COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Reider: My Mountain West preseason poll, with one thing I like, one thing I don't like about each team
League scrapped preseason poll due to conference realignment earlier this month
Published
Modified
For 15 years, it was perhaps the one true constant in the Mountain West.
No matter how many members the league added (or lost); how many programs fielded strong teams (or weak ones); and how many seasons less-than-scientific preseason predictions actually held true (they usually didn鈥檛), you could set your watch to it each summer: Boise State was picked as the Mountain West champion in the league鈥檚 preseason predicted order of finish for , a boon to voters trying to chart an unpredictable league as much as it was a testament to the Broncos鈥� status as the perennial team to beat.
No more.
The Broncos are gone 鈥� along with San Diego State, Colorado State, Fresno State and Utah State, now card-carrying members of the Pac-12. And in light of those departures (and the additions of North Dakota State, UTEP and Northern Illinois) the Mountain West opted to not hold a preseason poll, citing conference realignment as one of the primary factors in not doing so.
But if there was ever a year for a preseason poll 鈥� however pointless they may be 鈥� it was probably this one. After all, who is the new league power in Boise State鈥檚 place? What teams stand to jump up with others leaving? What teams don鈥檛?
With Mountain West Media Days underway in Las Vegas, I鈥檇 like to take a stab at it 鈥� if nothing else, for old time鈥檚 sake.
How I would鈥檝e voted in the Mountain West鈥檚 predicted order of finish, with one thing I like (and one thing I don鈥檛 like) about each team:
10. Northern Illinois
One thing I like: Running back Telly Johnson Jr. (712 yards, four touchdowns last season) should put up plenty of yards and keep this offense respectable.
One thing I don鈥檛 like: Last season, the Huskies averaged a paltry 98.8 passing yards per game, the 134th-worst mark in the country. And if it鈥檚 hard to see that average getting even worse, it鈥檚 difficult to see it getting that much better after Northern Illinois identifies a starting quarterback during camp.
9. UTEP
One thing I like: The early reports on Incarnate Word transfer quarterback E.J. Colson have been promising. Is he the signal caller third-year head coach Scotty Walden has been looking for?
One thing I don鈥檛 like: The Miners are starting anew with their third offensive coordinator in as many years. And the first half of the schedule is pretty unforgiving, too.
8. San Jose State
One thing I like: Even with plenty of personnel changes, offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann has consistently found ways to score with his 鈥淪pread and Shred鈥� scheme.
One thing I don鈥檛 like: This defense lacks proven contributors at the FBS level 鈥� can they reliably stop other teams from scoring?
7. Wyoming
One thing I like: If the Cowboys鈥� defense is light on returning starters, there are still plenty of contributors back from one of the league's better units last season 鈥� can they be even better this season?
One thing I don鈥檛 like: This offense desperately needs some receivers to step up and complement a ground game keyed by running back Samuel Harris.
6. Nevada
One thing I like: The Wolf Pack have a legitimate Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year candidate in defensive end Dylan LaBarbera. And at Montana State, year three was when things started going in the right direction for head coach Jeff Choate.
One thing I don鈥檛 like: This offense should be better than it was last year, especially with quarterback Carter Jones getting a full offseason under his belt. But how much it improves is in the hands of a completely revamped offensive staff 鈥� a necessary change, but one that might take some time to click.
5. North Dakota State
One thing I like: Spearheaded by defensive lineman Keenan Wilson, last year鈥檚 best scoring defense at the FCS level (13 points allowed per game) should remain a force in the Mountain West.
One thing I don鈥檛 like: The Bison play at New Mexico, UNLV and Hawaii over the span of five weeks. NDSU has enough to be competitive in its first year of Mountain West membership, and while it would be a major surprise if they went 0-3 against the league frontrunner, those three games might hold them out of the race for a conference title.
4. Air Force
One thing I like: The return of quarterback Liam Szarka, who was fabulous last season and could be even better this year. The defense also has a lot of returning starters, which is always a good sign for the Falcons.
One thing I don鈥檛 like: Air Force enters this season needing to replace its top four defensive linemen from last season. Decidedly not a good sign for the Falcons, who can鈥檛 take advantage of college football鈥檚 transfer portal like other teams on this list.
3. Hawaii
One thing I like: Another year of quarterback Micah Alejado throwing passes to wide receiver Pofele Ashlock, perhaps the top returning (or at least most accomplished) returning pass catcher in the league.
One thing I don鈥檛 like: Credit to Alejado for playing through multiple injuries last season. But Hawaii needs to protect him better if it wants to make a serious run at a league title, and it remains to be seen whether a remade offensive line can do that.
2. UNLV
One thing I like: The return of running back Jai鈥橠en Thomas, the league鈥檚 best until proven otherwise.
One thing I don鈥檛 like: I think Auburn transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold can be plenty successful in this offense. But who will make a difference catching passes from him? And after struggling for much of last season, how big of a step forward can this defense take?
1. New Mexico
One thing I like: Whether it鈥檚 Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year in Jaxton Eck or four starters back on the offensive line, the Lobos have gobs and gobs of valuable returning production. There鈥檚 a lot of intriguing transfers, yes, but UNM鈥檚 continuity is what should propel it to a near-mythical (and long-awaited) league title.
One thing I don鈥檛 like: The candidates to do so are there, but the Lobos really need a few players to step up in order to effectively replace defensive ends Keyshawn James-Newby and Brett Karhu, a duo that powered UNM to a league-leading 36 sacks.
Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at .
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