What We Learned After Week 1 Of Mountain West Play
A quick synopsis of this week’s games.
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A solid week for the Mountain West
Each week we will take a look at each Mountain West team and point out one item from each game that sparked our interest.
The league as a whole this week did really good by winning four against Power Five teams if you include Hawaii from last week. Utah State probably should have topped Wake Forest and Fresno State had chances vs. USC so winning six was a real possibility.
Air Force – The Falcons passed the ball just one time in its easy win over Colgate, 48-7. Quarterback play was to be possibly a two-headed monster but Troy Calhoun went with Donald Hammond III as the starter and he proved his worth by moving the offense with great precision and on his five carries had three touchdowns. There was just one pass all game as Isiah Sanders came in the second half and it was a nice 41-yard pass.
Boise State – What is there to say? Boise State crushed the spirit of Florida State by overcoming and 18-point deficit to win the game. Quarterback Hank Bachmeier might just be the best freshman ever in the Mountain West. His first start which had so many hurdles such as moving the game to the home of Florida State and playing a Power 5 team. He 30 of 51 for 407 yards with a touchdown and a pick.
Colorado State – Passing game is good, the defense still a work in progress. The loss to Colorado was fairly close, 52-31. Collin Hill’s torn ACL looks to no longer be a concern by completing 31 of 47 passes and had three touchdowns. He also spread the ball well with nine different players catching a pass. The pass defense held the very talented wide receiver Laviska Shenault to just three catches for 48. The rush defense was the concern by allowing 6.1 yards per carry. The defense does seem a touch improved.
Fresno State – Ball control needs to be better. The final offensive play of the game was an interception by QB Jorge Reyna. That was not the only turnover issue as the Bulldogs had a pair of fumbles with one leading to a touchdown. With the game being just an eight-point difference, those turnovers are a key reason Fresno State could not defeat the Trojans.
