SB Nation - Stevenson Sylvester

Seven Cougars Selected All-MWC 2009

sroufe — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:12:15 -0000

BYU's Jan Jorgensen tackles CSU's Leonard Mason on Sept. 26th. Jorgensen, the "Hammer from Helper", is the MWC all-time sack leader with 29. He has recorded 6.5 sacks and 56 tackles in 2009. (AP Photo/George Frey)

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Jan Jorgensen, Dennis Pitta, Matt Reynolds, and Harvey Unga were awarded All-Conference First-Team honors today. Andrew George, Max Hall, and Andrew Rich were selected to the All-MWC Second-Team. Additionally, six Cougars earned Honorable Mention status: Coleby Clawson, Brett Denney, Scott Johnson, Brian Logan, Riley Stephenson and R.J. Willing. Johnson and Matt Bauman were named Academic All-Americans last week as well. Congratulations to each of these student-athletes!

It should also be noted that Pitta was one of only three players (Jeremy Kerley and Jerry Hughes, TCU) in the conference to be a unanimous selection. For Pitta and Jorgensen this was their third time on the All-MWC First-Team.

TCU had an incredible 15 selections between the 1st and 2nd teams and nearly swept the player/coach of the year awards. The Utes also finished with six players on the All-MWC First-Team.

2009 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL FIRST-TEAM
Offense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
QB	Andy Dalton	Jr.	TCU
WR	David Reed	Sr.	Utah
WR	Ryan Wolfe**	Sr.	UNLV
RB	Harvey Unga	Jr.	BYU
RB	Eddie Wide	Jr.	Utah
TE	Dennis Pitta**#	Sr.	BYU
OL	Matt Reynolds	So.	BYU
OL	Erik Cook	Sr.	New Mexico
OL	Marshall Newhouse	Sr.	TCU
OL	Marcus Cannon	Jr.	TCU
OL	Zane Beadles*	Sr.	Utah
PK	Ross Evans	So.	TCU
PR/KR	Jeremy Kerley*#	Jr.	TCU
Defense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
DL	Jan Jorgensen**	Sr.	BYU
DL	Jerry Hughes*#	Sr.	TCU
DL	Koa Misi	Sr.	Utah
DL	John Fletcher	Sr.	Wyoming
LB	Carmen Messina	So.	New Mexico
LB	Daryl Washington	Sr.	TCU
LB	Stevenson Sylvester	Sr.	Utah
DB	Reggie Rembert	Jr.	Air Force
DB	Rafael Priest	Sr.	TCU
DB	Nick Sanders	Sr.	TCU
DB	Robert Johnson	Sr.	Utah
P	Adam Miller	Sr.	New Mexico
--Two-Time First-Team Selection *--Three-Time First-Team Selection #--Unanimous Selection
2009 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL SECOND-TEAM
Offense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
QB	Max Hall	Sr.	BYU
WR	Vincent Brown	Jr.	San Diego State
WR	DeMarco Sampson	Sr.	San Diego State
RB	Joseph Turner	Sr.	TCU
RB	Jared Tew	Jr.	Air Force
TE	Andrew George	Sr.	BYU
OL	Nick Charles	Sr.	Air Force
OL	Peter Lusk	Sr.	Air Force
OL	Caleb Schlauderaff	Jr.	Utah
OL	Jake Kirkpatrick	Jr.	TCU
OL	Zane Taylor	Jr.	Utah
PK	Erik Soderberg	So.	Air Force
PR/KR	Dion Morton	Sr.	Colorado State
Defense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
DL	Wayne Daniels	Jr.	TCU
DL	Ben Garland	Sr.	Air Force
DL	Johnathan Rainey	So.	New Mexico
DL	Cory Grant	Jr.	TCU
LB	Tank Carder	So.	TCU
LB	Mychal Sisson	So.	Colorado State
LB	Brian Hendricks	So.	Wyoming
DB	Andrew Rich	Jr.	BYU
DB	Anthony Wright	So.	Air Force
DB	Tejay Johnson	Jr.	TCU
DB	Chris Prosinski	Jr.	Wyoming
P	Brian Stahovich	So.	San Diego State
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Andy Dalton, Jr., QB, TCU
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jerry Hughes, Sr., DE, TCU
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jeremy Kerley, Jr., KR, TCU
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Austyn Carta-Samuels, QB, Wyoming
COACH OF THE YEAR Gary Patterson, TCU

2009 HONORABLE MENTION
Air Force:	John Falgout, Sr., LB; Brandon Geyer, Sr., P; Ryan Gonzales, Sr., OL; Chris Thomas, Sr., DB.
BYU:	Coleby Clawson, Sr., LB; Brett Denney, Sr., DL; Scott Johnson, Sr., DB; Brian Logan, Jr., DB;Riley Stephenson, Fr., P; R.J. Willing, Sr., OL.
Colorado State:	Adrian Martinez, Sr., OL; Nick Oppenneer, Sr., DB; Cole Pemberton, Sr., OL; Shelley Smith, Sr., OL; Tim Walter, Sr., OL.
New Mexico:	Kendall Briscoe, Sr., DL.
San Diego State:	Davion Mauldin, Sr., KR; Jerry Milling, Sr., LB.
TCU:	Evan Frosch, Jr., TE; Antoine Hicks, So., WR; Jeremy Kerley, Jr., WR; Ed Wesley, Fr., RB; Jimmy Young, Jr., WR.
UNLV:	Jason Beauchamp, Sr., LB; Joe Hawley, Sr., OL; Matt Murphy, Jr., OL.
Utah:	Joe Phillips, Jr., K; Sean Sellwood, Fr., P; Sealver Siliga, So., DL; Mike Wright, Sr., LB.
Wyoming:	David Leonard, Jr., WR; Austin McCoy, So., P; Mitch Unrein, Sr., DL.

2009 Mountain West All-Conference Football Team Announced

Jeremy Mauss — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:54:10 -0000

As expected TCU lead the way with all-conference selections, but they ran away with 15 first and second team selections which more then doubles second place BYU with seven spots. The Horned Frogs also took home three of four player of the year awards, and coach of the year -- the one loss was freshman of the year which went to Wyoming's QB Austyn Carta-Samuels.

Some irony in the list is that New Mexico had the first team punter; he did have the most chances to impress. A choice that was not expected when the season started was Utah RB Eddie Wide who ran for over 1,000 yards but was to be the back up before Matt Asiata tore his ACL in the Louisville game.

The offensive player of the year award went to TCU's QB Andy Dalton while the defensive award went to TCU's DE Jerry Hughes. The rest of the awards are after the jump.

2009 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL FIRST-TEAM
Offense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
QB	Andy Dalton	Jr.	TCU
WR	David Reed	Sr.	Utah
WR	Ryan Wolfe**	Sr.	UNLV
RB	Harvey Unga	Jr.	BYU
RB	Eddie Wide	Jr.	Utah
TE	Dennis Pitta**#	Sr.	BYU
OL	Matt Reynolds	So.	BYU
OL	Erik Cook	Sr.	New Mexico
OL	Marshall Newhouse	Sr.	TCU
OL	Marcus Cannon	Jr.	TCU
OL	Zane Beadles*	Sr.	Utah
PK	Ross Evans	So.	TCU
PR/KR	Jeremy Kerley*#	Jr.	TCU
Defense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
DL	Jan Jorgensen**	Sr.	BYU
DL	Jerry Hughes*#	Sr.	TCU
DL	Koa Misi	Sr.	Utah
DL	John Fletcher	Sr.	Wyoming
LB	Carmen Messina	So.	New Mexico
LB	Daryl Washington	Sr.	TCU
LB	Stevenson Sylvester	Sr.	Utah
DB	Reggie Rembert	Jr.	Air Force
DB	Rafael Priest	Sr.	TCU
DB	Nick Sanders	Sr.	TCU
DB	Robert Johnson	Sr.	Utah
P	Adam Miller	Sr.	New Mexico
--Two-Time First-Team Selection *--Three-Time First-Team Selection #--Unanimous Selection
2009 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL SECOND-TEAM
Offense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
QB	Max Hall	Sr.	BYU
WR	Vincent Brown	Jr.	San Diego State
WR	DeMarco Sampson	Sr.	San Diego State
RB	Joseph Turner	Sr.	TCU
RB	Jared Tew	Jr.	Air Force
TE	Andrew George	Sr.	BYU
OL	Nick Charles	Sr.	Air Force
OL	Peter Lusk	Sr.	Air Force
OL	Caleb Schlauderaff	Jr.	Utah
OL	Jake Kirkpatrick	Jr.	TCU
OL	Zane Taylor	Jr.	Utah
PK	Erik Soderberg	So.	Air Force
PR/KR	Dion Morton	Sr.	Colorado State
Defense
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School
DL	Wayne Daniels	Jr.	TCU
DL	Ben Garland	Sr.	Air Force
DL	Johnathan Rainey	So.	New Mexico
DL	Cory Grant	Jr.	TCU
LB	Tank Carder	So.	TCU
LB	Mychal Sisson	So.	Colorado State
LB	Brian Hendricks	So.	Wyoming
DB	Andrew Rich	Jr.	BYU
DB	Anthony Wright	So.	Air Force
DB	Tejay Johnson	Jr.	TCU
DB	Chris Prosinski	Jr.	Wyoming
P	Brian Stahovich	So.	San Diego State
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Andy Dalton, Jr., QB, TCU
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jerry Hughes, Sr., DE, TCU
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jeremy Kerley, Jr., KR, TCU
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Austyn Carta-Samuels, QB, Wyoming
COACH OF THE YEAR Gary Patterson, TCU

2009 HONORABLE MENTION
Air Force:	John Falgout, Sr., LB; Brandon Geyer, Sr., P; Ryan Gonzales, Sr., OL; Chris Thomas, Sr., DB.
BYU:	Coleby Clawson, Sr., LB; Brett Denney, Sr., DL; Scott Johnson, Sr., DB; Brian Logan, Jr., DB; Riley Stephenson, Fr., P; R.J. Willing, Sr., OL.
Colorado State:	Adrian Martinez, Sr., OL; Nick Oppenneer, Sr., DB; Cole Pemberton, Sr., OL; Shelley Smith, Sr., OL; Tim Walter, Sr., OL.
New Mexico:	Kendall Briscoe, Sr., DL.
San Diego State:	Davion Mauldin, Sr., KR; Jerry Milling, Sr., LB.
TCU:	Evan Frosch, Jr., TE; Antoine Hicks, So., WR; Jeremy Kerley, Jr., WR; Ed Wesley, Fr., RB; Jimmy Young, Jr., WR.
UNLV:	Jason Beauchamp, Sr., LB; Joe Hawley, Sr., OL; Matt Murphy, Jr., OL.
Utah:	Joe Phillips, Jr., K; Sean Sellwood, Fr., P; Sealver Siliga, So., DL; Mike Wright, Sr., LB.
Wyoming:	David Leonard, Jr., WR; Austin McCoy, So., P; Mitch Unrein, Sr., DL.

Utes Escape Upset Aganist Air Force In Overtime

BrysonCutla — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:28:44 -0000

More photos » by Colin E. Braley - AP

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Final - 10.24.2009	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Air Force Falcons	10	0	3	3	0	16
Utah Utes	6	0	10	0	7	23

Complete Coverage >

We all knew it would be a tough one for the Utes; it was, as #18 Utah (6-1, 3-0) escaped an upset despite getting outplayed by the Falcons. The Utes defense didn't stop the run all game but came up big in OT in a 23-16 victory. Air Force (4-4, 3-2) controlled most of the game on both sides of the ball but lacked the big play to put them over the top.

The Utes scored on their first possession when Terrance Cain fumbled on a keeper and Wide, who was trailing the play, picked up the ball and ran 44 yards for a touchdown. Joe Phillips pushed the extra point attempt wide right. That was all for the Ute offense in the half as the Falcons held the Utes to just 107 yards of total offense.

Air Force took the lead as Jared Tew pounded it in on the goal line to put the Falcons on top 10- 6 in the second quarter. With the crowd out of the game and Utah looking dysfunctional, Air Force looked like they could pull away. David Reed had different plans. In the third quarter, the Utes star receiver made the biggest play of the game when he connected with Terrance Cain for a 90 yard touchdown catch, (second longest passing play in school history) to make it 13-10 Utah.

After a pair of Falcon field goals, the game was tied at 16 going into overtime. Air Force won the toss and elected to play defense. Utah's Eddie Wide sprained his ankle in the first half but came back and punched in a 1 yard touchdown to take the lead 23-16.

While the Utes let Air Force run all over with 254 yards rushing they stopped the run in overtime. Stevenson Sylvester came up huge and stopped a fourth down quarterback keeper from Connor Dietz. As the play ended, Rice-Eccles Stadium erupted and the Utes rushed the field after a thriller of a game.

As you take a look back at the stats, you would come to a conclusion that Utah shouldn't have won this game. Utah had five penalties, two turnovers and went 4 - 14 on third down. It came down to who would make the big plays. The Utes made the big plays and Air Force suffered another heartbreaker.

Making the Rounds: 10/16/09

Jeremy Mauss — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:31:58 -0000

Air Force

The move from quarterback to defensive back has paid off for Anthony Wright. The quarterback situation is still up in the air for this weeks game. Grading the Falcons first half, 2.77.

BYU

QB Max Hall about to pass some elite quarterback company at BYU. DB Brian Logan wants revenge after the Aztecs withdrew his scholarship. Why are people calling the game against San Diego State a trap game? Scott Johnson and Manase Tonga are game time decisions. BYU is having a tough time getting BCS opponents on the schedule.

Colorado State

RB Leonard Mason is doing a great job on the field and in the classroom. At least the special teams have been good.

New Mexico

Everyone has heard the Mike Locksley is suspended for the next game against UNLV, plus he does not recall ever having a team be 0-6.

San Diego State

The 1979 BYU route over SDSU was the beginning of the end for Aztec football. Can the rested Aztecs surprise BYU?

TCU

Coach Gary Patterson talks about why his run defense is great every year. For TCU to keep undefeated they must cut down on their turnovers. The two biggest games for TCU are still a ways out.

UNLV

Rebels to honor 1984 squad this weekend. Mike Sanford is definitely on the hot seat.

Utah

Vegas native Stevenson Sylvester looks to have a big game against UNLV. Utes looking for revenge after embarrassing loss at Vegas in 2007.

Wyoming

Many Wyoming fans can not see their team when on The Mtn, because most of the state has DISH Network who is not on board. Pokes trying to extend their winning streak against Air Force.

The Morning Blitz: Daily Utah links

JazzyUte — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:50:25 -0000

Instead of talking about the UNLV game Saturday, I thought I'd just post this because I think it really sums up what's on the line in this game.

It's really amazing how far the program has come since 9/22/07. Or as I'd like to call it: The Day of Infamy.

Frank Summers rushed for 190 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead UNLV to a 27-0 upset victory over Utah as the Rebels stopped an 11-game losing streak to the Utes.
Summers, who had 29 carries and 108 yards in the first half, caught his only pass of the game for a 29-yard touchdown with 14:51 left in the first half, giving UNLV (2-2, 1-0 Mountain West) a 10-0 lead.

Utah (1-3, 0-2) was coming off an impressive 44-6 win over then-No. 11 UCLA a week earlier.

The 11-game streak dated back to Oct. 20, 1979 when the Rebels beat Utah in Las Vegas in the teams' first-ever meeting.

It was the first time Utah was shut out since a 38-0 loss to Arizona State in 1993. It was UNLVs first shutout since 2000 against North Texas. That score was also 38-0.

Summers' second touchdown, a 4-yard run with 12:52 left in the game, gave the Rebels a 20-0 lead. His last touchdown came from 36 yards down the right sideline with 1:52 remaining. Summers' previous career high in rushing was just 43 yards in a Sept. 15 loss to Hawaii.

Utah quarterback Brian Johnson, who separated his shoulder in the first game of the season in a 24-7 loss at Oregon State, did not play in the first half, but started the second. Johnson went 12-of-19 for 78 yards.

Utes starting quarterback Tommy Grady finished 11-of-21 for 117 yards with an interception. Darrell Mack added 89 yards rushing on 21 carries.

UNLV quarterback Travis Dixon was 12-of-27 for 144 yards with two interceptions.

Utah was 1-of-5 on fourth-down attempts, including an attempt from the 1-yard line with 7:43 left in the third quarter. The Utes also fumbled three times.

The Rebels built a 13-0 lead at halftime. Sergio Aguayo hit two of three field-goal attempts, one from 28-yards, and the other from 20 yards.

In the first half, UNLV running back David Peeples was carted off after an injury with 1:27 left in the first quarter when he was hit by Stevenson Sylvester.

Peeples lost consciousness, but regained it while being taken off the field. He was taken to a nearby hospital and was undergoing tests and X-rays during the game.

Truly a nightmare. The program has grown so much since that game (they've gone 25-2) and I think it just proves the saying that you need to hit rock bottom before finding yourself.

Certainly what Utah did in that game constitutes as rock bottom. Wouldn't you agree?

Deseret News | Utah Utes football: Wide carrying the load

Utes want to avoid another Vegas letdown - ABC 4.com - Salt Lake City, Utah News

Deseret News | Cain looks an awful lot like the guy he replaced as Utes make run in MWC

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: College Football

TCU coach defends 'weak' MWC - Salt Lake Tribune

MWC Showdown: Utah Looking to Settle Score with UNLV | Bleacher Report

BCS still all about TV - Salt Lake Tribune

Utes ready for UNLV air attack - Salt Lake Tribune

Utah football: Wynn isn't playing, but he's not complaining - Salt Lake Tribune

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Local product sparks Utes - Sports - ReviewJournal.com

Getting to know the Utah Utes: Q&A with Mountain West Connection

jtlight — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

Utah's Terrance Cain will need to handle the pressure of Autzen for the Utah offense to have success. While he has the ability to make the defense pay with his running ability, his ability to throw the ball downfield could be much more important tomorrow afternoon.

Browse more photos »

We haven't spent a whole lot of time talking about the Utes, so we caught up with Jeremy of Mountain West Connection and asked him a few questions regarding Utah's team this season.

1. Utah has looked fairly pedestrian against two not very good teams (USU, SJSU). Is this just little motivation against terrible opponents, or is there something to suggest that this team isn't as good as everyone thinks it is?

It is a little bit of both. The Utes are slightly overrated and are getting the benefit because of their 2008 season. The reason to be concerned about Utah is that their cornerbacks are not as good as last year. Both Brice McCain and Sean Smith were both drafted in the NFL. The Utah corners are expected to play tight man coverage with no safety help, and these replacement corners RJ Stanford and Brandon Burton so far are not up to the challenge. Plus their alleged sub 4.5 speed seems to be inflated becaus these guys were getting beat by Utah State receivers.

The Utes are breaking in a new starting quarterback in JUCO transfer Terrance Cain who has been pretty good but all his throws have been quick slants to David Reed and Jereme Brooks and let them do the work. Cain has been hesitant to run the ball when the Utes run an option read, but instead hands the ball of each time and that lets the defense crowd the middle. Also, Terrance Cain has yet to show he can stretch the field and has been inaccurate on the deep ball. I am unsure if offensive coordinator Dave Schramm is set on running a vanilla offense or will unleash a new wrinkle as the season progresses to catch the opposing team off guard.

The strength of this team is the defensive line and the offfensive line, all of the skill or speed positions are question marks because of lack of talent or new players trying to field the void; the only exception is RB Matt Asiata. Oregon is a team that could exploit the Utah secondary which is by far the worst unit of the team, becuase if Jeremiah Masoli is able to scramble and by time the Utah secondary could be in for a long day.

Oh and did I mention that Utah Senior kicker Ben Vroman is being replaced by walk-on Joe Phillips.

2. Starting RB Matt Asiata has been listed as questionable for the game. Is he likely to play and, if not, how will his loss affect the Ute offense?

Utah has a policy of only discussing injuries on Monday, but as of today he was wearing the non-contact yellow jersey to protect his shoulder; which obviously is not good for Utah. He is officially listed as questionable but Asiata is a beast and I would go out on a limb and say he will play. If Asiata is not able to play the biggest omission from the offense is the 'Asiata Package' that puts Asiata in the shotgun where there are a ton of possibilites in that formation. So far that formation has yielded all of his touchdowns, but in that package Asiata has the option of running up the middle, handing of to a back, run the option with a receiver in motion, or he will pass. When not in that formation Asiata runs up the middle and is big enough to break tackles and wear down a defense which is huge in the fourth quarter.

If Asita is not able to play then look for Utah to plug in Eddie Wide who is a small and very fast running back, and then Sausan Shakerin who is built more like Matt Asata and is able to wear down defenses. Shakerin would get more of the carries since he is similar to Asiata then Eddie Wide is, but Shakerin is a redshirt freshman and quite green.

3. Maybe the biggest difference in the Utes this season is new quarterback Terrance Cain. What should Duck fans expect from him?

Terrance Cain is a similar player to former QB Brian Johnson. Now that is in no way to mean Cain is as good as Johnson, but their game is similar. Cain does not have the strongest off arm and has not yet attempted to go deep often, but when he has those throws have not been too accurate. Cain also is able to take off and run the ball, and against San Jose State he broke out with 69 yards. Look for Cain to throw quick slant passes which has been his go to throwing play, and has been very successfull with that play. Cain is careful with the ball and has only one pick on the year in sixty-one attempts.

The one thing that Cain should do is run more, because he is a great athlete however if Matt Asiata is out he defintely should run more. The one play that Utah runs a lot is a read option play where Cain has the choice to either hand the ball of or run the ball. In the San Jose State game Cain would never take the ball and run which allowed the Spartans to crowd the middle. Look for that to be fixed where Cain will hadn the ball of a few times, but then once the defense is sucked in he will fake that hand off and take off to the edges.

4. The following quote is from Utah coach Kyle Whittingham "We're not making impact plays (on defense). Impact plays to us are sacks and takeaways, and we're not getting that done". Tell us a bit about the Utah defense, bearing in mind that Oregon's offense has struggled mightily thus far this season.

The defense returned seven starters from last year, but as mentioned earlier the corner backs are the key to the defense, they are not covering well in the man scheme that the Utes run which allows for big plays. Last year the corners were able to lock down any receiver and allow Safety Robert Johnson to roam the secondary and make plays. The defense has not been terrible but like Coach
Whitt said they have not made the big plays like last year. Part of that is that preseason all-conference DE Koa MIsi injured his back in camp and missed the Utah State game and played sparingly in the San Jose State game. Koa Misi is now fully healthy and expected to play a full starters slate. By having Koa Misi back the Utes will have their normal defensive set with each player playing their natural position.

The defensive line is the strength of the Utah defense, and the Oregon offensive line is inexperienced and not that good. I expect the Utah line to get pressure on Mosali for most of the day. Also, the linebacking corp is stacked as well and it starts with Stevenson Sylvester who is a beast at linebacker who makes plays and is a big hitter and blitzes quite often So far this year the Utes have not been as dominate against the run or the pass, but have been just above average. I think the Utah defense has been complasive by playing inferior opponents and will be jacked to play this game and will come intensity that will match their play. Expect Utah to have their best defensive effort and create a few turnovers.

5. In my opinion, the Mountain West is clearly the class of the non-AQ conferences, and probably better than the Big East and ACC. They probably deserve an automatic bid, even moreso if they were to add Boise State as a 10th member (why hasn't this happened yet?). How frustrating is it knowing that it is nearly impossible for a MWC team to play for a national title, even though they have shown to be on par with at least some of the AQ conferences?

The expansion talk with Boise is something I have written about extensively and really expect the invite to come this summer. The reasoning behind that is that the four year evaluation cycle ends in the 2011 season, and it takes a full year for a school to change conferences. That would give Boise State three years in the WAC and one in the Mountain West, however the record and rankings that Boise received while in the WAC would then count toward the MWC. Getting to a national title game itself would be a huge landmark for any non-AQ school, but the real frustrating thing about that is the issue of schedules because outsiders say only Utah, BYU, and TCU are any good. However the bottom of the league is stronger then people think, just look at last year when Wyoming beat Tennessee on the road, UNLV beat Iowa State and Arizona State. I know those are not world beaters but those opponents were all in the same tier within their respective league, and when the SEC or Big 12 is supposed to better from top to bottom then these wins should not happen.

Really what is the difference then last year with Washington, Indiana, Northwestern, Duke, Mississippi State, and Duke; these teams plus others are at the bottom of their leagues and are no better then the bottom of the Mountain West. Also, this year there is a real possibility that the top three teams in the MWC could finish higher then the Big East champ which could be unranked or the top two teams could finish ahead of the ACC champ. What is a shame is that a team could go 8-4 in a medicore conference and then are awarded with the near 20 million dollars that go with the BCS game while the champ of the MWC can go 11-1 and be left out despite being ranked higher.

Morning Quack Fix: Focus on Utah; Ducks back in Seattle in 2010?

JConant — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:53:32 -0000

Plenty of Quack to go around today. Here's the latest:

Rob Moseley takes a look at the Utah match-up. Chip Kelly expects his team's early challenges have prepared them well for a high-intensity battle with the Utes. He also isn't expecting many of Utah's players to blink in Autzen, since the Utes return 11 starters from the team that punched Alabama in the mouth last season.
Ron Bellamy of the R-G features Utah's "blitz-loving rover linebacker", Stevenson Sylvester.
Bleacher Report's Kyle S. weighs in with his take on Oregon's pivotal game against Utah.
Would you travel to Seattle to see the Ducks play at Washington State? I probably would. Sounds like the 2010 game versus the Cougs might be held at Qwest Field.
At Oregonlive, Duck lineman Carson York is doing a periodic "diary" post. This week he discusses Oregon's team leadership.
The Oregonian's Jeff Smith examines how Oregon's running back by committee is shaping up. After seeing the second half maturation of Kenjon Barner and LaMichael James against Purdue, running backs coach Gary Campbell doesn't expect Jeremiah Masoli to be the leading rusher this week.
Dan Feldman of Lostletterman.com sent me an interesting link this week. Former Duck QB Danny O'Neil provides perspective on Oregon's tough start by recalling the 1994 Pac-10 championship team he led, which started the season 1-2.
Ted Miller of ESPN has his weekly Pac-10 picks in. He expects Oregon to take another step forward. I'm sure he'll get all forms of hate mail from disrespected Beaver fans. And he just can't avoid the soft spot in his heart for the Huskies...claiming their "beaten-up" defensive line is no match for USC, then predicting the Trojans will only score 30. Try 50, Ted.

Be sure to add breaking news or other Duck notes in the comments.

Week One Preview: Utah State (0-0) @ #18 Utah (0-0)

Jeremy Mauss — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:00:35 -0000

Next Game

Utah State Aggies
@ Utah Utes

Thursday, Sep 3, 2009, 7:00 PM MDT

Rice-Eccles Stadium
TV: The Mtn
Radio: KALL 700 Sports

Complete Coverage >

The longest offseason in Utah football history is finally coming to a close. Fans have anxiously waited for this day to come since Utah's unbelievable 31-17 victory of the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2009 Sugar Bowl. The #18 Utah Utes will open the 2009 football season against in-state rival the Utah State Aggies.

Utah State finished last season with a 3-9 record and caused a total reformation of the coaching staff. This game offers so many intriguing story lines the first with Utah State head coach Gary Anderson -- former Utah defensive coordinator-- is coaching his first game for the Aggies against his mentor Kyle Whittingham. Anderson was hired by the Aggies following Utah's undefeated regular season and has made many changes both offensively and defensively. Most obvious is the birth of the spread offense at Utah State. The odds however are against the Aggies however; Utah State is coming into Salt Lake City as a 21 point dog.

The biggest story line for the Utes would have to be who will be their starting quarterback? It will be between true freshman Jordan Wynn and junior college transfer Terrence Cain are both looking to fill the massive shoes that former quarterback Brian Johnson left. After the teams first scrimmage head coach Kyle Whittingham set the depth chart with Wynn as the starter closely followed by Cain.

Reports coming out of practice indicate that Terrence Cain may be the team's starter, because he has been taking more snaps then the freshman Wynn. Whittingham knows who the starter is as does the player, but is keeping it under wraps and making everyone wait until the offense takes the field Thursday. Not sure if this is any indicator but the Ute depth chart on Rivals has Terrance Cain as the number one quarterback.

The receivng corp for Utah is a concern as well with the top three graduated off the team. The receivers should be nearly as talented and deep as last years team. The starting four in the Utah spread will be Aiona Key, Jereme Brookes, David Reed, and John Peel. Then the next few are right on the cusp with convereted quarterback to wide receiver DeVonte Christopher and Shaky Smithson.

The strengths of the Utah offense will be their no-huddle offense which was used to perfection in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama. The receiver depth will come in handy with quick subs to keep those players fresh. However, the best friend of the new quarterback is the stacked offensive line lead by captain Zane Beadles and bowling ball Matt Asiata. Look for the Utes to run the ball early and often to wear down the undersized Aggie defense.

The first quarter of this game may be boring and slow with the running game being featured, but coach Whittingham is a great coach and has his reason, so fans just relax and enjoy the setup for the big second half of this game.

Their strength this year should once again be the Utah defense which returns seven starters. Led by All American candidate linebacker Stevenson Sylvester the defense is expected to be as good if not better than last season, even with the loses of NFL draft picks Sean Smith and Paul Kruger. The defense will be missing all-conferece defensive end Koa Misi do to a back injury he suffered in camp, not a huge deal in this game.

The concern for Utah is the cornerbacks, because Utah runs a tight man coverage on the edges and Whitt expects them to be able to cover one on one. The new corners are speedster R.J. Stanford and Brandon Burton, and their is a concern with the two mainly because of who they are replacing. They are replacing two NFL players in Sean Smith and Brice McCain, both who were the perfect fit for the type of corner defense Utah ran. Stanford and Burton will not be alone because safety Robert Johnson is one of the best in the league and will come up with big plays if something comes across the middle on a post pattern. The speed is there at the corner spot which can help make if they get beat, but the main thing for the two is to bump at the line and stick their man.

Utah State is led by a very athletic quarterback in Diondre Borel who is expected to play very well in Anderson's spread offense. Never a good sign is when your teams quarterback leads the team in rushing as well as passing, which was the case with Aggie Dionder Borel. Howver some good news is that the leading rusher from the running backs is back for 2009 in Robert Turbin and he will be asked to carry more of a load in the running game. Last year he averaged a solid 4.7 yards per carry, but with Utah State down in most games they need to take to the air attack which took away from using the ground attack.

Utah State will also be featuring a new defense scheme which is very similar to Utah's which focuses on speed. Anderson switched many players' positions from offense to defense in the offseason to gain more defensive speed, again something similar to what he did at Utah. This could be interesting because Anderson was behind the schemes at Utah which were highly successful in his years there. Look for Andersen to use multiple looks to confuse the Utah quarterback who has never taken a snap at the FBS level.

In this rivalry nicknamed "The Battle of the Brothers" Utah leads 76-28-4 having won the last eleven meetings, and this should be number twelve. Utah is a 21 point favorite in this game and has insisted that they are taking the Aggies seriously.

The pressure is on for both the Aggies and the Utes to start the season out right. Can Gary Anderson pull off the upset? Have the Utes moved on from their #2 AP ranking and undefeated season?

Predicted Score: Utah 28 Utah State 13

Poll

Who wins?

Utah by 7 or more

15 votes

Utah by 7 or less

0 votes

Utah State by 7 or more

0 votes

Utah State by 7 or less

0 votes

15 votes | Poll has closed

The Morning Blitz: Daily Utah links

JazzyUte — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:56:29 -0000

We're now less than a week away from the start of the season.

It's also the final weekend before college football dominates the landscape for the next few months. So enjoy, because I think we're all going to be football zombies in seven days.

Five things to watch in the Mountain West - College Football Nation - ESPN

Mountain West superlatives for 2009 - College Football Nation - ESPN

Breaking down the rest of Division I-A | Mr. College Football

Utah's gamble pays off with linebacker Stevenson Sylvester - ESPN

Go Cyclones - What can be done about the BCS?

Go Cyclones - TCU, Utah win outside of BCS conferences

Deseret News | Utah Utes football: Alive and kicking for fall ball

The 2009 SB Nation Mountain West Preview

Jeremy Mauss — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:57:25 -0000

The 2009 SB Nation Mountain West Conference college football preview is coming from the Mountain West Connection, Utah blog BlockU, BYU blog Vanquish The Foe, and Mid Major Madness. The Mountain West is trying to put on an encore presentation from the unparalleled success from 2008 which featured Utah winning its second BCS bowl in four years by defeating Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and finishing with a number two ranking in the AP poll.

Then there was TCU who also finished the season in the top 10 with an impressive 11-2 record, and then BYU who completed its third straight 10 wins season and finished the 2009 season in the top 25.

This year the preseason polls are still in love with the Mountain West with the three usual suspects --BYU, Utah, and TCU-- being represented in both top 25 polls. The obvious big question for the league is what team, if any, will make it to a BCS bowl game.

The Mountain West over the summer desperately tried to force the hand by waiting until the elevnth hour to sign the BCS agreement and presenting a playoff proposal to possibly bring on change. None of those seemed to work, so all the Mountain West can do is keep winning games and hope it is enough to garner BCS inclusion when the four year evaluation cycle ends after the 2011 season.

The league also has new coaches with Mike Locksley taking over at New Mexico after serving as offensive coordinator at Illionois, Dave Christensen coming from the offensive coordinator post from Missouri to take over for 'Cowboy' Joe Glenn at Wyoming, and finally Brady Hoke left Ball State after a great season to become the head man at San Diego State.

The league has scheduled big again by facing 14 teams from four of the six BCS leagues with only the SEC and Big 10 off the schedule this year.

So go ahead and enjoy the 2009 SB Nation Mountain West Conference college football preview again being provided by Mountain West Connection,Mid Major Madness, BlockU, and Vanquish The Foe.

The projected order of finish is voted using 9 points for first place through 1 point for ninth place.

2009 Projections

1.TCU 34 (2 first place votes)

2.BYU 33 (2 first place votes)

3.Utah 29

4.Air Force 22

5.UNLV 20

6.Colorado State 14

7.New Mexico 13

7.San Diego State 13

9.Wyoming 4

1. What team will be the biggest surprise in 2009?

BlockU:
The most likely option would have to be San Diego State or New Mexico, since they bring in new coaches. While I have both finishing with a losing conference record, I don't think it's impossible one of them climbs high enough to break even and receive a bowl bid.

Adam from Vanquish The Foe:

UNLV. Mike Sanford’s club returns 8 starters on defense – including Preseason All-Conference selection Jason Beauchamp at OLB. The Rebels won 5 games in 2008, including the upset of then 15^th ranked Arizona State in Tempe. The offense also returns 6 starters – including WR Ryan Wolfe, an All-Conference 1^st Team selection last season. With Brian Johnson (Utah) graduated, junior Omar Clayton could be the most versatile quarterback in the conference. UNLV has a real chance of a win at Texas A&M and could very well improve upon last season and become bowl eligible in 2009.

Layton From Vanquish The Foe:

San Diego State is my surprise team.

Mountain West Connection:

Has to be UNLV and it is not even close. If not for a monumental letdown against San Diego State 41-21 which would have made the Rebels bowl eligible. The Rebels are my super-extreme darkhorse to win the Mountain West, but do not have the guts to put in the preseason rankings. There is rationale behind that and it comes is in their schedule because they get two of the big three at home in Utah and BYU.

Plus remember when UNLV shutout Utah in 2007 at Sam Boyd Stadium, and in 2008 the BYU game at LaVell Edwards stadium came down to the wire with backup quarterback Mark Clausen getting significant snaps while starter Omar Clayton was out with an injury.

Their tough road conference games are at Air Force and TCU. It all starts with QB Omar Clayton who is finally a fit for Mike Sanford's spread attack and toss in potential All-American WR Ryan Wolfe and the Rebels should be much improved, all they need is to find a serviceable running back to replace Frank Summers who went to the NFL.

2. What player if lost will impact their team the most?

BlockU:
I think you have to go with quarterback Max Hall at BYU. If he's taken out for even a few games, it could cost them any hope of a decent season. I just don't see their defense carrying the team without Hall and I'm not sold on backup Riley Nelson.

Adam from Vanquish The Foe:

The conventional answer would appear to be Max Hall, BYU’s QB. But I’m going to actually go with a pair of DE’s: BYU’s Jan Jorgensen and TCU’s Jerry Hughes. Without Jorgensen the Cougar’s pass-rush is dramatically reduced, and with an inexperienced secondary and no standout linebacker like Bryan Kehl and David Nixon of previous years, Bronco Mendenhall will be relying heavily on last year’s all-conference first team selection. In fact, without Jorgensen I think BYU finishes behind both TCU and Utah, again.

Jerry Hughes is quite simply the best defensive player in the conference and an excellent NFL prospect. He anchors TCU’s defensive line, but at least Hughes has Daryl Washington behind him at linebacker to create plays. Still, if Gary Patterson’s team wants to reach the BCS they’ll need Hughes healthy – especially for games at Clemson and BYU.

Layton From Vanquish The Foe:

Quarterback Max Hall at BYU if he goes down, then BYU is looking at 6-6.

Mountain West Connection:

Hard to argue anyone but BYU quarterback Max Hall, the only othe player that might cause his team failuer is Utah running back Matt Asiata just because of the inexperience at quarterback. Back to Hall, who is a senior quarterback and if you back into BYU history they typically win conference titles with senior quarterbacks.

Rile Nelson has not played in two years since he was on a Mormon mission,and prior to that he was the starting quarterback at Utah State, so Nelson just does not have the reps or real experience in the offense to lead the team if Hall goes down for a significant amount of time. Max Hall has been in this system for years and knows the offense so well, and with the Cougars breaking in a new line he an experienced quarterback is necessary for their success.

3. Does a team from the MWC make a BCS game?

BlockU:

No, I see a real logjam at the top of the conference this season. TCU has a very tough test on the road against Clemson and BYU (both losses in my book), while I think the Cougars drop games to Oklahoma and Utah, with Florida State acting as another potential loss.

With the Utes, they'll lose to Oregon and TCU, though I think they have a higher chance of dropping another conference game than either the Frogs or Cougars, especially with the final season showdown coming at LaVell Edwards Stadium. If that scenario happens, I don't see any MWC team busting the BCS this year.

Adam from Vanquish The Foe:

No. I think TCU and BYU have about an even shot at reaching the BCS but I think they’ll each stumble somewhere, and the conference doesn’t appear as deep as 2008. BYU’s non-conference schedule against Oklahoma and Florida State will not allow them to lose a MWC game if they want to reach the BCS.

I’m not saying Max Hall and Co. have no chance against the Sooners, but with that banged up offensive line it is extremely unlikely. Injuries (Matt Reynolds, Jason Speredon, and Houston Reynolds) could also potentially be a big factor and prevent the Cougars from getting what would be a major win against the Seminoles in Provo. TCU’s non-conference opponents aren’t as tough - but they could have a tough time with Clemson in South Carolina.

I think Utah has a remote possibility, coming off of last season’s success – but don’t expect them to beat Oregon, TCU and BYU all on the road without some of those key players who’ve since graduated.

Layton From Vanquish The Foe:

With BYU's schedule they can make the BCS. Even if they lose a close game to Oklahoma the first week of September, they can then win out and still go to the BCS. Any other loss, and the MWC has no team in the BCS. Utah won't because they plat at TCU and BYU. And TCU plays at BYU which hasn't lost in 18 games in Provo. That leaves BYU as the lone dog at the top.

Mountain West Connection:

TCU will be making their first ever BCS bowl game. It could be that I am high on the MWC but their schedule sets up the best for a BCS run (sorry BYU fans when a loss is nearly certain the schedule is not set up for you this year) with their toughest game at BYU in late October.

Clemson is tricky but they always seem to underachive each year, Virigina is nothing special, and the rest of the non-conference is Texas State and SMU. The toughest conference game is at BYU who have won 18 straight entering the season, but last year the biggest problem for BYU was their offensive line stopping TCU's defensive line. TCU does only return four starters on defense, but Gary Patterson always has players in the wings to step up, plus this is the year the offense finally steps it up to the same level as the defense.

Team Capsules

Air Force by BlockU:

The poor Falcons seem destined to be overshadowed by Utah, TCU and BYU every single year. Even though Troy Calhoun has put together two solid seasons in Colorado Springs, they are again not getting much mention for a spot at the top of the league. Is this the year Air Force positions itself for a title run? I don't see it. That isn't to say the Falcons are bad, but the top-three of the Mountain West is just that good. There really isn't enough room at the table and I think Air Force needs to get comfortable being the 4th-best team in the conference, because it's likely they are going to be there for a while.

With that said, they are going to be a scary team because there is the potential to beat the top-three at any point this season. Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year Tim Jefferson returns at quarterback after a solid freshman campaign and it appears he's distanced himself in fall camp to reclaim the starting role. The fact there is some stability there is enough to create a threat - especially since Jefferson put up decent numbers last year.

Pushing Jefferson for the starting role was sophomore Asher Clark, who Calhoun expects to get some snaps. However, when he's not at the quarterback spot, it's almost certain he'll line up in the backfield with Jefferson - creating another offensive weapon.

The Falcons also bring back a decent and experienced defense, which helped the offense through its growing pains last year. But, as it generally is with Air Force, they do lack size, especially up front. That could prove to be a weakness if they have trouble stopping the run (last year, they gave up 139 rushing yards per game).

Ultimately, the Falcons' biggest problem might be their schedule They face Minnesota, New Mexico, Navy, Utah, Colorado State and BYU on the road - which all could be losses. Their home slate is easier, but that TCU game could be the difference between a bowl berth and staying home for the holidays.

BYU by BlockU

Asking a Ute fan to preview BYU is a lot like asking Rush Limbaugh to critique President Obama. But I'll try to be as non-partisan as possible, though there are no promises!

Without a doubt, the Cougars return the most potent offense in the conference this season. I don't think I can emphasize enough how big it is to return a senior quarterback, especially one who hasn't lost many games for BYU. Of course, there are some questions that will have to be answered if the Cougars are going to put together that dream season everyone in Provo thought was going to be delivered last season.

For starters, how well is that offensive line going to adjust to not only their inexperience, but the injuries brought on by fall camp? The Cougars' offense is going to live or die based on that line and if they struggle, especially against Oklahoma, it could set the course for a difficult season. I say this because if they can't protect Hall from the probable swarming Sooner defense, he not only faces the prospects of injury, but potential issues with his game.

Hall has not performed at a high-level against very good defenses, as was on full display against TCU, Utah and Arizona last season (all losses) and a blowout loss to start the season could leave him mentally and worse - physically - scarred. If that happens, it could snowball from there and cost BYU crucial games and derail their season.

Of course, that seems overtly critical and it is, but if I were a Cougar fan, this would be my number one concern. However, nothing is set in stone and as John Beck proved, a quarterback can make a gigantic leap mentally and emotionally from his junior season to his senior one.

I mention Beck because in his 2005 season, BYU was fairly average. They had some decent wins and a nice offense, but there were issues against better teams and the lingering doubt Beck just could not get it done. I think we all remember the overtime loss to Utah to end the season and how Beck really crumbled when the Utes' defense pressured him.

Well a year later, in a near-similar situation, he stepped up and found a wide open Jonny Harline for the win. There was so much growth between '05 and '06 and it marked arguably the best season in a decade for the Cougars. Will Hall make that same step and deliver a memorable season? We'll see...

Colorado State by Vanquish the Foe

Last year's Rams finished a satisfactory 7-6 overall. They went to a bowl game for the first time since 2003 (the New Mexico Bowl), beating Fresno State 40-35 in what was also their first bowl win since 2001. However, CSU was still average within the MWC at 4-4. Steve Fairchild's (former Buffalo Bills and St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator) team was able to give both TCU (13-7) and BYU (45-42) very close contests, but came up short each time. 2008 was Fairchild's first season, after taking over from long-time head coach Sonny Lubick.

At the forefront of CSU's success in 2008 was RB Gartrell Johnson who ran for 1,476 yards (including 285 on the ground against Fresno State) and a 1^st Team All-MWC selection. Johnson is gone now, but the CSU offense still returns 7 players including WR Rashaun Greer a 2^nd Team All-MWC pick in 2008. Last year's QB, Billy Farris has graduated with Johnson, leaving Fairchild to find his starting man under center from the likes of senior Grant Stucker and JC transfer Jon Eastman. Sophomore Klay Kubiak is also in the mix but is coming off shoulder surgery.

TE Kory Sperry also finished his career at CSU with over 1,700 yards receiving. Despite these losses (Johnson, Farris and Sperry) the offense's strengths in 2009 should be in its receivers and lineman. Greer and the other wide-outs should make up for some of the lack of experience at QB while Preseason All-MWC 1^st Team selection OG Shelley Smith should provide the QB with some time to throw.

Across the LOS, the Ram's best player is without question sophomore LB Mychal Sisson. Sisson may be undersized (at 5'11", 203 lbs. he was recruited as a safety) but he was second among NCAA freshman last year in tackles with 105. Sisson was a 2008 All-MWC honorable mention and a Sporting News 1^st Team All-American. However, CSU's defense lost multiple key contributors to graduation - including three starters on the D-line, and LB Jeff Horinek who started 48 games as a Ram. The new core of LB's consists of junior Alex Williams, former safety Davis Burl, and redshirt freshmen James Skelton and Chris Gipson - and of course Sisson. They were supposed to have last season's second leading tackler Ricky Brewer as well, but he was suspended for all of 2009. The secondary should be in better shape, with returning starters at both field and boundary corner.

Overall, Fairchild's Rams have their work cut out for them in order to have as much success as they did in 2008. The losses of Johnson and Farris will be big. But their non-conference schedule is extremely weak and includes Weber State and Nevada coming to Fort Collins and the Rams traveling to Idaho. With as many players returning as they have - including leaders in Sisson, Greer and Shelly - CSU should win those games, but expect the Wolfpack to be trouble. San Diego State, Air Force and Wyoming are all coming to Fort Collins and should be winnable contests as well. The Rams goal this year should be to win seven games again, but realistically they'll probably only win five or six and be stuck in the middle of the MWC yet again.

New Mexico by Mountain West Connection

The Lobos bring in new coach Mike Locklsley from Illinois where he served as their offensive coordinator, and help create what Juice Williams has become. The hope in Albuquerque is that Donovan Porterie --who is coming off of a knee injury-- can become a similar player to Juice Williams.

The Lobos are looking to run a no-huddle offense to increase the tempo and catch defense in an unfavorable set with their lineup. Porterie is a talent and in his last full season in 2007 he passed for over 3,000 yards and is back in the starting role after missing the last eight games in 2008.

New Mexico traditionally has had one of the best running attacks in the nation and have had seven straight years of having a 1,000 yard rusher --which is the longest streak in the nation-- and who knows if the new offense will allow that. Nonetheless, the Lobos are going to have a new starter and there will be some competition between James Wright, A.J. Butler and Desmond Dennis.

There is talent but the 1,000 yard rusher may not happen, because of the offense they run. To cross reference the Illinois offense under Locksley the only year he had a 1,000 yard rusher was when Rashard Mendenhall roamed the backfield in 2007. The other years in 2005-2008 Locksley produced solid run offenses that ranked 47th, 10th, 5th, and 38th respectively in the nation.

With the spread attack that will be implemented many a players will get to touch the ball and the eighth straight season of a 1,000 rusher may not happen, but the rushing attach as a whole should be pretty good. Porterie is a much better passer then Locksley had at Illinois, and this could be the thing that makes the Lobo no-huddle attack that much more dangerous.

The receiving corp is very important to the offense and even though the top three receivers are back they are either undersized or not that fast. Those wide outs will be getting a lot of balls thrown their way and will need to make plays to make this offense work.

The main problem for New Mexico last year was their defense --which is changing from a 3-3-5 to a 4-3 -- the teams that beat the Lobos all had a decent to really good offense and averaged at least 25 points per game. The hope is that the move to the traditional 4-3 will put less strain on having to find five defenisve backs that are good enough to defend the pass and the rush.

Surprisingly New Mexico ranked in the top third in scoring and total defense, even though they suffered eight losses on the year, so there is some talent on the defensive side of the ball. They did lose their top two corners to the NFL last year and experienced corners are hard to replace. New defensive coordinator Doug Mallory who was previously the LSU co-defensive coordinator is taking over the defense and should get them to adjust nicely to the new defense.

Former coach Rock Long did not leave the cupboard bear and the main reason the Lobos suffered such a drop off in production from their bowl season in 2007 was because of injuries, so Locksley will have talent to work with and the Lobos will be competitive in 2009 and jumping point for the future. Their first five of seven games are against teams that went bowling last year so do not look for them to get off to a fast start.

San Diego State by Mid Major Madness

The Aztecs are coming off an extremely disappointing season in ’08 with a 2-10 record, with a lack luster defense who is not returning there star linebacker and safety for the ’09 season. Newly acquired coach Brady Hoke will be looked upon this season to turn around the last place Aztecs. Hoke is coming off a 12-2 season at Ball State and has his work cut out for him with a team who just suffered their first 10 loss season and has not had a winning season since 1998.

Although inexperienced, the Aztecs did have talent on the offensive side of the ball and with the addition of an offensive minded coach in Hoke, this could lead to great success through the air and on the ground. The offense is returning leading rusher, Atiy Henderson, reception leader Vincent Brown and Ryan Lindley at quarterback. Last year as freshman Lindley completed over 50% of his passes and threw for 16 TD’s.

If he can grow and learn under Hoke’s system, Lindley can be dangerous this year especially with the talent that surrounds him. Henderson rushed for over 500 yards last season and if linemen Ikaika Moleta, Trask Iosefa, and Peter Nelson can improve on opening up holes from last season, Henderson will hope to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark this season.

Again, if the linemen can supply time and protection to Lindley he has a couple of solid targets to throw to. Brown led the team with over 60 receptions and accumulated over 600 yards receiving. With Darren Mougey 2ot returning, veteran Robert Wallace will have to step up to be a constant number two receiver.

The defense was definitely the low point of the Aztecs team last season. They finished last in a majority of the conference defensive statistical categories, giving up on average 450 yards a game. Although the defense lost two of its stars, they are returning seven starters so the experience is in place. The question is if the defense can learn from their mistakes last season and improve upon what was an embarrassing display.

Although I do not see the Aztecs being bowl eligible this year I do believe they will improve. They have some tough road games at UCLA, Utah and Air Force, which will tell coach Hoke where this team stands in its maturing process.

TCU by Mountain West Connection

The Horned Frogs finally looked poised to get to a BCS game for the first time in school history. The schedule plays out nice with their non-conference not terribly difficult with the two big games on the road against Virginia and Clemson, and then the conference slate only has two tough games at BYU and at Air Force beyond that the games are manageable. The touted defense only returns four starters, but that defense is lead by All-American defensive end Jerry Hughes and Gary Patterson always has a good defense on his hands.

The biggest concern on defense is that the front line needs to replace three starters, with only Jerry Hughes the returning along that line. TCU also lost to all-league safeties but they do bring in junior college transfer Malcolm Williams fill one of those positions. Williams originally was an Oklahoma signee before heading to a junior college. The player to emerge as the next star for TCU is linebacker Daryl Washington who in his first start in the Poinsettia Bowl recorded six solo tackles, and is the best athlete on defense which is saying a lot since Gary Patterson puts athletes on defense.

The offense is finally in a position to potentially outshine the defense, or at least be on par with them. Andy Dalton returns for his third year as the starting quarterback. Dalton is a good quarterback but not a great quarterback, but improve his accuracy from year one to year two by decreasing his interceptions from 11 to 5. Dalton is not just a manager of the game but makes plays with his arm and his feet by having five games by passing over 200 yards in those games, and knows how to win games.

The running game for TCU does lose Aaron Brown, but they do return Joseph Turner and touted freshman Ed Wesley. Last season when Turner took the starting job while Brown was out on suspension he emerged just as good for Brown and even better in the touchdown department where Turner had 11 scores. Besides the running game being a plus for 2009 the receving corp is near the top of the Mountain West, and Jimmy Young is the star who had 988 yards last year, which was second most in school history.

Antoine Hicks originally signed with the Texas Longhorns and transferred before he ever played, and last year played in only the last two games and garnared only seven catches. 2009 should provide an increase in his production and help the team get closer to their BCS goal. Then there is do everything wide out Jeremy Kerley who takes snaps from shotgun and is an all around play maker who was able to cause havic on opposing defenses.

This TCU team is the most balananced in a long time and their offense looks to be in the upper tier of the Mountain West and with their defense as good as it usually is should be able to lead the Horned Frogs to a potential BCS bowl.

UNLV by Mountain West Connection

UNLV looks to improve of last years three win improvement and make the next step to a bowl game. It all starts with quarterback Omar Clayton who is not a Pac-10 or JUCO transfer but is rather a quarterback who came through the UNLV system. Clayton is the perfect quarterback to run Mike Sanford's spread option attack, and even though Clayton did not run too much last year he is capable of running at the correct times. Also, for a first year starter Clayton threw 18 touchdowns and only four picks.

To go along with Omary Clayton is all-world wide receiver Ryan Wolfe who last year caught 88 passes for over 1,000 yards, and six scores. 2009 will make Wolfe more of a target because the other star receiver from 2008 Casey Flair has graduated making Wolfe the man. It may be hard to improve too much off of Wolfe's number except that his touchdowns could increase.

The second receiver to take over for Casey Flair is most likely going to come from either Phillip Payne, Jerriman Robinson, and Rodelin Anthony all who played last year and it could be Payne who pulled in seven touchdowns last year. Payne could have had more production but missed the last three games because of a concussion he suffered, so if he is back and fully healthy then look for Payne to take full control over the second receiver spot.

The running back position is the biggest question mark on offense, because Frank Summers was drafted in the NFL and the early replacemnt looks to be CJ Cox who was the primary back to Summers last season. Cox only had 54 carries all year and rushed for under 191 yards, also Summer was a larger back and just ran through defenses while CJ Cox is only 5-11 and 195 pounds and is more of a speed back.

Defensively the Rebels were 104th nationally in total defense and 101st in scoring defense by allowing 32.6 points per game. So, if the defense even makes improvements to be in the top 50 defensively UNLV has the chance to continue their improvement. The secondary which was a problem last year and this year UNLV brought in four JUCO transfers and converted two quarterbacks to help shore up the safety position.

The front seven was not much better as they were 115th nationally in rush defense, and the only play maker is linebacker Jason Beauchamp and tackle Malo Taumua besides that there is nothing much on the front seven. The thinking is that the experience from last years team or the JUCO transfers will be enough to make the defense at least average.

Even with the defensive short falls the Rebels should make a bowl game and have a good chance at seven or eight wins.

Utah by Mid Major Madness

Unfortunately the Utes will have several major obstacles coming into the 2009-10 season. The first is they took a major blow during the offseason from players declaring for the NFL Draft as well as graduating seniors. The team lost Paul Kruger, Sean Smith, Brice McCain, and Freddie Brown to the pro’s meaning head coach Kyle Whittingham will have his hands full trying to find suitable replacements.

In addition to players going to the NFL Utah lost defensive coordinator Gary Andersen to become the head coach at Utah State, and then offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig who left to go to Kansas State and then ended up at Cal before the summer even ended to take the same offensive coordinator position.

The offense was hit the hardest with all of the departures. The loss of quarterback Brian Johnson and wide outs Freddie Brown and Bradon Godfrey will put a big dent in the electrifying passing game which was the key to their success just a season ago.

The group connected for a combined 1456 yards and 11 TDs. The loss of Johnson sets up a quarterback competition between Corbin Louks, Terrance Cain and Jordan Wynn, all of whom Whittingham has the out most confidence are capable of leading the team to its second perfect season in a row. Louks ended up transfering to Nevada-Reno and the current depth chart has true freshman Jordan Wynn as the number one and JUCO transfer Terrance Cain as the number two. However coach Whittingham

Another problem the offense will face is the loss of three of their linemen. This could pose as a major setback because without sufficient protection it will be extraordinarily difficult for the Utes to establish a run game or give ample time for their new quarterback to find his open target downfield.

The defensive side will undoubtedly be able to cope with the losses of key players such as Kruger, McCain, and Smith. Defense has be the staple point during Whittingham’s time in Salt Lake City. He has established one of the most respected defensive programs in the nation, which allows him to have the luxury of swapping in a new defender to take over instead of rebuilding the entire team.

The strength in the defense for the 2009-10 looks to be the linebacker core that showcases Stevenson Sylvester who led the team with 4 sacks and finished second with 73 total tackles.

Utah’s defense is a powerhouse and there is no argument about that. However the primary reason for the team’s great success last season was because the offensive production finally reached an equilibrium point with that of the defense.

This is going to be difficult to repeat in the upcoming season but it is very feasible. In order to do so they will have to beat some tough out-of-conference teams such as Oregon and Louisville as well as an even tougher in-conference schedule in which they play TCU and BYU, both of whom are ranked in the preseason top 25.

Whittingham’s standpoint on the upcoming season is to stay positive and use last year’s finish of No. 2 in the nation to help motivate his team. Although another undefeated season is unlikely, it would not surprise me at all if the team will be able to overcome the adversity and do so.

Wyoming by Vanquish the Foe

The 2008 Cowboys finished below .500 for the seventh time in the past nine years. They won only one conference game - and finished 4-8 overall. This led to the school dismissing head coach Joe Glenn after six years and hiring Dave Christensen as a replacement. Christensen was the offensive coordinator at Missouri and there oversaw the recent offensive success the Tigers had with QB Chase Daniel, WR Jeremy Maclin and TE Martin Rucker - playing in back-to-back Big 12 championships. Now, Christensen inherits a Wyoming offense that was among the worst in college football last season.

Last season the Wyoming offense averaged only 117 yards a game and had terrible inconsistency at the QB position. Three QB's - Chris Stutzriem, Dax Crum, and Karsten Sween - combined to throw 17 interceptions and just eight touchdowns, a miserable 91.7 passer rating overall. Needless to say, the QB position in Laramie has been there for the taking in 2009. ESPN's Graham Watson reported this week that JC-transfer Robert Benjamin is the current QB getting reps with the first unit in camp. Benjamin was a NJCAA Region I Offensive Player of the Year at Phoenix College last season. Sween still has a shot apparently, but look for Benjamin to start the season as the Cowboy's starter at QB.

Wyoming returns seven starters on offense and eight on defense. However, the biggest loss to the offense will be RB's Devin Moore and Wynel Seldon - each among the best rushers ever at Wyoming. Moore finished with over 1,300 yards rushing in 2008 and leaves the biggest void. On the other side of the ball the biggest loss is certainly LB Ward Dobbs. Dobbs started 40 games as a Cowboy and was All-MWC in 2008.

Defense was the team's strong suit last year and should remain so in 2009. The D-Line returns three players that have started a combined 24 games together. Two of those lineman - John Fletcher and Mitch Unrein earned MWC honors last season and are a legit force against the run. LB Weston Johnson (78 tackles in 2008) and All-MWC honorable mention free safety Chris Prosinski return also.

Wyoming has a more difficult non-conference schedule than most in the conference: they host the Texas Lonhorns on September 12th, and travel to Colorado and Florida Atlantic (tougher than it sounds). In conference play the Cowboys also have to travel to UNLV, BYU and TCU. It could be a long first year for Dave Christensen and his staff. Expect Wyoming to lose all of the above mentioned matchups. However, they should beat Weber State, and play New Mexico at home. Overall this team could wind up winning just two contests. A solid goal would be to equal the four wins of 2008. Expect them to win 3 or 4 games but for the passing game under Christensen to improve dramatically as the season progresses.