellini's freshman record of 51 set in 1987. Collie already owns BYU freshman records for yards (697) and touchdowns (7) this season.
0 - BYU has not scored a touchdown in the last two games against Utah. The Cougars scored two field goals in a 13-6 Ute win in 2002 and went scoreless in last year's 3-0 victory by Utah.
