Mountain West Conference Football Press Release Week No. 12

Nov. 16, 2009

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21
	4/4 TCU (10-0, 6-0) at Wyoming (5-5, 3-3) War Memorial Stadium (30,514) - Laramie, Wyo. 12 p.m. MT Series: TCU Leads 3-2 Last meeting: 2008, TCU 54-7
	Air Force (7-4, 5-2) at 18/19 BYU (8-2, 5-1) LaVell Edwards Stadium (64,045) - Provo, Utah 1:30 p.m. MT Series: BYU Leads 23-6 Last meeting: 2008, BYU 38-24 HD /
	San Diego State (4-6, 2-4) at 23/23 Utah (8-2, 5-1) Rice-Eccles Stadium (45,017) - Salt Lake City, Utah 2 p.m. MT Series: Utah Leads 15-12-1 Last meeting: 2008, Utah 63-14 HD
	Colorado State (3-7, 0-6) at New Mexico (0-10, 0-6) University Stadium (39,224) - Albuquerque, N.M. 4 p.m. MT Series: CSU Leads 32-24 Last meeting: 2008, CSU 20-6
Idle This Week: UNLV (4-7, 2-5) Next Week: vs. San Diego State - Nov. 28

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS (NOV. 14)

Saturday, November 14
#4/6 TCU 55, 14/16 Utah 28 (Fort Worth, Texas; Attendance - 50,307)
#22/22 BYU 24, New Mexico 19 (Albuquerque, N.M.; Attendance - 24,344)
Air Force 45, UNLV 17 (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Attendance - 25,370)
Wyoming 30, San Diego State 27 (San Diego, Calif.; Attendance - 18,851)

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (NOV. 16)

Co-Offensive Players of the Week
ASHER CLARK, AIR FORCE
Sophomore, Running Back, Lawrenceville, Ga./Peachtree Ridge HS
Asher Clark carried the ball 18 times and rushed for career-highs of 160 yards and three touchdowns in Air Force's 45-17 win over UNLV. The sophomore running back averaged 8.9 yards per carry and scored on touchdown runs of 24, two and a season-long 40 yards. Eight of Clark's rushing attempts went for first downs in the game. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native's 160 rushing yards are the most by a player in the MWC this season and the most for a Falcon since Chad Hall ran for 275 yards vs. Army on Nov. 3, 2007.

AUSTYN CARTA-SAMUELS, WYOMING
Freshman, Quarterback, San Jose, Calif./Bellarmine College Prep
Austyn Carta-Samuels led the Wyoming offense to four scoring drives and a total of 24 points in the fourth quarter as the Cowboys came from behind to win on the road at San Diego State. The freshman quarterback finished the game with 16-of-22 (.727) passing for a career-high 246 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed 13 times for 51 yards and one TD for a career-high 297 yards of total offense. The San Jose, Calif., product's 10-yard TD run on the second play of the fourth quarter pulled the Cowboys to within two touchdowns at 27-13. With 2:07 remaining in the game, Carta-Samuels connected with fellow true freshman David Tooley on a nine-yard TD pass to tie the game at 27 apiece. Following Wyoming's recovery of the ensuing kickoff, he led the Pokes on an 18-yard drive to set up the game-winning field goal with 23 seconds left to play.

Defensive Player of the Week
TANK CARDER, TCU
Sophomore, Linebacker, Sweeny, Texas/Sweeny HS
Sophomore linebacker Tank Carder registered nine tackles, including one for a loss of two yards, and one interception return for a touchdown in No. 4 TCU's 55-28 win over Utah. The Sweeny, Texas, native keyed a Horned Frogs defense which limited the Utes to 11 first downs and 284 yards of total offense. Carder's defensive touchdown came at the 3:20 mark in the second quarter when he stepped in front of a Jordan Wynn pass and ran it back 15 yards to paydirt, putting TCU up 35-7.

Special Teams Player of the Week
IAN WATTS, WYOMING
Freshman, Place Kicker, Philadelphia, Pa./Radnor HS
Ian Watts kicked a 43-yard field goal with 23 seconds remaining to cap off Wyoming's 30-27 comefrom- behind victory at San Diego State. The freshman from Philadelphia, Pa. was a perfect 3-of-3 in field goal attempts on the day, converting two other kicks from 27 yards each. He also went 3-for-3 in point-after tries to finish with 12 points in the contest.

WEEK 12 PREVIEW
Four Mountain West contests are on tap for Week 12, all of which will be televised in high-definition to a national audience. Saturday's schedule kicks off with a Noon MT contest featuing No. 4 TCU at Wyoming on The Mtn. The Mtn. will also produce Colorado State at New Mexico in HD (4 p.m. MT). Air Force visits No. 18/19 BYU in a 1:30 p.m. MT contest that will be broadcast on CBS College, while No. 23 Utah plays host to San Diego State (2 p.m. MT, VERSUS). UNLV is idle this week before the Rebels entertain San Diego State in the season finale on Nov. 28.

THREE MWC TEAMS IN TOP 25 POLLS
Three Mountain West teams are currently ranked in the national polls. TCU is the MWC's highest-ranked team at No. 4 in all three human polls. BYU is No. 18 in the Harris and Coaches' polls and No. 19 in the AP poll. Utah is No. 21 in the Harris poll and 23rd in the USA Today Coaches and Associated Press polls, while TCU has appeared in the polls for 22 straight weeks, including seven consecutive weeks in the top 10.

TCU's No. 4 position for the second straight week in the USA Today Coaches' Top 25 poll equals the highest ranking ever by an MWC team in that poll, matching Utah's No. 4 position in the final 2008 Coaches' poll. It's also the Frogs' highest ranking since being fourth in the Oct. 15, 1956 Associated Press poll. TCU hasn't been ranked this high in the second week of November since its 1938 national championship season, when it was No. 1 in the AP poll.

TCU, UTAH AND BYU IN BCS STANDINGS
The Mountain West Conference has had at least two teams ranked in the BCS Standings for 13 consecutive weeks dating back to last year. TCU remained No. 4 and is currently ranked ahead of four BCS automaticqualifying conference leaders. Utah dropped to No. 21, while BYU stayed at No. 22 this week. The No. 4 ranking by the Horned Frogs is the highest position in the BCS Standings for an MWC team and marks the first time a team from a non-automatic-qualifying conference has been ranked as high as No. 4 for consecutive weeks.

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 has in each of the polls.

TCU REMAINS UNDEFEATED
TCU is 10-0 for the first time since 2003 when it also won its first 10 games. The Horned Frogs are 10-0 for only the second time since their 1938 national championship season and the fourth time in their history (1935, 1938, 2005). In two of the three previous campaigns (1935, 1938), TCU captured the national title. The Horned Frogs are one of six teams that are still undefeated this season (Alabama, Boise State, Cincinnati, Florida, Texas).

TCU'S WIN STREAK RANKS THIRD NATIONALLY
TCU has won 12 games in a row and boasts the nation's third-longest current win streak (Florida 20, Texas 14). The Horned Frogs have their longest win streak since a 13-game run over the final 10 contests in 2005 and the opening three games in 2006. At the time, it was the nation's longest win streak.

HOME WIN STREAKS
Utah has won 16 consecutive home games, while TCU has won 13 straight. The Utes' 16-game streak ranks second in league history, while the Frogs' 13-game streak is third. TCU's last home loss was to Utah, 27-20, on Oct. 18, 2007. Below is a look at how the current streaks rank in the league record book.

CONFERENCE COMPARISONS
If you compare the win percentage of the top three teams in each of the 11 FBS conferences, the Mountain West Conference currently ranks third, behind only the SEC and the Big East. The top three teams in the SEC are 28-2 (Florida-10-0, Alabama-10-0 and LSU-8-2) for a .933 win percentage, while the Big East's leaders boast an .897 win percentage with their 26-3 mark (Cincinnati-10-0, Pittsburgh-9-1, Rutgers -7- 2). The MWC's top three teams are 26-4 overall for an .867 win percentage (TCU-10-0, BYU-8-2, Utah-8-2).

BOWL ELIGIBILITY
Air Force, BYU, TCU and Utah have each earned bowl eligibility in 2009, while San Diego State and Wyoming are still mathematically alive. The Utes (8-2) 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 (8-2 overall) and the Horned Frogs (10-0 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. Air Force (7-4) is bowl-eligible for the third straight season under head coach Troy Calhoun. Calhoun is only the second coach in Academy history to have his team bowl-eligible in his first three years.

The Cowboys must win one of their final two games to earn bowl-eligibility, while the Aztecs must win their final two contests. Below is a look at the remaining schedules for San Diego State and Wyoming.

WYOMING'S CARTA-SAMUELS CLIMBING FRESHMAN CHARTS
Wyoming QB Austyn Carta-Samuels has moved into the Top 5 of the league's all-time charts for freshman quarterbacks. In nine games played, Carta-Samuels has registered 1,532 passing yards and 1,792 yards of total offense to rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in those categories. Below is a look at the top five freshmen passers and total offense producers in MWC history.

CONSECUTIVE GAMES THROWING A TOUCHDOWN PASS
San Diego State QB Ryan Lindley did not throw a touchdown last week against Wyoming and saw his streak of consecutive games with a TD pass end at 15. Lindley's streak is tied for the longest in MWC history.

SDSU'S LINDLEY AMONG NATION'S BEST SOPHOMORE QBS
San Diego State's Ryan Lindley ranks fourth in the nation among sophomore quarterbacks in passing touchdowns and seventh in total passing yards. Below is a list of the top seven sophomore QBs in the FBS in 2009.

DEFENSE PROVIDING POINTS FOR AIR FORCE
Air Force currently has 24 takeaways (11 interceptions, 13 fumbles) on the year and has scored six non-offensive touchdowns this season, including a school-record five defensive touchdowns. The team has scored two touchdowns on fumble returns, three on interception returns and one on a punt return. The Falcons are a +18 in turnover margin this season and rank third in the nation with a +1.64 turnover margin average. Air Force has forced two or more turnovers in seven of its 11 games this season and in 20 of the last 28 overall. 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).

THIRD-DOWN DEFENSE
The Utah, TCU and Air Force defenses have been solid on third-down conversions this season. The Horned Frogs are fourth nationally, limiting opponents to 41-of-146 conversions (28.08 percent). The Falcons have held opponents to 44-of-155 on third-down conversions to rank fifth, limiting foes to a 28.39 percent success rate, while the Utes are seventh nationally, holding opponents to a 30.14 conversion rate (44-of-146). The MWC is one of only two conferences (SEC) with three teams ranked in the top 10 for third-down conversion defense.

THIRD-DOWN OFFENSE
BYU is making the most of its third-down opportunities this season and currently leads the country with a 59.27 conversion rate. The Cougars have been successful on 74-of-127 third-down conversions.

300-YARD PASSING GAMES
BYU QB Max Hall threw for 314 yards at New Mexico last Saturday, marking his seventh 300-yard passing game of the season and 19th of his career. His seven 300-yard performances tie the single season league record, while extending the senior's own MWC mark for career 300-yard games.

NEW MEXICO'S MESSINA NEARING MWC TACKLE RECORD
New Mexico LB Carmen Messina has 134 total tackles in 2009, just 20 shy of the MWC singleseason record of 154, set by former Lobo standout Brian Urlacher in 1999. The sophomore linebacker has recorded double-digit tackles in eight of the Lobos' 10 games this fall and ranks first nationally with his 134 total stops.

WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT TCU, UTAH AND BYU

No. 4 TCU Horned Frogs

• Has won 24 of its last 26 games.
• Its three wins against teams currently ranked in the Top 25 of the BCS Standings is more than any of six undefeated teams in the NCAA (Alabama-2, Cincinnati-2, Florida-1, Texas-1, Boise State-1).
• Only losses were in 2008 at then-No. 2 Oklahoma and at then-No. 10 Utah.
• Has won road games at Virginia, Clemson, BYU, Air Force and San Diego State this season.
• Defeated then-No. 9 Boise State in 2008 Poinsettia Bowl.
• Has a 50-10 record over the last five years, including a 9-2 mark against AQ BCS opponents.

No. 21 Utah Utes


• Has won 22 of last 24and 29 of its last 32 games.
• Only losses of the 2009 season are at currently ranked No. 4 TCU (55-28) and No. 11 Oregon, (31-24). The Utes had a pass intercepted at the Ducks' 38-yard line with under two minutes remaining in the game.
• Defeated then-No. 4 Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl.
• Only losses were at then-No. 23 BYU in 2007 and at currently ranked No. 4 TCU and No. 11 Oregon in 2009.
• Has a 45-16 record over the last five years, including a 8-3 mark against AQ BCS opponents.

No. 22 BYU Cougars


• Has won 28 of its last 33 games.
• Three of the five losses came during the 2008 season -- at then-No. 24 TCU, at then-No. 7 Utah and vs. Arizona in the Las Vegas bowl in 2008. The other two losses came this season vs. Florida State and vs. currently ranked No. 4 TCU.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION 2009 SCHOLAR-ATHLETE CLASS
BYU linebacker Matt Bauman is one of 16 players named to the National Football Foundation's Scholar-Athlete class of 2009. Each finalist will receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship, and one of the 16 will be announced as the recipient of the 20th Anniversary William V. Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth (formerly known as the Draddy Trophy), which recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation. Renamed this fall in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal, the award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship. A total distribution of $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded this year.

Nominated by their institutions, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. Selected by the NFF Awards Committee, the 16 National Scholar-Athlete Award recipients will be honored at the 2009 NFF Annual Awards Dinner December 8 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT TCU

• TCU ranks fourth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total defense (244.9 yards per game), while ranking sixth in rush (87.2 yards per game) and pass defense (157.7 yards per game), and eighth in scoring defense (12.9 points per game). The Horned Frogs are also averaging a school-record 467.6 yards per game in total offense.
• TCU is fourth in the nation in both total offense (467.6 yards per game) and total defense (244.9 yards per game), making the Frogs the only team to appear in the top 15 in both categories.
• TCU has outscored its opponents 233-53 in its last five games while allowing just six touchdowns.
• TCU has scored at least 30 points in eight of 10 games this season. The Horned Frogs have topped the 40-point mark five times, while scoring at least 50 points three times.
• TCU is the only team in the nation ranked in the top10 in both total offense and total defense. The Horned Frogs' defensive unit is surrendering just 240.56 yards per game to rank third nationally, while the offense is tied for eighth, rolling up 458.56 yards per game.
• The 55-28 win over #16 Utah improved the Horned Frogs' record against ranked teams under head coach Gary Patterson to 8-6.
• TCU rushed for 342 yards and totaled 549 of offense against Utah last Saturday, marking the third-straight game the Frogs have exceeded the 300- yard rushing mark and the 500-yard mark in total offense.

THE MWC IN WEEK 11

• Of the MWC's 31 touchdowns last week, 22 were scored on the ground, while eight were passing TDs.
• Air Force and TCU each totaled more than 500 yards on offense in their respective contests. The Falcons finished their game vs. UNLV with 557 total yards, while the Horned Frogs gained a total of 549 yards against Utah.
• With 200 passing yards on Saturday against Wyoming, San Diego State QB Ryan Lindley became just the ninth player in school history to surpass the 5,000-yard career passing mark (5,159).
• San Diego State's ground attack rushed for 157 yards, the most for the Aztecs since totaling 226 rushing yards vs. Colorado State on Oct. 25, 2008. SDSU also rushed for three touchdowns vs. Wyoming, the most by an Aztec squad since its 42-21 victory over UNLV on Nov. 22, 2008.
• With 258 yards of total offense vs. BYU, New Mexico senior QB Donovan Porterie passed former Lobo Casey Kelly for third on UNM's all-time record book for total offense. Porterie currently has 6,334 yards of career total offense as a Lobo.
• BYU's win at New Mexico on Saturday secured a complete undefeated road record for the first time for the Cougars since 1984. The victory also gives BYU a perfect 4-0 road record against MWC opponents for the fifth time since the inception of the league. The Cougars also went undefeated in league road games in 2001, 2006 and 2007.
• New Mexico converted on a season-high 10 and a season-best 50 percent (10-of-20) third-down attempts vs. BYU. The Lobos entered the contest ranked 119th in the nation with a conversion rate of 28 percent.
• Since 2007, Air Force is 14-4 at home, which ties as the second-most home wins in school history over a three-year span. The 1985-87 and 1998-00 squads also won 14 games (14-3). The program record of 15-2 was set from 1983-85.
• With the Falcons' 45-17 win over UNLV, Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun is the first coach in Academy history to lead AFA to seven or more wins in each of his first three seasons. Calhoun's 16 MWC victories are the most in a three-year span in Falcon history, breaking the previous mark of 13 from 2000-02. His 16 league wins also tie as the third-most in school history. The 1984-85 squads won 16 league contests, while the 1985-87 and 1996-98 teams share the record with 18 conference wins.
• Saturday's crowd of 50,307 at Amon G. Cater Stadium set a TCU singlegame attendance record, and also was the largest crowd to witness a game in the stadium's 79-year history. The previous record of 47,280 was set on Nov. 17, 1984 when TCU hosted Texas.
• TCU's Jeremy Kerley returned five punts for 56 yards against Utah, giving him 55 returns for 791 yards over his career. The junior WR currently ranks fifth and tied for ninth, respectively, on the league's all-time list for career punt return yardage and punt returns. Kerley is also tied for second in career punt returns for touchdowns (2).
• UNLV's Deante' Purvis established new league single-season records for kick returns and kick return yardage. Through 11 games, the sophomore has tallied 1,049 yards on 46 kick returns, shattering the previous records of 853 yards and 37 returns, set by Rebel teammate Michael Johnson in 2008. As a team, the Rebels have 58 kick returns for 1,273 yards on the season, ranking third and fifth, respectively, on the league's all-time list. In 2008, UNLV set new MWC records in both categories with 60 kick returns for 1,320 yards.