MW football power rankings

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Robert Gagliardi

Here are my weekly Mountain West football power rankings heading into this week’s games.

1. Fresno State (6-1, 3-0): Remains in the top spot and remains — at this point of the season — as the most complete team in the conference. The defense has allowed one touchdown and 13 points over the last three games.

2. Utah State (6-1, 3-0): The Aggies’ prolific offense was slowed down considerably by Wyoming last week, but they found a way to win with defense and special teams. Good teams find different ways to win, especially on the road.

3. San Diego State (6-1, 3-0): Like Utah State, San Diego State has won six straight. It isn’t always pretty, unless you like good defense. The Aztecs need to clean some things up with penalties and sloppy play at times, but this team is a grinder.

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Wyoming vs. Utah St. – pregame reading

Posted on October 19, 2018 by Robert Gagliardi

Some notes and quotes leading up to Saturday’s homecoming game for the University of Wyoming. The Cowboys host Utah State at 12:30 p.m. MT at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium — their first home game since Sept. 29. The game will be televised on AT&T SportsNet.

Craig Bohl

“I think we need to look at personnel changes. There will be some schematic things that we need do. There’s times we’ve run the ball fairly effectively, and then what will occur is we’ve got to be more consistent as far as not shooting ourselves in the foot with a untimely penalty or something like that. There’s some things we can do to generate some competitive situations. There’s things we need to do to stay on the field on third down and we’re working hard on that. We have a real problem right now offensively extending drives because our third-down percentage conversion is so poor. A lot of times it’s not third down and long, it’s third down and makeables. We’re going to look at it all.” — Fifth-year UW coach Craig Bohl

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UW sports live chat replay – Oct. 18

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Robert Gagliardi

Here’s the replay of my weekly live chat on University of Wyoming sports on Thursday, Oct. 18.

For more UW sports coverage, see the Wyoming Tribune Eagle and Laramie Boomerang, and log on to wyosports.net.

MW football power rankings

Posted on October 15, 2018 by Robert Gagliardi

Here are my power rankings for Mountain West football teams entering this week’s games.

1. Fresno State (5-1, 2-0): I said last week this may be the most complete team in the MW, and that was reinforced with a convincing home win over a struggling Wyoming squad.

2. San Diego State (5-1, 2-0): The Aztecs are a close second behind the Bulldogs. San Diego State is getting things done with a plethora of injuries. Really like watching this team play defense.

3. Utah State (5-1, 2-0): The Aggies have scored 40 or more points in a school-record five straight games. They have offensive weapons all over the place, and a defense that quietly gets it done. This is a fun team to watch.

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Wyoming at Fresno St. – pregame reading

Posted on October 12, 2018 by Robert Gagliardi

Some notes and quotes leading up to Saturday’s football game between Wyoming and Fresno State. Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m. MT from Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California. The game is televised on ESPNU.

Brent Vigen

— “We need to protect better, and and that’s situational. Our third down production is killing us. We are below 30 percent and we need to be plus-40. Each game is different on how teams play us defensively. Getting open is part of it. The passing game is an 11-man deal. Ultimately, the quarterback being able to connect with (the receivers) and has enough time are key. We as coaches have to find the most effective ways to do that every given week. That’s what we’re aiming to do and we will take out a new page this week.” — UW associate head coach/offensive coordinator Brent Vigen

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UW sports live chat replay – Oct. 11

Posted on October 11, 2018 by Robert Gagliardi

Here’s the replay of my weekly live chat on University of Wyoming sports on Thursday, Oct. 11.

For more UW sports coverage, see the Wyoming Tribune Eagle and Laramie Boomerang, and log on to wyosports.net.

MW football power rankings

Posted on October 9, 2018 by Robert Gagliardi

Here are my Mountain West football power rankings heading into this week’s games.

Rocky Long

1. San Diego State (4-1, 1-0): The Aztecs go to Boise State with backups at quarterback, running back and fullback and win. San Diego State may not be the most dynamic offensive team, but coach Rocky Long’s 3-3-5 defense once again proved it is legit.

2. Fresno State (4-1, 1-0): This may be the most complete team in the MW right now. A lot of numbers back that up, but here are two that standout — 15.6 points allowed and 40.2 points scored per game.

3. Utah State (4-1, 1-0): I wanted to see the Aggies win on the road, and they delivered with a 45-20 win at BYU where the score wasn’t indicative of the beat down they handed the Cougars.

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Wyoming at Hawaii – pregame reading

Posted on October 6, 2018 by Robert Gagliardi

Some notes and quotes for Wyoming’s football game tonight at Hawaii. Kick off is at 10 p.m. MT (6 p.m. in Honolulu. There is no regular TV coverage for us not in Hawaii. You can watch the game on a phone or tablet using the Stadium app, which is a free download. Here is a link in how to do that — if you haven’t already.

http://themw.com/sports/2018/9/5/where-to-watch-hawaii-football-on-spectrum.aspx

Craig Bohl

— “Your time table gets changed. Young people probably adapt better than coaches. You’re dealing with a four-hour time change. Getting players acclimated to a big time change is a challenge.” — fifth-year UW coach Craig Bohl

See Saturday’s Wyoming Tribune Eagle and Laramie Boomerang for my story on not just the time change, but other challenges UW and other teams face when having to travel to Hawaii to play football.

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UW sports live chat replay – Oct. 4

Posted on October 4, 2018 by Robert Gagliardi

Here’s the replay of my weekly live chat on University of Wyoming sports at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4.

For more UW sports coverage, see the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Laramie Boomerang and log on to wyosports.net.

MW football power rankings

Posted on October 2, 2018 by Robert Gagliardi

Here are my Mountain West football power rankings heading into this week’s games.

Bryan Harsin

1. Boise State (3-1 overall, 1-0 MW): This may be the best team coach Bryan Harsin has had with the Broncos, and they showed it last week at Wyoming. However, senior quarterback Brett Rypien (no interceptions this season) will be tested at home Saturday against a stingy San Diego State defense.

2. Fresno State (3-1, 0-0): The Bulldogs are closing the gap with Boise State. Senior quarterback Marcus McMaryion is on a roll, and the defense is playing up to expectations.

3. San Diego State (3-1, 0-0): There are some teams on the Aztecs’ heels, but despite being down their starting quarterback and running back due to injuries they hold on to the No. 3 spot.

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