The regular season has concluded, and the championship is set. San Diego State will be hosting Utah State on Saturday with a likely spot in the Los Angeles Bowl at stake. Let’s take a look at the good, bad, and ugly performances from this past weekend.
The Good
San Diego State
The Aztecs had a heck of a game plan and did an excellent job of making adjustments against a Boise State squad that came into Carson on a roll. The Aztecs concluded an excellent regular season with a convincing 27-16 victory over the Broncos. They also did it with an effective passing attack with backup quarterback Jordon Brookshire.
Utah State
The Aggies are the surprise story of the year, and thanks to Boise State’s loss to San Diego State, they have a chance to travel to Southern California and compete for a Mountain West Championship. Utah State did what they needed to do and destroyed an inferior New Mexico squad. The Aggies will look to win their first Mountain West Championship on Saturday against a San Diego State squad that should be ranked in the top 20.
Fresno State
The Bulldogs dominated a Thanksgiving Day showdown against rival San Jose State. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, the win wasn’t enough to secure a bid in the Mountain West Championship. Fresno State deserves a desirable bowl game; hopefully the league can find them a good opponent and a chance at a 10-win season.
Air Force
Air Force needed Boise State to win and a victory over UNLV. Air Force did their part by beating the Rebels in convincing fashion, but the Boise State loss means the Falcons will fall just short of playing in the championship game. Like the Bulldogs, the Falcons will be playing for a 10-win season and deserve a solid bowl game.
Hawaii
The Rainbow Warriors ended the year with a bang. The offense had one of its best showings of the year in the first half, and quarterback Chevan Cordeiro looked dynamic through the air, including a Hail Mary pass that traveled about 65 yards. Hawaii finishes the season one win from bowl eligibility. But in a division that has a lot of turnover, they should be a sleeper pick to win the West in 2022.
Nevada
Carson Strong looked like a man on a mission in the first half. He made a ton of difficult throws that likely impressed NFL scouts. The Wolf Pack had a dominant showing against the Rams in all three phases of the game, but they will likely look back at this season as a disappointment. Talent like Carson Strong doesn’t come along often.
The Bad
San Jose State
The Spartans completely fell apart late in the season. Last years champions failed to qualify for a bowl game this year. They were dominated by their biggest rival in Fresno State. Hopefully, this is not a sign of things to come for San Jose State.
The Ugly
Boise State
The Broncos finished the season just the way they started it. They jumped out to a comfortable lead. But suddenly, the offense stopped moving the ball and the secondary struggled to stop a passing attack that had been subpar for the majority of the season. The Broncos have a bowl game to look forward to, but this coaching staff has a lot to reflect on this offseason.
New Mexico
This team got progressively worse as the season progressed. The offense could not overcome injuries at the quarterback position, and their inability to stay on the field and put points on the board made it difficult to be successful. This coaching staff will need to make an impact on the transfer market this offseason.
UNLV
The Rebels made a ton of progress this offseason and looked to finish the season on a positive note. But this UNLV squad did not look like the same team we saw the previous three weeks. They were thoroughly dominated by Air Force.
Colorado State
For a team that showed promise during certain parts of the season, what an embarrassing way to finish the year. The Rams were completely dominated by Nevada in all three phases of the game. Head coach Steve Addazio was thrown out of the game after two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Was this Addazio’s curtain call in Fort Collins?
Wyoming
The Cowboys can join the list of teams that were difficult to understand in 2021. They started the season 4-0 but struggled once league play began. They seemed to finally be figuring things out after beating Colorado State and Utah State, but a struggling Hawaii team completely dominated them in Laramie. Craig Bohl finishes the year with another average season. Average pretty much sums up Bohl’s tenure in Laramie.
That’s it for the final regular season edition of “The Good, the Bad, the Ugly.” Which moments from this past weekend stood out to you? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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November 30, 2021 at 11:00PM
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The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Week 13 - Mountain West Connection
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