On Saturday, while the San Diego State football team had its hands full with Cal Poly at home in San Diego, other Mountain West Conference teams were battling it out across the country:
Air Force 41 vs. Southern Utah 7
The Falcons haven’t changed their identity in years: They run the ball, and run it often. And judging by this weekend’s performance, they have no need to change it anytime soon. Quarterback Shea Smith led the team in rushing with 91 of the team’s 433 yards on the ground. Smith was just one of 13 players who ran the ball for the academy.
Wyoming 21 vs. Ohio 20
The Cowboys gave their fans something to celebrate in their season opener after a disappointing 2007 campaign. Transfer quarterback Dax Crum had mixed results in his first game in Laramie, going 14-22 for 111 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. But a key drive in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference as Crum connected with Donate Morgan for the go-ahead TD.
Utah 25 at Michigan 23
The Utes’ upset at The Big House in Ann Arbor may not quite be Appalachian State-caliber, but it was enough to be the biggest upset of opening weekend. Quarterback Brian Johnson threw for 305 yards and a touchdown, but the game’s MVP may have been kicker Louie Sakoda. The senior booted four field goals in the game, three of which were more than 40 yards. The defense came up clutch for Utah, as the Wolverines made a late push but were denied on a late two-point conversion to seal their fate.
TCU 26 at New Mexico 3
The only inter-conference contest of the week proved to be one of the least competitive games on the schedule. After an underachieving season last year, the Horned Frogs got off to a strong start for 2008. In the game’s first four and a half minutes, TCU was able to build a 16-0 lead, scoring on its first three possessions. New Mexico failed to generate any sort of offensive rhythm as the Lobos’ quarterbacks went a combined 7-23 for just 130 passing yards.
No. 16 BYU 41 vs. Northern Iowa 17
The lone MWC team to open the season with a top-25 ranking lived up to its hype as BYU overcame four fumbles and routed NIU. Quarterback Max Hall threw for 486 yards and two touchdowns while Dennis Pitta grabbed 11 passes from Hall for a career-high 213 yards. The victory came as the eleventh consecutive win for the Cougars, the longest current streak in the nation.
UNLV 27 vs. Utah State 17
In a repeat of last year’s opener for both teams, UNLV cruised to victory over a struggling Utah State squad. Rebel quarterback Omar Clayton passed for 192 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to receiver Ryan Wolfe. The Aggies’ offense struggled throughout the game as quarterbacks Sean Setzer and Diondre Borel went a combined 18-of-33 with an interception and one touchdown.
-Compiled by Assistant Sports Editor David Pope
