Group of Five: Week 8 Access Bowl Power Rankings

Brian Hill averaged ten yards a carry on Saturday night as Wyoming improved to 3-0 in Mountain West play for the first time since helping found the conference in 1999. The running back rushed 29 times for 289 yards and three scores against Nevada as the Cowboys prevailed in Reno. A fumble recovery in the endzone in the final minute of the game made the final score flatter the hosts more than the play on the field. Wyoming took the lead in the first quarter and never trailed for the rest of the game.

With the win, Wyoming set up a major showdown on Saturday afternoon against MWC Mountain co-leader Boise State. If the Pokes manage to deal the Broncos their first loss of the season, they will be in the driver’s seat in the division and leap up the Group of Five standings. They would hardly be in the clear, though, as Wyoming was dealt a showdown with San Diego State on November 19 in cross-division play. If Hill can outduel Donnel Pumphrey in that showdown of the first two running backs to reach 1000 yards in 2016, it would likely result in a rematch two weeks later in the MWC championship game.