VERIZON WIRELESS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

OFFENSIVE - Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews, a junior from Bakersfield, Calif. (West HS), rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries in Fresno State's 31-27 win over Utah State.  After being held to 40 yards in the first half, Mathews ran for 145 in the second half to record his eighth consecutive 100-yard rushing game.  The Bulldogs trailed 27-17 at halftime, and Mathews' touchdown with 4:53 remaining in the fourth quarter, proved to be the game-winner.

DEFENSIVE - Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson, a senior from Piscataway, N.J. (Piscataway HS), recorded his first interception return for a touchdown when he picked off a pass and returned it 27 yards for the score in the Broncos' 45-7 win over San Jose State.  He also had five tackles (4 solo), including one for a loss of two yards on a first down play that helped force a punt on the series of downs early in the game.

SPECIAL TEAMS - Idaho kick returner Justin Veltung, a freshman from Puyallup, Wash. (Puyallup HS), returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown in Idaho's 35-34 win over Louisiana Tech.  It was the first kickoff return for a touchdown by a Vandal player since before Idaho joined the WAC in 2005.  He also had another return for 17 yards to record 111 kick return yards on the day.

Others nominated on offense:
Kellen Moore, So., QB, Boise State - was 21-of-33 for 278 yards and three touchdowns in the win over San Jose State.  He also scored on his first rushing touchdown of the season.
Max Komar, Sr., WR, Idaho - caught seven passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns against Louisiana Tech.
Colin Kaepernick, Jr., QB, Nevada - accounted for 298 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in the win over Hawai'i.  He was 12-of-21 for 184 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 114 yards and two more scores.
Diondre Borel, Jr., QB, Utah State - rushed for a career-high 105 yards and a touchdown, while throwing for 240 yards and another touchdown in the game at Fresno State.

Also nominated on defense:
Chris Carter, Jr., DE, Fresno State - had a season-high 10 tackles (8 solo), including 3.5 for a loss, and forced a fumble against Utah State.  He helped the Bulldogs shut out the Aggies in the second half.
Shiloh Keo, Jr., S, Idaho - made 13 tackles (9 solo), including one for a loss of three yards in the win over Louisiana Tech.
Doyle Miller, Jr, CB, Nevada - made his first start of the season and had a career-high five tackles and his first interception in the win over Hawai'i.

Additional special teams nominations:
Kyle Brotzman, Jr., PK, Boise State - made a 32-yard field goal, all six extra points, and averaged 46.0 yards on three punts against San Jose State.  He had a long of 67 yards and two punts were downed since the 20-yard line.
Robert Malone, Sr., P, Fresno State - punted four times for a 49.8-yard average with a long of 59 against Utah State.  Two punts were downed inside the 20, including one at the 1-yard line.
Ricky Drake, Jr., PK, Nevada - made a 27-yard field goal and all four extra points in the win over Hawai'i.

ESPNU PICKS UP TWO GAMES ON NOV. 14 - Boise State's home game against Idaho on Nov. 14 has been picked up by ESPNU and will kick off at 1:30 p.m. (MT).  The game originally was scheduled to begin at 1:00.  This is the third of four conference games (as stipulated in the WAC's new ESPN contract) that will be selected by ESPNU during the season.  Louisiana Tech's game at LSU has also been selected to be shown on ESPNU that day and will kick off an hour earlier at 6:00 p.m. CT.

BOISE STATE 7TH IN BCS RANKINGS -  In the third BCS rankings, Boise State remained seventh after beating San Jose State, 45-7.  The Broncos have an average computer ranking of 8th as they are ranked 8th by Anderson & Hester, 6th by Billingsley, 10th by Colley, 7th by Massey, 5th by Sagarin and 8th by Wolfe.  The BCS poll throws out the best and worst computer ranking to get the average and factors in the USA Today and Harris polls to calculate the BCS rankings.  Boise State earns an automatic bid into one of the BCS bowls if it is the highest ranked non-BCS team ranked in the top 12 of the BCS poll at the end of the regular season or if ranked in the top 16 and is higher than that of a champion of a conference that has an annual automatic berth in one of the BCS bowls.  The Broncos' ranking of fourth two weeks ago was the highest a non-BCS team has ever been ranked.

BRONCOS RANKED IN TOP 10 -  After beating San Jose State, 45-7, Boise State moved up one spot to 5th in the AP poll, remained fifth in the USA Today coaches' poll and moved up one spot to 4th in the Harris poll.  The No. 4 Harris matches the highest ranking the Broncos have ever received in the regular season as they reached that ranking in the BCS two weeks ago. Boise State opened the season 14th in the AP poll, the highest a WAC team has been ranked in the preseason since Brigham Young was 10th in 1985 following its national championship season.  The Broncos have been ranked in the top 25 at least once in each of the last eight seasons.  At least one team from the WAC has been in the polls every week since Sept. 17, 2006 (56 consecutive polls).

BOISE STATE LAST WAC UNDEFEATED TEAM - Boise State is one of seven teams in the nation without a loss and one of two from non-automatic BCS qualifying conferences (TCU).  The Broncos beat San Jose State last week to improve to 8-0 on the season.  It's the fourth time since the 2004 season that Boise State has started a season 7-0.  The previous three times, the Broncos went on to finish the regular season undefeated (2004, 2006 and 2008).

IDAHO WITH NATION'S BEST IMPROVEMENT - With seven victories this season, Idaho currently has the nation's best turnaround.  The Vandals were 2-10 last year and have recorded five more wins this year.  Washington, SMU and Iowa State are tied for second with three more victories this year.  Idaho was picked last in the WAC preseason coaches' poll and is currently tied for third with a 4-1 record in conference play.

PETERSEN, AKEY NAMED TO BRYANT WATCH LIST - Boise State's Chris Petersen and Idaho's Robb Akey were named to the Bryant Watch List, an award that goes to the national coach of the year.  Petersen is a past winner of the award (2006).

NEVADA, MATHEWS LEAD NATION IN RUSHING - Fresno State junior running back Ryan Mathews rushed for 185 yards against Utah State and continues to lead the nation in rushing with 164.5 yards per game.  Mathews leads Marshall's Darius Marshall who is averaging 136.0 yards per contest.  As a team, Nevada leads the nation in rushing with 319.1 yards per game, 15 yards better than the next best team, Georgia Tech (304.1).  The WAC features two teams in the top five in rushing as Fresno State is fifth with 259.6 yards per contest.

MATHEWS, MOORE LOOK TO FINISH IN NATIONAL LEAD - Fresno State junior running back Ryan Mathews and Boise State sophomore quarterback Kellen Moore are trying to finish the season leading the nation in a couple of major statistical categories.  Mathews' 164.5 rushing yards per game are tops in the nation.  The last WAC player to lead the nation in rushing was Nevada's Chance Kretschmer in 2001 (157.5 yards per game).  WAC running backs have led the nation in rushing six times previously.  Moore leads the nation in passing efficiency with a 171.0 rating.  The last WAC player to lead the nation in passing efficiency was Hawai'i's Colt Brennan in 2006.  WAC quarterbacks have led the nation in passing efficiency six times previously.

WAC TRIO WITH 240 WINS - Boise State, Hawai'i and Fresno State have combined for 240 victories since the 2001 season. That total is the third most of any FBS conference's top trio.

TEAMS RACK UP VICTORIES - Since the 2001 football season, the WAC's top teams have established themselves as some of the most successful programs west of the Mississippi River. Boise State has won 96 games over the last nine years while Hawai'i has 73 wins and Fresno State has 71. Only Texas has won as many games as Boise State. There are 53 Division IA programs west of the Mississippi that include all of the teams from the WAC, Big 12, Mountain West and Pac-10 and several teams from the Big Ten, Conference USA, SEC and Sun Belt.

COACHES MOVING UP RECORD LISTS - A couple of WAC coaches are working their way up the NCAA coaching record lists. Nevada head coach Chris Ault is in his 25th season as a head coach and is 203-94-1, the sixth winningest active coach in FBS. San Jose State's Dick Tomey is the seventh winningest active coach as he is in his sixth year with the Spartans and 29th overall with a record of 182-141-7. Tomey previously won 63 games at Hawai'i from 1977-86 and 95 games at Arizona from 1987-2000. Tomey has coached 330 games, the fourth most among active coaches. In WAC games only, Fresno State head coach Pat Hill has 68 conference victories, the fourth most in league history while Tomey has 48 WAC wins, the sixth most.

2009 BOWL LINEUP -  The WAC is affiliated with three bowl games this season. WAC teams will play in the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, N.M. against a Mountain West opponent, the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl in Honolulu against a Conference USA opponent and in the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho versus another team from the Mountain West.  The WAC also has an agreement for this season with the San Diego Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl that if the Pac-10 cannot fill its contracted spot in the bowl game, then the WAC will provide a team.  The opponent is also a team from the Mountain West.

WAC SIGNS DEALS WITH POINSETTIA AND EMERALD BOWLS - Beginning with the next four-year bowl cycle, the WAC has inked deals with both the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl and Emerald Bowl.  In 2010 and 2013, the WAC will send a team to the Emerald Bowl to play against a Pac-10 team, while in 2011 and 2012, the WAC will be represented in the Poinsettia Bowl against the Mountain West.  The WAC will have backup agreements in all four years should Army (2011-Emerald; 2013 Poinsettia) or Navy (2010-Poinsettia; 2012-Emerald) not be eligible in their respective years.  The agreements give the conference four guaranteed bowl slots through the 2013 season.

BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES -  Since 1997, the WAC has been an official part of the Bowl Championship Series.  The WAC's champion will receive an automatic berth in one of the five BCS bowl games if ranked in the top 12 of the BCS Standings (and is the highest ranked team from a conference without an automatic bid) or if ranked in the top 16 of the BCS Standings and its ranking is higher than that of a champion of a conference that has an annual automatic berth in one of the BCS bowls. The BCS Standings are determined by a formula involving polls and computer rankings. This year's National Championship Game will be played in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 7, 2010.

WAC FOURTH IN NATION IN ALL-TIME BOWL RECORDS - The WAC's nine teams have an all-time record of 34-31-2 (.522) in bowl games. That winning percentage is one of just four above .500 among all FBS conferences.  The Pac-10 is first at .533, the SEC is second (.531) and the ACC is third (.524).

WAC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
(5/5) Boise State Broncos (8-0, 3-0 WAC)
Sophomore QB Kellen Moore was named one of 15 semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award (nation's best quarterback) ... he is first in the nation in passing efficiency (171.0) and has thrown 24 touchdowns with just two interceptions ... junior Austin Pettis has caught a pass in 29 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the WAC ... its 43 wins since 2006 and 116 wins since 1999 are the most in the nation ... has won 53 consecutive regular season home games ... its active 23-game home winning streak is currently the second longest in the nation ... has won 68 of its last 70 games (including bowl games) at home ... is the highest scoring team in the nation since 2000 averaging 40.48 points over 123 games.

Fresno State Bulldogs (5-3, 4-1 WAC)
Safety Moses Harris was named to the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class and a finalist for the Campbell Trophy (academic Heisman) ... Ryan Mathews was named to Phil Steele's midseason All-America first team ... Kevin Goessling made a 50-yard field goal against Utah State ... he has two career 50+ field goals with both against Utah State (58-yarder last year) ... the Bulldogs' three losses are against teams with a combined record of 22-2 with two of those teams currently in the top 10 (Boise State and Cincinnati) ... the Bulldogs have 48 blocked kicks since 2002, the most in the nation in that time ... has 14 BCS wins since 2000, the second most among non-BCS teams during that time ... the 'Dogs will have traveled 23,354 miles when the regular season ends.

Hawai'i Warriors (2-6, 0-5 WAC)
UH has lost six straight games and its first five WAC games for the first time since 1998 ... junior WR Greg Salas caught eight passes for 96 yards at Nevada and remains second in the nation in receiving yards per game with 122.1, nearly 10 yards per game behind Bowling Green's Freddie Barnes ... junior wide reciever Jovonte Taylor caught two touchdown passes at Nevada (the first two of his career) and finished with career highs of six catches and 109 yards ... C John Estes has started 49 straight games, the longest active streak in the WAC ... UH is 24-0 when scoring 40 or more points since 2005 ... has committed at least one turnover in 32 consecutive games ... is celebrating its 100th anniversary of its first football team.

Idaho Vandals (7-2, 4-1 WAC)
Trailed 34-21 early in the fourth quarter, but a missed extra point after Tech's last touchdown, turned out to be the difference ... the teams combined for 1,008 yards of total offense ... Nathan Enderle was 25-of-45 for 327 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions ... DeMaundray Woolridge's 14 touchdowns lead the WAC by three ... only four players in the nation have scored more touchdowns than Woolridge ... has seven wins against FBS schools in the same season for the first time since 1998 ... has won three road games for the first time since 1999 ... its 7-2 start is its best since opening the 1994 season 8-1 ... the Kibbie Dome underwent significant renovation this summer with the replacement of the west end wall with translucent panels.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (3-5, 2-3 WAC)
Freshman PK Matt Nelson made his first 25 PATs of the year, but missed after Tech's last TD against Idaho ... had 547 yards of total offense against Idaho, the most for the Bulldogs against an FBS team this season ... senior DB Antonio Baker had four tackles against Idaho and now has 352 for his career, the third most of any active player in the nation ... Daniel Porter's 47 rushing yards versus Utah State leaves him 482 yards shy of tying the school's career record of 3,342 yards held by Jason Cooper (1991-94) ... junior Phillip Livas has scored multiple TDs four different ways: reception (4), rush (3), kickoff return (3) and punt return (3) ... Derek Dooley is the only individual to hold the dual role of both athletic director and head football coach in the FBS.

Nevada Wolf Pack (5-3, 4-0 WAC)
Has won five games in a row, its longest streak since winning five straight in 2006 ... its longest streak as an FBS member is seven in a row (1995) ... had its first red zone stop of the year following a Doyle Miller interception in the third quarter ... Colin Kaepernick became the sixth player in NCAA history to have scored at least 200 points and thrown for 200 points in his career ... Vai Taua topped the 100-yard mark for the fourth straight game and the 13th time in his career while Kaepernick did it for the ninth time in his career... it was the sixth time that both players had done it in the same game and second in a row ... both Kaepernick and Lippincott have rushed for a touchdown, thrown a touchdown pass and caught a touchdown pass this season.

New Mexico State Aggies (3-6, 1-3 WAC)
Held Ohio State scoreless in the first quarter, the fourth time it has shut out its opponents in the first stanza this year ... had two first downs and 62 yards of total offense against the Buckeyes ... Jeff Fleming was 6-of-13 for 22 yards and an interceptions, while also leading the Aggies in rushing with 31 yards on seven carries ... Donte Savage forced a fumble on the next play following an Aggie interception that was recovered by Pierre Fils ... junior LB Jason Scott had 15 tackles in the game, tying for the most by a WAC player this year ... junior DB Davon House broke up three passes against Ohio State ... New Mexico State has not won more than four games in a season since joining the WAC in 2006.

San Jose State Spartans (1-6, 0-3 WAC)
Against Boise State, Pompey Festejo's fumble recovery extended the defense's streak of fumble recoveries to eight games in a row ... Carl Ihenacho's sack of Kellen Moore that resulted in a fumble was his fourth of the season and his second forced fumble ... Patrick Perry had a team-high seven rushes, the most for Perry since the season opener at USC when he had 14 ... Kevin Jurovich has caught at least one pass in 21 consecutive games played since switching from the defensive backfield to wide receiver ... Devin Newsome and Tanner Burns are tied for first in the nation in fumbles forced with 0.57 per game ... Carl Ihenacho is second in the nation in fumbles recovered (0.43/game) ... head coach Dick Tomey is the president of the AFCA for 2009.

Utah State Aggies (2-6, 1-3 WAC)
Its last four games have been decided by four points or less (1-3) ... Diondre Borel became the first Aggie QB to rush for more than 100 yards since 2005 ... he ran for 105 and a touchdown on 22 carries and was 20-of-31 for 240 yards and a touchdown ... Robert Turbin rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown ... it was the second time this season that Borel and Turbin both ran for more than 100 yards in the same game ... Fresno State became the first Aggie opponent to score on its opening possession this year ... USU has made at least one field goal in its last 10 consecutive games dating back to last season ... PK Chirs Ulinski was 2-for-4 on field goal attempts with both misses from 32 yards or less.