Santoro: It’s a Pack nightmare — UNLV, Broncos clearly the MW’s best

Sports Fodder:

The Mountain West regular-season football championship will likely be on the line Friday night in Las Vegas when the UNLV Rebels (6-1, 2-0) host the Boise State Broncos (5-1, 2-0). If you care at all about Mountain West football you will tune into CBS Sports Network (7:30 p.m.) and watch the unquestioned two best teams in the conference at Allegiant Stadium.

Yes, we understand that it might be difficult for Nevada Wolf Pack fans to watch their two biggest rivals meet in the city they hate the most while their beloved heroes sit at 3-5 overall and still looking for their first Mountain West victory (0-2) of the year. But, hey, think of it as a welcome relief to watch entertaining football for a change after that slop we saw in the second half at Mackay Stadium last Friday night in yet another frustrating Wolf Pack loss (24-21 to Fresno State) this year. And, as a bonus, one of the teams is guaranteed to lose.

Watching UNLV or Boise State lose, of course, is always a treat for Pack fans. It also might be informative and helpful to see how the top one percent (actually 1.7 percent) live in the Mountain West, you know, in case the Wolf Pack ever plans on getting there again.

There is a very real chance that both the Rebels and Broncos won't lose another Mountain West game this year after Friday night. Yes, we also understand your beloved heroes that call Mackay home will shock the world and beat both UNLV (Nov. 30) and Boise State (Nov. 9) next month and find themselves in the Mountain West championship on Dec. 6 at, of course, Mackay Stadium. But on the slim chance that it doesn't happen, you should at least prepare yourself for what the world outside the Silver State thinks will happen — that UNLV and Boise State will also square off on Dec. 6.

UNLV only has to play Hawaii (2-5) and San Jose State (5-2) on the road and San Diego State (3-3) and Nevada (3-5) at home after Friday. Boise will play San Diego State and Nevada at home and San Jose State and Wyoming (1-6) on the road. Yes, of course, there's always a chance an upset will occur. It is, after all, the Mountain West. But the Mountain West, if it has any brain cells left after the blows to the head it has absorbed the last few months by losing five teams to the Conference Formerly Known as the Pac-12, desperately needs either Boise State or UNLV to go undefeated the rest of the year and earn a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. The last thing the fading conference needs is for UNLV and Boise State to each have two or more losses this year when they meet in the conference championship or not appear in the title game at all.

So, yes, if you care at all about the long-term health of the Mountain West, you should be cheering and rooting for either Boise or UNLV to join the NCAA's 12-team invitation-only party this year (or next) before the league turns into the Big West of the Nineties starting in 2026.

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The Mountain West has an abnormally high number of football head coaches in their first full year at their current school. Nevada's Jeff Choate, Wyoming's Jay Sawvell, San Jose State's Ken Niumatalolo, Fresno State's Tim Skipper, Boise State's Spencer Danielson, New Mexico's Bronco Mendenhall, San Diego State's Sean Lewis and Utah State's Nate Dreiling are in that not-so-exclusive club.

Who has done the best job of the first-year club members? Danielson's Broncos, who still have a chance at a spot in the College Football Playoff, are certainly at the top of that list right now. But Danielson is sort of a rookie head coach in name only. He coached the Broncos for six games last year and won the conference championship.

So, he really doesn't even qualify for the title of best first-year (at their current school) head coach in the conference. That title right now likely belongs to Mendenhall, the former BYU (2005-15) and Virginia (2016-21) head coach. Mendenhall's Lobos have won three in a row and might be the surprise of the league right now at 3-4, 2-1.

Choate has clearly turned around a Wolf Pack program that stumbled its way to two victories in each of the last two years while Niumatalolo, Lewis and Skipper have at least stabilized their programs after losing established and highly regarded head coaches (Brent Brennan at San Jose State, Jeff Tedford at Fresno State and Brady Hoke at San Diego State).

Wyoming also lost long-time leader Craig Bohl after last season and Sawvell is clearly in a difficult transition (1-6, 1-2) year. Dreiling is also struggling at Utah State (1-6, 0-3) trying to keep the Aggies' heads above water after head coach Blake Anderson was fired in the middle of July. There's more than a good chance Utah State will hire a permanent head coach not named Nate Dreiling after this season as it prepares to join the new Pac-12 in 2026.

Expect the Mountain West to experience some more head coaching turnover as coaches realize that coaching in the Big West of the Nineties starting in 2026 is not what they signed up for. The Mountain West has always been a stepping stone conference, but those steps will likely be taken much more quickly when the league consists of the leftover programs (Nevada, Wyoming, New Mexico, Hawaii, San Jose State, UNLV and Air Force) plus newcomer UTEP starting in 2026.

UNLV's Barry Odom, in fact, might be in his last year at UNLV if this year continues on its current lofty path. Do you think Odom, who will likely approach or surpass 20 victories in his first two years with the Rebels (he was 9-5 last year), really wants to coach in a conference where his Rebels might be the marquee program? This is a guy, don't forget, that once was a head coach in the SEC (Missouri). UNLV was always going to be a stepping stone job for him if he found success in Las Vegas. But that will certainly now be the case with all of the high-profile Mountain West teams (namely Boise State, Fresno State and San Diego State) leaving after 2025.

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Has the Wolf Pack offense run off the tracks a little bit trying to incorporate backup quarterback Chubba Purdy into the game plan the last two weeks?

It seemed to work well in a 42-37 win over Oregon State two weeks ago as Purdy and starting quarterback Brendon Lewis took turns throwing to each other (once each) and Purdy threw a pass for 18 yards and ran the ball once for another 18.

But last week the Purdy Potpourri of Plays only seemed to make the Pack lose focus a bit in a 24-21 loss to Fresno State. The Pack, after all, didn't score a single point the entire second half at home. Purdy, make no mistake, clearly has skills the Pack can use but this sleight-of-hand method of using those skills likely isn't even fair to Purdy.

Purdy was 3-of-5 passing for 53 yards this past Friday with more than half (31) those yards coming on one pass to Jaden Smith early in the fourth quarter and another 14 coming to Smith with Fresno State in a prevent defense with 11 seconds left in the game. The first two times Purdy touched the ball on Friday the Bulldogs seemed to be waiting for it. Purdy caught a pass on Nevada's second play of the game, but the Bulldogs stuffed it for a 1-yard loss. Purdy then ran with the ball for just three yards late in the second quarter.

The Purdy Package also seems to be making the Pack forget about its wide receivers. Smith caught nine passes against Fresno State but all of the other wideouts combined for just two catches. Cortez Braham, one of the most important options in this Pack offense, didn't even have a catch against the Bulldogs. We saw Smith held without a catch the previous week against Oregon State as the wide receivers were limited to just three catches combined.

There are obviously some kinks to be worked out with this interesting Purdy Package.

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The entire Washington State-Oregon State experiment the Mountain West has tinkered with this year now has an ugly feel to it. At first the experiment seemed like a friendly, fun way for the Mountain West to make some money ($14 million) and, in the process, maybe two more lifelong friends. The experiment had the Cougars and Beavers combining to play all 12 teams in the league this year and after the year everyone would shake hands and hug.

But now it's as if the Mountain West has invited a nasty guest into its dozen homes. The Mountain West now has undeniable proof that their nasty guest is cheating with all 12 of its wives and that nasty guest still won't leave for another two months. Talk about not waking up from a nightmare.

We understand college football programs only do things for money these days but is the $14 million worth it? Maybe not anymore. The Mountain West, after all, has already elected not to extend its scheduling agreement with the Pac-12 beyond this year.

The only good news this year is that Washington State and Oregon State won't sail through this season undefeated against Mountain West teams. Washington State is 3-1 against the Mountain West but was blown out by Boise State, 45-24, late last month. Oregon State is just 2-2 against the Mountain West, going winless against the state of Nevada (42-37 losers to Nevada and 33-25 to UNLV) the last two weeks.

Oregon State has three more games (San Jose State, Air Force, Boise State) while Washington State has four more (San Diego State, Utah State, New Mexico, Wyoming) so the Mountain West has to look the other way and act like nothing nasty is happening for another six weeks or so.

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If you are under the age of 50 or so you probably don't quite understand the history, drama and interest a New York Yankees-Los Angeles Dodgers World Series can bring to the sport of baseball. The two teams, after all, haven't met in the postseason since the Dodgers beat the Yankees in the 1981 World Series.

Yes, folks, there were years that started with a 19. It's not just an internet scam.

This year will be the 12th time the Yankees and Dodgers will decide the World Series. Most of the first 11 (eight) took place from 1941-63, before the world knew anything about cable, satellite or streaming television as wells as fashion, hairstyle or makeup influencers or even $1-a-gallon gas. The other three Yankee-Dodger classics were from 1977-81 when all you had to do to get to the Fall Classic was win the American or National League pennant and one round of playoffs against the other division winner in your league. No second-place teams were allowed.

The only wild card back in the late 70s or 80s was whether or not Morganna the Kissing Bandit would jiggle (literally) out of the stands and plant one on Steve Garvey's cheek (she wasn't the only one, it turns out). Do yourself a favor and google it if you are under 50.

Do yourself another favor and indulge everyone in your household over the age of 50 (and likely over 60, 70, 80 and 90) if they seem to be enjoying this World Series a little more than others lately, even if they happen to be a Giants or Mets fan. This one is a treat for us old folks and will be a stroll down memory lane, especially after we had to endure something called a Rangers-Diamondbacks World Series just a year ago.