THIS WEEK:

Saturday, November 27

AIR FORCE (6-4) at NEW MEXICO (3-7)%
University Stadium (31,218)
Albuquerque, N.M.
12:30 p.m. (MT) / espn2
AFA leads 11-5
1998, AFA won 56-14

COLORADO ST. (7-3) at UNLV (3-7)%
Sam Boyd Stadium (40,000)
Las Vegas, Nev.
1 p.m. (PT)
Series tied 3-3-1
1998, CSU won 38-16

WYOMING (7-3) at SAN DIEGO STATE (4-6)%
Qualcomm Stadium (71,400)
San Diego, Calif.
4 p.m. (PT) / ESPN
WYO leads 13-7
1997, WYO won 41-17

LAST WEEK:

Thursday, November 18
COLORADO STATE 41, AIR FORCE 21 (Fort Collins, Colo. ­ attendance 32,011)

Saturday, November 20
UTAH 20, BYU 17 (Provo, Utah ­ attendance 65,942)
WYOMING 42, NEW MEXICO 28 (Laramie, Wyo. ­ attendance 15,223)
SAN DIEGO STATE 37, UNLV 7 (Las Vegas, Nev. ­ attendance 18,165)

BOWL RACE STILL ALIVE: The race for the conference title is still alive. Utah’s win over BYU last Saturday gives the Utes a share of the MWC championship with BYU and keeps the hopes of a co-championship for Wyoming and Colorado State alive. CSU defeated Air Force handily before a national TV audience last Thursday, 41-21, and Wyoming got its third straight victory with a 42-28 win over New Mexico. They both would need wins this Saturday to get a share of the title.

The Mountain West Conference could finish with four teams at 5-2 in conference play. The AXA Liberty Bowl must choose a MWC representative to play Southern Miss in Memphis on Dec. 31 from the pool of MWC champions. The EA Sports Las Vegas Bowl selection committee will choose from the co-champions or other bowl-eligible teams. Both selections will likely be announced on Monday, November 29 or Tuesday, November 30.

BOWL LINE-UP: A regular season champion will represent the MWC at the AXA Liberty Bowl for the next three years and play the Conference USA champ (Southern Miss) on Dec. 31 in Memphis, Tenn. (ESPN, 5 p.m. Eastern Time). The runner-up or second-choice team will play the WAC champ (Fresno State) in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 18 (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 1999. 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, Central Michigan 24
1997 Oregon 41, Air Force 13
1998 North Carolina 20, San Diego State 13

BOWL HISTORY: The four MWC teams under consideration for postseason bids (BYU, Utah, Colorado State and Wyoming) have combined for 42 bowl appearances. BYU leads the group with 21 appearances, all under LaVell Edwards. Wyoming has made 10 bowl appearances, followed by Utah (7) and Colorado State (5).

Three MWC teams played in bowl games last season. In 1998, BYU lost to Conference USA Champion Tulane 41-27 at the Liberty Bowl, San Diego State finished the season with a 20-13 defeat to North Carolina in the Las Vegas Bowl, and Air Force defeated Washington in the Oahu Bowl 45-25.

All eight MWC teams have appeared in bowl games in the ‘90s. Wyoming has not played in a bowl game since 1993. UNLV participated in the Las Vegas Bowl in 1994, and the other six teams have been invited to bowls at least once over the past three seasons.

BYU is 7-13-1 all-time in bowl games and ranks fourth nationally in consecutive appearances with 17. The top five schools with consecutive appearances are: Nebraska (27), Alabama (26), Michigan (21), BYU (17), and Ohio State (15).

Of the four teams under consideration by the AXA Liberty Bowl and EA Sports Las Vegas Bowl this season, CSU has been to the postseason the least. The Rams have played in four bowls in the ‘90s ­ the 1994, ¹95 and ¹97 Holiday Bowl and the 1990 Freedom Bowl.

Utah has made four bowl appearances under Coach McBride ­ the 1992 and ¹96 Copper Bowl and the 1993 and ‘94 Freedom Bowl. Utah was invited to both the Sun Bowl and Pineapple Bowl in 1951 but declined the invitations. In 1941, the Utes were scheduled to play Hawaii in the Pineapple Bowl ­ a game that was canceled due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The Utes are 3-4 overall in bowl games.

Team           Bowl Record  Last Appearance
BYU            7-13-1       1998 Liberty Bowl
Colorado State 2-3          1997 Holiday Bowl
Utah           3-4          1996 Copper Bowl
Wyoming        4-6          1993 Copper Bowl

Kevin McDougal, Colorado State, QB, Senior (MWC Offensive Player of the Week)
Kevin McDougal rushed for 200 yards and a touchdown and threw for another as CSU ended a two-game losing streak to its arch-rival, defeating Air Force 41-21. McDougal raised his conference-leading rushing total to 1,051 yards and set up three touchdowns with runs of 66, 22 and 34 yards.

Kautai Olevao, Utah, LB, Junior (MWC Defensive Player of the Week)
Kautai Olevao had eight tackles, including six unassisted and two tackles for loss (18 yards) and one interception in the Utes’ 20-17 win over BYU at Cougar Stadium to claim a share of the MWC title. Olevao was instrumental in holding BYU to just 20 yards rushing on the day and a season-low 17 points.

Corey Nelson, Air Force, OLB, Junior (MWC Special Teams Player of the Week)
Corey Nelson blocked two kicks, including a blocked punt which was returned for a touchdown. Nelson was the first Air Force player to block two kicks in a game since Tim Curry blocked two punts in a game in 1998.

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
Nov. 15 Jay Stoner, WYO Patrick Chukwurah, WYO Steve Smith, UTAH
Nov. 22 Kevin McDougal, CSU Kautai Olevao, UTAH Corey Nelson, AFA

THIS WEEK’S GAME NOTES:

Saturday, November 27

Air Force (6-4, 2-4) at New Mexico (3-7, 2-4), University Stadium, 12:30 p.m. (MT)
Air Force leads the overall series with New Mexico 11-5, including a 56-14 victory against the visiting Lobos last year. In that game, the Falcons broke a 7-7 tie with three touchdowns in both the second and third quarters. New Mexico committed five turnovers in the loss. The Falcons have won three straight in the series and look to match its series high four-game winning streak (1984-88). Air Force has won seven of the last eight meetings with the only Lobo victory in that stretch coming in 1991. Stoney Case led New Mexico to a 34-32 victory against the eventual Liberty Bowl bound Falcons. Case threw for 393 yards in the win. In 1987, Air Force scored the second-highest point total in school history with a 73-23 victory in Albuquerque. The Falcons set school records with 82 rushing attempts for 646 yards.

Colorado State (7-3, 4-2) at UNLV (3-7, 1-5), Sam Boyd Stadium, 1 p.m. (MT)
The series between the Rams and the Rebels is tied 3-3-1. The first meeting occurred in 1978 with UNLV defeating Colorado State 33-6 in Fort Collins. Last year, the Rams defeated UNLV 38-16 as Kevin McDougal rushed for 117 yards in the victory. While Colorado State has hosted the Rebels five times in the series, this will only be the third meeting in Las Vegas. In 1979, the host Rebels and Colorado State tied at 21, while in 1997 the visiting Rams won 45-19. Under coach Sonny Lubick, Colorado State has won the last three meetings in the series by an average margin of 22.3 points per game. This will be head coach John Robinson’s first-ever meeting with the Rams.

Wyoming (7-3, 4-2) at San Diego State (4-6, 2-4), Qualcomm Stadium, 4 p.m. (PT)
Wyoming holds a 13-7 advantage in its series with San Diego State. The two teams last met in 1997 with the host Cowboys claiming a 41-17 victory. Wyoming has won five of the last six meetings in the series. Wyoming’s longest win streak in the series is four games (1992-95), while the Aztecs have yet to win two games in a row. While this will be the last meeting this decade, it will be hard-pressed to match the first one. Wyoming defeated San Diego State 52-51 in Laramie in 1990. With just over two minutes to play, the Aztecs two-point conversion attempt failed. Both starting quarterbacks, Wyoming’s Tom Corontzos and SDSU’s Dan McGwire, threw for over 400 yards. In games played in San Diego, the series is tied 5-5. Wyoming head coach is 1-0 in his career against the Aztecs, while Ted Tollner is 1-3.

LAST WEEK’S GAMES:

Thursday, October 18

At Colorado State 41, Air Force 21
CSU’s Kevin McDougal rushed for 200 yards and a touchdown and threw for another score as CSU ended a two-game losing streak in the series, defeating Air Force 41-21. The victory kept the Rams in contention for the conference title and a bowl bid, while the decision also eliminated Air Force from the race. The victory was the fourth straight for the Rams, who scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 41-6 lead. CSU kept the Air Force defense off balance, rolling up 254 yards rushing and 231 passing. Safety Erik Olson sparked the CSU defense with nine tackles and two interceptions, helping hold the nation’s No. 1 rushing team to 230 yards on the ground, well under the Falcons’ average of 292.

Saturday, October 20

Utah 20, at BYU 17
Utah QB T.D. Croshaw threw for two second-half touchdowns and Andre Dyson ended a late BYU comeback attempt with his second interception as the Utes beat then No. 19-ranked BYU and claim a share of the first MWC title. The win was the fourth straight for Utah at Cougar Stadium. Croshaw threw a 70-yard scoring pass to Cliff Russell and a 4-yard TD pass to Donny Utu as the Utes extended a 10-6 halftime lead. The Cougars rallied late, with Kevin Feterik throwing a 6-yard TD pass to Ben Horton with 2:20 to play, pulling BYU close (20-17). The BYU defense forced a punt, and Feterik had the Cougars moving again when he tried to throw to Jonathan Pittman. Dyson sealed the victory with 1:09 to play, diving for the interception.

Feterik completed 22-of-52 attempts for 309 yards, two TDs and three interceptions. Owen Pochman had one field goal try blocked and he was wide right on a 38-yard attempt with 8:02 remaining, which would have pulled the Cougars within 20-13.

San Diego State 37, at UNLV 7
SDSU’s Jonas Lewis rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown to lead the Aztecs to a 37-7 victory, ending a two-game losing streak. RB Larry Ned added 75 yards as the Aztecs outgained UNLV 274 yards to 77 on the ground. SDSU amassed 501 yards of total offense, averaging 6.8 yards per play. QB Jack Hawley passed for 208 yards, completing 10-of-18 attempts, while UNLV freshman quarterback Matt Ray hit 10-of-20 passes for 138 yards.

SDSU scored on a safety when Mark Chlumak tackled UNLV RB Jeremi Rudolph in the end zone in the first quarter.

At Wyoming 42, New Mexico 28
Wyoming RB Cliff Brye rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns and QB Jay Stoner threw three touchdown passes to lift Wyoming over New Mexico 42-28. Brye’s scoring runs of 41 and 78 yards boosted Wyoming to its third consecutive win and gave UNM its third straight loss. UNM’s Brian Urlacher, the team’s all-purpose players, scored his sixth touchdown of the season on a 4-yard pass from Sean Stein with 1:07 left in the third, pulling the Lobos to 28-21. After a Wyoming punt, New Mexico drove to the Wyoming 5-yard line, but Trent Gamble knocked away a fourth-down pass in the end zone. On Wyoming’s next possession, Brye broke free for a 78-yard score that put the Cowboys ahead 35-21. In the second quarter, Wyoming’s Matt Lehning snuffed New Mexico’s bid to take the lead at halftime by intercepting Stein at the Cowboys’ 10 with 30 seconds left before halftime. Holmon Wiggins went seven yards for a UNM score with 1:49 left to close out the scoring.

UNM’s Sean Stein was 18-of-32 for 228 yards and three touchdowns but was intercepted three times.

GRID BITS: Colorado State has the longest active win streak in the MWC, winning four straight. A win in its season final vs. UNLV could give the Rams the second-longest MWC win streak with five games. BYU had its six-game streak end with a loss at Wyoming on Nov. 13 … BYU’s LaVell Edwards is the nation¹s third winningest active coach with a 251-94-3 record … CSU’s Matt Newton and Air Force’s Cale Bonds prepped at Cherry Creek High School (Colo.) and led their team in the respective senior seasons to the 5A Class title. The two faced each other last Thursday for the first time in their college careers … In the battle for seventh place in the MWC, two former USC coaches (John Robinson and Ted Tollner) who claimed Rose Bowl titles during their careers went head-to-head for the first time. SDSU won decisively, 37-7.

ON THE ROAD: MWC had fared better on the road than at home through the first nine weeks of the season. Prior to last week’s games, only four teams had won at least one conference home game. They were: BYU (vs. Colorado State and Air Force), Colorado State (vs. Utah), Utah (vs. SDSU) and New Mexico (vs. UNLV). Both Air Force (vs. UNLV) and Wyoming (vs. BYU) captured their first MWC home victories on Nov. 13. SDSU and UNLV each close the season at home this week and are seeking their first home win in conference play.

Conference road record: 15-10

A GLANCE AT THE RECORDS:

Team            Home  Away  Neutral  Home  Away 
Air Force       3-2   2-2   1-0      1-2   1-2 
BYU             4-2   4-1   ---      2-1   3-1
Colorado State  4-1   2-2   1-0      2-1   2-1
New Mexico      2-3   1-4   ---      1-2   1-2
San Diego State 1-3   3-3   ---      0-3   2-1
UNLV            0-4   3-3   ---      0-3   1-2 
Utah            4-1   4-2   ---      2-1   3-1
Wyoming         4-2   3-1   ---      2-2   2-0

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. UNLV¹s 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: Thirteen games have been televised nationally on either ESPN (Washington at BYU, CSU at BYU, Utah at CSU, Air Force 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 11 weeks of play, a total of 1,966,240 fans had watched MWC teams play in person (51 games total). The average home attendance in the MWC is 35,779 (1,431,158/40 games). BYU leads the conference, averaging 65,185 after six home games.

In total, 30 of the 50 games (60 percent) that include 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 ranks second in rushing offense (285.7) behind another service academy (Navy, 299.1). BYU’s passing offense (324.3 ypg) ranks eighth nationally and its 425.6 yards of total offense ranks 15th. Utah is well-balanced, ranking 15th in scoring offense (33.0) and 13th in scoring defense (17.6). Wyoming’s Jay Stoner leads the MWC in pass efficiency (144.0) and ranks 10th nationally ahead of BYU’s Kevin Feterik (138.9, 16th). Feterik remains atop the MWC charts in total offense with 316.1 yards per game, good for eighth nationally.

Defensively, BYU (15th, 102.9) and San Diego State (17th, 103.2) are one and two in the MWC. Utah is sixth nationally in pass efficiency defense (96.8) and Andre Dyson and Jay Hill are tied for 11th nationally in interceptions with 0.55 per game.

On special teams, Utah is third in punt returns and Steve Smith is fourth nationally with 17.07 per return. Dallas Davis is eighth in punt returns, leading the Rams in punt returns (15.7, 4th nationally). UNLV¹s Ray Cheetany is fourth in punting, followed by BYU’s Jesse Sowards (11th, 43.67) and CSU’s Deone Horinek (29th, 42.33).

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE POLLS: Over a span of two weeks, BYU went from a season-high ranking of 12th in the ESPN poll to dropping out of both polls after closing the season with back-to-back losses to Wyoming and Utah. BYU and CSU have each been ranked in the polls consecutive weeks. BYU had been ranked seven consecutive weeks prior to its Nov. 20 game with Utah, 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 six weeks ago but dropped out after a 21-15 loss at home to unranked Utah on Oct. 16. BYU lost to Virginia at home on Sept. 25, 45-40, and dropped out of both polls after being ranked 17th (AP) and 19th (ESPN).

Other MWC teams receiving votes in the Polls (Nov. 21):
ESPN/USA TODAY Poll ­ BYU 58 (No. 26), Colorado State 23 (No. 29), Utah 10 (No. 33), Wyoming 2 (No. 38).
Associated Press Poll ­ BYU 47 (No. 27), Wyoming 21 (No. 31), Utah 16 (No. 32), Colorado State 9 (No. 33).

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 (No. 24)
Week 3 (Sept. 12) CSU (#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 (#19)
Week 9 (Oct. 24)  BYU (#15)            BYU (#16)
Week 10 (Oct. 30) BYU (#13)            BYU (#15)
Week 11 (Nov. 7)  BYU (#12)            BYU (#15)
Week 12 (Nov. 14) BYU (#19)            BYU (#19) 
Week 13 (Nov. 21) No Team Ranked       No Team Ranked

AIR FORCE FALCONS (6-4, 2-4/5th-tie Mtn. West)
Air Force is 5-0 when it has 15 or fewer pass attempts, but is 1-4 when it passes more than 15 times in a single game. The lone victory in that situation was against Villanova when QB Cale Bonds completed 11 of 17 pass attempts for a season-high 199 yards in the season opener … Air Force, ranked second in the nation in rushing offense, averages 316.8 rushing yards per home game, but only 254.6 away from Falcon Stadium. The Air Force defense has surrendered an average of 12 points per game at home, but on the road, Falcon opponents have averaged 25 points per game … Dave Adams’ 52-yard field goal vs. CSU last Thursday was his longest this season and second-longest of his career. The 50-plus yarder is the fourth of his career … Cale Bonds and Matt Farmer hooked up for a 40-yard pass which is the longest of the season and the longest pass play by AFA in ’99 … Corey Nelson’s two blocked kicks vs. CSU give him 3.5 this season and 4.5 for his career … Tony Metters led AFA with a career-best nine tackles vs. CSU … AFA scored a FG on its first drive of the CSU game, marking only the second time this season the Falcons have scored on their opening series. The other score was a touchdown vs. Washington on Sept. 18 … AFA had an eight-game November winning streak snapped by CSU last week … Air Force’s average attendance this season of 45,981 is the third largest in school history. The best attendance mark was in 1989 (48,007), followed by 1996 (47,408) … With AFA’s win over Army Nov. 6 the Falcons claimed their 13th Commander-in-Chief¹s Trophy and 11th under Coach DeBerry. AFA has won the trophy more times than Army (6) and Navy (5) combined. With the win over Army, DeBerry won his 125th career game (125-67-1 record) and improved his CIC record to 26-6 … K Jackson Whiting has been perfect this season (12-for-12 FGs) … WR Matt Farmer ranks third on the AFA career receiving yards list and fourth in career receptions. Farmer now has 87 catches for 1,431 yards.

BYU COUGARS (8-3, 5-2/1st-tie Mtn. West ­- Co-Champion)
K Owen Pochman connected on a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter vs. Utah last Saturday to extend the Cougars¹ NCAA record to 311 games without being shutout. That streak dates back to 1975. Pochman¹s kick also set the school record for consecutive field goals (15) … QB Kevin Feterik tallied 309 yards vs. Utah last Saturday, marking the seventh 300-yard game of the season. Feterik has 3,554 yards on the season, adding to his career total of 8,065, which ranks fifth on the Cougars’ all-time passing list. Feterik also completed a season-long 77-yard touchdown strike to WR Margin Hooks, which marks the 16th straight game with at least one TD pass (19 of his last 20 games) … Hooks picked up his sixth 100-yard receiving game of the season with a 139-yard performance vs. Utah last week. He will enter his senior season in 2000 with 2,123 yards and needs 944 yards to take over the Cougars’ all-time receiving yards record … Feterik has thrown to 18 different receivers this season … Pochman became the Cougars’ all-time leading scorer with two field goals vs. Utah last Saturday and now has 247 career points … RB Luke Staley missed his second straight game with a bruise in his upper calf. Team doctors expect Staley to return to practice this week in preparation for a bowl game in December. Prior to Staley’s injury, the Cougars had averaged nearly 130 rushing yards but since his injury have dropped to just over 27.3 yards per game. Over the past two games, BYU has scored just one rushing TD … The BYU defense has scored twice this season. On Nov. 6 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.

COLORADO STATE RAMS (7-3, 4-2/3rd-tie Mtn. West)
During its four-game winning streak, Colorado State has committed just three turnovers. In the Rams’ first six games, CSU committed a total of 17 … CSU has a chance to tie for its fourth league title in the ’90s when the Rams travel to UNLV this week. CSU is also seeking its fifth bowl trip in the ’90s, and fourth trip in six years … CSU has defeated CU, Wyoming and Air Force in 1999. This is the first time CSU has defeated all three Front Range teams in the same season … RB Kevin McDougal has 1,051 yards, which marks the 13th time in school history (by 9 players) a back has passed the 1,000-yard mark. He is only the third Ram to post two or more 1,000-yard seasons … In Coach Lubick’s first six seasons, the Rams have posted five seasons with five or more conference wins. A win over UNLV would make that six seasons … CSU has won four consecutive games for the first time this season, marking the longest streak since a 5-game winning streak in 1998 … CSU is 17-2 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 2,785 yards … RB Rashaan Sanders has gained 389 yards, sixth highest by a freshman in school history and fourth most by a true freshman.

NEW MEXICO LOBOS (3-7, 2-4/5th-tie Mtn. West)
In the first six games, the Lobos averaged just 112.2 rushing yards per game. In their past four, New Mexico has averaged 197.0, thanks in large part to the duo of Holmon Wiggins and Jarrod Baxter. In the first six games, the pair averaged a combined 45.1 yards per game, but in the past four, have averaged 174.7 … The Lobos-Air Force game will be televised by ESPN2 this week, marking the first time since 1997 that the Lobos will make a national TV appearance. In 1997, UNM’s WAC Championship game and Insight.com bowl game were televised nationally … This week’s game will mark the latest that UNM has played a regularly schedule game in 12 years (UNM played at Arkansas on Nov. 28, 1987) … Brian Urlacher¹s two receiving touchdowns vs. Wyoming last Saturday tied a career-high. He has now caught for six touchdowns this season … When UNM’s defense held Wyoming out of the end zone and K Aaron Elling missed the 27-yard field goal attempt wide left last week, it marked the first time UNM held an opponent scoreless in 29 straight trips to the red zone.

SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS (4-6, 2-4/5th-tie Mtn. West)
San Diego State is 4-1 when it commits one or less turnover in a game, but is 0-5 when it has two or more turnovers … SDSU seniors have gone 24-21 in their careers … Defensive Coordinator Claude Gilbert will coach his last game. He announced his retirement after spending eight years as the Aztec head coach and 20 years on the sidelines as an assistant … SDSU’s defense enters the season final ranked eighth nationally in total defense, allowing just 292.6 yards per game … SDSU looks to close the season with a pair of victories after defeating UNLV 37-7 last week Š SDSU has lost all three of its conference home games and has not won in front of the home crowd since the season opener vs. South Florida (41-12). SDSU has not lost four straight home games since dropping the final four home games of the 1983 season … In 1999, SDSU has had five games decided in the fourth quarter and have gone 1-4 in those games. Three of the losses have come by a total of seven points, including two losses to MWC foes by a combined four points … A key stat for the 1999 season: SDSU has 23 turnovers through 10 games after turning the ball over 20 times during last year’s drive to the Las Vegas Bowl. The Aztecs have turned the ball over 22 times in their six losses and just once in their four wins … WR Damon Gourdine’s career 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 (3-7, 1-5/8th Mtn. West)
UNLV is 2-0 when it commits two or more turnovers, but just 1-7 when it has less than two turnovers in a game … UNLV has not outgained an opponent in total offense or had more first downs since its season-opening victory against North Texas … UNLV looks to snap a school record 11-game home losing streak this weekend against SDSU … DB Kevin Thomas’ four pass breakups vs. SDSU gave the sophomore 20 for the season, breaking the school single-season record of 18 set by Anthony Blue in 1984 … Len Ware did not catch a pass vs. SDSU, marking only the third time Ware has been shut out in 41 career games. Ware has one last game to move up the school’s career reception charts. He needs one more catch to tie Henry Bailey in third with 156 and three to tie Carlos Baker in second with 158 … DB Quincy Sanders’ 16 total tackles vs. SDSU gave the senior 262 for his career, which moved him into sixth place on the school’s career charts. Teammate Jerrad Pierucci is right behind Sanders. The linebacker had 11 tackles vs. the Aztecs and now has 258 in his career. He needs three more to move past Jody Reinoel into seventh place … RB James Wofford needs 68 yards to move past Tony Lewis in ninth place on the school’s career rushing list with 1,699.

UTAH UTES (8-3, 5-2/1st-tie Mtn. West --- Co-Champion)
Last Saturday, Utah defeated BYU for the fourth straight time in Cougar Stadium and has won 5 of the last 7 meetings vs. its in-state rival … Several records fell during the 1999 regular season, key among those were: RB Mike Anderson, average yards rushing per game in a career (102.4 ypg), Steve Smith, most yards on punt returns in a season (495), most punt returns for a touchdown in a game (2) and most punt returns for a touchdown in a season (3, tie), John Frank, most career sacks (27) and most tackles for loss (29, tie), Jay Hill, most intercepted returns for a touchdown, both single season and career (2, tie) … Mike Anderson’s 2,150 rushing yards is seventh all-time at Utah and the most ever by a two-year player. His also one of just eight Utes ever to rush for 2,000 yards and one of only two players to accomplish that feat in two seasons … Anderson claimed his fourth 100-yard rushing game vs. New Mexico on Nov. 13 and now has 11 career 100-yard games (four this season). His 10 rushing TDs this season tie him for fourth on Utah¹s single-season list … 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 … 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 20 tackles (112 yards) for loss on the season … Frank’s 27 career sacks surpasses the previous school record, which was held by Filipo Mokofisi (26, 1982-85). His 177 career yards in sacks ranks second in Utah’s record book … Frank 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 four times and is 3-1 as a starter (vs. AFA, CSU, New Mexico, BYU) in place of an injured/sick Darnell Arceneaux. Croshaw had a career game vs. CSU Oct. 28, completing 18-of-29 passes for 241 yards and 1 TD. Croshaw has 1,176 yards on the season and leads the Utes with 14 TD passes … Steve Smith ranks first in the MWC and fourth nationally in punt return average (17.1 ypr, 29 returns for 495 yards) … Smith is averaging 78.2 yards per game receiving, which is eighth all-time at Utah in a single season … Utah’s two cornerbacks, Jay Hill and Andre Dyson, are tied for the MWC lead with six interceptions. Dyson is second in the MWC in passes defended with 22 and Hill is third with 16. Backup corner Teneil Ethridge ranks fourth, with 12 passes defended.

WYOMING COWBOYS (7-3, 4-2/3rd-tie Mtn. West)
Wyoming quarterbacks have thrown just three interceptions in the team’s seven wins, but have thrown 10 picks in its three losses … The 1999 senior class ended their home careers at Wyoming with a 20-4 (.833) record at War Memorial Stadium. The seniors are 33-13 (.717) overall for their careers entering next week’s regular-season finale … WR Wendell Montgomery had his third consecutive 100-yard game with 105 yards on five catches and one touchdown. Montgomery also caught a pass for his 40th consecutive game, which is the second-longest streak in the nation entering this week’s games. Ibn Green of Louisville has a 44-game streak … Wyoming senior defenders had a total of 42 tackles vs. New Mexico last Saturday … Wyoming intercepted three passes vs. UNM, marking the fourth game this season the Cowboys have registered three interceptions. Wyoming now has forced 28 total turnovers on the season (12 fumbles and 16 interceptions). In result of these turnovers, Wyoming has scored three field goals and 14 touchdowns … QB Jay Stoner threw for 249 yards vs. UNM. Over the past three weeks, Stoner has thrown for 900 yards while completing 58-of-95 passes (.611), five TDs and only one interception. He has averaged an even 300 yards passing in those three weeks … Since coming back from his bruised sternum, RB Tim Beasley has gained 249 yards in the last four weeks to average 62.3 yards per game. In those four games, he has also scored four TDs … RB Cliff Brye had 155 yards rushing vs. UNM on six carries and two TDs. He became the first Wyoming RB to rush for over 150 yards since Marques Brigham, who rushed for 151 yards vs. Montana State on Sept. 12, 1998 … The Wyoming seniors combined for 320 all-purpose yards vs. UNM … From 1958-68, Wyoming faced Utah and BYU in the same season and earned a sweep against the pair in nine of those 11 years. Since 1969, the Cowboys have faced the Utes and the Cougars in the same year 26 times and captured a sweep of the pair just four times. Prior to this year’s sweep, Wyoming accomplished the feat in 1976, ’87 and ’88 … 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:

Mike Fox/Bronco Nagurski Award Nominees (Best Defender)
Rob Morris, Senior, BYU, Kabeer Gbaja Biamila, Senior, San Diego State, Brian Urlacher, New Mexico.

Lou Groza Award (Best Placekicker)
Owen Pochman, Junior, BYU, Nate Tandberg, Junior, San Diego State.

Rotary Lombardi Award (Best Lineman)
Rob Morris, Senior, BYU.

Davey O’Brien Award
Kevin Feterik, 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, Senior, BYU.

Dr. Pepper Doak Walker Award Nominee (Best Running Back)
Mike Anderson, Senior, Utah, Kevin McDougal, Senior, Colorado State.