Week 6 in the Western 20 painted a clearer picture of what the future holds for these teams. From offensive records to standout defensive performances, it was an electric week out west.
Let’s take a look at last week’s games.
New Mexico State vs. Florida International
Final | Florida International 22, New Mexico State 3
The Aggies were coming off their first FBS victory in nearly a year, but they ran into a Panthers defense that has risen to become a consensus top-10 defense in all of college football.
On a short week, New Mexico State scored a field goal on its fourth possession of the game, but it was unable to cross the 50 on seven of its other eight drives. Quarterbacks Adam Damante and Trey Hedden combined to go 11-of-30 for 123 yards passing with two interceptions against a Panthers defense that is allowing only 156.4 yards per game through the air.
Running back James Jones, who entered as the CUSA leader in rushing yards per game at 102, was the lone bright spot for the Aggies, finishing with 89 yards on 15 carries.
Florida International was led by Robert Czeremcha, who made a career-high five field goals, including a 52-yarder.
The Aggies go on bye this week before continuing their three-game stretch of Wednesday games when they take on Sam Houston State on the 21st.
Washington State vs. Utah State
Final | Utah State 17, Washington State 16
Both Washington State and Utah State have had up-and-down seasons, and this game was no different. The Cougars leapt to a 16-3 halftime lead in Logan before the Aggies stormed back with 14 unanswered points in the second half to secure the 17-16 victory.
The Aggies were led by receiver Eli Wood, the talented Virginia transfer who has already exceeded his career highs in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in only six games. Wood finished with six receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown that helped the Aggies pull within one score in the third quarter.
Wazzu, losers of three straight games, suffered from two second-half turnovers by quarterback Caden Pinnick and receiver Jack Pedersen. Running back Leo Pulalsi finished with 60 yards and a touchdown on the ground, highlighted by a 54-yard touchdown scramble late in the second quarter.
The Aggie defense held the Cougars to just 64 yards in the second half. Washington State crossed the 50-yard line just once after halftime.
Washington State continues its road trip with a visit to Oregon State next Saturday. Utah State goes on bye before facing Texas State in San Marcos on the 24th.
Wyoming vs. San Jose State
Final (OT) | Wyoming 16, San Jose State 13
Wyoming hadn’t won a road game since its opening matchup at Akron in Week 1 of the 2025 season, an eight-game losing streak. The Pokes overcame the odds and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against the San Jose State Spartans on Friday night.
Wyoming’s kicker led the way, with Erik Sandvik going 3-of-3 on field goals, including the 21-yarder to win it in overtime after the Pokes tied the game 13-all with 6:25 left in the fourth quarter. Wyoming also gained 231 yards on the ground, its most in a game this season.
San Jose State continued to put up a bushel of yards, with quarterback Luke Weaver finishing with 251 through the air and running back Jabari Bates adding 69, but the Spartans continued to struggle to turn those yards into points.
The Spartans had the ball first in overtime, but Weaver’s fourth-down pass to Carson Clark fell short. The Cowboys then drove to the 3-yard line before kicking the game-winning field goal on 3rd-and-goal.
Wyoming returns home to Laramie to face Northern Illinois on Saturday, while San Jose State travels to El Paso to take on UTEP.
Sacramento State vs. Bowling Green
Final | Bowling Green 38, Sacramento State 10
Sacramento State continued to get a not-so-warm welcome to the FBS ranks with a 38-10 blowout loss at Bowling Green.
The Hornets opened the game with a 3-0 lead after a 33-yard Grant Meadors field goal, but then the floodgates opened, and Bowling Green, the sixth-worst offense in college football this season, scored 38 unanswered points.
Sacramento State quarterback Jackson Sharman finished the game with 145 yards and a touchdown. It was the first game Sharman has started this season in which he didn’t commit a turnover.
The Hornets’ defense was gashed for 218 yards on the ground, led by Bowling Green running back Austyn Dendy, who had 86 yards and two touchdowns. Hornets safety Boogsie Silvera recorded his first career interception, which was also the Hornets’ first interception against an FBS opponent this season.
Sacramento State welcomes Ohio for the MAC nightcap next Saturday at 8 p.m. MT.
San Diego State vs. Oregon State
Final | Oregon State 66, San Diego State 14
In his past seven quarters of football, Oregon State quarterback Braden Atkinson has thrown 10 touchdown passes. Receiver Jesse Legree has caught six of them.
Atkinson now leads the country in touchdowns with 21. Legree is first in the country in receiving yards and touchdowns, with 932 and 12.
Oregon State just continues to roll.
The Beavers led 38-7 at halftime. Backup quarterback Maalik Murphy, formerly of Texas and Duke, finished the game 8-of-8 while both throwing and catching a touchdown.
For the Aztecs, quarterbacks Jayden Denegal and Draiden Trudeau struggled in the pocket, combining to go 9-of-27 for 91 yards.
San Diego State is struggling with a multitude of injuries and a mumps outbreak. Thirty-five players were listed on the injury report before Saturday’s game.
Oregon State received a vote in the AP Poll, its first this season.
The Aztecs head back home to take on Fresno State, while Oregon State will look to continue its hot streak at home against a floundering Washington State.
North Dakota State vs. UNLV
Final | UNLV 13, North Dakota State 7
A defensive slugfest saw UNLV secure a victory over the previously undefeated North Dakota State Bison in the Elevation Change Game of the Week.
The Bison, who were starting to get CFP hype at 5-0, rolled into Las Vegas with a powerful offense and a menacing defense, but the Rebels held the Bison to a single score, a 21-yard touchdown pass from Nathan Hayes to Chris Kiel in the second quarter.
The Bison defense kept pace with the Rebel offense, limiting UNLV quarterback Jackson Arnold to a season-worst 77 yards and an interception. They couldn’t stop running back Jai’Den Thomas, though, who finished with a team-high 112 yards on 22 attempts.
The lone Rebel touchdown came on a first-quarter pick-six thrown by Hayes, one of his three interceptions on the day. Hayes had thrown just two interceptions all season entering Saturday’s game.
Both teams finished with over 175 rushing yards, but two second-half field goals by UNLV kicker Ramon Villela sealed the game for the Rebels.
The Bison had a shot to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, but Hayes’ third interception of the game, at the UNLV 27, secured the victory for UNLV.
UNLV now stands alone atop the Mountain West at 2-0. The Bison sit at 1-1 after their first loss at the FBS level.
North Dakota State returns to the Fargodome to take on the Nevada Wolf Pack on Saturday. UNLV travels to Colorado Springs to take on Air Force.
Nevada vs. UTEP
Final | Nevada 30, UTEP 13
Nevada running back Herschel Turner has 303 yards in his last two games, including 192 on Saturday as Nevada crushed UTEP 30-13 for its first Mountain West victory this season.
Turner averaged a ridiculous 10.2 yards per carry and scored a touchdown for the Wolf Pack on a 72-yard breakaway late in the third quarter.
UTEP pulled within three on a 16-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, but Nevada scored 20 of the next 26 points to secure an easy victory in El Paso.
The Miners’ only sustained drive came late in the fourth quarter, when they finished a 10-play, 75-yard drive with Raymond Moore III’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Cash Cheeks.
UTEP is now 0-2 after losing its first two conference games by a combined score of 91-20. Nevada moves to 1-1 after a double-overtime loss to Air Force back on September 26.
The Wolf Pack now travel to Fargo to take on a North Dakota State team coming off its first loss of the season. UTEP stays home to take on the San Jose State Spartans.
Air Force vs. Northern Illinois
Final | Air Force 28, Northern Illinois 7
Air Force welcomed Northern Illinois to the Mountain West by winning in the most Air Force-coded way possible: over 400 yards rushing, zero yards passing.
Evan Medders and Owen Allen combined for 214 yards and four touchdowns in the Falcons’ dominant win. Nine other Falcons combined to run for 225 yards.
The Huskies, in their Mountain West opener, had a combined 113 rushing yards, led by junior Telly Johnson Jr., who had 47 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. Quarterback Taron Dickens finished with 140 yards and an interception on 13-of-20 passing.
Northern Illinois turned the ball over three times, with an interception and two late fourth-down stops that sealed the game for Air Force.
The Falcons return home to face UNLV in next week’s marquee Mountain West matchup. Northern Illinois travels to Laramie to take on Wyoming in its first road game as a member of the Mountain West.
Boise State vs. Fresno State
Final | Boise State 38, Fresno State 31
Boise State came in as the No. 23 team in the AP Poll with serious CFP consideration in its back pocket. Fresno State was 4-1 and showing massive improvement each week. Ultimately, behind running back Dylan Riley’s 150 yards and a touchdown, the Broncos held off a pesky Bulldogs team 38-31.
Riley’s 150 yards were his third-highest total this season and brought his FBS-leading rushing total to 835 yards. Backup running back Sire Gaines produced 120 yards and a touchdown after missing the last two games with a wrist injury.
Riley also led the Broncos in receiving, with 64 yards and a touchdown on four receptions.
Fresno State saw its four-game win streak come to a close. The loss to Boise was its first since its season-opening loss at then-No. 14 USC.
Quarterback Jayden Mandal had 218 passing yards and two touchdowns for the Bulldogs. Mandal’s night was highlighted by a 59-yard catch-and-run touchdown by receiver Ezekiel Avit, who finished with six receptions for 96 yards and two scores.
Fresno opened with a first-drive touchdown, but Boise scored the next 15 points to take a lead it never relinquished. The Bulldogs drew within two points twice but were unable to retake the lead.
Boise dropped to No. 24 in the AP Poll despite the win. The Broncos are tied with Oregon State atop the all-new Pac-12. Fresno is now tied for third with a 1-1 conference record.
Boise State heads into its bye, while Fresno travels to San Diego State in search of its second conference victory.
Hawai’i vs. Arizona State
Final | Arizona State 30, Hawai’i 12
Hawai’i traveled to Tempe to take on Arizona State in the Western 20’s only G6 vs. P4 matchup this week.
The Rainbow Warriors were stifled once again and drop to 1-5 following the loss to the Sun Devils.
Hawai’i got another great performance from quarterback Micah Alejado, who threw for 252 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, but the Rainbow Warriors couldn’t establish a run game, managing only 64 yards against an Arizona State defense allowing over 134 a game.
Arizona State running back Cardae Mack gashed the Rainbow Warrior defense for 154 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The Sun Devils collected 231 total rushing yards on the night.
Despite the lopsided score, it wasn’t an easy night for the Sun Devils. Hawai’i consistently pushed into Arizona State territory and even won the possession battle by three minutes, but between several sacks and mistimed penalties, the Rainbow Warriors were unable to convert those opportunities.
Hawai’i returns home to take on the Mountain West–leading New Mexico Lobos in Saturday’s late-night finale.