The Mountain West Conference faced off against some worthy opponents this past weekend, some teams with new coaches, others with fresh faces in their programs.
Going 5 for 10 in opening weekend wins is not too bad, but here’s a recap on how the other nine teams did in week one:
It may have taken three overtimes but the Minnesota Golden Gophers outlasted the UNLV Rebels 30-27 Thursday night.
Rebels junior running back Tim Cornett led the offense with 25 carries for 127 yards and
touchdowns.
Air Force conducted an air raid on Idaho State, winning 49-21 at Falcon Stadium Saturday
afternoon.
Senior Air Force running back Cody Getz had a monstrous performance, running for 218 yards on only 17 carries and scoring three times.
Nevada spoiled California’s new stadium opening Saturday with a 34-21 win in Berkeley, Calif.
The Wolfpack ran for over 200 yards, mainly carried by junior running back Stefphon Jefferson and his 145-yard, three-touchdown performance.
New Colorado State Head Coach Jim McElwain won in his coaching debut against Colorado with a 22-17 win in the Rocky Mountain
Showdown.
Rams sophomore quarterback Garrett Grayson looked impressive, going 14 of 21 for 173 yards and throwing two
touchdowns.
Racking up over 400 yards, New Mexico shined against Southern University as the Lobos won 66-21 at home.
Most of the offensive production came from the running game, as 10 different players helped collect 347 yards on the ground five rushing touchdowns.
The No. 1 USC Trojans had no issue taking on Hawaii, as Heisman hopeful Matt Barkley and company took home a 49-10 win against the Warriors.
Warrior junior quarterback Sean Schroeder did not look too off, posting 24-39 (61.5 percent completion percentage) for 208 yards with a touchdown and two
interceptions.
No. 15 Texas won the duel against Wyoming as the Longhorns battered the Cowboys for a 37-17 victory.
Cowboys sophomore quarterback Brett Smith led both teams in passing yards as he threw for 276 yards with two scores, two picks and posted a 57.1 percent completion rate.
In Tim DeRuyter’s coaching debut, Fresno State looked smooth in their 37-10 win against Weber State.
Not only did junior quarterback Derek Carr have a 206.5 quarterback rating from an 80 percent completion rate and two passing touchdowns, but senior running back Robbie Rouse also had a productive night with 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
San Diego State seemed lost without former Aztecs Ryan Lindley and Ronnie Hillman as they lost to Washington at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.
Former Oregon State transfer Ryan Katz went 10 of 19 for 128 yards with a touchdown and a pick in his Aztec debut.
