MWC Notebook: Another ugly week for conference

INSIDE SLANT

For the second straight week, the Mountain West failed to beat an FBS team in nonconference play — losing 10 such games.

And to make matters worse, conference favorite and New Year’s Six bowl contender Boise State lost starting quarterback Ryan Finley for eight weeks with a broken ankle.

With quarterback issues across the league and an 0-20 record in nonconference games against the FBS the past two weeks, this could be a historically bad season for the conference.

The nonconference schedule this week includes games like Hawaii at Wisconsin, San Diego State at Penn State and Boise State at Virginia, so don’t look for a big turnaround any time soon.

Conference games include defending West Division champ Fresno State visiting in-state rival San Jose State and New Mexico traveling to winless Wyoming.

AIR FORCE (2-1, 1-0)

Game: Michigan State 35, Air Force 21. The Falcons lamented their own mistakes in the showdown with the Spartans. They committed three turnovers and seven personal fouls and failed to score twice inside the 5-yard line. Michigan State led 35-7 early in the second half and hung on despite an inability to run the ball against Air Force’s defense.

Takeaway: Air Force has shown through the first three games of this season that last year’s success wasn’t a fluke. The Falcons are Mountain West title contenders.

Next: at Navy, Oct. 3

BOISE STATE (2-1, 0-0)

Game: Boise State 52, Idaho State 0. The Broncos rolled against the FCS Bengals but the story was the injury to starting quarterback Ryan Finley, who will miss about eight weeks with a broken bone in his right ankle. Sophomore Tommy Stuart and true freshman Brett Rypien led the Broncos to 45 of their 52 points in their debut performances.

Takeaway: Rypien, the highly touted recruit and nephew of Mark Rypien, justified the hype with his 8-for-9 showing. He will share the job with Stuart this week at Virginia. How they play will go a long way toward determining what happens with this team, which is still in the hunt for a New Year’s Six bowl berth.

Next: at Virginia, Sept. 25

COLORADO STATE (1-2, 0-0)

Game: Colorado 27, Colorado State 24 (OT). The Rams lost in overtime to a Power 5 team for the second straight week. Kicker Wyatt Bryan’s 27-yard field-goal attempt on the first possession of overtime was blocked, his third miss of the game. The Rams squandered a 14-0 lead and threw a pick six.

Takeaway: Wide receiver Rashard Higgins’ importance to the pass game was clear as quarterback Nick Stevens threw for 284 yards (Higgins had 125) a week after accumulating just 51 yards against Minnesota with Higgins injured.

Next: at UTSA, Sept. 26

FRESNO STATE (1-2, 0-0)

Game: Utah 45, Fresno State 24. Utah scored on a kickoff return, a punt return and a fumble return to beat Fresno State with its backup quarterback. Fresno started true freshman quarterback Chason Virgil but Zack Greenlee came on in relief in the second half and threw three touchdown passes.

Takeaway: The Bulldogs’ quarterback situation remains murky. Coaches appeared to select Virgil as their starter but after the disparate showings against Utah, Greenlee might get another look.

Next: at San Jose State, Sept. 26

HAWAII (2-1, 0-0)

Game: Hawaii 47, UC Davis 27. Quarterback Max Wittek threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns as the Warriors made a splash offensively. Paul Harris added a 95-yard touchdown run, a school record, as part of a 34-point second half.

Takeaway: The Warriors’ offense showed some life after getting shut out by Ohio State. Two receivers topped 100 yards in the same game for the first time since 2010. But the good vibes could be short-lived with a trip to Wisconsin around the corner.

Next: at Wisconsin, Sept. 26

NEVADA (1-2, 0-0)

Game: Texas A&M 44, Nevada 27. The Wolf Pack stayed in the game long enough to attempt and recover an onside kick down 14 points in the fourth quarter. But they couldn’t score on that drive, ending their upset bid. The defense got torched in the loss, allowing QB Kyle Allen to throw for 325 yards and five touchdowns.

Takeaway: The Wolf Pack offense was inconsistent and the defense overmatched in consecutive losses to ranked teams — Texas A&M and Arizona.

Next: at Buffalo, Sept. 26

NEW MEXICO (1-2, 0-0)

Game: Arizona State 34, New Mexico 10. The Lobos hung with the Sun Devils for a half but the defense couldn’t get off the field after that. New Mexico allowed drives of 80, 66, 63 and 93 yards in the last 35 minutes.

Takeaway: Coach Bob Davie expressed concern with the inconsistent play of his two quarterbacks, Lamar Jordan and Austin Apodaca, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

Next: at Wyoming, Sept. 26

SAN DIEGO STATE (1-2, 0-0)

Game: South Alabama 34, San Diego State 27 (OT). The Aztecs defense that is supposed to be one of the best in the West gave up a series of long touchdowns — passes of 46 and 57 yards and a run of 74 yards. The offense went four-and-out on its overtime possession after South Alabama took the lead.

Takeaway: The Aztecs offense already was a mess. If the defense can’t win games for them, they’re going to be in trouble.

Next: at Penn State, Sept. 26

SAN JOSE STATE (1-2, 0-1)

Game: Oregon State 35, San Jose State 21. The Spartans led 21-14 at halftime but faded in the second half, in part because of lingering quarterback issues. They made Kenny Potter the starter, lost him due to injury in the second quarter and eventually turned to their third-stringer to try to win.

Takeaway: Oregon State became the seventh opponent in 14 games to rush for 300-plus yards against San Jose State. Given the quarterback issues across the Mountain West, a poor rush defense could doom the Spartans.

Next: vs. Fresno State, Sept. 26

UNLV (0-3, 0-0)

Game: Michigan 28, UNLV 7. The Rebels lost while showing significant fight, which is becoming a trend this year. They held Michigan to seven points in the second half and limited QB Jake Rudock to 123 passing yards.

Takeaway: QB Blake Decker started despite an injury a week earlier. If he’s able to stay healthy, the Rebels should be able to compete in a conference with QB issues.

Next: vs. Idaho State, Sept. 26

UTAH STATE (1-2, 0-0)

Game: Washington 31, Utah State 17. For the second straight week, the Aggies competed well against a Pac-12 team but couldn’t make the necessary plays in the second half to pull the upset. An interception gave Utah State the ball with a chance to tie early in the third quarter but quarterback Chuckie Keeton then followed with an interception.

Takeaway: The Aggies’ ability to compete with two returning bowl teams out of the Pac-12 suggest the preseason expectations that they’ll challenge for the Mountain West title were correct. Still, they haven’t looked quite as good as expected ever since that close call against Southern Utah.

Next: vs. Colorado State, Oct. 3

WYOMING (0-3, 0-0)

Game: Washington State 31, Wyoming 14. The Cowboys got the ball twice in Washington State territory trailing 21-14 in the third quarter. They didn’t capitalize on either opportunity and faded.

Takeaway: The Cowboys’ defense played better against Washington State but still allowed too many big plays. They have already allowed nine plays of 30-plus yards, including six for touchdowns. Washington State scored from 35 and 36 yards.

Next: vs. New Mexico, Sept. 26

FIVE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM WEEK 3 IN THE MWC:

1. A new QB in Boise. Boise State’s season hinges on the play of two unproven quarterbacks — sophomore Tommy Stuart and true freshman Brett Rypien. Rypien is a former four-star recruit who energized the Boise State fan base with his fantastic debut.

2. The West is a mess. San Diego State’s loss to South Alabama confirmed that the division doesn’t have a favorite.

3. Utah State might rally. The Aggies have competed well against Pac-12 schools the past two weeks after that inexplicable close call against Southern Utah.

4. QB questions remain. Three weeks into the season, no star quarterbacks have emerged. The league’s highest-rated passer is Fresno State backup Zack Greenlee, who ranks 49th in efficiency.

5. Somebody has to win. New Mexico and Wyoming meet this week in Laramie. It might be the only game either team wins against FBS competition.