UNLV linebacker Jackson Woodard (7) tackles Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty during the teams’ game Friday.
Sam Morris/AP
Jeff Choate didn't make a single excuse this week about what happened to his Nevada Wolf Pack football team in a 34-13 loss at Hawaii last Saturday night.
"The reality is we got beat up pretty good on the island," Choate said (to nevadawolfpack.com) on Monday. "Clearly it was a step back for us."
The Wolf Pack (3-6, 0-3) actually fell two steps back to No. 8 in this week's Nevada Appeal Mountain West football rankings as Hawaii (3-5, 1-2) jumped up two spots to No. 7.
"The most disappointing thing about it was the lack of composure we played with," said Choate, pointing out his team's 12 penalties on Saturday. "We did not conduct ourselves very professionally."
Choate was also very honest about the job he has done this year in correcting his team's lack of composure and discipline this year. The Wolf Pack's 77 penalties this year are the second-most in the FBS next to just New Mexico (83). Nearly half the Mountain West (five of 12 teams) are among the 12 most penalized teams in the FBS. with Utah State (63), Hawaii (64) and San Diego State (69) joining Nevada and New Mexico among the most undisciplined teams in the country.
"I'd love to be able to tell you I got this figured out," Choate said. "Clearly I don't."
The Wolf Pack also never figured out Hawaii's run game on Saturday. The Rainbow Warriors ran for 242 yards on 42 carries as quarterback Brayden Schager found enough gaps in the Nevada run defense to scramble for 120 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Hawaii coach Timmy Chang, a former (2017-21) Nevada assistant coach, is now 3-0 against Nevada as Hawaii's head coach.
"For this team there is more to be done and worked at and to get better at," Chang said.
No. 1 Boise State outlasted No. 2 UNLV, 29-24, on Saturday in Las Vegas in one of the more highly anticipated showdowns in Mountain West history. The game attracted a UNLV-record crowd of 42,228 at Allegiant Stadium, breaking the Rebel record of 42,075 at the Sam Boyd Silver Bowl in 2002 against Wisconsin.
"It took everybody to pull off an environment like tonight," UNLV coach Barry Odom said (reviewjournal.com). "I'm devastated for our team that we couldn't find a way to win that one.
"There is no consolation. To come up short in a game of that magnitude, it hurts."
Boise State (6-1, 3-0) led 20-10 at halftime but saw the Rebels take a 24-23 lead into the fourth quarter. Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty had 128 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries. This is the first time this season Jeanty, who averaged 3.9 yards per carry, averaged under seven yards a carry in a game this year. Jeanty, though, still leads the FBS in rushing yards (1,376) this season.
Boise, leading 29-24, controlled the ball for the final 8:07 as Jeanty carried the ball seven times for 26 yards during a 14-play, 48-yard drive.
"Our players deserve everything they're getting now," Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said on broncosports.com. "They work at it when no one's watching. They work their tails off."
Boise State sacked UNLV quarterback Hajj Malik-Williams six times. Malik-Williams was 12-of-21 for 179 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 105 yards on 19 carries, despite losing 39 yards off his rushing total on the six sacks.
"We were down in the fourth quarter in a hostile environment," Danielson said. "Our team kept swinging."
No. 3 Fresno State (5-3, 3-1) rolled over No. 5 San Jose State, 33-10. Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene was 30-of-41 for 275 yards and three touchdowns. The Bulldogs fell behind 7-0 and then scored 33 unanswered points.
"I never felt like we were blowing them out," Fresno State coach Tim Skipper said on gobulldogs.com. "But I know this. We won, we were up for most of the game and it's a good feeling."
A Fresno home crowd of 41,343 saw the Bulldogs lead for the final 44 minutes of the game.
"It was a ton of energy," Skipper said. "It was very electric. Once we got the lead we didn't look back."
No. 4 Colorado State, which plays Nevada at Mackay Stadium on Saturday, got past No. 9 New Mexico, 17-6, in front of a crowd of 36,980 at Colorado Springs. Colorado State improved to 5-3 overall and tied with Boise State for first place in the Mountain West at 3-0.
"All I know is our team is going to find a way to win," Rams wide receiver Armani Winfield said on csurams.com. "That's all that matters at the end of the day."
"The nature of this conference is each team, each week can win," Colorado State safety Henry Blackburn said. "Each week it’s an anything-can-happen mentality. I like playing gritty games. That's the culture of our team."
Colorado State has won four of its last five games, with the only loss (39-31) coming in two overtimes at Oregon State.
"We're really pressing to do the things we need to do to win," Rams coach Jay Norvell said. "We check a lot of the boxes sometimes. But sometimes we don't check some."
No. 6 San Diego State (3-4, 2-0) lost to Washington State 29-26 despite leading 26-14 in the fourth quarter. Aztecs running back Marquez Cooper ran for 78 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.
No. 10 Utah State (2-6, 1-3) beat No. 11 Wyoming, 27-25, on the road on a last-second, 40-yard field goal by Tanner Cragun. Wyoming's John Hoyland had given the Cowboys a 25-24 lead with a 31-yard field goal with 1:54 to play.
The Nevada Appeal Mountain West football rankings for the week of Oct. 28:
1. BOISE STATE (6-1, 3-0): Last week: Boise State 29, UNLV 24. This week: San Diego State at Boise State (Friday).
2. UNLV (6-2, 2-1): Last week: Boise State 29, UNLV 24. This week: Bye.
3. FRESNO STATE (5-3, 3-1): Last week: Fresno State 33, San Jose State 10. This week: Hawaii at Fresno State (Saturday).
4. COLORADO STATE (5-3, 3-0): Last week: Colorado State 17, New Mexico 6. This week: Colorado State at Nevada (Saturday).
5. SAN JOSE STATE (5-3, 3-2): Last week: Fresno State 33, San Jose State 10. This week: Bye.
6. SAN DIEGO STATE (3-4, 2-0): Last week: Washington State 29, San Diego State 26. This week: San Diego State at Boise State (Friday).
7. HAWAII (3-5, 1-2): Last week: Hawaii 34, Nevada 13. This week: Hawaii at Fresno State (Saturday).
8. NEVADA (3-6, 0-3): Last week: Hawaii 34, Nevada 13. This week: Colorado State at Nevada (Saturday).
9. NEW MEXICO (3-5, 2-2): Last week: Colorado State 17, New Mexico 6. This week: Wyoming at New Mexico (Saturday).
10. UTAH STATE (2-6, 1-3): Last week: Utah State 27, Wyoming 25. This week: Bye.
11. WYOMING (1-7, 1-3): Last week: Utah State 27, Wyoming 25. This week: Wyoming at New Mexico (Saturday).
12. AIR FORCE (1-6, 0-4): Last week: Bye. This week: Air Force at Army (Saturday).