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With the Mountain West changing, I thought it would be fun to go back and highlight the best players, games, and teams since the last phase of conference realignment 13 years ago. Previously, I’ve covered Top 10 football players, Top 10 basketball players, Top 10 Football Teams, and Top 10 Basketball Teams.Today’s list covers the Top 10 Football Games
A lot of the data I reference comes from the aptly named collegefootballdata.com. It’s a great resource if you know how to navigate around the site. I spent some time looking around to see what they have, and I noticed they had an “Excitement Index” for each game. When I saw that, I thought it might be interesting to use that to gauge the top 10 Mountain West games since 2013, when the conference last went through realignment. The alternative was to watch all 1,200+ games the conference has played since then, which I would love to do, but unfortunately I don’t have the time for that.
The “Excitement Index” is based on large swings in win probability during the game, meaning it scores high for games that were upsets, experienced a large number of lead changes, or had a wild ending. When I first got the data, a lot of the higher rated games were against FCS teams. They were only rated high because the Mountain West team struggled against them, causing the win probability to drastically change (i.e. started with a 99% chance of winning that dropped to 60%) However, that doesn’t automatically mean those games are “exciting.” In fact, fans would probably look back with mixed feelings on those games, even if their team won.
So, as I’ve done with everything else in this series, I adjusted the numbers:
- I normalized the Excitement Index, adjusting the values to be on a scale of 0 – 1, and multiplied by .5
- I did the same for the SP+ score for each team
- I added the normalized SP+ score for each team playing, and multiplied by .25
- I multiplied the sum of parts 1 and 3 by a Game Adjuster, to account for context: 1.25 for Conference Games, 1.5 for Conference Championships and Bowl Games, 2 for NY6 games
Two final notes: the “Excitement Index” only goes back to 2014, so games from the 2013 season won’t be featured here, but feel free to include any of those in the comments (like Fresno’s 52-50 shootout against Rutgers). I also only included games where a Mountain West team won; it didn’t feel right to highlight a loss by one of the teams we cover. I’ll include the original excitement index, as well as my adjusted score. For reference, the highest Excitement Index score given to a game with a Mountain West team was 11, and my adjusted score is on a scale of 0 – 1.5. I’ll also include highlights for each game, though I apologize in advance that some are more extensive than others.
As with everything, the data doesn’t tell the full story, so feel free in the comments to mention a game that wasn’t featured here or one that should have been rated higher. Also, keep in mind these are the most exciting wins, not necessarily the most important or impactful. You are welcome to mention those in the comments as well.
10. Hawai’i vs Cal, 35-31 (2025 Hawai’i Bowl)
Excitement Index: 7.6, Adjusted score: 0.880
The first game came from just this past Christmas Eve. Hawai’i was finishing with their first winning record in six years and first bowl game in five years. They were matched up against Cal, and who started strong by taking a 21-0 lead. Hawai’i eventually caught up, going on a 21-0 run of their own, tying the game early in the fourth quarter.
On the final drive of the game, quarterback Micah Alejado executed a solid 2 minute drill, getting them to the 22 yard line. But then he took a hit on a screen play, meaning backup Luke Weaver had to step in with 15 seconds left on the clock. The very next play he threw a touchdown to receiver Nick Cenacle to take the lead with 10 seconds left, and the defense stopped Cal to secure the win. Receiver Pofele Ashlock was named MVP after catching 14 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns, though Alejado had a solid game himself. He went 32-46 for 276 yards, three touchdowns, and zero turnovers. Overall they ended strong, scoring 22 of their 35 points in the final quarter.
It was the largest comeback in Hawai’i Bowl history, and one of the best ever for the school.
9. San Diego State vs Air force, 27-24 (2015 Conference Championship Game)
Excitement Index: 7, Adjusted Score: 0.904
This was a textbook back-and-forth game, where all nine scores either gave a team the lead or tied the game, and no one ever held the lead for more than seven minutes. Fans that love to watch teams air it out would probably find this game boring, as both teams combined for 25 pass attempts. But San Diego State’s Christian Chapman, making his first career start, threw for 203 yards on just nine completions (22.6 yards per reception).
The game mostly was done on the ground, much to the pleasure of the ghost of Vince Lombardi, with the two teams combining to run it 92 times for 538 yards. Air Force’s Jacobi Owens had the most with 156, and fullback Timothy McVey scored all three touchdowns for the Falcons. San Diego State relied on a committee, with five players getting at least 30 rushing yards, including 90 from Donnel Pumphrey.
Air Force got the ball with 30 seconds left on their own 22 yard line, down 27-24. They managed to get to midfield with five seconds left, but couldn’t complete the Hail Mary, giving San Diego State their first outright conference title since 1986. Chapman was named offensive MVP, while safety Na’im McGee was defensive MVP after leading the team with 10 tackles.
8. Boise State vs North Texas, 35-32 (2022 Frisco Bowl)
Excitement Index: 7.7, Adjusted Score: 0.912
Boise came into this game hoping to get their first bowl win since 2017. The first and second halves of this game were wildly different. The first was mainly defensive, with North Texas entering halftime on a 10-6 lead and both teams combining for only 325 yards. Then the second half saw both offenses get going, combining for 565 yards and 51 points. Boise’s quarterback Taylen Green accounted for three touchdowns himself in the third quarter, with two rushing and one passing.
This game could easily be summed up as running back Ashton Jeanty’s coming out party. He finished with 178 rushing yards on 28 attempts, both season-highs for him. His touchdown early in the fourth quarter gave Boise an 11-point lead, the biggest for either team of the night. But, a few minutes later, North Texas running back Ikaika Ragsdale ran for a touchdown, and the following two-point conversion shrunk the lead to just three points with eight minutes left in the game. Boise’s offense was pretty much done after that, only getting 39 total yards on their next two drives. However, their defense stepped up in the end, giving up exactly 0 yards the next two drives to secure the 35-32 win for the Broncos.
7. UNLV vs Cal, 24-13 (2024 LA Bowl)
Excitement Index: 7.1, Adjusted Score: 0.914
This game was close for the most part and had pretty high stakes for UNLV. They hadn’t won a bowl game in 24 years, and head coach Barry Odom, who deserves credit for turning around the program, had already told the team this game would be his last with them before leaving for Purdue.
It’s not often you can say a game was won with special teams, but this is one of those. In the second quarter on their own 39 yard line, UNLV was facing fourth and seven. They went with the “Last game of the season, might as well try” mentality and ran one of the best fake-punts you’ll see. Punter Marshall Nichols made two-handed pass to corner Cameron Oliver, who ran it 52 yards down to the nine yard line. UNLV scored on the next play with a pass to receiver Jacob De Jesus to give them a 14-10 lead.
The other key special teams play came in the fourth quarter. UNLV had a 21-13 lead and De Jesus managed to return a punt 38 yards to Cal’s 26 yard line, meaning UNLV just had to not turn the ball over and let Caden Chittenden kick a field goal to secure the win. Chittenden was a semi-finalist for the Lou Groza award and led the conference with 26 field goals, so of course he made the kick to ice the game, winning 24-13.
6. Colorado State vs Utah State, 16-13 (2014 Regular Season)
Excitement Index: 10, Adjusted Score: 0.915
This is the lone game on this list to happen during the regular season and also tied for the lowest-scoring. At face value, I wasn’t sure why this game rated so highly on the Excitement Index. I don’t remember watching it and 16-13 games usually are boring. However, collegefootballdata only gave 14 games since 2014 an Excitement Index rating of 10 or better and this was one of them.
Colorado State had a great offense that year, finishing 33rd in points scored that season. But the Aggies were doing a good job holding them in check, only allowing 177 yards through the first three quarters, 75 of which came on the opening drive. Even though Utah State only scored 13 points in the game, Colorado State’s offense had struggled all game and didn’t look like they would be able to score enough. But their last ten minutes were executed to near perfection.
With nine minutes left in the game, Colorado State got the ball and did a 12 play, seven minute drive to score a field goal to tie the game. Utah State had a chance to score, but went four-and-out to give Colorado State the ball with 58 seconds left on their own 12 yard line. For a second it looked like they were going to run out the clock and try their luck in overtime. But, they decided to make a final attempt to get the win. Quarterback Garrett Grayson threw it deep to receiver Rashad Higgins, who was in triple coverage, for 46 yards to set up the game winning field goal.
Higgins had a heck of a game, finishing with 187 total yards – the rest of the team combined for 131. But kicker Jared Roberts also deserves some credit. After missing a 47 yard attempt early in the fourth quarter, he made the next two, both from 46 yards out, to tie and then win the game.
5. Fresno State vs Houston, 33-27 (2017 Hawai’i Bowl)
Excitement Index: 7.9, Adjusted Score: 0.926
Fresno entered the game as a three-point underdog and didn’t start out great. Houston jumped out to an early lead, using a flea flicker to set up a 1 yard touchdown run by defensive lineman Ed Oliver, then picked off Marcus McMaryion two plays later. That was enough to wake up Fresno, who immediately forced a three-and-out and caught a break on a missed field goal. Fresno eventually scored their first touchdown on an 11 play drive, the teams traded field goals for a bit, leading to an exciting finsih.
Late in the third quarter Fresno took a 20-13 lead following a touchdown run by McMaryion and recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Houston managed to force a three-and-out, then blocked the field goal attempt and returned it 93 yards for a touchdown to tie the game. That entire sequence took place over the span of five minutes. But Fresno didn’t fold; after getting two more field goals, corner Jaron Bryant tipped an interception to himself and returned it for a score to give Fresno a 33-20 lead.
Houston followed up with a tough 16 play, 76 yard drive to score a touchdown with 45 seconds left and shrink the lead to 33-27. Given all that had happened up to this point, it wasn’t unreasonable for more craziness to happen and see Houston successfully pull off an onside kick. But Fresno recovered the onside kick, securing the win and ending their 10-year drought without a bowl game victory.
4. Hawai’i vs BYU (2019 Hawai’i Bowl)
Excitement Index: 9.11, Adjusted Score: 0.980
This had two future NFL draft picks at quarterback. BYU had Zach Wilson, while Hawai’i had Cole McDonald, and the two put on a show. Zach Wilson had 274 yards passing, along with 72 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. But Cole McDonald had the better performance in his final collegiate game, throwing four touchdowns (plus one on the ground) and a career-high 493 passing yards.
Hawai’i started strong, scoring 31 points in the first half against a solid BYU defense, including leading 21-7 early in the second quarter. BYU managed to work their way back, and finally took a lead early in the fourth quarter. Their defense woke up after halftime, holding Hawai’i to negative four yards in the third quarter. But after stopping BYU on fourth down, Hawaii got the ball back with two minutes left, still down 34-31. McDonald had back-to-back clutch throws to receiver Nick Marder, the second being a touchdown to take the lead.
The Hawai’i bowl didn’t appear to give out a Defensive Player of the Game award, but I’m giving the unofficial honor to safety Khourey Bethley. He went into the game with zero interceptions on the year, but picked off Wilson twice, the second coming on the final drive of the game to secure the win.
3. Nevada vs Arkansas State, 16-13 (2018 Arizona Bowl)
Excitement Index: 9.34, Adjusted Score 1.02
This was very much a defensive game, as evidenced by the final score. Nevada’s offense really struggled, finishing with 285 total yards, but their defense kept them in the game. Arkansas State had five trips in the red zone but only had seven points to show for it. It’s not often a team gains nearly 500 yards of offense and only 13 points, but Nevada’s defense made it happen.
Nevada’s offense had a single drive that went longer than 50 yards, but luckily for them they delivered when it was needed most. The ended regulation with a solid 10 play drive that went 74 yards, including two clutch catches from receivers with minimal playing time that year. The first was a 15 yard pass to receiver Dominic Christian on fourth down, who going into the game had three career receptions. The second was to Ben Putman, who didn’t have a reception on the year. But his 44 yard catch set the team up for a one yard touchdown to retake the lead, giving him 114 yards on the day. However, Arkansas State answered with a solid drive of their own, ending with a field goal to tie the game at 10-10 and send it into overtime.
In overtime, Nevada’s defense again refused to give in, stopping Arkansas State at the seven yard line, holding them to a field goal. When Nevada’s offense came on the field, quarterback Ty Gangi made an easy pass to tight end Reagan Roberson, who bullied his way through a few defenders to win the game for Nevada.
2. Fresno State vs Boise State, 19-16 (2018 Conference Championship)
Excitement Index: 8.52, Adjusted Score 1.09
Our highest rated conference game was also one of the better rivalries in the conference. This game was the fourth meeting between Fresno and Boise in two years, and a rematch of the championship game from the previous year. Boise won two of the first three, both being decided by a single possession, so this game looked to be a good one. It was a game that started out with decent weather, but by the end of the second quarter it quickly turned into a true snow game.
Every time one of the teams started to get momentum, it quickly switched. Boise fumbled the ball early on their own 26 yard line, setting up an easy touchdown for Fresno to take the first lead. Boise followed up by scoring on a play where receiver Sean Modster caught a deflected pass, while falling out of bounds, in the endzone. A few drives later Fresno fumbled, Boise took it to the 26 yard line, but failed on a fourth down attempt. Neither team could build much momentum, with both teams making timely mistakes.
Eventually Boise managed to get another drive and scored a touchdown with eight minutes left, but Fresno blocked the point after to keep it tied. A little bit later Fresno started to get a good drive, got to the 36, then fumbled. Boise went three-and-out, Fresno crossed midfield again, but Marcus McMaryion was sacked on third down with 90 seconds left in regulation to keep them out of field goal range.
In overtime Boise had the ball first and managed to have first and goal on the 10, but Fresno’s defense held them to a field goal. Five plays later, Ronnie Rivers, who had struggled most of the night, broke a tackle on a pitch to score, winning Fresno both the game and their first conference title. It officially completed the program turnaround, as Fresno just two years earlier finished with a 1-11 record.
1. Boise State vs Arizona, 38-30 (2014 Fiesta Bowl)
Excitement Index: 5.89, Adjusted Score 1.148
The highest rated game just happens to be the lone win for the conference in a NY6 Bowl. Boise once again found themselves as an underdog in the Fiesta Bowl, this time to No. 10 Arizona.
Boise started strong, having four plays of 20-plus yards in their first three drives to give them a 21-0 lead, including scoring on a Statue of Liberty run by running back Jay Ajayi. Arizona slowly started to crawl their way back, with quarterback Anu Soloman ending the game with 335 passing yards. He did throw a pick six in the third quarter, but followed that up with a 52 yard touchdown pass on the next drive. While there was still a full quarter to play, it felt like Arizona was going to pull off the comeback. Boise’s offense had slowed down, only scoring 10 points in the second and third quarter, along with three drives without a first down.
Boise’s defense, which had their struggles throughout the year, managed to do just enough in the fourth quarter. They forced a three and out and got a fourth down stop on another drive, but Arizona had one last chance after another three-and-out by Boise’s offense. Arizona fought their way all the way to the eight yard line, with 15 seconds left on the clock. Solomon tried extending the play, but was tackled by defensive end Kamalei Correa as time expired. The win gave Boise three Fiesta Bowl victories in three appearances and reasserted themselves as college football’s premier non-power school.
BONUS
Most notable win for each team not featured here:
Air Force: 27-24 win over Colorado State in 2014
New Mexico: 23-17 win over San Diego State in 2025
San Jose State: 34-20 win over Boise State in the 2020 Conference Championship game
Wyoming: 16-15 win over Toledo in the 2023 Arizona Bowl
Utah State: 44 – 41 win over New Mexico in 2023
Conclusion
There have been a number of great football games over the past 13 years, more than I can remember on my own. There were great comebacks, fun shoot-outs, and big upsets. The data helped me with putting this together, but obviously the joy of sports can’t be fully captured in numbers. Let me know in the comments which games think deserve to be on this list.
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