Supremacy in the MWC

July 27, 2009 by James Kaikis 

UNLV is fifth in polls going into season

The 2009 Mountain West Conference will yet again be filled with excitement. Last season, the MWC saw action ranging from Utah’s improbable undefeated season to an offseason full of college playoff talk.

This season will be more of the same as the top teams battle for not only the Mountain West title but also for a potential BCS bowl game or a National Championship.

The MWC looks pretty much the same at top of the preseason rankings, with the big three getting the only first-place votes: TCU (15), BYU (6) and Utah (3). Air Force, UNLV, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State and Wyoming round out spots four through nine.

TCU, BYU and Utah are all ranked in preseason top 25 polls around the country but it remains to be seen how far they can climb.

The MWC will see its teams go against some of the best in the country.

Oklahoma, Clemson, Oregon, Oregon State, Florida, Texas Tech and Texas are all on MWC team schedules.

The MWC will have three new coaches this year, all with impressive resumes: Mike Locksley of New Mexico, Brady Hoke of San Diego State and Dave Christensen of Wyoming.

TCU: TCU was the top vote-getter in the MWC preseason polls for good reason. TCU headlined the preseason All-Mountain West Team with seven players including defensive player of the year, defensive end Jerry Hughes, special teams player of the year, kick returner Jeremy Kerley and freshman of the year, running back Ed Wesley.

The Horned Frogs return seven offensive starters and four defensive starters. Virginia, Texas State, SMU and Clemson are on the Frogs’ list of non-conference opponents. If TCU is able to survive tough road games vs. Clemson and BYU, this team could be in the top 10 once again.

BYU: The Cougars will be on center stage when they open the season against Oklahoma in the new Cowboys Stadium. If the Cougars are able to defeat Oklahoma, they could be on their way to a National Championship.

In addition to Oklahoma, BYU will play Tulane, Utah State and Florida State.
BYU is led at quarterback by first-team MWC and offensive player of the year Max Hall. Hall is joined by unanimous first-team tight end Dennis Pitta and running back Harvey Unga. BYU returns four offensive starters and eight defensive starters, including first-team defensive end Jan Jorgensen and first-team kicker Mitch Payne.

Utah: The Utes will look to prove last season was not a fluke, but without much of their offense. Utah is returning four offensive starters, including first team running back Matt Asiata and tackle Zane Beadles, in addition to eight defensive starters led by first-teamers Stevenson Sylvester, Koa Misi and Robert Johnson. The Utes will play Utah State, San Jose State, Louisville and Oregon. Utah will have a tough road ahead of them with games at Oregon, TCU and BYU, but if they are able to take two of three, they could end back in the top 25.

Air Force: Air Force will try to prove that the MWC isn’t just about the big three this season. The Air Force is led by first-team guard Nick Chalres and strong safety Chris Thomas. Air Force will bring back five offensive starters and six defensive starters to a team that finished 8-5 last season. Air Force will look to win a tough game at Minnesota while playing Nicholls State, Army and Navy. Air Force will finish the season at BYU, where they are 6-23 all-time against the Cougars.

UNLV: The Rebels will look to finally make the jump to .500 for their second winning season in 14 years. They will have a tough non-conference schedule, with games against Sacramento State, Oregon State, Hawaii and in-state rival Nevada, Reno.

UNLV is led on offense by first-team MWC wide receiver Ryan Wolfe. Wolfe will be joined on offense by six returning starters. The Rebels’ defense will bring back eight starters, with first-team linebacker Jason Beauchamp leading the way. This year will be a make-or-break season for coach Mike Stanford and the Rebels.

Colorado State: Colorado State finished 6th in the presason rankings, one point shy of UNLV. The Rams will play in a huge rivalry game at Colorado week one. In addition, Colorado State faces Weber State, Idaho and Nevada, Reno this season.

First-team wide reciever Rashaun Greer and guard Shelley Smith lead a Rams offense that returns seven offensive starters. The Rams will also return five starters on defense.

New Mexico: The Lobos hired former Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley to rebuild their football program. The Lobos will have a tough non-conference schedule with games against New Mexico State, Tulsa, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.

New Mexico will have eight returning starters, including first-team center Erik Cook. The defense will only be returning three starters. Locksley will have his hands full this season, but if the team is able to stay competitive throughout the tough season, the Lobos could be on the up and up.
San Diego State: The Aztecs hired former Ball State coach Brady Hoke this offseason.

San Diego State returns eight offensive starters and seven defensive starters. Wide receiver Vincent Brown is the lone first-teamer for the Aztecs, who host Southern Utah and New Mexico State and travel to UCLA and Idaho for their non-conference schedule.

Hoke will have his hands full this season. Look for the Aztecs to stay at the bottom of the MWC.

Wyoming: Wyoming’s offense could have a drastically new look this season, with the former Missouri offensive coordinator Dave Christenson hired as the head coach.

Wyoming will have arguably the biggest game the state has ever seen when it hosts Texas on Sept. 12. The Cowboys will also play Weber State, Colorado and Florida Atlantic this season.

Wyoming returns seven offensive starters and eight on defense, led by first-team defensive tackle John Fletcher.

If Wyoming can play competitively in home games against BYU and TCU, they could be out of the MWC cellar.