In one of the wildest weeks in college football history, the Western 20 had a wild week of its own, with four teams scoring more than 40 points and the average game finishing 38-20.
Let’s check out exactly how Week 7 played out across the Western 20.
Colorado State vs. Texas State
Final | Colorado State 27, Texas State 66
The defensive woes continue for Colorado State, which suffered its fourth straight loss in blowout fashion, falling 66-27 to Texas State.
Texas State rushed for a school-record 503 yards. Running back Torrance Burgess led the way with 224 yards and four touchdowns. Quarterback Brad Jackson added 181 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
The Bobcats finished with 716 total yards of offense, the highest total they’ve produced since their football program began in 1904.
The Rams got two rushing touchdowns from Durrell Robinson and two passing touchdowns from K’saan Farrar, but their efforts were for naught as Colorado State has now given up over 55 points in three straight games.
Colorado State now stands at 0-2 in the Pac-12 and 2-4 overall. Texas State secured its first Pac-12 victory and stands at 1-1 in conference play and 3-3 overall.
The Rams head back home to Fort Collins to take on the San Diego State Aztecs on Saturday. Texas State remains at home to face Utah State.
Northern Illinois vs. Wyoming
Final | Northern Illinois 23, Wyoming 41
Wyoming continued to roll through the Mountain West in its 41-23 blowout of conference newcomer Northern Illinois.
The Cowboys had 510 total yards of offense, with quarterback Tyler Hughes finishing 21 yards short of a 200-200 night. Hughes completed 16 of 19 passes for 196 yards and ran for a career-high 183 yards and four touchdowns, including a 53-yard touchdown scamper in the first quarter.
Northern Illinois put up an impressive 392 yards of total offense but couldn’t keep up with Hughes’ record-breaking night. Telly Johnson Jr. rushed for a season-high 139 yards on just 16 carries. He also added one of the Huskies’ two touchdowns.
Wyoming improved to 3-0 all-time against NIU. It was yet another high-scoring affair, as the previous two meetings saw combined totals of 74 and 93 points.
Northern Illinois returns home to face Hawai’i in an attempt to secure its first victory of the season. Wyoming stays in Laramie to face Air Force in a Friday night Mountain West matchup.
UNLV vs. Air Force
Final | UNLV 31, Air Force 41
In the Elevation Change Game of the Week, the Air Force Falcons continued to showcase their FBS-best rushing attack in a 41-31 victory over the visiting UNLV Rebels.
After putting up 439 rushing yards and four touchdowns on Northern Illinois last week, the Falcons followed it up with 430 yards and five touchdowns against the Rebels. Quarterback Evan Medders led the triple-option attack with 152 yards and three touchdowns. Rocco Conti and Owen Allen added 103 and 96 yards, respectively, with a touchdown each.
The Rebels, coming off a victory over then-Mountain West leader North Dakota State, hung tight with the Falcons through most of the game but couldn’t outlast their vicious rushing attack.
Jackson Arnold had 246 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception for the Rebels. His 8-yard touchdown pass to Kayden McGee late in the third quarter gave UNLV a 24-20 lead, but a lost fumble and three fourth-quarter Air Force touchdowns secured the game for the Falcons.
Arnold also led the team in rushing for the third time this season with 78 yards and a touchdown.
With the loss, UNLV falls to 2-1 in conference play and 4-3 overall. The Rebels go on bye before returning home to play Northern Illinois on Halloween.
Air Force is now tied for second at 3-1 in Mountain West play and stands at 5-1 on the season. The Falcons travel to Laramie to take on Wyoming Friday night.
Washington State vs. Oregon State
Final | Washington State 30, Oregon State 48
Washington State is still seeking its first win in the all-new Pac-12 after losing to Oregon State 48-30 in a game that was never as close as the final score made it look.
The Cougars saw redshirt freshman Owen Eshelman take the reins at quarterback for his first career start after incumbent starter Caden Pinnick was benched. Eshelman struggled through the first two and a half quarters but found his rhythm late with three straight touchdown drives. He finished with 289 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
Junior receiver Braden Ganashamoorthy broke out with the change at quarterback. He finished the day with 11 receptions for 147 yards, capped by a 40-yard touchdown catch late in the third quarter. After totaling 10 receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown through his first two years as a Cougar, Ganashamoorthy now has 26 receptions for 343 yards and three touchdowns this season.
Oregon State continued its dominance on offense with stellar performances from the star duo of Braden Atkinson and Jesse Legree. Atkinson finished with 347 yards and three touchdowns to add to his FBS-leading totals in both categories. Legree was held in check for most of the game by the Cougars’ defense, but a 90-yard touchdown catch-and-run in the first quarter highlighted his eight-catch, 108-yard, two-touchdown day. Legree has topped 100 yards in every game this season.
The Beavers were up 34-10 after Legree’s second touchdown early in the third quarter. Wazzu then charged back, but two fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns sealed the game for Oregon State.
Beaver linebacker Takari Hickle recorded 2.5 sacks to bring his season total to six, tied for 11th most in the nation.
Washington State returns to Pullman for a big matchup against AP No. 21 Boise State on Saturday. Oregon State goes on bye before traveling to Fresno State on Halloween.
Nevada vs. North Dakota State
Final | Nevada 17, North Dakota State 31
Special teams was the name of the game in North Dakota State’s 31-17 win over Nevada.
Nevada led 11-0 early after an AJ Blanco touchdown run with a two-point conversion and a Joe McFadden 39-yard field goal on its first two drives of the second quarter. McFadden attempted a 57-yard field goal at the end of the first half, but it fell short, and the Bison’s Jackson Williams returned the miss 100 yards for a touchdown.
On their first drive of the second half, the Wolf Pack drew within two after a 19-yard touchdown pass by Blanco. On the ensuing two-point attempt, North Dakota State defensive end Matthew Stenbroten returned a fumble for the elusive defensive two-point conversion.
North Dakota State rushed for 192 yards, with eight players recording at least one carry. Myles Mitchell led the charge with 49 yards on 13 carries for the Bison. Quarterback Nathan Hayes added 42 yards and a touchdown.
Hayes passed for 153 yards and two touchdowns on the night. His touchdown pass to Reis Kessel early in the fourth quarter capped the scoring.
North Dakota State moves to 6-1 on the year and remains tied for second in the Mountain West at 3-1. The Bison travel for a pivotal matchup with New Mexico on Saturday that will decide the Mountain West lead.
Nevada falls to 2-4 and 1-2 in conference play and heads back to Reno to take on San Jose State Saturday afternoon.
San Jose State vs. UTEP
Final | San Jose State 24, UTEP 11
UTEP’s dreadful first season in the Mountain West continued as the Miners allowed an FBS season-high 11 sacks in their 24-11 loss to San Jose State.
The Miners produced 462 yards of offense but were unable to turn those yards into points. Quarterbacks Raymond Moore III and EJ Colson combined for 282 yards on 25-of-34 passing.
San Jose State dominated the trenches. The 11 sacks were the second most in Spartan history, behind a 13-sack performance against Pacific in 1981. Four players had 1.5 or more sacks, led by defensive lineman Jayland McGlothen with 3.5. McGlothen also finished with 3.5 tackles for loss, the most on a Spartan defense that recorded 14 as a unit.
On offense, Viliami Teu rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns, highlighted by a 67-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Teu had 61 rushing yards through four games this season before the UTEP matchup.
UTEP got on the board with a field goal late in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 21-3. Receiver Nik Henry scored on an 8-yard run early in the fourth quarter, his first touchdown of the season and the Miners’ only touchdown of the night.
San Jose State is now 2-1 in conference play and 4-3 overall. The Spartans go on the road to take on Nevada Saturday afternoon. UTEP goes on bye before traveling to the Fargodome to take on North Dakota State on Halloween.
Ohio vs. Sacramento State
Final | Ohio 48, Sacramento State 7
In the first-ever meeting between Ohio and Sacramento State, Ohio breezed to a resounding 48-7 victory.
Ohio rushed for 265 yards and five touchdowns against a Sacramento State defense that ranks in the bottom half of the FBS. The Bobcats finished with 469 total yards.
The Hornets continued to struggle against FBS opponents. After giving up 48 to the Bobcats, their season average of points allowed now sits at 32.7 per game, 13th worst among all FBS teams.
Sacramento State rushed for 126 yards, its second-highest total this season and the most against an FBS opponent. Isaiah Ene led the way with 59 yards on seven carries. Eight different players recorded at least one carry.
Ohio moves to 5-2 and 3-0 in the MAC, alone in first place. Sacramento State remains winless against FBS teams and falls to 1-6 and 0-4 in conference play.
The Hornets go on the road Saturday to play Ball State in the first-ever “Ball-Sac Bowl.”
Fresno State vs. San Diego State
Final | Fresno State 23, San Diego State 26
San Diego State came out victorious in the 2026 edition of the Old Oil Can rivalry despite a roster depleted by injuries and mumps.
Running back Lucky Sutton returned from a two-game absence and had 110 yards, including a 67-yard scamper. The Aztecs combined for 204 yards on the ground and 384 total yards on the night.
Aztec quarterback Jayden Denegal exited in the first half with an ankle injury and was replaced by freshman Stone Saunders. Saunders completed 6 of 11 passes for 61 yards in his first collegiate action.
Fresno State was pressured all night, with the Aztecs recording six sacks and three tackles for loss. An Aztec linebacker recorded three sacks, his first of the season. Fresno quarterback Jayden Mandal finished with 141 yards on 13-of-25 passing.
San Diego State jumped to a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter, but back-to-back scores brought Fresno within three. Cooper DiLeva hit a 40-yard field goal as time expired in the half to put the Aztecs up six. With the game tied 23-all and 57 seconds left in the fourth quarter, DiLeva stepped up and hit a career-long 53-yarder for the eventual game-winning score.
DiLeva finished 4 of 5 on field goals.
Fresno State falls to 1-2 in the Pac-12 after winning its conference opener against San Jose State. The Bulldogs go on bye before returning home to face Oregon State on Halloween. The Aztecs improve to 2-1 in conference and 3-4 overall after the narrow win. They travel to Fort Collins on Saturday to take on Colorado State and the nation’s worst defense.
New Mexico vs. Hawai’i
Final | New Mexico 21, Hawai’i 10
New Mexico came back to beat Hawai’i 21-10 in a tale of two halves for both teams.
Hawai’i led 10-0 at halftime after forcing three punts and two turnovers against one of the top offenses in the country. Defensive back Jeremiah Hughes recorded two interceptions on the night. A 27-yard field goal and a 1-yard touchdown pass at the end of the half were all the points the Rainbow Warriors could muster against the Lobos’ defense.
Hawai’i quarterback Micah Alejado finished with 250 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Ten different Rainbow Warriors recorded a catch, with Devin Alvies leading the way with five receptions for 76 yards.
The Lobos flipped the script in the second half, scoring 21 unanswered points and holding Hawai’i scoreless the rest of the way. New Mexico scored a touchdown early in the third quarter to cut the lead to three, and a Toa Fa’avae 21-yard touchdown run and a Scottre Humphrey 49-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter sealed the win.
Humphrey finished with 90 yards and two touchdowns. Fa’avae finished with 59 yards through the air and 77 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
New Mexico remains unbeaten in Mountain West play at 3-0, the only team with a perfect conference record so far. Hawai’i drops to 0-4, at the bottom of the conference.
New Mexico comes home for a top-two matchup against North Dakota State on Saturday with serious CFP implications on the line. Hawai’i travels its farthest distance of the season to DeKalb, Illinois, to take on Northern Illinois early Saturday afternoon.