Mountain West makes early statement with Power 5 wins

The sight of Florida State players gasping for breath as a more refreshed Boise State team took control Saturday in Sunshine State heat and humidity was fairly startling.

Boise State’s rally from 18 points down to win 36-31 highlighted a strong opening two weeks for Mountain West teams. UNR’s 34-31 victory over Purdue, Wyoming’s 37-31 win over Missouri and Hawaii’s 45-38 victory over Arizona gave the conference four victories over Power Five teams.

It would have been five had Utah State not given up a touchdown on fourth down with 1:08 left in a 38-35 loss at Wake Forest.

“We know what kind of challenge that we’re facing when we do play in our conference,” Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said. “I’m not surprised those teams walked out with wins.”

Those four Mountain West teams had to fight hard to earn the victories.

Not only did Boise State rally from far back, UNR erased a 31-17 deficit in the final 6:56, and Wyoming had to respond after Missouri jumped out to a 14-0 lead.

“We shouldn’t be intimidated by anybody we play,” Wolf Pack coach Jay Norvell said. “We should go into every game feeling like if we prepare and do the things we practice we should win.”

Larger TV payouts are the biggest difference between the Power Fives teams and the rest.

The Atlantic Coast Conference has the most meager TV contract among the Power Fives, with those schools earning an average of $26.6 million annually. In the Group of Five, to which the Mountain West belongs, the American Athletic Conference has the richest deal, which beginning in 2020 will pay an average of $6.94 million a year. The Mountain West is expected to announce a new deal in the coming weeks.

Harsin, though, downplayed the effect of money on the two sets of conferences, saying “people have to get over” the perception a large gulf separates them. The results from the past two weeks back up his argument.

“When you go play on a football field, money doesn’t matter at that point,” Harsin said.

The Mountain West just a few years ago was the unquestioned best football conference outside the power leagues. But the last conference team to appear in New Year’s Six game was in 2014 when Boise State beat Arizona 38-30 in the Fiesta Bowl.

Even so, the Mountain West did end last season with three ranked teams. Boise State, at No. 24, is the only conference team currently ranked, though Fresno State, Hawaii and Wyoming received votes in the coaches’ poll.

The key is to build on the early success.

“I’m sure big victories like we’ve had can help in the areas of recruiting, fund-raising and ticket sales,” Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said. “If sustained, early season success can help lead to a New Year’s Six bowl, which is a huge financial and publicity boon to the team that earns it as well as the conference.”

Four more opportunities against Power Five teams occur Saturday, including one against a ranked opponent when UNR travels to No. 16 Oregon.

“We have really good players in the Mountain West,” Norvell said. “When we play these out-of-conference games, we get to show the country the type of players that we have.”

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Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.