We're Back, Again
For the tenth consecutive year, the
Mountain West sent at least five teams into postseason bowl games when seven
participants hit the alleys last season. The MWC has earned 84 bowl bids since
1999 and holds a 46-38 (.548) all-time record in those contests.
More important, for the first time
in six years the Mountain West finished the bowls with a winning campaign last
season.
Newbies
The Mountain West has welcomed 29 new head coaches
over the last 18 seasons, twelve of which played in a bowl game in their rookie
year. Three new head coaches
debut this season: Brent Brennan (San
Jose State), Jay Norvell (Nevada), and oldie but goodie Jeff Tedford (Fresno
State). The bad news is all three of the new coaches will face uphill
battles with squads that all figure to battle to stay out of the cellar in
their respective divisions.
Way Up There
The Mountain West Conference is
appropriately named with all 6 teams in the MWC Mountain Division more than
2,000 feet above sea level.
Wyoming's War Memorial stadium
scales the highest at 7,215 feet, with Air Force's Falcon Stadium also better
than a mile high at 6,621 feet.
Note: Team write-ups are excerpts from the 2017
PLAYBOOK Football Preview Guide magazine - the 25th Anniversary
Issue, on sale at newsstands nationwide. The numbers following each team name
represents the amount of returning starters on offense and defense, along with
the number of returning linemen, with an asterisk (*) designating a returning
quarterback.
2017 MWC
MOUNTAIN PREVIEW
AIR FORCE Off - *5/2 Def - 1/0 80 Lettermen
TEAM
THEME: PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES
It's a
good thing the Air Force Academy is always heavy on upper classmen. That's
because this year's squadron has plenty of holes to fill as AFA seniors
accounted for the 2nd highest percentage of starts of all FBS teams last season
(69.0%). The good news is former starting QB Nate Romine returns, along with
his heir apparent Arion Worthman, who is undefeated (6-0) as a starter for the
Falcons. Lost however are six of seven defensive linemen, four of five
linebackers and six of seven defensive backs. Furthermore, the Flyboys will
most likely need to win out at home as five of six road games are slated
against bowl teams.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE: The Falcons are 2-12 ATS in games after facing Army and Navy since
2010.
PLAY
AGAINST: at Colorado State (10/28)
BOISE STATE Off - *5/2 Def - 4/2 38
Lettermen
TEAM
THEME: 12 AND COUNTING
You have
to go back to 1998 to find the last time a Boise State football team failed to
win 8 games in a season. And were it not for the fact that the Broncos finished
the 2016 season with the 2nd fewest amount of turnovers gained (9), they likely
would have topped the 10 wins they recorded last season. In fact, the most
consistent mid-major in the nation has knocked off five of their last six Power
Five foes. We're not certain what happened in their bowl loss to Baylor, but
the last four times the Broncos lost a bowl game, they bounced back to go 51-3
combined the following season. Thought you'd like to know.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE: The Broncos are 61-2 SU in games against .500 or less foes with
Bryan Harsin on the sidelines (as OC 2006-2010 and since 2014).
PLAY ON:
vs. Air Force (11/18)
COLORADO STATE Off - *6/2 Def - 8/3
43 Lettermen
TEAM
THEME: RAMMING IT UP
Starting
QB Nick Stevens leads a stacked backfield speared by the three-headed attack of
Dalyn Dawkins, Izzy Matthews and Marvin Kinsey, Jr., who combined for 2,199
rushing yards last season. (Note: the Rams were 6-0 SU in game in which they
rushed for 200 yards last season; 0-6 when they did not). After being demoted,
and then reclaiming his starting position October 22nd, Stevens posted the
nation's best pass efficiency from that point forward when the Rams finished as
the No. 4 team in the nation in red zone offense in 2016. Defensively, nine
starters return, most of who were thrown into the fire due to a lack of
proficiency. Meanwhile, Mike Bobo is one of only two Group of Five coaches
hired in 2015 to post winning records each of the last two years. Color them
dangerous.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE: The Rams are 0-20 SU all-time versus ranked opponents.
PLAY ON:
at Wyoming (11/4)
NEW MEXICO Off - *7/3 Def - 2/1 41
Lettermen
TEAM
THEME: BORN TO RUN
The
Lobos won their first NCAA rushing title last season (after finishing second in
1970 and 1971) when they tallied 4,550 yards, edging Army by 86 yards. The
question is was New Mexico good last season, or were they good and lucky? Five
of its wins were by a TD or less in 2016 (only Clemson owned more). With over
50% of the starts made for the Lobos last season coming by seniors, we'll see
what Bob Davie has left in his recruit war chest. We do know this: the Lobos
committed just 14 giveaways last season. In four of Davie's five seasons at the
helm, the Lobos have ranked in the top five in fewest giveaways.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE: The Lobos have been outscored by 2.8 PPG under Davie, after being
outscored by 26 PPG in the 3 years prior to his arrival.
PLAY ON:
vs. New Mexico State (9/9)
UTAH STATE Off - *7/2 Def - 8/1 40
Lettermen
TEAM
THEME: SHOW ME YOUR SIGN
It's not
a good sign when your team wins 3 games in a season in which over 50% of the
starts were made by seniors - especially when six players that earned various
MWC honors are gone this year. Granted, four losses last season by a TD or less
were discouraging but signs of progress are evident in 2017 with the return of
starting QB Kent Myers (2,389 passing yards and 10 TDs), RB Tonny Lindsey, Jr.
(763 rushing yards and 6 TDs), and WR Ron'quavion Tarver (46 receptions for 602
yards) from last season. Also good news is the fact that 20 players made their
first start last season. Collectively, they can only get better.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE: The Aggies own a 19-13 SU record in conference games under Wells.
They were 24-42 SU the previous nine seasons.
PLAY ON:
at Air Force (11/25)
WYOMING Off - *6/4 Def - 8/3 51 Lettermen
TEAM
THEME: COWBOY UP
Meet the
FBS team that started the most underclassmen in the nation in 2016 (56.2%). And
for the first time in four seasons at Wyoming, head coach Craig Bohl will have
a returning starter quarterback in JT Josh Allen - a mighty damn good one at
that. Allen burst onto the college football scene in 2016, leading the MWC, and
ranking 20th in the nation in passing touchdowns (28). Some thought he might
enter the NFL Draft early this year but he didn't. As a result, Allen should be
one of the top returning QBs in the nation. Bohl's force-feeding of youngsters
two seasons ago paid major dividends last year. Could he hit the jackpot in
2017.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE: Last year's win over Boise State was the first over a ranked
opponent for the Cowboys since 2002.
PLAY ON:
vs. New Mexico (10/28)
2017 MWC
WEST PREVIEW
FRESNO STATE Off - *10/5 Def - 6/3 42 Lettermen
TEAM
THEME: RECYCLING RETREADS
What is
the last thing a team that ranked dead last in in the nation in first down
defense - and also ranked in the bottom 10 in the land in rush offense - would
want to face during the first month of a new season with a new coach this year?
If you said consecutive road trips to Alabama and to Washington, you're spot
on. The new coach is actually an old one recycled, former California boss Jeff
Tedford. He was brought in after the Bulldogs fell from 11 wins to 11 losses in
three years under Tim DeRuyter, who ironically moves to Cal as it new defensive
coordinator. Remember this team suffered four losses by a touchdown or less
last season. The only direction this program can go is up.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE: After a 19-4 start with the Bulldogs, former Fresno State coach Tim
DeRuyter went 11-30 in his final 41 games.
PLAY ON:
at Hawaii (11/11)
HAWAII Off - *8/3 Def - 6/2 54
Lettermen
TEAM
THEME: FASTEN YOU SEAT BELTS - AGAIN
If you
thought the 10,000 miles Hawaii flew before playing its first home game last
season was dizzying, wait until you get a load of this year's passenger
manifest. By the end of September 2017, the Warriors will have journeyed to
Massachusetts, Los Angeles, and Wyoming. Troubling? No way. Not after 1st year
coach and former Hawaii quarterback Nick Rolovich used last season's
10,000-mile journey to discover an exciting QB in Dru Brown and an explosive RB
in Diocemy Saint Juste, pairing them to form one of the MWC's more frightening
backfields. With most of last year's starting cast back, plus 9 of the top 11
receivers, another bowl looks likely.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE: Hawaii is 1-7 SU in Eastern Time zones since 1959, with losses by a
combined margin of 286-30.
PLAY
AGAINST: at Massachusetts (8/26)
NEVADA Off - *5/2 Def - 9/3 40
Lettermen
TEAM
THEME: MUMMIFIED
Though
it seems like eons ago now, three stints of Chris Ault and his altered shotgun
offense are a faded memory following four non-descript seasons under Brian
Polian. Replacing Polian is offense-maker Jay Norvell, a wide receivers coach
at Arizona State last season, and a former OC with Nebraska, Oklahoma, and
UCLA. To help kick-start the offense, Norvell hired Matt Mumme (Hal's son), a
former HC at Division III LaGrange as his OC. With air raid in Mumme's blood,
expect the pig to fly in Reno in 2017. Norvell's DC is Jeff Casteel who brings
almost 25 years of coordinator experience, including stints at West Virginia
and Arizona. The rebuild is in place.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE: The Wolf Pack were the 4th best team in the nation in fewest
turnovers lost last season (11).
PLAY
AGAINST: at Fresno State (9/30)
SAN DIEGO STATE Off - *5/1 Def - 6/1 34
Lettermen
TEAM
THEME: CLOUDY SKIES IN SAN DIEGO
A
monster in the Mountain West has emerged. Over the past two seasons Rocky
Long's Aztecs have won two MWC titles while outscoring conference foes by 24
PPG, while going 16-2 SU in conference games in the process. The problem now
facing Long's troops is that over 50% of the starts made for the Aztecs in 2016
were by seniors. Obviously, they will need to be replaced. The good news is
super-pest South Alabama is no longer on the schedule. The Aztecs went 0-2
SUATS versus the Jaguars in 2015-16, and 22-4 against everyone else! Last year
SDSU started the same OL in all 14 games, a group that combined for 114 starts.
Now 130 of those starts are gone - along with record-setting RB Donnel
Pumphrey.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE: After bowling twice in 22 years between 1987 and 2009, the Aztecs
have bowled six straight years under Rocky Long.
PASS
SAN JOSE STATE Off - 7/5 Def - 8/2 35
Lettermen
TEAM
THEME: BAD NEWS... GOOD NEWS
First
the bad news: The Spartans were the worst team in the land in sacks allowed
(50) last year. They were also the 2nd worst team in the nation in 4th down
conversion percentage defense. Throughout it all, after collaring Top 60
recruiting classes each of his last three years, promising young head coach Ron
Caragher was canned. The good news is his replacement is Brent Brennan, a
44-year old former UCLA wide receiver, known for his infectious personality. He
inherits major experience on the OL with six linemen owning 125 combined career
starts. Even better news: Brennan also inherits a deeply experienced defense
that could be the backbone of the team.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE: The SU winner in Spartans' games is 33-4 the last three seasons,
including 12-0 in 2016.
PASS
UNLV Off
- *9/4 Def
- 2/2 48
Lettermen
TEAM
THEME: MAXIMUM VEGAS
Bit by the injury bug last year, HC
Tony Sanchez's troops fell short of .500 - but still improved their record,
point production, and overall defense. The Rebels return two starting QBs and
four WRs, plus a high upside of youthful experience is back as Sanchez's
recruiting skills are beginning to surface. For it to happen, though, veteran
DC Kent Baer (45th year of coaching) needs his troops to show continued
improvement. This is a program that's been to only four bowl games in four
decades and, as a result, head coaches have struggled in Vegas (USC's John
Robinson was 28-42 here). Sanchez is determined to set a new norm. Don't
discount his chances as UNLV returns one of the
Mountain West's best backfields and top offensive lines this season.
STAT YOU
WILL LIKE: The Rebels have enjoyed just one winning season over the last 16
years.
PLAY ON:
at Idaho (9/9) - *KEY
Be sure
to check back here next week for Marc's 2017 PAC 12 Football Preview!
For more of Marc Lawrence click here.