Week 1 in the Mountain West didn’t just nudge preseason storylines off course—it blew them to pieces.

From New Mexico’s dominant, defensive masterclass, to North Dakota State proving its FBS transition is built for immediate contention, the opening slate brought absolute chaos to the league. Add in UNLV’s crucial, defense-led rebound, Hawaii’s frustrating slow start, and a statement blowout from a hyper-physical Nevada squad, and the hierarchy of the conference has already been reshuffled.

Here are Colton Pool’s top five takeaways from a wildly unpredictable opening week in Mountain West college football.