Around the Mountain: Schager Leads ‘Bows to Blowout

LARAMIE -- Brayden Schager found the end zone with his legs from a yard out twice in the first quarter of Saturday night's 34-13 victory over visiting Nevada.

For good measure, Hawaii's senior quarterback added two more rushing touchdowns to go along with 153 passing yards as the Rainbow Warriors claimed their first Mountain West win of the 2024 campaign.

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Schager, who was named the conference's Offensive Player of the Week after becoming the third signal caller in the FBS to rush for more than 100 yards (120) and score four times on the ground in a game, has accounted for 19 touchdowns this season.

That's tied with New Mexico QB Devon Dampier for the most in the league.

The Dallas product ranks fourth in the Mountain West, averaging 242.6 yards passing an outing. Only Fresno State's Mikey Keene (2,041) and Dampier (2,079) have thrown for more yards than Schager's 1,941.

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Hawaii rolled up 242 rushing yards against the Wolf Pack, averaging nearly six yards per carry in the process. Landon Sims finished with 82 yards on just nine attempts.

Nevada's Chubby Purdy led the team in passing and rushing before being replaced in the fourth quarter by AJ Bianco. Marcus Bellon led all receivers with 111 yards on six catches. He also added a pair of touchdowns in the loss.

Here are the current Mountain West standings:

Boise State: 6-1, 3-0

Colorado State: 5-3, 3-0

San Diego State: 3-4, 2-0

Fresno State: 5-3, 3-1

UNLV: 6-2, 2-1

San Jose State: 5-3, 3-2

New Mexico: 3-5, 2-2

Hawaii: 3-5, 1-2

Utah State: 2-6, 1-3

Wyoming: 1-7, 1-3

Nevada: 3-6, 0-3

Air Force: 1-6, 0-4

• Nine Mountain West teams take the field in Week 10, with No. 19/15 Boise State hosting San Diego State on Friday on FS1 to get things started. Wyoming visits New Mexico, Fresno State hosts Hawai‘i and Nevada welcomes Colorado State in Saturday's MW contests, while in nonconference action, Air Force visits No. 21/21 Army on CBS.

• Boise State is ranked for the sixth straight week, sitting at No. 15 in the Associated Press poll and No. 19 into the US LBM Coaches (AFCA) poll. UNLV is receiving votes in both polls.

• With Boise State and UNLV already bowl eligible, two more MW teams can join them in Week 10. Colorado State and Fresno State are both sitting on five wins, while 5-3 San José State is idle this week.

• The Mountain West has the strongest nonconference schedule in the FBS. MW teams have 35 nonconference games scheduled this season against Autonomous 4 opponents, the most of any FBS league (counting Notre Dame, Oregon State and Washington State as A4 teams), with the next-closest totaling 27. The MW has four (4) games against the ACC, eight (8) against the Big 12, six (6) against the Big Ten and two (2) against the SEC in addition to 15 contests against Oregon State and Washington State, most of which are part of a scheduling agreement that will see all 12 MW schools face either the Beavers or Cougars. Fifteen of the MW’s games against Autonomous 4 opponents this season will be played at home.

• MW teams have played 11 one-possession games against A4 opponents this season, with four of those games settled in overtime or on the final play of regulation.

• Since 2018, the MW has the best winning percentage over Autonomous 5 teams (27.20) among its peer conferences. MW teams have collected 34 wins over such teams in that span, also the most among its peer conferences.

• It's a new era for the College Football Playoff in 2024, as the five highest-ranked FBS conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked at-large teams will earn spots in the 12-team postseason playoff. With unprecedented access to the CFP, the Mountain West will be well-positioned to earn a shot at competing for a national title.

• Mountain West squads have a total of 21 nonconference games this season against teams that have been ranked or receiving votes at the time of the game or future opponents who or are currently ranked or receiving votes in the US LBM (AFCA) and/or AP top-25 polls, including eight at home.

MW vs. Ranked Teams (Coaches/AP)

Aug. 31: Colorado State at 4/4 Texas

Aug. 31: Fresno State at 8/9 Michigan

Aug. 31: New Mexico at 21/21 Arizona

Sept. 7: RV/RV Boise State at 6/7 Oregon

Sept. 7: Utah State at 14/13 USC

Sept. 14: 10/12 Utah at Utah State

Nov. 2: Air Force at 21/21 Army

Nov. 9: Utah State at 22/22 Washington State

Nov. 16: 22/22 Washington State at New Mexico

Nov. 30: Wyoming at 22/22 Washington State

Notes Around the MW

MW TEAMS IN THE RANKINGS
Boise State is No. 15 in this week's Associated Press poll and No. 19 in the US LBM Coaches (AFCA) poll. The Broncos are 117-21 (.848) all-time while being ranked in the AP Top 25. That’s the best record of any team while ranked over the last 40 seasons (min. 50 games as ranked team). UNLV entered the national rankings for the first time in school history this season, spending three weeks in the AFCA poll and one week in the AP poll. The Rebels are receiving votes in both polls this week.

GOING BOWLING
UNLV topped Oregon State for its sixth win of the season in Week 8 and will be going bowling in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history. Boise State downed UNLV in Week 9 to become bowl eligible for the 27th consecutive season, the second-longest active streak in the nation behind Georgia's current 28-season run.

JEANTY FOR HEI2MAN
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty's Heisman campaign rolls on. The junior is either first or second in the FBS in several categories:

• all-purpose yards per game (203.71, 1st)
• rushing yards (1,376, 1st)
• rushing yards per game (196.6, 1st)
• scoring (16.3, T-1st)
• total points scored (114, T-1st)
• total touchdowns (19, T-1st)
• rush yards per carry (8.65, 2nd)
• rushing touchdowns (18, 2nd)

Jeanty has 1,376 rushing yards and 12 receptions this season. The last FBS player to reach those two marks in his team’s first seven games of a season was Texas’ Ricky Williams in 1998 (1,484, 15).

Jeanty became just the eighth player in the FBS since 1996 to reach 1,000 yards rushing in just five games and needed just 90 carries to reach the mark, the fourth-fewest since 2014. He has two games this season with at least 250 rushing yards and 4-plus rushing TDs, while no other FBS player has a single such game this season. Of the 13 200-yard rushing games in the FBS this season, Jeanty has three of them and is the only player with multiple 200-yard efforts. He also has four TD runs of at least 70 yards this year, the most in a season in MW history. His eight TD runs of 50 yards or more this season lead the FBS.

BRONCOS RUNNING WILD
Boise State ranks third in the FBS in scoring offense (44.3) and second in rushing yards per game (274.9). The last two teams to finish in the top three in each category in the same season are Baylor in 2015 and West Virginia in 2006. The Broncos have rushed for at least 175 yards in 16 straight games. The only other FBS team with an active streak of more than six games is Army with 12 straight.

DALMAS NEARING FBS RECORDS
Boise State kicker Jonah Dalmas has 90 career field goals to his credit, good for fourth in FBS history and just seven back of the FBS record of 97, held by NC State's Christopher Dunn (2018-22). With a career field-goal percentage of 89.1 (90-for-10), Dalmas is second in FBS history in that category, trailing only Nebraska's Alex Henery, who converted at an 89.5-percent clip (68-for-76) from 2007-10.

UNLV 3-1 AGAINST A4 COMPETITION
UNLV has beaten Big 12 teams Houston (27-7) and Kansas (23-20) this season, becoming the first nonconference team ever to have multiple road wins against Big 12 competition in the same season. UNLV’s 27-7 win at Houston in Week 1 was the largest for a MW school against a Big 12 opponent since Utah’s 68-27 win at Iowa State in 2010. Those are the only two times a Mountain West team has won a road game against a Big 12 school by 20-plus points. The Rebels fell in overtime to Syracuse in Week 6 before beating Oregon State in Week 8, 33-25.

EXCELLING ON AND OFF THE FIELD
UNLV senior linebacker Jackson Woodard was announced last week as one of 16 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy and a member of the 2024 National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The Campbell Trophy is college football's premier scholar-athlete award, which annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Woodard was also among four MW players named semifinalists for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award last week. He was joined on the list by Boise State senior defensive end Ahmed Hassanein, Colorado State graduate offensive lineman Jacob Gardner and Hawai‘i senior linebacker Logan Taylor.

NASH RECEIVING PRAISE
This season, San José State receiver Nick Nash leads all FBS players in receptions (80), receptions per game (10.0), receiving touchdowns (12) and receiving yards (995) and is second in receiving yards per game (124.4).

Nash has a receiving TD in eight consecutive games, the longest active streak in the FBS and tied for the third-longest in MW history. It’s also the longest such streak to start a season in MW history. Nash is the first Mountain West player to have at least 10 receiving touchdowns and two passing touchdowns in a season. Nash has an FBS-best seven games this season recording at least 90 yards and had at least seven receptions in each of those seven games. The last MW player to have more games with 90-plus receiving yards and seven-plus catches in a single season than Nash was Colorado State's Rashard Higgins in 2014 (nine).

SACK CENTRAL
Boise State leads the FBS in sacks with 5.00 per game, while San Diego State is third at 4.00. Of the nine FBS teams this season with multiple games having at least six sacks, three play in the MW in Boise State, San Diego State and UNLV, with the Broncos sharing the national lead with Duke with three such games. The Aztecs' Trey White continues to lead the FBS this season in sacks (11.5), sacks per game (1.64), tackles for loss (15.5) and TFLs per game (2.2).

OTHER NATIONAL LEADERS
UNLV leads the FBS this season in blocked punts (4), with Rebel All-American wide receiver Ricky White III leading the FBS with three blocked kicks (all punts). UNLV freshman placekicker Caden Chittenden leads the nation in total made field goals (18) and field goals per game (2.25). Nevada cornerback Michael Coats Jr. paces the FBS with 16 passes defended and 1.8 per game.

WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE
San José State (14) is third, UNLV (13) is sixth and Fresno State (12) is seventh in the FBS in passes intercepted, with the Spartans ranking second with 19 turnovers gained and the Rebels ranking fifth in turnover margin at 1.38. Boise State has four turnovers this season, with only Army (one) having fewer among FBS teams. Dating back to last season, both Boise State and UNLV have gone eight straight games without having multiple TOs, with only three FBS teams having longer active streaks.

Fresno State's Cam Lockridge is tied for second in the FBS with five interceptions, while Nevada's Michael Coats Jr., SJSU's Robert Rahimi and UNLV's Jalen Catalon and Jackson Woodard are tied for fifth with four INTs apiece. Boise State's Andrew Simpson, Fresno State's Korey Foreman, SDSU's Chris Johnson and Utah State's DJ Graham II are tied for fourth with three forced fumbles each.

AZTECS KEEPING IT CLOSE
San Diego State has had its last four games decided by three points or fewer and is 2-2 in those contests. Those games have been decided by a combined 10 points. It's the longest such streak in MW history and the longest active streak in the FBS.

DUAL THREATS
Both New Mexico’s Devon Dampier and UNLV’s Hajj-Malik Williams have two games this season with 175-plus passing yards and 100-plus rushing yards. The MW record in a season is three, by Wyoming’s Brett Smith in 2013, Nevada’s Cody Fajardo in 2012 and Colorado State’s Bradlee Van Pelt in 2003.

Dampier is the first quarterback in MW history to have at least 1,500 passing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in his team’s first seven games of a season. Williams recorded at least three passing touchdowns and 50 rushing yards in his first three starts, the longest such streak by a Mountain West player all-time.

BODES WELL FOR THE RAMS
Colorado State has started 3-0 in Mountain West play for the fourth time in team history. The Rams won their fourth conference game in each of those previous three seasons (2000, 2002, 2017).

WATCH LIST ADDITIONS
Fresno State's Mac Dalena and New Mexico's Luke Wysong were added to the Biletnikoff Watch List last week, while Boise State sophomore Maddux Madsen, Fresno State junior Mikey Keene and UNLV senior Hajj-Malik Williams were named to the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award midseason watch list.

LUBICK NOMINATED FOR COURAGE AWARD
Nevada's Matt Lubick was named a nominee for the 2024 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award last week. The Wolf Pack's offensive coordinator has been battling leukemia in his first year at Nevada.

CONSECUTIVE COMPLETIONS
Fresno State's Mikey Keene completed 17 consecutive passes in the Bulldogs' 33-10 win over San José State in Week 9, good for the second-longest streak in a game in MW history. Keene finished the day 30-for-41 for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Colorado State's Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi completed 16 straight passes in a 31-24 win over SJSU in Week 7, which is now tied for the third-best streak in MW history. He finished 22-for-30 for 269 yards and a TD.