The MRI
2026 · Week 11

New Mexico

Mountain West · 8–1 · 5–0 in conference · MRI Classic #7

Power+5.7#47 of 138
Résumé+1.22#46 · wins above average
Playoff chance5.8%#24 most likely · -0.6 pts this week
Trendrating by week

Who to root for this week

1 game · top: Oregon State over Boise State, +6.8 pts playoff odds

The games this week that move its playoff odds most, and the side to cheer. Other teams’ games only; its own game is in the schedule below. How these are worked out.

Best winNorth Dakota State (21–16)
Worst lossOklahoma (6–14)
Schedule faced-13.1 avg opponent
Schedule ahead-7.8 avg opponent
Roster talent#107 of 127 · worth -6.1, rated +5.7: beating it
Returning production58% of last year's · #43 of 128
Home field+3.3 pts · 31st of 131

How this rating is built

Power = w × (average margin counted + average opponent rating) + (1 − w) × preseason prior, where w = games ÷ (games + 4). After 9 games, w is 69%, so the preseason prior is 31% of this rating. Every game played shrinks that share.

PartValueWeightAdds
Margin counted+23.8 avg× 69%+16.5
Opponents faced-13.1 avg× 69%-9.1
Preseason prior-5.5× 31%-1.7
Power+5.7

This explains how the model reached the number. The opponent ratings come out of the same fitted model, so it is not independent proof that the rating is right.

Results

Expected is the margin the model's ratings imply for that matchup and site. Perf is how far the actual margin beat it — the result against expectation. Adds is a different question: how many points of Power the game contributes, counting its margin and the strength of the opponent together. A game can beat expectation and still add little, or the reverse. Adds, plus the preseason prior, sum to Power (figures are rounded so the column adds up). Hover an Adds figure for its arithmetic.

WkOpponentResult ExpectedPerfAdds
1 vs Central Michigan W 38–7 +20.0 +11.0 +1.6
2 vs Mercyhurst FCS W 70–7 +42.4 +20.6 +0.7
3 at Oklahoma L 6–14 -12.9 +4.9 +0.6
4 at New Mexico State W 42–18 +21.2 +2.8 +1.0
5 vs UTEP W 61–7 +34.4 +19.6 +1.5
7 at Hawaii W 21–10 +14.3 -3.3 +0.4
8 vs North Dakota State W 21–16 +11.8 -6.8 +0.1
9 at San Jose State W 21–16 +15.3 -10.3 -0.2
10 at Nevada W 31–3 +15.8 +12.2 +1.7
Preseason prior (31% of the rating)-1.7
Power+5.7

Remaining schedule

WkOpponent ProjectedWin prob
11 vs UNLV +14.8 82%
12 at Wyoming +16.0 83%
13 vs Air Force +12.7 78%

Coaches

Mean added leaves out 1978–1980, the first seasons rated, which have no preseason prior to measure against.

CoachYearsRecordMean added
Bill Mondt1978–197913-11–
Joe Morrison1980–198218-15-1+3.7
Joe Lee Dunn1983–198617-30-3.8
Mike Sheppard1987–19919-50-6.8
Dennis Franchione1992–199733-36+1.2
Rocky Long1998–200865-69-1.5
Mike Locksley2009–20112-26-13.3
Bob Davie2012–201935-64-3.7
Danny Gonzales2020–202311-32-5.8
Bronco Mendenhall20245-7-0.7
Jason Eck2025–202617-5+10.1

Season by season

Best finish: #37 in 1982. 48 seasons rated. The two columns' numbers are not comparable; the rank within each is. Season links open that year's game log.

25 1 150 2003 (MRI Classic): #39 of 117 (8-5)2004 (MRI Classic): #41 of 117 (7-5)2005 (MRI Classic): #60 of 119 (6-5)2006 (MRI Classic): #74 of 119 (6-7)2007 (MRI Classic): #46 of 120 (9-4)2008 (MRI Classic): #71 of 120 (4-8)2009 (MRI Classic): #113 of 120 (1-11)2010 (MRI Classic): #117 of 120 (1-11)2011 (MRI Classic): #119 of 120 (1-11)2012 (MRI Classic): #105 of 124 (4-9)2013 (MRI Classic): #109 of 126 (3-9)2014 (MRI Classic): #99 of 128 (4-8)2015 (MRI Classic): #86 of 128 (7-6)2016 (MRI Classic): #45 of 128 (9-4)2017 (MRI Classic): #110 of 130 (3-9)2018 (MRI Classic): #114 of 130 (3-9)2019 (MRI Classic): #117 of 130 (2-10)1978 (MRI 2.0): #47 of 138 (7-5)1979 (MRI 2.0): #76 of 138 (6-6)1980 (MRI 2.0): #106 of 138 (4-7)1981 (MRI 2.0): #83 of 136 (4-8)1982 (MRI 2.0): #37 of 105 (10-1)1983 (MRI 2.0): #49 of 105 (6-6)1984 (MRI 2.0): #85 of 106 (4-8)1985 (MRI 2.0): #82 of 106 (3-8)1986 (MRI 2.0): #68 of 105 (4-8)1987 (MRI 2.0): #99 of 104 (0-11)1988 (MRI 2.0): #103 of 104 (2-10)1989 (MRI 2.0): #87 of 106 (2-10)1990 (MRI 2.0): #88 of 107 (2-10)1991 (MRI 2.0): #98 of 107 (3-9)1992 (MRI 2.0): #87 of 107 (3-8)1993 (MRI 2.0): #55 of 106 (6-5)1994 (MRI 2.0): #56 of 107 (5-7)1995 (MRI 2.0): #73 of 108 (4-7)1996 (MRI 2.0): #69 of 111 (6-5)1997 (MRI 2.0): #52 of 112 (9-4)1998 (MRI 2.0): #94 of 112 (3-9)1999 (MRI 2.0): #91 of 114 (4-7)2000 (MRI 2.0): #81 of 116 (5-7)2001 (MRI 2.0): #68 of 117 (6-5)2002 (MRI 2.0): #72 of 117 (7-7)2003 (MRI 2.0): #50 of 117 (8-5)2004 (MRI 2.0): #49 of 117 (7-5)2005 (MRI 2.0): #66 of 119 (6-5)2006 (MRI 2.0): #75 of 119 (6-7)2007 (MRI 2.0): #63 of 119 (9-4)2008 (MRI 2.0): #71 of 120 (4-8)2009 (MRI 2.0): #111 of 120 (1-11)2010 (MRI 2.0): #117 of 120 (1-11)2011 (MRI 2.0): #119 of 120 (1-11)2012 (MRI 2.0): #108 of 124 (4-9)2013 (MRI 2.0): #113 of 125 (3-9)2014 (MRI 2.0): #113 of 128 (4-8)2015 (MRI 2.0): #95 of 128 (7-6)2016 (MRI 2.0): #86 of 128 (9-4)2017 (MRI 2.0): #105 of 130 (3-9)2018 (MRI 2.0): #107 of 130 (3-9)2019 (MRI 2.0): #121 of 130 (2-10)2020 (MRI 2.0): #114 of 128 (2-5)2021 (MRI 2.0): #123 of 130 (3-9)2022 (MRI 2.0): #129 of 131 (2-10)2023 (MRI 2.0): #126 of 133 (4-8)2024 (MRI 2.0): #119 of 134 (5-7)2025 (MRI 2.0): #89 of 136 (9-4) MRI 2.0Classic 1978 2025

Finishing rank, best at the top, on an axis running to 150 — this team's own range, not the size of the field. Two lines where both ratings cover a season - MRI 2.0 in red, Classic in grey. Hover a point for the season.

SeasonRec MRI 2.0MRI Classic
2025 9–4 #89 of 136 · -5.72 –
2024 5–7 #119 of 134 · -14.78 –
2023 4–8 #126 of 133 · -17.65 –
2022 2–10 #129 of 131 · -21.81 –
2021 3–9 #123 of 130 · -20.38 –
2020 2–5 #114 of 128 · -15.31 –
2019 2–10 #121 of 130 · -20.42 #117 of 130 · -35.80
2018 3–9 #107 of 130 · -14.86 #114 of 130 · -33.62
2017 3–9 #105 of 130 · -12.96 #110 of 130 · -23.69
2016 9–4 #86 of 128 · -5.51 #45 of 128 · 36.99
2015 7–6 #95 of 128 · -9.47 #86 of 128 · 1.98
2014 4–8 #113 of 128 · -14.94 #99 of 128 · -9.02
2013 3–9 #113 of 125 · -18.67 #109 of 126 · -28.23
2012 4–9 #108 of 124 · -15.79 #105 of 124 · -21.21
2011 1–11 #119 of 120 · -28.89 #119 of 120 · -72.93
2010 1–11 #117 of 120 · -26.07 #117 of 120 · -65.65
2009 1–11 #111 of 120 · -17.33 #113 of 120 · -50.98
2008 4–8 #71 of 120 · -3.36 #71 of 120 · 14.89
2007 9–4 #63 of 119 · 0.27 #46 of 120 · 38.71
2006 6–7 #75 of 119 · -5.40 #74 of 119 · 8.88
2005 6–5 #66 of 119 · -1.17 #60 of 119 · 28.65
2004 7–5 #49 of 117 · 3.31 #41 of 117 · 39.91
2003 8–5 #50 of 117 · 3.39 #39 of 117 · 48.46
2002 7–7 #72 of 117 · -3.79 –
2001 6–5 #68 of 117 · -0.58 –
2000 5–7 #81 of 116 · -4.96 –
1999 4–7 #91 of 114 · -10.00 –
1998 3–9 #94 of 112 · -14.04 –
1997 9–4 #52 of 112 · 1.75 –
1996 6–5 #69 of 111 · -4.31 –
1995 4–7 #73 of 108 · -7.15 –
1994 5–7 #56 of 107 · -0.37 –
1993 6–5 #55 of 106 · -1.42 –
1992 3–8 #87 of 107 · -9.39 –
1991 3–9 #98 of 107 · -18.53 –
1990 2–10 #88 of 107 · -12.16 –
1989 2–10 #87 of 106 · -12.31 –
1988 2–10 #103 of 104 · -26.49 –
1987 0–11 #99 of 104 · -18.55 –
1986 4–8 #68 of 105 · -6.84 –
1985 3–8 #82 of 106 · -10.85 –
1984 4–8 #85 of 106 · -9.39 –
1983 6–6 #49 of 105 · -0.74 –
1982 10–1 #37 of 105 · 3.30 –
1981 4–8 #83 of 136 · -3.44 –
1980 4–7 #106 of 138 · -8.21 –
1979 6–6 #76 of 138 · -1.93 –
1978 7–5 #47 of 138 · 4.79 –