The Mountain West’s second official week of convention play produced one other sturdy group of particular person performances, however North Dakota State as soon as once more proved to be the most important story.
The Bison went on the street and defeated Air Pressure 38-32 of their first-ever Mountain West recreation, bettering to 3-0 on the season. Quarterback Nathan Hayes led the best way offensively, whereas senior kicker Drew Klein delivered probably the most spectacular particular groups performances of the season.
Hawai’i linebacker Jamih Otis additionally got here up with a game-changing efficiency within the Warriors’ first victory of the season.
Listed below are the Mountain West’s Week 2 Gamers of the Week.
Offensive Participant of the Week: Nathan Hayes, North Dakota State
For the second time this season, North Dakota State has produced the Mountain West’s Offensive Participant of the Week. Additionally for the second time, it was senior quarterback Nathan Hayes.
Hayes helped lead the Bison to a 38-32 street victory over Air Pressure, finishing 15 of 23 passes for a career-high 228 yards and two touchdowns. He additionally added a 17-yard speeding landing.
The numbers don’t totally seize how effectively Hayes operated the Bison offense. He accomplished passes to eight totally different receivers and produced 4 performs of no less than 20 yards. His largest completion was a season-long 51-yard move, which arrange a one-yard landing simply earlier than halftime.
Air Pressure entered the sport with probably the most tough defenses and most original offensive programs with the triple possibility within the Mountain West. North Dakota State however managed a lot of the sport and constructed a 35-13 lead coming into the fourth quarter earlier than the Falcons mounted a late comeback try.
Hayes has now helped the Bison begin their first Mountain West season 3-0, and after he additionally gained the convention’s Week 0 Offensive Participant of the Week award, he’s shortly changing into probably the most essential gamers within the league’s new-look quarterback race.
Defensive Participant of the Week: Jamih Otis, Hawai‘i
Hawai‘i lastly picked up its first win of the season, and senior linebacker Jamih Otis performed a significant position.
Otis recorded a team-high six tackles, an interception and a fumble restoration because the Rainbow Warriors defeated New Mexico State 29-19.
Extra importantly, each of his turnovers got here at essential moments. Otis recovered a fumble on New Mexico State’s opening drive, establishing a Hawai‘i landing. Then, with solely 4 minutes remaining and the Warriors defending a 10-point lead, he intercepted an Aggies move inside Hawai‘i territory to assist seal the victory.
Hawai‘i additionally shut out New Mexico State within the second half. After permitting the Aggies to attain 19 factors earlier than halftime, the Warriors’ protection utterly modified the sport after the break, forcing a number of turnovers and stopping New Mexico State from scoring one other offensive landing.
For a Hawai‘i crew that entered the weekend 0-2, it was a desperately wanted defensive efficiency.
Particular Groups Participant of the Week: Drew Klein, North Dakota State
This could be essentially the most spectacular particular person particular groups efficiency of the week.
North Dakota State senior kicker Drew Klein made his lone field-goal try, and it was an enormous one. Klein linked on a school-record 56-yard area objective, breaking a report that had stood since 1997.
He additionally transformed all 5 of his extra-point makes an attempt and despatched all seven of his kickoffs into the tip zone for touchbacks. That provides Klein two Mountain West weekly awards already this season, as he additionally earned Particular Groups Participant of the Week honors throughout Week 0.
The 56-yarder was clearly the spotlight, however the kickoff efficiency shouldn’t be neglected. Seven touchbacks meant Air Pressure by no means had a chance to generate significant area place on a kickoff return.
Different Week 2 Performances Price Mentioning
Scottre Humphrey, RB, New Mexico: Humphrey helped New Mexico cruise previous Mercyhurst 70-7, speeding for 110 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. The Lobos completed with 287 speeding yards and 7 speeding touchdowns as a crew.
Jabari Bates, RB, San José State: Bates continued his sturdy begin to the season with 163 speeding yards in San José State’s 30-20 victory over Cal Poly. The Spartans completed with 255 speeding yards.
Luke Weaver, QB, San José State: Weaver threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns in opposition to Cal Poly, giving him six landing passes via the primary two weeks of the season.
E.J. Colson, QB, UTEP: Colson threw for 239 yards and 4 touchdowns as UTEP bounced again from its Week 1 shutout in opposition to Oklahoma with a 51-10 victory over Texas Southern.
DeVon Rice, RB, Hawai‘i: Rice scored two touchdowns in Hawai‘i’s comeback victory over New Mexico State, serving to present stability for an offense that additionally acquired an enormous passing efficiency from Micah Alejado.
The Takeaway
Week 2 strengthened one thing that was already changing into obvious after the opening weekend: North Dakota State doesn’t want time to regulate within the Mountain West. The Bison are one of many convention’s finest groups.
NDSU is now 3-0 after wins over Jacksonville State, Fordham and Air Pressure, and its first convention victory got here on the street in opposition to one of many Mountain West’s most established applications.
The Bison are getting veteran-level manufacturing from key positions whereas additionally receiving contributions from younger gamers like Myles Mitchell. Their transition into the Mountain West has been about as profitable as doable via three video games.
In the meantime, Hawai‘i lastly bought itself into the win column, New Mexico continued to dominate inferior competitors and San José State continues to stack up factors.
However for Week 2, North Dakota State owned the Mountain West.
