Two games. Two big losses. Two injured running backs.
Junior Brandon Fragger suffered a shoulder injury in the 69-17 loss at Missouri over the weekend, and he's expected to miss at least four weeks of action. Fragger's injury, his second in as many years, follows on the heels of a season-ending knee injury to star running back Luke Lippincott.
The injury leaves Nevada with three healthy running backs - Vai Taua, Courtney Randall and Lampford Mark.
Mark, a redshirt freshman and the fastest running back, saw action against Missouri and did a solid job.
"He did play a great deal," said Nevada head coach Chris Ault on the weekly WAC teleconference. "He didn't make any mental mistakes."
Ault said that he and the coaching staff were trying to decide who would step into the rotation for Fragger.
"We're looking at a couple of things," Ault said.
One possibility is wide receiver Dwayne Sanders, who has played some running back at Nevada. Another possibility is busting the redshirt year of freshman Michael Ball of Las Vegas.
In terms of Bell, you could play him the rest of the year and redshirt him next season if Lippincott gets a medical hardship and returns in 2009.
ROUGH WEEKEND FOR WAC
To say the WAC took it on the nose this weekend is an understatement, especially against BCS opponents.
The WAC went 2-6 overall and 0-5 in games against BCS conferences.
Besides Nevada's 69-13 loss to Missouri, there was Hawaii's 45-6 loss to Oregon State, Utah State's 58-10 loss to Utah, Nebraska's 38-7 win over New Mexico State and Fresno State's 13-10 loss to Wisconsin.
Going into the weekend, Fresno State, Utah, BYU and East Carolina had the best opportunities to be bowl busters and reach a BCS game this year. The loss to Wisconsin may have severely damaged any Fresno State hopes. The other three are still undefeated.
"The opportunities were there for us," WAC commissioner Karl Benson said. "I was hoping for better results. One week doesn't make for an entire nonconference assessment."
In fact, the Mountain West may have moved ahead of the WAC with both Utah and BYU being ranked in the Associated Press' top 25 this week. Air Force and TCU are getting votes in the AP poll.
The MWC had two signature wins over the weekend. BYU pounded UCLA 59-0 and UNLV upset Arizona State.
FRESNO STATE LOSES THRILLER
Fresno State coach Pat Hill was upbeat, and with good reason.
The veteran FSU coach was proud of his team in a 13-10 loss to nationally ranked Wisconsin Saturday night in Fresno.
The atmosphere was great, and Hill said he hopes that continues no matter who comes to Bulldog Stadium.
It's just the start of BCS teams coming to Fresno, according to Hill.
In 2010, Fresno starts a three-game series with Ole Miss (2010 at Ole Miss, 2011 in Fresno, 2015 at Ole Miss). In 2011, Fresno State starts a three-year agreement with Colorado (2011 at Colorado, 2012 in Fresno, 2013 at Colorado), which is coached by ex-Boise State coach Dan Hawkins.
And last but not least is Nebraska. The Cornhuskers start a three-game series with Fresno in 2011. The first and third games will be at Nebraska (2011 and 2016) with the middle game in Fresno (2014).
TRAVEL PROBLEMS FOR AGGIES
It's been an interesting nonconference season for New Mexico State.
The Aggies' first game against visiting Nicholls State was canceled because of Hurricane Gustov, and then they encountered plane problems this past weekend.
The NMSU charter was supposed to leave from Las Cruces at around noon on Friday, but the plane, which was scheduled to come from Houston, never materialized because of Hurricane Ike. Instead, NMSU was given three 50-seat planes to make the trip to Nebraska for a 6 p.m. game on Saturday.
"We spent most of the day sitting around the Las Cruces airport," coach Hal Mumme said. "I think it was around midnight Friday when the last of our planes arrived.
"It detracts from your focus and being as sharp as you can be."
It's hard enough to go play at Nebraska, but when you have problems getting there, it's bound to take some of the focus and concentration away.
BEAT-UP WARRIORS
Hawaii came out of its 45-7 whipping at the hands of Oregon State with several injuries.
The most serious was to offensive lineman Keith Ah-Soon, who suffered what coach Greg McMackin is calling a anterior cruciate ligament injury. Hawaii officials say Ah-Soon will have an MRI.
Quarterback Tyler Graunke injured his hand, and also is undergoing tests to see if it's broken or not. Running backs Leon Wright-Jackson suffered a foot injury and David Libre suffered an ankle injury.
If Graunke can't play, Inoke Funaki would be the likely starter under center.
ENDERLE EXCELS
Idaho sophomore quarterback Nathan Enderle threw for 334 yards and three scores in a 51-28 loss to Central Michigan over the weekend.
It was his second-best game stat-wise. Last year, he threw for 423 yards in a 42-35 loss to Northern Illinois.
Coach Robb Akey is pleased with his young quarterback.
"I like the way he is making decision and throwing the ball," Akey said. "He's put some of the learning through growing pains behind him. He's grasping what we want to do."
POW HONOREES
San Jose State's Kyle Reed was named the WAC's Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts in the victory over San Diego State last weekend.
Reed, who completed his first 13 passes, finished 20-for-25 for 178 yards. He also had three rushing touchdowns. Reed is a transfer from Cal, who broke his foot during spring practice.
"He's completing 76 percent of his passes and he's running well and efficiently," Spartan head coach Dick Tomey said. "He has great poise. Until the UC Davis game, you have to remember that he hadn't played (in a game) in three years and nine months. He give us not only a passing threat, but a running threat.
Boise State's Jaron Johnson was named the Defensive Player of the Week after finishing with 13 tackles and two recovered fumbles in the Broncos' win over Bowling Green on Saturday.
"He's done a nice job for us the first couple of weeks," BSU head coach Chris Petersen. "Safeties have a lot to do with the success of our defense. They are involved in the running game (not just passing game) as well."
Fresno State's Robert Malone averaged 47.8 on four punts win Special Teams Player of the Week.