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2015 College Football Preview: MWC
By: Staff Writer - StatFox
Published: 8/13/2015  at  11:47:00 AM
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2015 College Football Preview: Mountain West

To get you prepared for the upcoming college football season, we begin our run of all FBS conference previews over the next several weeks. In our next preview, we’ll be looking at the Mountain West Conference:

AIR FORCE FALCONS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 10-3
ATS Record: 8-5
Over/Under: 5-7
Points Scored: 31.5 PPG (50th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 24.2 PPG (34th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 4
Junior QB Nate Romine (6.9 YPA; 205 rush yds, 3 TD) takes over for Kale Pearson in the potent triple-option (273.1 rush YPG, 6th in FBS). Top RB Jacobi Owens (1,054 rush yds in 10 G) remains the focal point of the attack. The defense lost seven starters, but DE Alex Hansen (3.5 sacks) and S Weston Steelhammer (6 INT) will mentor a young unit with considerable talent.

BOISE STATE BRONCOS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 12-2
ATS Record: 8-6
Over/Under: 10-4
Points Scored: 39.7 PPG (9th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 26.8 PPG (64th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 185/1

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 8
Defense: Starters Returning: 8
Departed RB Jay Ajayi and QB Grant Hedrick are not easy to replace. But RB Devin Demas (6.9 YPC) is elusive and sophomore QB Ryan Finley (6.0 YPA, 2 TD, 1 INT) can operate the spread effectively with WR Thomas Sperbeck (877 rec yds) and TE Jake Roh (408 rec yds). The defense should be excellent with stars OLB Kamalei Correa (12 sacks) and S Darian Thompson (7 INT).

COLORADO STATE RAMS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 10-3
ATS Record: 8-5
Over/Under: 6-7
Points Scored: 33.9 PPG (32nd in FBS)
Points Allowed: 25.1 PPG (45th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 6
Defense: Starters Returning: 7
New head coach Mike Bobo will likely pick sophomore QB Nick Stevens to replace departed star Garrett Grayson in his up-tempo offense. Top RB Dee Hart is also gone, setting up a committee running approach. New DC Tyson Summers (UCF DC) will run a 4-3 set headlined by LBs Aaron Davis (118 tackles) and Max Morgan (105 tackles) and athletic S Trent Matthews (3 INT).

FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 6-8
ATS Record: 7-7
Over/Under: 6-7
Points Scored: 26.5 PPG (85th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 32.4 PPG (101st in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 6
Defense: Starters Returning: 6
With senior RB Marteze Waller (1,368 rush yds, 11 TD) as the bell-cow back, the biggest concern for the Bulldogs is whether QB Zack Greenlee (5.2 YPA) will improve with a green, but deep, receiving corps. The defense has holes after losing its five best defenders, but a lot of young talent exists.

HAWAII RAINBOW WARRIORS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 4-9
ATS Record: 6-6
Over/Under: 5-8
Points Scored: 20.9 PPG (111th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 26.8 PPG (65th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 6
New OC Don Bailey (Idaho St.) is bringing back the run-and-shoot to allow likely starting QB Max Wittek (USC transfer) and WRs Marcus Kemp (797 rec yds) and Quinton Pedroza (674 rec yds) to thrive. New DC Tom Mason (SMU) inherits a lean front seven, but has a top-notch secondary to work with.

NEVADA WOLF PACK

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 7-6
ATS Record: 7-6
Over/Under: 4-9
Points Scored: 29.2 PPG (62nd in FBS)
Points Allowed: 27.2 PPG (69th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 5
The race to replace Cody Fajardo is wide open between junior QB Tyler Stewart, sophomore QB Dante Mayes and freshman QB Hunter Fralick. RB Don Jackson (957 rush yds, 7 TD) will be the offensive focal point. Plenty of experience returns to the front seven, including DE Ian Seau (8.5 sacks) and LB Jordan Dobrich (85 tackles), to help out Nevada’s subpar secondary.

NEW MEXICO LOBOS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 4-8
ATS Record: 6-6
Over/Under: 6-6
Points Scored: 27.7 PPG (74th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 35.9 PPG (112th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 7
UNM’s powerful triple option (310.4 rush YPG, 4th in nation) will thrive again with RBs Jhurell Pressley (1,083 rush yds, 9.5 YPC, 12 TD) and Teriyon Gipson (809 rush yds, 8 TD). QB Lamar Jordan (8.0 YPA; 612 rush yds) can also run. The woeful defense (519 YPG, 2nd-most in FBS) hopes a new 3-3-5 set will greatly help. MLB Dakota Cox (116 tackles) is the lone standout.

SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 7-6
ATS Record: 6-6
Over/Under: 1-12
Points Scored: 25.0 PPG (91st in FBS)
Points Allowed: 19.8 PPG (13th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 7
Defense: Starters Returning: 7
New OC Jeff Horton (RB coach) will run a pro-style offense around stud RB Donnel Pumphrey (1,867 rush yds, 20 TD). Kentucky transfer QB Maxwell Smith or Oregon transfer QB Jake Rodrigues will get to throw to WR Eric Judge (19.6 rec. avg.). Do-it-all OLB Calvin Munson (78 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 INT) and S Damontae Kazee (13 PBU) lead an above-average Aztecs defense.

SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 3-9
ATS Record: 3-9
Over/Under: 5-6
Points Scored: 19.3 PPG (116th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 29.4 PPG (85th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 9
Defense: Starters Returning: 6
New OC Al Borges (Michigan) prefers a West Coast offense, but senior QB Joe Gray (7.0 YPA, 11 TD, 9 INT) could lose his job to JUCO QBs Kenny Potter or Malik Watson. RB Tyler Ervin (888 rush yds) and WR Tyler Winston (694 rec yds) are top-notch skill players. The secondary will shine again (FBS-best 111.8 pass YPG allowed), but the front seven remains a work in progress.

UNLV REBELS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 2-11
ATS Record: 5-8
Over/Under: 7-5
Points Scored: 21.9 PPG (107th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 38.5 PPG (116th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 6
Defense: Starters Returning: 5
New head coach Tony Sanchez makes the jump from high school and inherits an offense with only one star (WR Devonte Boyd 980 rec yds), an erratic QB Blake Decker (15 TD, 18 INT) and RB committee. New DC Kent Baer (Colorado) has little to be excited about besides S Peni Vea (88 tackles).

UTAH STATE AGGIES

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 10-4
ATS Record: 7-7
Over/Under: 6-6
Points Scored: 26.9 PPG (81st in FBS)
Points Allowed: 19.7 PPG (12th in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 9
Defense: Starters Returning: 6
New OC Josh Heupel (Oklahoma) inherits great skill players in oft-injured QB Chuckie Keeton (58 TD, 17 INT career), WR Hunter Sharp (939 rec yds) and RB LaJuan Hunt (540 rush yds). New DC Kevin Clune (Hawaii) has a strong front seven, but S Devin Centers (11 PBU) is the only returning DB starter.

WYOMING COWBOYS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 4-8
ATS Record: 4-8
Over/Under: 6-5
Points Scored: 21.1 PPG (110th in FBS)
Points Allowed: 32.8 PPG (102nd in FBS)
Odds to Win 2015 BCS National Championship: 75/1 (Field)

2015 Preview:
Offense: Starters Returning: 6
Defense: Starters Returning: 5
The offense should improve with Indiana transfer QB Cameron Coffman (6.6 YPA, 15 TD, 12 INT career) throwing to a solid group of receivers and handing off to RB Brian Hill (796 rush yds, 7 TD) and Shaun Wick (753 rush yds, 6 TD). The defense could struggle again with no returning LBs, a suspect secondary and only one decent pass rusher in DE Eddie Yarbrough (4 sacks).


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