Mountain West power poll: Dominant Aztecs stay on top; Wyoming, Boise State lurking
1. San Diego State: The Aztecs have scored more touchdowns on defense (three) than they’ve allowed (two) in Mountain West play. Sixteen straight MW wins is pretty impressive.
2. Wyoming: The Cowboys handled success well, withstanding a Utah State challenge in scoring a season-high 52 points last week. UNLV shouldn’t be a big test, but next week? SDSU.
3. Boise State: It was your typical Boise State win over San Jose State, not pretty, but a win nonetheless. Hawaii may be tough, but keep winning, and things might shake out the Broncos’ way.
4. New Mexico: Make it four straight wins and a second straight bowl-eligible season for the Lobos. Playing in Logan is always tough, but New Mexico needs it to keep pace in the division.
5. Air Force: With a 31-12 win over Army, the Falcons are starting to resemble the team they were in the first few weeks. They’ve won eight of their last 10 against Colorado State.
6. Colorado State: With wins in three of their last four, the Rams need one win to reach a bowl, but it’s a rough stretch (at Air Force, vs. New Mexico, at San Diego State).
7. Hawaii: The West’s surprise team couldn’t hold a candle to the division’s true power. The Warriors have lost two straight at home, and Boise State has outscored them 103-23 there last two meetings.
8. Utah State: It’s likely the Aggies miss out on a bowl for the first time since 2010. The defense (76th in points allowed) lost too much and the offense (90th in points scored) has been inconsistent.
9. Nevada: Giving up 280 yards on the ground per game, 127th nationally, won’t get it done in this conference. The injuries the team has suffered have been pretty staggering, so Polian deserves some slack.
10. San Jose State: The Spartans are better than their record, but they just don’t have the horses to contend right now. They lose quite a bit next season, so the work’s cut out for Ron Caragher.
11. UNLV: They could play spoiler against Wyoming, but their wins have been against Hawaii, Fresno State and FCS Jackson State. Their defense could be in for a long day against the Cowboys.
12. Fresno State: It’s no surprise the Bulldogs lacked a spark at Colorado State, playing tough in their previous game the week before DeRuyter’s firing. Last two (Hawaii, SJSU) may be winnable.
Dave Southorn: 208-377-6420, @IDS_southorn
MOUNTAIN WEST STANDINGS
Conference | Overall | |||||||
Mountain | W | L | PF | PA | W | L | PF | PA |
Wyoming | 5 | 0 | 197 | 133 | 7 | 2 | 323 | 268 |
Boise St. | 4 | 1 | 171 | 115 | 8 | 1 | 313 | 204 |
New Mexico | 4 | 1 | 177 | 177 | 6 | 3 | 343 | 284 |
Colorado St. | 3 | 2 | 150 | 113 | 5 | 4 | 251 | 223 |
Air Force | 2 | 3 | 151 | 155 | 6 | 3 | 295 | 216 |
Utah St. | 1 | 5 | 133 | 191 | 3 | 6 | 219 | 262 |
Conference | Overall | |||||||
West | W | L | PF | PA | W | L | PF | PA |
San Diego St. | 5 | 0 | 180 | 26 | 8 | 1 | 322 | 136 |
Hawaii | 3 | 3 | 165 | 185 | 4 | 6 | 268 | 382 |
San Jose St. | 2 | 4 | 136 | 203 | 3 | 7 | 239 | 361 |
UNLV | 2 | 3 | 140 | 156 | 3 | 6 | 275 | 288 |
Nevada | 1 | 4 | 114 | 151 | 3 | 6 | 206 | 255 |
Fresno St. | 0 | 6 | 86 | 195 | 1 | 9 | 185 | 341 |
Friday, Nov. 4
Boise State 45, San Jose State 31
Saturday, Nov. 5
Air Force 31, Army 12
Colorado State 37, Fresno State 0
San Diego State 55, Hawaii 0
New Mexico 35, Nevada 26
Wyoming 52, Utah State 28
Saturday’s games
Wyoming at UNLV, 1 p.m. (ROOT)
Boise State at Hawaii, 5 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
New Mexico at Utah State, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN2)
Colorado State at Air Force, 8:15 p.m. (ESPNU)
San Diego State at Nevada, 8:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
This story was originally published November 12, 2016 at 12:34 AM with the headline "Mountain West power poll: Dominant Aztecs stay on top; Wyoming, Boise State lurking."