Boise State survived a scare and still kept its grip on the top spot in the Week 4 Pac-12 football power rankings.
The Broncos needed a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to shake off South Dakota in a 38-24 home win on Saturday, Sept. 19, but they still head the list after another productive day on the ground. Boise State has now topped 300 rushing yards in back-to-back games, and Dylan Riley remains one of the country’s most dangerous runners. Riley has 62 carries for 454 yards and two touchdowns, which puts him third nationally in rushing.
Next up for Boise State is a Saturday trip to Western Michigan at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
Oregon State stayed right behind the Broncos after a 52-17 home win over Montana on Saturday, Sept. 19.
The Beavers’ offense kept humming, with true freshman Jesse Legree continuing to torch defenses. Legree has 17 catches for 476 yards and four touchdowns, and no one in college football has more receiving yards.
Quarterback Braden Atkinson is also piling up numbers at a fast clip, sitting second in passing with 1,120 yards to go with 10 total touchdowns and one interception.
The Beavers travel to UTEP on Saturday for a 7 p.m. game on the Mountain West Network.
Fresno State earned its place near the top after a 26-10 road win at San Jose State on Saturday, Sept. 19.
The difference was defense, plain and simple. Fresno State intercepted four passes and took home the Valley Trophy.
Texas State followed with a 49-35 home win over North Texas on Saturday, Sept. 19, and the Bobcats’ offense delivered its best showing of the season. But the defense gave plenty back, allowing 492 passing yards to North Texas.
San Diego State dropped a 26-13 home game to James Madison on Saturday, Sept. 19, even though the Aztecs crossed the 400-yard mark in total offense for the first time in a regular-season game since last October. James Madison, though, moved the ball without much trouble at Snapdragon Stadium.
Colorado State fell 41-23 at home to No. 11 BYU on Saturday, Sept. 19, and the loss came with an injury note worth watching.
The Rams were down 38-7 after three quarters, and quarterback Hauss Hejny left with a hamstring injury. Hejny is questionable for this weekend.
Washington State put up a 48-7 home win over Duquesne on Saturday, Sept. 19, and while it wasn’t clean, the Cougars eventually wore down an overmatched opponent. Washington State finished with 316 rushing yards and pulled away after halftime.
At the bottom of the rankings, Utah State was shut out 33-0 on the road by No. 17 Utah on Saturday, Sept.
- The Aggies are now at minus-8 in turnover margin on the season, which ranks last in FBS.
All eight Pac-12 teams are back in non-conference action Saturday before league play begins next week. Utah State hosts Troy at 5:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
In Other News...
Maxwell Woods Is Suddenly Changing What WSU Can Do On Offense
Maxwell Woods has quickly become one of the more intriguing pieces in Washington States offense, giving the Cougars a different kind of edge in the backfield. The running back from a Minneapolis suburb has been productive in a short span, and his 116-yard outing on 11 carries in a recent game helped show just how much more balance this offense can have when the ground game is working.
Through three games, Woods has averaged 7.7 yards per carry, a mark that ranks him among the nations most efficient backs with enough volume to matter. He and Kirby Vorhees both going over 100 rushing yards in the same game was a notable sign for WSU, and it raises an obvious question for the Cougars: how much more dangerous can this offense be if Woods keeps forcing defenses to respect the run? [Read more 🡒]
WSU Is Bringing Back A Look Cougars Fans Deeply Miss
Washington State is dusting off a look that has been tied to some of the programs most recognizable moments, with the Cougars set to wear the gray helmet with Cougars in crimson script against Arizona. The uniform combo also includes crimson jerseys and gray pants, a nod to a style most fans associate with Apple Cup nights and, this time around, an homage to the 1994 Copper Bowl team.
It is the sort of throwback that tends to land well in Pullman because it reaches past the current season and into the programs visual memory. Washington State also used defensive player DJ Warner as the model for the reveal, a small detail that gave the announcement a bit of extra personality as the Cougars leaned into a look many supporters have long hoped to see again. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Is Bringing Back A Look Cougars Fans Love
Washington State is leaning into a familiar piece of program identity for its upcoming game against Arizona, dusting off the classic script helmets that have long been one of the most recognizable looks in Cougar football. The helmets trace back to 1976 and have shown up on and off over the years, including in the 2023 Apple Cup, giving the team a uniform choice that carries both nostalgia and a little bit of edge.
The full combination will feature the traditional crimson jerseys and gray pants, a clean throwback pairing that matches the schools Crimson and Gray stripe-out crowd theme. For a program that knows its fans appreciate the details, the look is more than a uniform tweak, it is a reminder of how much the right visual can still matter on a fall Saturday. [Read more 🡒]