10 Things We’ve Learned Following Week 1

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Week 1 has come and gone, and every team in the Mountain West and Pac-12 conferences has played at least one game. It’s a small sample size, but we can start to draw some conclusions about the young season. Here’s what we’ve learned so far:

1) Luke Weaver can play quarterback

While he filled in admirably for Micah Alejado last year at Hawaii, there were questions about how Luke Weaver would handle being a starting quarterback. Through two games, those questions have been answered.

Weaver has put up 6 touchdowns, 628 passing yards, and 73 rushing yards through two games this season. He won’t be confused with a Heisman contender, but it does appear that he will be one of the better quarterbacks in the Mountain West in 2026.

2) Boise State can hang with top teams this year.

While they haven’t been the giant killers they used to be lately, the 2026 version gave Oregon all it could handle for 60 minutes this weekend. Maddux Madsen looked like an asset in a big P4 game, and Rasean Jones looks like the real deal at wide receiver. The Broncos have a challenging non-conference schedule that doesn’t let up, but this game was an indication that they are a strong football team that will only get better as the season goes on.

3) Hawaii is not a conference contender

The Rainbow Warriors start 0-2, and their presumed high-powered offense appears to be in disarray with few signs of life. Quarterback Micah Alejado is the Mountain West Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and is looking anything but so far. Other wide receivers haven’t consistently stepped up in Pofele Ashlock’s absense, and until those two things happen, Hawaii can’t be considered one of the better teams in the conference.

4) North Dakota State should have no issue at the FBS level

Yes, they haven’t played the best teams on their schedule so far, but the Bison are taking care of business in convincing fashion through two games. Their offense has put up 71 points and their defense has held opponents scoreless in seven of eight quarters. Tougher games loom, especially in October, but North Dakota State is not overmatched in the early going.

5) The Pac-12 has some work to do to get where they want to be

The Pac-12 conference officially relaunched this weekend and left a lot to be desired. Their social media campaigns have attempted to place themselves among power conferences, or at least as the clear top G6 conference, but that wasn’t the case on the field. Fresno State fared much worse against USC than San Jose State did the week prior. Texas State’s high-powered offense was lifeless against the Longhorns, and Utah State looked awful in their loss to FCS Idaho State. There’s a lot of season left, but it wasn’t the start the conference had hoped for.

6) Quarterback play is lacking for some teams

QB play left a lot to be desired for a few teams this weekend. Fresno State was in need of an upgrade at the position over the offseason and put up a mere 77 passing yards and 0 points in their debut. Wyoming’s FCS transfer threw three interceptions (although not all were his fault), and so did Utah State’s signal caller. UTEP played three different QBs, and none were impressive. They got shut out, as did the Huskies. Monitor these teams for quarterback changes as the year goes on.

7) Jackson Arnold is fearless on the field.

Arnold is a lot of fun to watch. He commands the offense and makes plays all over the field. When he takes off to fun, he fights for every yard and isn’t afraid to take a big hit. That mindset makes him easy to root for. While he doesn’t seem to play with fear, there is definitely a fear that his style of play could result in an injury that puts him on the sidelines. The poor OL play won’t help matters either. Jackson should definitely be in the running for the Mountain West OPOY early on.

8) Nevada’s positive offseason vibes carried into their first game

Myself and others have spoken a bit this offseason about the Wolf Pack’s ability to retain core player from last year. There was hope that carrying over more talented players would lead to better play on the field. Through one game, Nevada seems to be doing just that. They didn’t pull off a big upset, but they did pull off a big win against the type of team that would have beat them handily the past few seasons. For at least one week, that is meaningful for a program that has struggled so much.

9) The conference and broadcast have two different clocks?

This week was the first I’ve ever heard of this. Assuming it’s accurate, how has this not come up before at the end of a close game? And why wasn’t it properly explained in the moment during the Michigan/Western Michigan game on Saturday? And why can’t every operate from the same clock?

10) Group of 6 hate is alive and well… unfortunately

The start of the season brought up some of the knuckleheaded takes about teams from the Group of 6 and their place in the college football world. Thankfully, they got deservedly blasted on social media during the week. Then, they had to watch some mid-major teams play great football. UMass dominated Rutgers, Boise State took Oregon to the wire, and Western Michigan beat Michigan before the Wolverines got one last play to pull out a win. While bias against these schools will always exist, it was great to see G6 schools prove them wrong on the field this weekend.

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