Group of Five Power Rankings, Week 10: Appalachian State dominates

6. San Diego State Aztecs (7-1/MWC)

• LAST WEEK’S RANK: 6th
• WEEK 9 RESULT: won 20-17 at UNLV
• WEEK 10 MATCHUP: idle in Week 10

San Diego State still has that interdivisional loss against Utah State hovering over their heads, but the Aztecs are still 7-1 heading into the final month of the season and have a schedule that helps definitively seal up their spot in the MWC championship game five days before Thanksgiving. They can take charge of the Mountain West spot in the Group of Five race if they win out and take down what will likely be Boise State in the first meeting between the two teams this season.

Before their Week 10 bye, the Aztecs were able to survive their trip to Sin City to square off against UNLV. San Diego State got started early, with Ryan Agnew finding Ethan Dedeaux on a 49-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the first quarter, and by halftime Rocky Long’s team was up 17-7. Matt Araiza’s 34-yard field goal on the last play of the third quarter proved critical as UNLV made things interesting in the fourth quarter.

But Daniel Gutierrez missed a 42-yarder with 37 seconds remaining that would have tied things up and sent the contest to overtime. That allowed San Diego State to go home for their Week 10 bye at least 7-1 and riding on the cusp of the top five in the Group of Five Power Rankings. Showdowns against Nevada, Fresno State, and Hawaii precede the regular-season finale at home against BYU.