There aren’t very many Power Five leagues that can claim a winning record against the SEC over the past several years. At least one Group of Five conference can puff out its chest and make that claim, though.
To get where this post is ultimately headed, though, we’re forced to deal with the following: 1-4 UNLV at 1-4 Vanderbilt. In a battle of non-conference lightweights whose head coaches are very much on the hot seat, the Rebels jumped out to a 24-10 halftime lead and never looked back, cruising to a 34-10 win over the Commodores.
In Nashville.
UNLV, whose only previous win this season came against FCS Southern Utah in the opener, scored on every drive of the first half with the exception of the last, a possession in which they essentially took a running knee after taking over the ball in their own territory with under two minutes left in the second quarter. In its scoreless second half, Vandy’s possessions went as follows: punt, interception, fumble, turnover on downs, turnover on downs, turnover on downs.
With that as a backdrop, the Mountain West Conference has officially finished the 2019 season with a 3-2 record against the not-so-mighty (for the most part) of the mighty SEC.
- Wyoming beat Missouri 37-31 in Week 1
- Colorado State lost to Arkansas 55-34 in Week 3
- San Jose State beat Arkansas 31-24 in Week 4
- Utah State lost to LSU 42-6 in Week 6
- UNLV beat Vanderbilt 34-10 in Week 7