SB Nation - UNLV Rebels

Mountain West and their Road to the BCS: Week 14

Michael Rueckert — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:00:31 -0000

More photos » by J Pat Carter - AP

The Mountain West Conference regular season has officially come to a close, but there is still one final weekend of college football. This is a big weekend that will determine where most teams are going bowling when announced on Sunday.

TCU crushed New Mexico and finished the season undefeated, guaranteeing them their first ever spot in the BCS. They remain ranked 4th in the BCS standings, but still have a shot at the BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena.

Here is a look at the games being played in the final week of the regular season in college football, and how they will affect the Mountain West's BCS outlook:

All times are eastern

No. 3 Texas vs No. 22 Nebraska (ABC, 8:00 PM)

The Big 12 Championship Game. If Texas wins they will play the winner of the SEC Championship Game in the BCS National Championship. If Nebraska wins they will play in the Fiesta Bowl, and Texas will likely be selected as an at-large team.

MWC rooting interest: Nebraska. This is TCU's last chance to get into the Championship Game. If Texas loses TCU should jump to the No. 2 spot over Texas and the loser of the SEC Championship Game. Mountain West fans should all become the biggest Huskers fans on Saturday night.

No. 1 Florida vs. No. 2 Alabama (CBS, 4:00 PM)

A rematch of the 2008 SEC Championship Game. The winner will punch their ticket to Pasadena, and the loser will be going to the Sugar Bowl.

MWC rooting interest: Toss up. TCU has no chance of jumping the winner of this game. There is a good chance that TCU will play the loser of this game in the Sugar Bowl. That is what Jeremy Mauss has been predicting here for a while now. I believe that TCU can beat either of these teams, a MWC vs SEC matchup would be great for the conference.

No. 5 Cincinnati at No. 15 Pittsburgh (ABC, 12:00 PM)

The winner will claim the Big East for 2009 and their automatic spot in the BCS.

MWC rooting interest: Pittsburgh. Cincinnati is not far behind TCU in the rankings. With a win over Pitt there is a very good chance that they can jump the Horned Frogs. It would be awful is Texas loses, but Cincinnati jumps TCU to get into the BCS Championship Game.

No. 10 Georgia Tech vs Clemson (8:00 PM, ESPN)

The ACC Championship Game. The winner will represent the ACC with their automatic spot in the BCS. TCU defeated Clemson earlier this season.

MWC rooting interest: Clemson. TCU has only beated two teams that are currently ranked in the Top 25. It would strengthen their claim to the National Championship Game by having Clemson get back into the Top 25. If Clemson wins, they will likely boot No. 25 Utah out of the Top 25 which actually may be worse for the Mountain West with the AQ Evaluations.

New Mexico State at No. 6 Boise State (3:00 PM, ESPN 360)

A win means another undefeated regular season for the Boise State Broncos, who are looking to get into the BCS as an at-large team.

MWC rooting interest: Boise State. Multiple non-AQ teams in the BCS would be a great thing for all non-automatic qualifier conferences. It can open the door of the non-BCS movement even more. Also, if rumors are true, and the Mountain West chooses to expand; the higher Boise State's final ranking, the better off the MWC would be in the AQ Evaluations.

#21 UNLV Rebels survive Double OT thriller against Arizona Wildcats

noam16 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:13:05 -0000

More photos » by John Miller - AP

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In a thrilling double overtime game, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels defeated the Arizona Wildcats 74-72 in Tuscon. The Rebels, now 6-0, played their first game away from the comfort of home court advantage and managed to pull through in order to prove their worth after being ranked in the top 25 by both ESPN (21) and AP (24) polls.

The game was close the entire game as both teams led by as many as 5 at one point in the first half and the game remained close throughout the entire game. With 1:15 left in regulation Kendall Wallace made a jumper off a Derrick Jasper assist to take a 54-52 lead. A pair of Nic Wise free throws tied up the game and then both Osar Bellfield and Wise missed three's for the win, sending the game into overtime.

The first overtime was exciting as the teams traded leads but a Tre'von Willis layup with 52 seconds left gave the Rebels a 63-61 lead, but a Jamelle Horne jumper on the other end tied it up. The Rebels got the ball with 22 seconds left and Willis missed a layup forcing the game into a second overtime.

Neither team was able to take contorl by more than a few points until UNLV took a four point lead with 28 seconds left off a pair of Willis free throws. After that only free throws scored points in the game as the Rebels held off the Wildcats to secure the victory.

Final - 12.2.2009	1	2	Total
UNLV Runnin Rebels	29	25	74
Arizona Wildcats	34	20	72

Complete Coverage >

The Rebels were led in scoring by Willis, who had 25, and Derrick Jasper pitched in 12 points along with a team high 7 rebounds and 5 assists. He also had three steals.

The Wildcats Derrick Williams went off for 28 points on 10-15 shooting, and Wise added 19.

Both teams had 39 rebounds and were just about even in both assists and turnovers in this close matchup.

The Rebels next game is against the Santa Clara Broncos. The Broncos are 4-3, but are in the midst of a two game winning streak. UNLV will hope to continue their six game winning streak on December 5th and improve to 2-0 on the road.

Next Game

UNLV Runnin Rebels
@ Santa Clara Broncos

Saturday, Dec 5, 2009, 7:00 PM PST
Toso Pavilion/Leavey Center

Complete Coverage >

Making the Rounds: 12/1/09

Jeremy Mauss — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:59:41 -0000

Air Force

The Falcons will have to wait till Sunday before they know if they are going to the Armed Forces Bowl or the New Mexico Bowl. Fellas pack your bags for Texas.

BYU

Max Hall's words are still causing quite a stir across the social media sites and the newspapers. BYU is still in consideration for a BCS bowl, even though very unlikely. Is there too much hate? Max Hall apologizes and is publically reprimended by his comments.

Colorado State

The Rams had a disappointing way to end the season ending on a nine game winning streak.

New Mexico

This past season was a complete mess and finally ended in a blowout loss to TCU, but they did get that one win.

San Diego State

Season finished in a disappointing fashion... again.

TCU Coach Gary Patterson is receiving a nice bump in pay from his previous $1.7 million base in a multi-year extension. This means Notre Dame can remove Patterson from their speed dial. Is Andy Dalton worthy of Heisman consideration?

UNLV

Rebels are having a hard time finding their replacement athletic director. UNLV sent out fired coach Mike Sanford with a victory. WR Ryan Wolfe ends his career as one of the best ever at UNLV.

Utah

Utes looking to go to Vegas Bowl and will play loser of USC/Arizona game. Grading the Holy War game. Ute fans are lashing back at Max Hall.

Wyoming

Freshman QB Austyn Carta-Samuels is named frosh of the year. New Mexico bowl is the most likely site for Wyoming.

2009 Mountain West All-Conference Football Team Announced

Jeremy Mauss — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:54:10 -0000

As expected TCU lead the way with all-conference selections, but they ran away with 15 first and second team selections which more then doubles second place BYU with seven spots. The Horned Frogs also took home three of four player of the year awards, and coach of the year -- the one loss was freshman of the year which went to Wyoming's QB Austyn Carta-Samuels.

Some irony in the list is that New Mexico had the first team punter; he did have the most chances to impress. A choice that was not expected when the season started was Utah RB Eddie Wide who ran for over 1,000 yards but was to be the back up before Matt Asiata tore his ACL in the Louisville game.

The offensive player of the year award went to TCU's QB Andy Dalton while the defensive award went to TCU's DE Jerry Hughes. The rest of the awards are after the jump.

2009 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL FIRST-TEAM
Offense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
QB	Andy Dalton	Jr.	TCU
WR	David Reed	Sr.	Utah
WR	Ryan Wolfe**	Sr.	UNLV
RB	Harvey Unga	Jr.	BYU
RB	Eddie Wide	Jr.	Utah
TE	Dennis Pitta**#	Sr.	BYU
OL	Matt Reynolds	So.	BYU
OL	Erik Cook	Sr.	New Mexico
OL	Marshall Newhouse	Sr.	TCU
OL	Marcus Cannon	Jr.	TCU
OL	Zane Beadles*	Sr.	Utah
PK	Ross Evans	So.	TCU
PR/KR	Jeremy Kerley*#	Jr.	TCU
Defense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
DL	Jan Jorgensen**	Sr.	BYU
DL	Jerry Hughes*#	Sr.	TCU
DL	Koa Misi	Sr.	Utah
DL	John Fletcher	Sr.	Wyoming
LB	Carmen Messina	So.	New Mexico
LB	Daryl Washington	Sr.	TCU
LB	Stevenson Sylvester	Sr.	Utah
DB	Reggie Rembert	Jr.	Air Force
DB	Rafael Priest	Sr.	TCU
DB	Nick Sanders	Sr.	TCU
DB	Robert Johnson	Sr.	Utah
P	Adam Miller	Sr.	New Mexico
--Two-Time First-Team Selection *--Three-Time First-Team Selection #--Unanimous Selection
2009 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL SECOND-TEAM
Offense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
QB	Max Hall	Sr.	BYU
WR	Vincent Brown	Jr.	San Diego State
WR	DeMarco Sampson	Sr.	San Diego State
RB	Joseph Turner	Sr.	TCU
RB	Jared Tew	Jr.	Air Force
TE	Andrew George	Sr.	BYU
OL	Nick Charles	Sr.	Air Force
OL	Peter Lusk	Sr.	Air Force
OL	Caleb Schlauderaff	Jr.	Utah
OL	Jake Kirkpatrick	Jr.	TCU
OL	Zane Taylor	Jr.	Utah
PK	Erik Soderberg	So.	Air Force
PR/KR	Dion Morton	Sr.	Colorado State
Defense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
DL	Wayne Daniels	Jr.	TCU
DL	Ben Garland	Sr.	Air Force
DL	Johnathan Rainey	So.	New Mexico
DL	Cory Grant	Jr.	TCU
LB	Tank Carder	So.	TCU
LB	Mychal Sisson	So.	Colorado State
LB	Brian Hendricks	So.	Wyoming
DB	Andrew Rich	Jr.	BYU
DB	Anthony Wright	So.	Air Force
DB	Tejay Johnson	Jr.	TCU
DB	Chris Prosinski	Jr.	Wyoming
P	Brian Stahovich	So.	San Diego State
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Andy Dalton, Jr., QB, TCU
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jerry Hughes, Sr., DE, TCU
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jeremy Kerley, Jr., KR, TCU
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Austyn Carta-Samuels, QB, Wyoming
COACH OF THE YEAR Gary Patterson, TCU

2009 HONORABLE MENTION
Air Force:	John Falgout, Sr., LB; Brandon Geyer, Sr., P; Ryan Gonzales, Sr., OL; Chris Thomas, Sr., DB.
BYU:	Coleby Clawson, Sr., LB; Brett Denney, Sr., DL; Scott Johnson, Sr., DB; Brian Logan, Jr., DB; Riley Stephenson, Fr., P; R.J. Willing, Sr., OL.
Colorado State:	Adrian Martinez, Sr., OL; Nick Oppenneer, Sr., DB; Cole Pemberton, Sr., OL; Shelley Smith, Sr., OL; Tim Walter, Sr., OL.
New Mexico:	Kendall Briscoe, Sr., DL.
San Diego State:	Davion Mauldin, Sr., KR; Jerry Milling, Sr., LB.
TCU:	Evan Frosch, Jr., TE; Antoine Hicks, So., WR; Jeremy Kerley, Jr., WR; Ed Wesley, Fr., RB; Jimmy Young, Jr., WR.
UNLV:	Jason Beauchamp, Sr., LB; Joe Hawley, Sr., OL; Matt Murphy, Jr., OL.
Utah:	Joe Phillips, Jr., K; Sean Sellwood, Fr., P; Sealver Siliga, So., DL; Mike Wright, Sr., LB.
Wyoming:	David Leonard, Jr., WR; Austin McCoy, So., P; Mitch Unrein, Sr., DL.

Talking AQ Evaluation With BCS Executive Director, Bill Hancock

Michael Rueckert — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:00:41 -0000

More photos » AP

Bill Hancock

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Everyone knows that the Mountain West is looking to become a BCS conference. They tried lobbying for it last summer, but was rejected. The only way that they can guarantee automatic qualification BCS status would be to gain it through the "BCS Evaluation Period."

The given criteria for evaluating BCS Conferences is very vague. According to the BCS website, the following is how they determine AQ status:

The evaluation data includes the following for each conference
(1) The ranking of the highest-ranked team in the final BCS standings each year
(2) The final regular-season rankings of all conference teams in the computer rankings used by the BCS each year and
(3) The number of teams in the top 25 of the final BCS standings each year.

Obviously the given information is very vague. Fortunately the new BCS Executive Director, Bill Hancock was kind enough to answer a few of my questions regarding the process of determining automatic qualifier status.

Note: This was an e-mail and not exactly an interview. Bill Hancock gave me permission to quote him on his answers.

If a conference is to expand and add a team during the evaluation period, would the conference be able to use that teams statistics in their evaluation, even if the team gained some of their "points" in another conference?

Yes.

This is big news for Boise State fans. The Mountain West Conference will very likely need to expand and add a team like Boise State since it is a top-heavy conference, with little competition aside from TCU, Utah and BYU. This explains the reason that the MWC has not invited anyone in yet. This is a strategic move, which would allow that team to gain points without beating up on MWC teams. If the MWC does expand they will need to invite a team before July 1, 2010 to use that team in their evaluation data.

There are three rules listed for determining AQ status. Is each rule given an equal weight? If not, which categories are "worth more?"

All are the same weight.

This is good news for the Mountain West. Two of the three criteria the MWC is very strong in. The amount of teams in the final Top-25 and ranking of the highest team are things that the Mountain West is very competitive in. The MWC struggles in the ranking of the entire conference in the computers since it is a top heavy conference. It is definitely a plus that that category will not out-weigh the rest.

Does the number of teams in each conference affect how the statistics are calculated for certain criteria such as, number of teams in Top 25?

No, the data is averaged so that the number of teams in the conference does not affect the rankings.

Another positive for the conference. The Mountain West in 2008 and 2009 finished with three ranked teams in the final BCS standings. The Mountain West is a smaller conference with only nine teams. Having three teams ranked for the Mountain West would be greater in the evaluations than three teams from a larger conference like the Big-12.

Does a current non-Automatic Qualifier conference have to "beat out" a single BCS conference four of the four years of the evaluation period? Or, does that conference just have to finish ranked ahead of a certain conference in the final statistics?

Basically a conference must finish in the top half of each category.

Does this mean that a current non-AQ conference must finish ranked at least third in each of the three evaluation criteria? They must finish ahead of at least three current BCS conferences in each of the three categories?

Actually, no, it wouldn't have to finish at least third. Basically it would have to finish in the top 50 percent in each of the three categories.

This is a confusing topic to me. I'm guessing that they would have to finish in the top 50 percent among the 11 conferences in averaged data at the end of the evaluation. It sounds like the Mountain West would have to finish at least fifth in each category. This is a problem for the "final regular-season rankings of all conference teams in the computer rankings used by the BCS each year" criteria. They may need to expand to finish at least fifth in this category. In the other two categories the MWC seems to be among the top 50 percent.

If a non Automatic Qualifying conference gains Automatic Qualifier status, would the BCS expand to 7 conferences, or would that conference replace a current BCS conference?

There would be seven automatic-qualifying conferences.

This is what everyone expected, but I just wanted to clarify it. This is good news for current BCS conference. If the Mountain West becomes a BCS Conference, no one will get replaced.

A big thanks to Bill Hancock for taking the time answering my questions. He is very involved in the public and seems to be the guy that the BCS is using to boost their public relations.

Aztecs blow another late lead, Rebels come from behind to win, 28-24.

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 10:33:06 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

San Diego State head coach Brady Hoke looks on as his team blows a 4th QTR lead. Again. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

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The Aztecs were unable to hold yet another late lead and the Rebels got revenge on SDSU for last season's loss that prevented UNLV from becoming bowl eligible. This season, although neither team had a chance to become bowl eligible, the Rebels wounded the moral of an Aztec team that was hoping to end the season on a high note. Although it seemed as though the Aztecs had improved from last season, the results in the win column really stayed the same. For UNLV, coach Sanford's last game after being fired was bittersweet. He was able to rally his team from a 17 point second-half deficit and ended his team's season on a high note despite a rough year. The Aztecs finish 4-8 while the Rebels finish 5-7; the Aztecs add two wins from last year's total and the Rebels repeat last year's performance.

Catch the rest after the jump

Final - 11.28.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
San Diego St. Aztecs	14	7	3	0	24
UNLV Rebels	7	0	7	14	28

Complete Coverage >

After blowing a 21 point 4 QTR lead against Wyoming, now the Aztecs blow a 17 point 3 QTR lead against UNLV. Ryan Lindley threw 2 interceptions, including one that was returned for a TD, and place kicker Lane Yoshida missed a FG. Some people may now call SDSU's coach Brady (c)Hoke until he proves otherwise. On a positive note, RB Walter Kazee amassed 106 yards on the ground which is a welcome change to the Aztecs usual tepid rushing offense. QB Lindley did throw for 341 yards and a TD including 106 and a TD to WR Roberto Wallace. The Aztec offense stalled after the half managing only 3 points in the final two quarters. They moved the ball well but were unable to turn that into points for one reason or another. The offense managed 445 yards of offense and outperformed the Rebels in most categories in the box score but that ultimately didn't turn into a win. Although the defense managed two interceptions including one for a score from Luke Laolongi, they weren't capable of playing a full game or at least a consistent one. They consistently forced UNLV into third downs but then gave up huge plays time and time again. Coach Hoke hopes to get some of his recruits into the system next season and teach his team how to limit mistakes and play more consistent football. Look for the Aztecs to play in a bowl next season.

QB Omar Clayton threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Payne with 1:24 to play to give the Rebels a win avenging last season's final game loss to SDSU that prevented the Rebels from playing in a bowl game. UNLV place kicker Kyle Watson missed a field goal with 3:29 to play that would have tied the game. The Rebels then forced the Aztecs to stall and to punt and the received the ball near midfield. The Rebels were able to drive down-field and punch it into the end-zone with ease and then stop a last minute bid by SDSU to win the game. Terrance Lee trimmed the deficit to three points in the initial minute of the fourth quarter with a interception return for a TD. The defense was able to come out in the second half and stop the Aztecs when it counted and allowed the offense to get them back into the game. The Rebels will spend the off-season looking for a new head coach and figuring out how to move forward and improve the team. A strong recruiting class will go a long way toward UNLV's bowl hopes for next season.

UNLV Runnin' Rebels move to 5-0 as they upset #16 Louisville

noam16 — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:22:51 -0000

More photos » by Isaac Brekken - AP

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It felt like March Madness had arrived in November as the UNLV Runnin' Rebels (5-0) upset the 16^th ranked Louisville Cardinals (4-1) 76-71, handing them their first loss of the season in front of an extremely energized crowd at the Thomas and Mack center.

The Rebels led the entire game, starting the game strong and building a double digit lead by half time at 40-30.

UNLV then came out strong to start the second half going on a 8-0 run to take an 18 point lead before Louisville was down 53-34 with 14:05 left in the game and went on a 30-11 to tie the game up at 62 with 5 minutes left to play.

The Rebels did not fold then and rebuilt their lead to eight with under a minute to play and managed to hold off the Cardinal's last minute push.

"They threw a big run at us. We took the hit, but we got up and fought back," Tre'von Willis said. "We ground it out at the end of the game. It shows our character, it shows how much fight we have in us."

UNLV was led in scoring by Oscar Bellfield who had 17, while Willis added 16 along with 9 assists and 6 rebounds. Also scoring in double figures for the Rebels was Derrick Jasper with 12 and Darris Santee who had 13.

Final - 11.28.2009	1	2	Total
Louisville Cardinals	30	41	71
UNLV Runnin Rebels	40	36	76

Complete Coverage >

The Rebels had 21 assists on 27 made baskets, more than doubling Louisville's passing as they only had ten.

"This group's been very unselfish, really comfortable moving the ball, comfortable with different guys, different nights, stepping in, getting more minutes, and getting better results" head coach Lon Kruger said. "The ability to keep people fresher because of the depth we have is huge."

That depth was shown today as 11 players got more than 7 minutes and 9 of those 11 scored.

The Rebels defense was also on point, holding Louisville's star sophomore Samardo Samuels well below his averages of 17.5 points and 8 rebounds, by only allowing him 13 points and 3 rebounds. They also forced the Cardinals to commit 16 turnovers while only giving up the ball 13 times.

The fans were extremely loud and played a crucial role in keeping the Rebels focused on the victory. The crowd of 14,390 made their presence known especially late in the game as they were loud and vocal.

"The atmosphere was crazy tonight, fans were crazy; it was loud," Santee said. "They had our adrenaline pumping and we just fed off of them."

The thrill of such a big win cannot be relished on for long as the Rebels travel to Tucson, Arizona to face Arizona on Wednesday 12/2 at six.

"It's kind of a big boost but we still have some other big games coming up," Bellfield said. We gotta enjoy this for today, and tomorrow be ready for Arizona and get ready."

The Rebels started off 5-0 last year and will hope to extend their hot start to 6 straight wins as they take on an Arizona team that has struggled a bit in the beginning of the season, going 3-2, but coming off a loss to 24 Vanderbilt. They are undefeated at home, however, and will look to stay that way against the Runnin' Rebels.

Next Game

UNLV Runnin Rebels
@ Arizona Wildcats

Wednesday, Dec 2, 2009, 6:00 PM PST
McKale Center

Complete Coverage >

Triple Header Open Thread: TCU looking to clinch BCS Bowl Berth

Jeremy Mauss — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:30:17 -0000

The regular season is coming to a close after today's game, but they will be good. TCU should crush New Mexico, but a TCU gets them in their first ever BCS bowl. Then there is the Holy War that is always a nasty game and will determine the bowl situation for the league. The finale is UNLV and San Diego State the Rebels are looking for revenge over last years embarassing loss, but they are doing it with a lame duck coach. SDSU is looking for a positive note heading into the off season.

New Mexico @ TCU 12 PM CST

Utah @ BYU 3PM MST and HD

UNLV @ San Diego State 7PM PST

Feel free to comment on the Florida and Florida State game which could affect TCU and their chances in getting to the number two spot.

Let's hear what you think. Register for a free account here on the site and leave your comments, predictions and other game day chatter below in the comments section.

I have now integrated twitter to the open thread. So, within your message you need to put #mwc in the tweet and it will show up and send it to @mwcconnection. Also, if your not following me my twitter name is @mwcconnection

UNLV moves to 4-0 against Holy Cross

noam16 — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:56:46 -0000

Final - 11.25.2009	1	2	Total
Holy Cross Crusaders	28	31	59
UNLV Runnin Rebels	40	40	80

Complete Coverage >

The Rebels stayed perfect after defeating the Holy Cross Crusaders 80-59. The came out strong early and managed to get a 15 point lead at one point during the first half. The Rebels, now 4-0, did not let the winless Crusaders think they had a chance throughout.

UNLV was led in scoring by freshman Anthony Marshall and Tre'von Willis who had 14 points and also led the team in rebounds and assists with 6 and 3 respectively. Three other players scored in double figures for the Rebels as freshman Justin Hawkins had 12 and Oscar Bellfield pitched in another 13.

The Rebels came out in the second half and pushed the lead to 20 in the first 7 minutes of the half and their biggest lead was at 21, the final margin of the game.

UNLV shot 49 percent from the field while holding Holy Cross to a mere 37 percent. The Crusaders, however, outrebounded the Rebels 40-36 but the Rebels won the turnover battle, only committing 10 while forcing 24.

The next game for the Rebels is on Saturday at 1 o'clock against the 16th ranked Louisville Cardinals at UNLV. Both teams come into the game undefeated and the Rebels look to stay perfect on their 5 game homestand.

Next Game

Louisville Cardinals
@ UNLV Runnin Rebels

Saturday, Nov 28, 2009, 1:00 PM PST
Thomas & Mack Center

Complete Coverage >

Mountain West and their Road to the BCS: Week 13

Michael Rueckert — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:05:45 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - ASSOCIATED PRESS

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It's now the time to feature the games that will affect the Mountain West's BCS possibilities during this rivalry week. This is a great weekend of college football with big games on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

For probably the first time ever, there is a more important game in the Mountain West than the Holy War during rivalry week. Lost in the hype of the BYU vs. Utah game is the (11-0) TCU Horned Frogs, who are looking to finish undefeated against New Mexico.

Still four teams remain ranked ahead of the TCU, whose national championship hopes may be soon coming to a close. They will need losses ahead of them, and this week poses a greater challenge for those teams than prior weeks.

Here is a look at games this weekend that will affect the Mountain West in their BCS hunt:

All times are eastern

New Mexico at No. 4 TCU (The Mtn. HD, 1:00 PM Saturday)

One of the most lopsided matchups in MWC history. The Horned Frogs are a 45 point favorite over the Lobos. ESPN's Accuscore is giving New Mexico a 0% chance of winning.

MWC rooting interest: TCU. What a great scene it will be for the TCU program when they crush New Mexico and finish the season undefeated at home. They will be locked into a BCS bowl, but need teams ahead of them to lose to get into the BCS National Championship.

No. 3 Texas at Texas A&M (ESPN HD, 8:00 PM Thursday)

A Thanksgiving prime time game featuring the (11-0) Longhorns and the (5-6) Aggies in this in-state rivalry game.

MWC rooting interest: Texas A&M. If Texas loses, TCU will go to No. 3 in the polls, and would eventually jump the loser of the SEC Championship game putting them in the National Championship Game. Texas A&M will be playing at home where they are (5-1) this season. This will be tough, but it is possible for an upset. If Texas wins as expected, Nebraska will be have the last shot at ruining their perfect season in the Big 12 Championship Game.

No. 2 Alabama at Auburn (CBS HD, 2:30 PM Friday)

Alabama faces a tough challenge this week against their bitter rival Auburn in the Iron Bowl.

MWC rooting interest: Auburn. This should be a good game. Auburn is a good team, they are (7-4) and are looking to improve their bowl situation, plus gain bragging rights in the state of Alabama. An Alabama loss should drop them below TCU, but if they defeat Florida they could jump back over TCU.

Florida State at No. 1 Florida (CBS HD, 3:30 PM Saturday)

ESPN College GameDay will be on hand for Tim Tebow's last game at the Swamp.

MWC rooting interest: Florida State. The Seminoles crushed BYU's BCS hopes earlier this season, but could greatly improve TCU's with a win this week. Don't expect any upset though. Tim Tebow and the Gators are just too good to lose to this struggling Florida State team, especially in their last game at the Swamp this season. Likewise with Alabama, a Florida loss drops them behind TCU, but winning the SEC could put them back in the top 2.

No. 21 Utah at No. 19 BYU (The Mtn. HD/ CBS-C HD, 5:00 PM Saturday)

It's rivalry week in the Mountain West. The 2009 Holy War features two Top 25 ranked for just the third time ever.

MWC rooting interest: Toss up. What would be best for the Mountain West, is to have both teams remain ranked after this game. One of the criteria for BCS AQ evaluation is how many teams are in the Top 25 at the end of the season. With BYU being ranked higher, they are more likely to remain ranked with a loss but it is more of a toss up for the conference.

Illinois at No. 5 Cincinnati (ABC HD, 12:00 PM Friday)

Cincinnati QB Tony Pike is going to be back in the lineup for the game against the struggling Illini.

MWC rooting interest: Illinois. Undefeated Cincinnati still can jump TCU with a win over Pittsburgh next week. Illinois' best hope is if Cincinnati overlooks them for their Big East showdown next week.

Nevada at No. 6 Boise State (ESPN2 HD, 10:00 PM Friday)

A win means another undefeated regular season for the Boise State Broncos, who are looking to get into the BCS as an at-large team.

MWC rooting interest: Boise State. They are not a threat to jump TCU, so we can now root for the Broncos. Multiple non-AQ teams in the BCS would be a great thing for all non automatic qualifier conferences. If the Mountain West expands to add Boise, the higher their ranking, the better the conference would be in BCS evaluations. (we will have more to come on that next week)

No. 18 Clemson at South Carolina (ESPN HD, 12:00 PM Saturday)

Clemson clinched their spot in the ACC Championship Game against Georgia Tech last week with their win over Virginia. They are the highest ranked team in the BCS standings that TCU has beaten.

MWC rooting interest: Clemson. The higher Clemson climbs in the polls, the stronger TCU's claim is to play in the National Title. They face a tough challenge playing in the SEC, but South Carolina is not playing well as of lately.

No. 9 Pittsburgh at West Virginia (ESPN2 HD, 7:00 PM Friday)

With a Pitt win, the stage will be set for the de facto Big East Championship Game against Cincinnati next week.

MWC rooting interest: West Virginia. A Pittsburgh loss greatly reduces the risk of Cincinnati jumping TCU and also improves Boise State's chances of getting into the BCS as an at-large team.

SB Nation - UNLV Rebels

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2009 Mountain West All-Conference Football Team Announced

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Aztecs blow another late lead, Rebels come from behind to win, 28-24.

UNLV Runnin' Rebels move to 5-0 as they upset #16 Louisville

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Triple Header Open Thread: TCU looking to clinch BCS Bowl Berth

Twitter #mwc

UNLV moves to 4-0 against Holy Cross

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Mountain West and their Road to the BCS: Week 13