"Meteoric Rise" is one that irks me, especially since it is 180 degrees out of whack, since meteors never rise, but only fall.

I think it refers to the fact that meteors are very fast.

You might like this, Douglas.

Meteors fall not rise and then they burn quickly out. I guess Pope's use of meteor is more to my understanding of how meteors really behave.

Wit shoots in vain its momentary fires,
The meteor drops, and in a flash expires.

Seems to me they couldn't fall anywhere if they hadn't riz somewhere; the subsequent fall is implied in the phrase, as Erik suggests.