College Football Preview: Mountain West Conference

By Andrew Musur on September 13, 2015

We are in our second week of college football, and we have four conferences left to review. Next up is the Mountain West Conference.

Boise State has been the notorious favorite in the Mountain West year in and year out. The Broncos have a fantastic chance to compete for another league championship, but they also have a great chance to make some noise in terms of the College Football Playoff.

Let’s take a look at how Boise will fare and how the rest of the Mountain West Conference will do this season.

Mountain Division

No. 1 Boise State

2014 Record: 12-2 (7-1)

2015 Prediction: 13-0 (8-0)

Boise State is one of my bigger sleeper picks this season. I have a ton of faith in the Broncos, especially after their gutsy finish against Washington last weekend. The best thing about this Boise State team is the fact that they return 17 starters.

With so much depth, the expectations are quite high for this Bronco group. With no ranked teams on their schedule, the Broncos have a favorable chance to run the table. The Broncos will have to rely on inexperienced sophomore quarterback Ryan Finley.

Finley started his first career game versus Washington. The Arizona native struggled with accuracy only completing 61 percent of his throws including one interception. Although the Broncos lack leadership behind center, they have plenty of talent on the ends.

Senior wide receiver Shane Williams-Rhodes is one the most important parts of this Boise State offense. Rhodes has caught 170 passes for 1,439 yards and 14 touchdowns. Lucky for Boise State their defense is expected to be much better than their offense. The Broncos return all but one of their defensive linemen. They also return a stud linebacker core and secondary that can compete with anyone in the country.

If their defense can be more consistent than they were last season, the Broncos shouldn’t have a problem stopping teams. With an easier schedule, mediocre offense and stout defense, Boise State should have no problem winning 10 or more games for the ninth time in 10 years.

No. 2 Utah State

2014 Record: 10-4 (6-2)

2015 Prediction: 8-4 (6-2)

Utah State has been one of the more impressive Mountain West teams over the past couple of years. The Aggies have been to a bowl game each of the last four years and they have left with a victory in their last three appearances.

Senior quarterback Chuckie Keeton has been subpar for Utah State. Keeton came out struggling in the Aggies’ first matchup this season against Southern Utah. The Texas native only completed 48 percent of his passes for a lowly 110 yards and one interception.

However, Keeton redeemed himself with a warrior-like performance in Utah State’s rivalry game with Utah. The senior threw for 256 yards for two touchdowns and rushed for another 46 yards. Keeton was banged around all game, but hung tough until the end. Unfortunately for the 6-foot-2 gunslinger, he threw two interceptions that played a pivotal role in Utah’s victory.

Along with Keeton the Aggies have a solid group of receivers led by Devonte Robinson. Robinson didn’t really impress in the Aggies’ opening game, but he came up with six snags for 119 yards. The senior will have to continue to step up if the Aggies want any shot to take down powerhouse Boise State.

No. 3 Colorado State

2014 Record: 10-3 (6-2)

2015 Prediction: 8-4 (6-2)

Colorado State saw their entire offense turn upside down. The Rams lost their coach, Jim McElwain, their record-setting quarterback, Garrett Grayson, and their leading rusher, Dee Hart. With no McElwain, Grayson and Hart there are an enormous amount of questions that will need to be answered as this season progresses.

Colorado State currently sits at 1-1, but their most recent loss was an overtime loss against Minnesota. The Rams’ ability to compete with the Gophers shows they have a chance to surprise a few teams in the Mountain West.

It was up to sophomore quarterback Nick Stevens. This lack of experience hurt Stevens mightily in the Rams’ showdown with Minnesota. Stevens muscled out 51 yards and two interceptions on 42 percent passing.

It should go without saying, but the California native will have to stay cool, calm and collected when some of the better Mountain West teams come to town.

No. 4 Air Force

2014 Record: 10-3 (5-3)

2015 Prediction: 8-4 (5-3)

It is crazy to think that there were four teams in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West that won 10 or more games last season. Air Force was another pleasant surprise when it came to this conference.

The Falcons ended up winning the Idaho Potato Bowl. This season Air Force started off hot. The Falcons plowed over Morgan State and took care of business against San Diego State. With Michigan State next on the schedule, there is a huge need for junior tailback D.J. Johnson to rise to the occasion.

Johnson dominated Morgan State rushing for 82 yards on 11 carries or 7.5 yards a carry. On the other side of the ball, defensive end Alex Hansen must continue to play the way he is capable of. Hansen is a monster off the edge and can take over a game whenever you need him to.

The road doesn’t get easier for Air Force, but they will have plenty of chances to prove themselves.

No. 5 New Mexico

2014 Record: 4-8 (2-6)

2015 Prediction: 5-7 (2-6)

It has been a long, long time since New Mexico last appeared in a bowl game. An entire seven years have passed since the Lobos last finished a season with a winning record. Sophomore running back Daryl Chestnut was a giant bright spot for New Mexico in their first matchup this season against Mississippi Valley State.

Chestnut darted for 108 yards on only six carries. Although Chestnut’s opening game went well, his follow-up performance was quite disappointing. The Florida native only carried the ball twice and rushed for negative five yards.

The Lobos offense has shown signs of promise as they currently rank 41st in total offense. There is a slight chance New Mexico steals six wins and becomes bowl eligible, but I wouldn’t count on it.

No. 6 Wyoming 

2014 Record: 4-8 (2-6)

2015 Prediction: 3-9 (1-7)

Wyoming has had one of the roughest starts of all FBS schools. The Cowboys were disappointing in their opening game against North Dakota. Wyoming put up a total of 13 points and proved they couldn’t compete with another lowly FBS opponent.

In Wyoming’s second game, the Cowboys lost by 21 to Eastern Michigan. The only bright spot for this Wyoming team is their running back tandem of Shaun Wick and Brian Hill. Wick and Hill haven’t lived up to expectations yet, but they certainly have plenty of time to reach that mark.

West Division 

No. 1 San Diego State

2014 Record: 7-6 (5-3)

2015 Prediction: 8-5 (6-2)

First things first, San Diego State dons the coolest helmets in all of college football. The Aztecs created a beautiful and historical design for their 2015 season. If only SDSU played as good as they look.

The Aztecs are 1-1 on the year, but struggled to get anything going in their second game against California. The Bears jumped out early and never looked back, winning 35-7. Quarterback and former Kentucky player Maxwell Smith has struggled in his first couple starts under center for the Aztecs. Smith has thrown an interception in both games this season and has yet to complete more than 52 percent of his passes in a game.

The California native has also only completed 19 passes for 236 yards in his first two games. Granted, it may take some time for Smith to find his groove, but he better find it quickly.

No. 2 Nevada

2014 Record: 7-6 (4-4)

2015 Prediction: 6-6 (5-3)

The biggest surprise for Nevada’s offense this season has been the efficiency of halfback Don Jackson. The senior has been able to do it all. Jackson rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries in the Wolf Pack’s first game against UC Davis.

The California native kept up his impressive numbers on the ground when Nevada took on Arizona. Jackson put up another 91 yards on 24 carries. Jackson ran for more than 950 yards last season, so if he can keep it up Nevada could pull off an upset here or there.

The Wolf Pack head to Texas A&M next, where they will likely be big underdogs.

No. 3 Fresno State

2014 Record: 6-8 (5-3)

2015 Prediction: 5-7 (4-4)

It is tough to gauge how good this Fresno State team can be this season. The Bulldogs won their opening game against Abilene Christian by 21 before falling 73-21 to number 17 Ole Miss.

Fresno State will have a lot on the line when they host undefeated and nationally ranked Utah this Saturday. Lucky for Bull Dog fans, running back Marteze Waller looks poised for another record breaking season. Waller dashed for 1,368 yards a year ago adding 11 touchdowns.

The Georgia senior is already off to a good start, but has plenty of work to do to hit his running totals from last season. Waller carried the ball 22 times for 154 yards in Fresno’s first game of the season. The 5-foot-11 speedster followed up that performance with an impressive 28 carry and 91 yard game at Ole Miss.

Waller also snagged three passes for 40 yards. There is a lot of pressure on Waller to step up and be the focal point of this team.

No. 4 San Jose State

2014 Record: 3-9 (2-6)

2015 Prediction: 4-8 (3-5)

The future looks bright for San Jose State, as they brought in one of the most talented recruiting classes for mid-majors. Although Spartan fans may have to wait a couple of years for that talent to develop and get into the lineup, this year could prove to be another tough struggle for SJSU.

There is no doubt that the leader of this team is running back Tyler Ervin. Ervin rushed the ball 20 times in the Spartan’s first matchup with New Hampshire and picked up 127 yards and three touchdowns.

The Cali boy followed that up with another 121 yards on the ground and a touchdown. He also added two catches for 30 yards and a touchdown. Ervin is going to be one of the bigger offensive threats in the Mountain West, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he competed for offensive player of the year in the conference.

No. 5 Hawaii

2014 Record: 4-9 (3-5)

2015 Prediction: 3-10 (1-7)

Hawaii was the team that surprised me the most in week 1. The Rainbow Warriors knocked off Colorado 28-20 in a controversial game. Although Hawaii didn’t repeat that performance against Ohio State, they did keep the explosive Buckeye offense to 38 points.

If I had to pick a sleeper in the West Division of this conference, I’d have to go with the Rainbow Warriors. Six-foot-four receiver Marcus Kemp excelled against Colorado snatching six balls for 116 yards and a touchdown.

Unfortunately for Kemp, he was shut out against the Buckeyes and held to a single catch for three yards. Watch for Kemp to be a playmaker all season.

No. 6 UNLV

2014 Record: 2-11 (1-7)

2015 Prediction: 1-11 (0-8)

UNLV has had a rough opening to the 2015 season. The Rebels couldn’t overcome Northern Illinois in week 1 and scored three points against UCLA in their week 2 matchup.

Devonte Boyd had a huge freshman campaign catching 65 passes for 980 yards and four touchdowns. Boyd continued his strong campaign with a 2015 debut that included five catches, 107 yards and a touchdown.

The Nevada star also impressed me with his three catches for 55 yards against UCLA. I don’t see too many positive things stemming from this Rebels team, but Boyd is definitely an exception to that.

—–

Conference Championship: Boise State vs. San Diego State

Conference Champion: Boise State

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