BYU spoils potential $4M payday for Mountain West by beating Boise State
Kelly Lyell
Nine years after leaving the Mountain West, BYU's football team may have robbed the conference of a potential $4 million payday Saturday night.
The Cougars’ 28-25 win over Boise State knocked the then-No. 13 Broncos out of their spot as the top-ranked Group of 5 conference football team in the country and the guaranteed berth in this year’s Cotton Bowl that will go to the highest-ranked conference champion outside of the Power 5 conferences.
American Athletic Conference member SMU (7-0), ranked No. 16 in The Associated Press media poll and No. 17 in the Amway Coaches Poll, and Cincinnati (6-1), ranked No. 17 in the AP poll and No. 18 in the coaches’ poll, are now the leading contenders for that spot.
The College Football Playoff will pay $4 million to the conference of every school that plays in a CFP bowl game outside of the national semifinals this year. That’s over and above the $2.43 million it will pay to each of those conferences to cover the expenses of sending each team and conference representatives to those games game.
The MW shares CFP playoff revenue equally, so each school’s cut of a $4 million payday would have been $333,333.
CSU football at Fresno State: TV, ticket, point spread, other game info
Despite the setback in a nonconference game, the Broncos remain the top team in our weekly MW power ratings. Here are this week’s complete ratings:
1. Boise State (6-1, 3-0 MW)
Previous: No. 1
Last week: Quarterback Chase Cord, filling in for the injured Hank Bachmeier, had as many interceptions (two) as touchdown passes in the loss at BYU, the Broncos’ first defeat since falling in overtime to Fresno State in last year’s MW championship game.
Next game: Nov. 2, at San Jose State, 8:30 p.m. (TV: CBSSN)
2. Utah State (4-2, 3-0)
Previous: No. 2
Last week: Savon Scarver had his second 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown of the season and fifth of his career, and Gerold Bright ran for 126 yards and two TDs for the Aggies in a 36-10 win over visiting Nevada.
Next game: Saturday, at Air Force, 8:15 p.m. (TV: ESPN2)
3. San Diego State (6-1, 3-1)
Previous: No. 3
Last week: Juwan Washington ran for 78 yards and a touchdown, Chase Jasmin added 70 yards and one TD, and the Aztecs limited host San Jose State to 272 yards of offense in a 27-17 victory.
Next game: Saturday, at UNLV, 8:30 p.m. (TV: CBSSN)
4. Air Force (5-2, 3-1)
Previous: No. 5
Last week: Backup quarterback Mike Schmidt ran for 120 yards and three touchdowns and threw for another score after replacing an injured D.J. Hammond to lead the Falcons to a 56-26 win over visiting Hawaii.
Next game: Saturday, vs. Utah State, 8:15 p.m. (TV: ESPN2)
5. Hawaii (4-3, 1-2)
Previous: No. 4
Last week: Cole McDonald threw for 404 yards and three touchdowns for the Rainbow Warriors in a 56-26 loss at Air Force.
Next game: Saturday, at New Mexico, 2 p.m. (TV: Spectrum Sports in Hawaii; online: Facebook.com/StadiumCollegeFootball)
6. Wyoming (5-2, 2-1)
Previous: No. 6
Last week: Xazavian Valladay ran for 127 yards and one touchdown, and quarterback Sean Chambers added 117 rushing yards and two TDs — one rushing and one passing — for the Cowboys in a 23-10 win over visiting New Mexico.
Next game: Saturday, vs. Nevada, noon (TV: AT&T SportsNet)
7. Fresno State (3-3, 1-1)
Previous: No. 7
Last week: Jorge Reyna threw for 229 yards and one touchdown, and the host Bulldogs intercepted three passes and recovered two fumbles in a 56-27 win over UNLV.
Next game: Saturday, 5:30 p.m., vs. Colorado State (TV: ESPNU)
8. Nevada (4-3, 1-2)
Previous: No. 8
Last week: Toa Taua ran for 84 yards and one touchdown, and quarterback Henry Malik had two passes intercepted in the Wolf Pack’s 36-10 loss at Utah State.
Next game: Saturday, at Wyoming, noon (TV: AT&T SportsNet)
9. San Jose State (3-4, 1-3)
Previous: No. 9
Last week: Josh Love threw for 218 yards and one touchdown with one interception, and the Spartans were limited to 54 rushing yards in a 27-17 home loss to San Diego State.
Next game: Saturday, at Army, 10 a.m. (TV: CBSSN)
10. Colorado State (2-5, 1-2)
Previous: No. 10
Last week: The Rams had a bye following their 35-21 victory Oct. 11 at New Mexico
Next game: Saturday, at Fresno State, 5:30 p.m. (TV: ESPNU)
11. UNLV (2-5, 0-3)
Previous: No. 11
Last week: Kenyon Oblad threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns but also had three passes intercepted in the Rebels’ 56-27 loss at Fresno State.
Next game: Saturday, vs. San Diego State, 8:30 p.m. (TV: CBSSN)
12. New Mexico (2-5, 0-3)
Previous: No. 12
Last week: Quarterbacks Sheriron Jones and Tevaka Tuioti combined to complete just 14 of 28 passes for 203 yards for the Lobos in a 23-10 loss at Wyoming, the 10th straight loss in MW play for New Mexico.
Next game: Saturday, vs. Hawaii, 2 p.m. (TV: Spectrum Sports in Hawaii; online: Facebook.com/StadiumCollegeFootball)
Kelly Lyell covers CSU and other local sports and sports-related news for the Coloradoan. Follow him at twitter.com/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news and help support the work he and his fellow journalists do in our community by purchasing a subscription at coloradoan.com/subscribe.