MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL

CONFERENCE STANDINGS

The Mountain West from top to bottom:

Brigham Young (3-2, 2-0 Mountain West), off: Cougars have scored first in 16 of 17 games.

UNLV (2-3, 1-0) at Air Force (3-2, 2-1): Rebels will try to win third consecutive conference game — dating to last season — for the first time since 1994 team won four straight.

Air Force (3-2, 2-1) vs. UNLV (2-3, 1-0): Falcons, at 258, second to Missouri’s 272 games in a row without a kickoff return for a touchdown.

Texas Christian (3-2, 1-1) at Wyoming (3-1, 0-0): Horned Frogs are MWC leader in consecutive games without being shut out (181) and most shutouts recorded since 1999 (eight).

Wyoming (3-1, 0-0) vs. TCU (3-2, 1-1): Cowboys have not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 11 consecutive games.

San Diego State (1-3, 0-0) at Colorado State (0-4, 0-1): Aztecs won this meeting the past two seasons.

New Mexico (3-2, 0-1), off: Lobos committed five turnovers against BYU after making three over their first four games.

Colorado State (0-4, 0-1) vs. San Diego State (1-3, 0-0): Rams’ first four opponents a combined 13-6.

Utah (2-3, 0-2) at Louisville (3-2), Friday: Utes are 5-0 against current Big East Conference members.

FIVE BEST PLAYERS

1. Beau Bell, LB, UNLV: Double figures in tackles four consecutive games.

2. Max Hall, QB, BYU: Sixth nationally with a total offense average of 353.4 yards.

3. Rodney Ferguson, RB, New Mexico: Rushed for 87 yards and had 105 receiving yards against BYU.

4. Devin Moore, RB, Wyoming: Averaging 108.8 yards per game.

5. Vonnie Holmes, DB, San Diego State: Intercepted passes in four consecutive games.

THEY WROTE IT …

San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Nick Canepa, on the possibility of San Diego State’s program not surviving: “But there’s no question, if the program continues to flounder, a head must appear on this boil one of these days. And what if the Chargers eventually were to leave town? Could the city — already losing $10 million a year on the property as it is — keep Qualcomm Stadium standing for the Aztecs and a couple of bowl games? Not likely. This program, from what I — and alums who don’t attend — can see, has gone backward. Chuck Long has coached 16 games at this school and won four.”

Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City) columnist Brad Rock, on Utah’s 34-18 victory over Utah State: “Already, talk shows and newspaper columnists have speculated this could be Utah coach Kyle Whittingham’s final year. At least for a few days, Whittingham won’t have to try explaining the crazy highs and baffling lows that have accompanied his term. Although Whittingham’s record as a head coach is (a) so-so 17-14 (9-9 in conference), he was only the second-most vulnerable coach in the stadium. On the opposite sideline stood Aggies coach Brent Guy, who is also trying to right a program. As bad as the Utes have been at times, as unpredictable and star-crossed as they are, there’s always this consolation: Things are worse in Logan.”

Albuquerque (N.M.) Journal columnist Rick Wright, on BYU: “The blue-clad Brigham Young beat the red-faced Lobos in unconvincing fashion Saturday night, 31-24, at University Stadium. It took mistake after UNM mistake to make it happen. Convincing or not, the new status quo in Mountain West Conference football strongly resembles the old status quo in the old Western Athletic Conference. BYU rules.”

THEY SAID IT …

Air Force linebacker Drew Fowler, after a 31-20 loss to Navy: “We did show some signs of life against Navy. UNLV is going to be a different type game defensively for us. They have a good back (Frank Summers), and we have to get this bad taste out of our mouth. We have to be consistent defensively, and we haven’t played that way.”

Whittingham, on the victory over Utah State that followed a 27-0 loss to UNLV: “(Winning) takes us out of a miserable feeling from last week. We were as down as we could be.”

New Mexico coach Rocky Long, on the loss to the Cougars: “Make no mistake, they deserved to win the game, but they’re no better football team than we are.”

COMPILED BY MARK ANDERSON/REVIEW-JOURNAL