Week Two: Around the Mountain West Conference

* Mountain West Conference press release

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., -- Here is this week's Around the Mountain West as Boise State and New Mexico kick off the conference slate Friday night in Albuquerque:

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• Dating back to the 2019 season, the Mountain West has won 18 games against autonomous-5 opponents, including 15 against the Pac-12. This is the most wins in that time span amongst all non-autonomous-5 conferences.

• In the past 18 years, the Mountain West has been the top non-autonomous-5 conference 10 times and second five times.

• The Mountain West produced the first non-automatic-qualifying FBS team into a BCS bowl game (Utah - 2005 Fiesta Bowl) and into the College Football Playoff (Boise State - 2014 Fiesta Bowl).

• The Mountain West has had at least two teams nationally ranked in each of the last six seasons.

• After Wyoming’s double-overtime victory over Tulsa, the Mountain West now has a 16-11 record against opponents from the American Athletic Conference.

• Air Force is riding a five-game win streak, which is tied as the fourth-longest active streak nationally.

• Fresno State senior QB Jake Haener, who was named 2022 MW Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 20 consecutive games, beginning on Oct. 24, 2019. This is the fourth-longest stretch in Conference history. Carson Strong (Nevada) and Derek Carr (Fresno State) hold the league record with a touchdown pass in 26 straight games, while Andy Dalton (TCU) sits in third place (21).

• Air Force senior running back Brad Roberts, who earned first-team All-MW preseason recognition in July, is the nation’s active leader in rushing yards per game, averaging 107.1 yards per contest.

• Over the last 18 seasons, the MW has captured the Bowl Challenge Cup five times and owns the third-best win percentage in bowl games among the 10 FBS conferences (.583), trailing only the SEC (.621) and Sun Belt (.593).

MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS:

* Emotional homecoming ahead for former Wyoming QB JJ Raterink

* Wyoming Football: News and notes ahead of Northern Colorado

* Tulsa torches UW secondary for 460 passing yards in loss

* Wyoming walk-on waltzes into end zone for first-career touchdown

Wyoming junior quarterback Andrew Peasley has been tabbed the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week, while Nevada senior defensive back Bentlee Sanders was named MW Defensive Player of the Week. Wyoming sophomore place-kicker John Hoyland earned MW Special Teams Player of the Week honors, while Utah State safety Isaac Larsen was selected as MW Freshman of the Week.

It is the second career MW weekly honor for Peasley and Hoyland and first for Sanders and Larsen.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

ANDREW PEASLEY, WYOMING

Junior, Quarterback, La Grande, Oregon / Utah State

• Led Wyoming to a 40-37, double-overtime victory over Tulsa on Sept. 3.
• Competed 20-of-30 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns, while also leading the Cowboys with 45 rushing yards.
• Trailing by 10 points early in the fourth quarter, led the Cowboys on two scoring drives to send the game into overtime, including the game-tying touchdown on a 51-yard pass.
• Also threw a 48-yard touchdown pass.
• Led the Cowboys on six offensive scoring drives.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

BENTLEE SANDERS, NEVADA

Senior, Defensive Back, Tampa, Florida / South Florida

• Helped lead Nevada to a 2-0 start to the 2022 season with a 38-14 victory over Texas State.
• Recorded five tackles, including two tackles for loss, two interceptions and one forced fumble.
• First interception led to a Nevada touchdown, while the second interception was returned 34 yards for a touchdown, giving the Wolf Pack a 38-7 lead and capping a 24-point third quarter.
• Forced a third-quarter fumble that was recovered by Nevada, setting up a Wolf Pack touchdown that upped the lead to 24-7.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

JOHN HOYLAND, WYOMING

Sophomore, Place-Kicker, Broomfield, Colorado / Legacy HS

• Tied a career high with four made field goals, while helping Wyoming defeat Tulsa 40-37 in double overtime.
• Connected on a career-long 55-yard field goal, while also making kicks from 25, 25 and 30.
• The 30-yard field goal was the game winner in the second overtime.
• Also, a perfect four-for-four in PATs.
• Additionally, had seven kickoffs resulting in six touchbacks and only one kickoff return for 21 yards.

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

ISAAC LARSEN, UTAH STATE

True Freshman, Safety, Smithfield, Utah / Sky View HS

• On the road at No. 1 ranked Alabama, led the game with a career-high seven tackles, while also recording one interception.
• Logged second interception in as many games, returning it 18 yards.
• Blocked his first-career punt in the fourth quarter, and registered Utah State's lone quarterback hurry.