Boise State

College Basketball Top 50: Boise St, Maryland, Wyoming Debut

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 16:48:53 -0800

Collegehoops.net's Top 50 Power Ranking is your weekly dive into the national college basketball scene. The CHN Top 50 is brought to you before all the other polls late Sunday night. Arrows represent notable moves. (Also: Check out the weekly Non-BCS Top 25 Ranking.)

Top 50 Ranking: December 2nd

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last
1	Indiana	8-0	1
2	Michigan	7-0	2
3	Duke	8-0	3
4	Florida	6-0	7
5	Syracuse	5-0	4
6	Louisville	6-1	6
7	Ohio State	5-1*	5
8	Gonzaga	8-0	10
9	Arizona	5-0	11
10	Kansas	6-1	14
11	Missouri	6-1	15
12	Cincinnati	7-0	18
13	Creighton	7-1*	9
14	New Mexico	8-0	19
15	Illinois	8-0	21
16	Minnesota	8-1	23
17	Michigan State	6-2*	12
18	San Diego St	5-1	20
19	North Carolina	6-2*	13
20	Colorado	6-1*	16
21	UNLV	5-1	24
22	Oklahoma St	5-1*	17
23	Wichita St	8-0	28
24	Notre Dame	7-1	30
25	UCONN	6-1	25
26	Pittsburgh	7-1	27
27	Baylor	5-2	34
28	Kentucky	4-3**	8
29	NC State	4-2*	22
30	Georgetown	5-1	31
31	Murray St	6-1	32
32	Kansas St	6-1	33
33	Alabama	6-1*	35
34	Oregon	7-1	39
35	Colorado St	6-0	41
36	Memphis	4-2	40
37	Temple	5-0	44
38	Ohio	6-1*	26
39	Wyoming	8-0	NA
40	Xavier	6-1	47
41	Bucknell	7-1	NA(+5)
42	Wisconsin	5-3*	36
43	St. Joseph's	4-2*	42
44	VCU	5-3	NA(+5)
45	California	6-1*	29
46	Virginia Tech	7-0	NA
47	Maryland	6-1	NA
48	Boise St	6-1	NA
49	Marquette	5-2*	37
50	Belmont	5-2*	50

* = losses this week

last = last week's ranking

Next Five: Butler (5-2), Miami (5-1), Ole Miss (6-0), Arizona St (6-1), Saint Mary's (5-2)

Top 50 Drop Outs

		Week
Santa Clara	5-2**	3
Tennessee	4-2*	3
Northwestern	6-2**	3
UCLA	5-3*	3
Florida State	4-3**	3
Saint Louis	4-3*	3
St. Mary's	5-2	2
Texas	5-2	2
Northern Iowa	4-3	2
Iowa St	5-2	2
South Alabama	4-3	2

week = week dropped out of Top 50

During the season, don't forget to check out the CHN Top 50 Power Ranking every Sunday night!

For more depth, check out the weekly the Non-BCS Top 25 ranking.

You can also revisit the Top 50 archive and view this week's AP Top 25.

Wednesday Recap: Lineup Changes Spark Nothing As UConn Falls

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:56:20 -0800

Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun knew heading into Wednesday's game that his struggling team, losers of three straight, needed some kind of spark to get things going. That meant shuffling the lineup, with Shabazz Napier and Alex Oriakhi being replaced as starters by Ryan Boatright and Roscoe Smith, and for a short time on Wednesday night the move paid off. UConn got out to a 13-7 lead at the first media timeout and generally played better basketball on the offensive end, which was likely the desired effect of the move.

But Georgetown went to their 2-3 zone defense, and against zones UConn has shown neither the confidence nor the basketball IQ needed to solve such a riddle. It didn't help matters that Boatright, who did a good job of facilitating the offense, picked up his second foul with just over ten minutes left in the half and the Huskies leading 15-14. It was essentially all downhill from there as the Hoyas woud outscore the Huskies 17-6 the remainder of the half, going on to beat UConn 58-44 and lead many to ask whether or not the defending national champs had what it took to turn things around.

"We come back from six [down] and somebody went for a steal, next thing you know we took a bad shot and now were down ten," remarked Calhoun of his team's struggles. "And you can't keep running up the hill for only so long and so that's where we picked up our fourth straight loss and should have lost all four games."

So how did the four players involved in the lineup changes respond? Not well, with Boatright having his performance short-circuited by foul trouble (zero points, four assists) being the biggest blow given how the flow of the contest changed when he had to sit. Napier, who earlier in the season lamented the lack of a response to his attempts to be a leader, shot 0-for-9 from the field and scored just one point while Oriakhi went scoreless. And Smith opened the scoring 33 seconds into the game...only to not score again.

Last year's team struggled in conference play, but the difference is that (in addition to having Kemba Walker) they were a lot tougher mentally than this group. Who steps up to change the path that this season is currently travelling? Jeremy Lamb's not the vocal type and while he scored 14 points it took 18 shots to do so (making four), and while Andre Drummond (18 points, seven rebounds) was UConn's best player on the floor it's tough to ask a freshman to become the team leader.

The truth of the matter is that Napier and Oriakhi should be the leaders for this team, and yet neither has shown the ability to do so. The teams that leave a mark in March will fight for everything in the face of adversity, pulling together to accomplish the common goal. That hasn't been a trait of this current edition of Huskies, as they either fail to respond or the "fight back" dissolves into guys trying to close the gap all by themselves.

Georgetown, a team picked to finish tenth in the Big East in the preseason, should be the story here given the play of Hollis Thompson (18 points, nine rebounds) and Jason Clark (11 points, five rebounds), and they're likely to improve even more as the season approaches it's defining month. Can the same be said for UConn? That's a tough question to answer at this point, but with a game against a Seton Hall team that's also struggling a lot will be learned about the toughness of both teams on Saturday.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Michigan jumps out to a big lead and holds off Indiana's second half rally to remain undefeated at home.
There's no doubt that Tom Crean's Hoosiers can win big games at home, with the energy provided by the Assembly Hall crowd providing a needed boost to a program that's definitely improved. But what about on the road, where teams have to manufacture their own energy in the face of a hostile crowd? That question remains unanswered thanks to Indiana's slow start in Ann Arbor, as they trailed Michigan by as many as 20 points in the first half on the way to a 68-56 defeat. Indiana was able to get as close as two points (52-50) with less than four minutes remaining but they couldn't overtake the Wolverines, who were led offensively by Trey Burke (18 points, four assists), Zack Novak (13 points) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (13 points).

Indiana shot a respectable 42.9% from the field in the first half but they turned the ball over eight times to just one for Michigan, and the Wolverines converted those miscues into eleven points (led 33-22 at the half). Michigan's now 13-0 at home this season while Indiana remains with just one conference road victory (Penn State) this season. While the Hoosiers are in a dogfight to remain in the top half of the league standings Michigan's bounce back from the loss at Ohio State shows that they remain a serious contender for the Big Ten crown.

2. UT-Arlington opens their new arena with a win over UTSA, increasing their lead in the Southland.
Wednesday night was a special night in the history of UT-Arlington, with the Mavericks playing in the new College Park Center for the first time. And they picked a good matchup for the debut, as defending Southland tournament champ UTSA was in town looking to move into a tie for first place with the Mavericks. But despite turning the ball over 23 times on the night UT-Arlington found a way to win, beating the Roadrunners 67-66 to expand their lead to two games. A pair of Kevin Butler free throws with 13.7 seconds remaining proved to be the points the Mavs needed to remain on track for the regular season crown in their final campaign before they head to the WAC in July.

LaMarcus Reed III scored 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the way while Butler added 21 and eight, and these two are a big reason why the Mavs were able to make up for their turnovers by out-rebounding the Roadrunners 46-33 and score 16 second-chance points to just seven for UTSA. Kannon Burrage led the Roadrunners with 21 points off the bench and Melvin Johnson III added 14, but with Michael Hale III and Stephen Franklin combining to shoot 2-for-18 UTSA wasn't able to take full advantage of their turnover margin edge. With these two meeting in the regular season finale UTSA essentially has to win out while hoping for some help, and with UT-Arlington having won 12 straight that strategy may not bear fruit.

3. Pierre Jackson and Quincy Acy make big plays late to lead Baylor past Texas A&M.
Scott Drew's Bears seemed to try their best to give Texas A&M the game in the second half as they shot 31% from the field while the Aggies made half their field goals. But thanks to big plays down the stretch from Pierre Jackson (14 points, five assists) and Quincy Acy (11 points, four rebounds) Baylor escaped College Station with a 63-60 win in what could be the last regular season meeting in the "Battle of the Brazos" for a long time. A Jackson three with 17 seconds remaining proved to be the push Baylor needed to get to the finish line, and his two free throws with just over a second remaining sealed it.

Those two free throws came as a result of a hustle play by Acy, whose quick move to tip Jackson's missed free throw out (which Jackson was able to chase down), gave the junior college transfer a second chance at increasing the Bears' lead and he cashed in. After a Ray Turner basket gave A&M a 49-44 lead it was Acy who scored six of Baylor's nine points in a 9-0 run that put them up 53-49 with 6:13 to go. While the lottery picks (Perry Jones III and Quincy Miller) will enjoy the majority of the attention the contributions of a player like Acy cannot be ignored. In fact, that may be what allows Baylor to go deep into the NCAA tournament.

Quick Hitters

1. While the Atlantic 10 has enough quality teams to warrant four bids to the NCAA tournament, the chances of that happening become slimmer when teams at the top of the conference don't take care of business as they should. Wednesday's results of note were UMass losing 81-78 in overtime at Rhode Island and Dayton losing 83-73 at home to Duquesne. Xavier nearly joined those two teams but Tu Holloway's layup with 30 seconds remaining capped a good night for him (21 points, seven assists, six rebounds) and pushed the Musketeers past George Washington 59-58.

2. In a battle for sole possession of first place in Conference USA, Southern Miss finally got over the hump as they beat Memphis 75-72 to snap an 18-game losing streak in the series. Darnell Dodson and Neil Watson combined to score 40 points off the bench for the Golden Eagles, who are now 7-1 in conference play.

3. Center Garrett Stutz has been outstanding in road games for Wichita State this season and that trend continued in the Shockers' 74-67 win at Missouri State as he scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds on the night. Ben Smith added 21 for Wichita State, who remains a game behind first-place Creighton (102-74 win over Illinois State) as a result of the victory.

4. With seven freshmen and three sophomores on the roster many expected the first year of Mountain West play to be a tough one for Boise State and it has been. But they've also shown signs of growth, and if not for a missed Thomas Bropleh three as time expired the Broncos would have left San Diego State with a win. Leon Rice's team has the ability to scare some teams in the MWC, and with the likes of Bropleh and Anthony Drmic the future looks to be bright for Boise State.

5. There's now a three-way tie for first place in the CAA as Delaware beat George Mason 65-60 in Newark. Kyle Anderson shot 8-for-11 from the field and scored 21 points to lead the way for the Blue Hens, and as a team Delaware shot 7-for-14 from deep (Mason finished 3-for-16). Drexel and VCU both picked up victories on Wednesday, and with the league's profile being poorer than in seasons past the fight for the CAA crown should be even fiercer than it's been of late.

6. Huge news in the recruiting world was broken by ESPN's Dave Telep, who reported that Tilton School big man Nerlens Noel move back to the 2012 class. Noel, who counts Kentucky and Syracuse among his most vigorous suitors, returns to his original class and is now right there with Shabazz Muhammad for the honor of being the best player in the class.

7. Vermont held off a Boston University rally to beat the Terriers 68-67 in Boston to take over sole possession of second place in America East. Luke Apfeld scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Catamounts, who swept the season series as a result of the win.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Julian Mavunga (Miami (OH))
19 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists in the RedHawks' 62-57 overtime win over Eastern Michigan.

2. F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
20 points, 17 rebounds and four assists in the Jayhawks' 84-62 win over Oklahoma.

3. F Orion Outerbridge (Rhode Island)
29 points and 11 rebounds in the Rams' 81-78 overtime win over Massachusetts.

Poll: Who Will Win the WAC Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:58:28 -0800

College Basketball Lines & Predictions: Monday

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:30:13 -0800

Betting odds are a great guide to college basketball entertainment. I'll discuss my daily predictions after the lines.. these are posted solely for fun, as I do not bet on games myself, nor do I suggest anybody else does either (it's not easy). If you agree or disagree with my picks, have thoughts on the day's lines, or have upsets or picks to announce, post them below.

January 11th: College Basketball Lines & Predictions

- listed are the day's 6 most popular/intriguing games. I only predict games from this pool due to fan interest.

7:00

Canisius
at Siena

Favorite

Siena by 16

Over/Under

141.5

7:00

Niagara
vs St. Peter's

Favorite

Niagara by 4.5

Over/Under

127

7:00

Villanova
vs Louisville

Favorite

Louisville by 2.5

Over/Under

154

9:00

Oklahoma St.
at Oklahoma

Favorite

Oklahoma St by 1

Over/Under

146

9:05

Louisiana Tech
at Boise St.

Favorite

Louisiana Tech by 3

Over/Under

148.5

10:05

New Mexico St.
at Idaho

Favorite

Idaho by 7

Over/Under

150

- Lines as of 1:30 pm (from SportsBetting) - Check out the day's other odds as the day progresses, including odds from other betting sites. Predictions below:

WAC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:52:52 -0800

Nevada has perhaps the league's best player in Luke Babbitt, but a lack of depth should help keep the likes of Utah State and NMSU in the midst of the league race. .

Conference Rank: 11th

10 year average: 11th

Conference Page

All-WAC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Jahmar Young	Nevada	So
G	Mac Hopson	Idaho	Sr
G	Roderick Flemings	Hawaii	Sr
G/F	Jared Quayle	Utah State	Sr
F	Luke Babbitt	Nevada	Fr

Player of the Year - Luke Babbitt Freshman of the Year - Greg Smith (Fresno)
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Luke Babbitt High-Major All-Americans Luke Babbitt (1st Team) Mac Hopson (3rd) Roderick Flemings Armon Johnson Jared Quayle Jahmar Young All-Freshman Greg Smith		Points: Jahmar Young 17.9 Rebounds: Wendell McKines 10.0 Assists: Mac Hopson 5.9 Team Points: New Mexico State 76.3

WAC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

46	Nevada	WAC	1	NCAA
51	Utah State	WAC	2	NIT
75	New Mexico St	WAC	3	NIT
105	Boise State	WAC	4	CBI/CIT
146	Idaho	WAC	5
169	Fresno State	WAC	6
185	Louisiana Tech	WAC	7
197	San Jose State	WAC	8
255	Hawaii	WAC	9

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the WAC?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Who Will Win the WAC?

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:06:41 -0700

Tuesday/Wednesday Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:07:01 -0700

More mid-week football from the Sun Belt with Arkansas State (1-3, 0-1 Sun Belt) hitting the road (8 PM on ESPN2) to visit UL Monroe (3-2, 2-0), who sits tied atop the conference standings with a 2-0 record (Troy) in league play. The Warhawks lead the conference in rushing, total and scoring offense with QB Trey Revell and RB Frank Goodin leading the way. But the Red Wolves are no slouch, having lost their last two games by a combined six points. Troy and Iowa are talented but rather straightforward in what they're going to do. The same can't be said for the Warhawks, who will employ a variety of looks on offense and defense.

"They're very multiple defensively," said Arkansas State head coach Steve Roberts in Monday's Sun Belt Coaches Teleconference. "They come from everywhere, show you a lot of different fronts and a lot of movement." UL Monroe ranks third in the Sun Belt in total defense and second in rushing defense with LB Cordia Watson and DE Aaron Morgan leading the way. Watson leads the team in tackles while Morgan leads the conference and ranks fifth nationally in sacks per game (1.20; 6 sacks on the year).

Arkansas State has the conference's third-best rushing attack and Reggie Arnold is the main cog in the Arkansas State rushing attack. Arnold averages just over seventy yards per game but he isn't the only option as seen in the team average of almost 163 yards per game. QB Corey Leonard can be a threat by land and by air but he hasn't been as productive on the ground as he was a season ago. Look for him to try to make more plays with his feet against the Warharks should the opportunity present itself.

As for a winner it may be worth noting that the Warhawks have scored just ten more points than their opponents this season, and Arkansas State's two road losses came at the hands of Nebraska and Iowa. Look for the Red Wolves to pick up their first win in conference play on the road.

Wednesday: #5 Boise State (5-0, 1-0 WAC) @ Tulsa (4-1, 2-0 C-USA) (8 PM on ESPN)

While this game is going to get a lot of attention due to the the explosive nature of both offenses as much has been accomplised by the Boise State defense through five games. The Broncos rank in the Top 25 nationally in every major defensive category and when you combine that with the fact that the offense ranks 5th in scoring offense the end result is a team that will be heard from when it comes time to decide who gets a BCS at-large berth.

Sophomore QB Kellen Moore has done a good job of distributing the football while continuing to limit mistakes, leading the WAC in pass efficiency while ranking fifth in the conference in total offense. "Their quarterback makes everything work," said Tulsa head coach Todd Graham on Monday. "He operates very well in the pocket and manages the offense very well."

There isn't just one guy who gets the job done offensively for Chris Peterson's team; many players understand their roles and carry out their responsibilities, making this an extremely difficult team to contain. The Golden Hurricane have some good numbers defensively as well, leading Conference USA in both total and scoring defense.

But those stats may need to be taken with a grain of salt; the three FBS teams they've beaten (Tulane, New Mexico and Rice) have the following national rankings in total offense: 94th, 108th and 109th. Their other win this season came against FCS member Sam Houston State, and their lone test (Oklahoma) didn't go too well last month. That will likely put some more pressure on QB G.J. Kinne and the Tulsa offense, which ranks third in Conference USA in total offense and second in scoring offense.

Kinne has played well outside of the loss at Oklahoma, leading Conference USA in pass efficiency while also leading the team in rushing. Coach Graham will mix things up in the spread, making sure that playmakers such as Damaris Johnson and Jamad Williams get the ball in a variety of ways. A good individual matchup to watch may be Johnson going up against All-America candidate CB Kyle Wilson, who will have a clean bill of health after being a bit banged up earlier this season.

The pick here is that while the Golden Hurricane will come out ready to go the Broncos will be too much for them to contain for sixty minutes. Look for Boise State to remain undefeated.

Thursday/Friday Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:58:04 -0700

The ACC gets the Thursday night stage all to itself again, this time for #14 AP/13 Coaches Georgia Tech (2-0, 1-0 ACC) visiting #20/22 Miami (1-0, 1-0 ACC) in a rematch (7:30 PM on ESPN) of a game that got ugly for the Hurricanes. Paul Johnson's Yellow Jackets rushed for 472 yards in the 41-23 win, and the effort was the best rushing effort against Miami since 1944 (Auburn, 536 yards). Led by Jonathan Dwyer's 128 yards four Jackets rushed for at least seventy-eight yards on a night in which the Hurricanes failed to play assignment football, routinely getting caught out of position. Lucas Cox was the runner who finished with seventy-eight yards, but the Yellow Jackets have a bigger threat taking the carries that don't go to Dwyer, QB Josh Nesbitt or RB Roddy Jones.

Louisville transfer Anthony Allen racked up 127 yards on just five carries in Georgia Tech's win over Clemson last Thursday, breaking one for an eight-two yard touchdown. Randy Shannon and company know what they'll be in for; the key is to execute your assignment and not get caught out of position. Team speed on defense can be suicidal if the players aren't getting to where they need to be. Miami's main defensive issue in the opener was their secondary but Florida State's run game is nothing like the Jackets', whether you look at the scheme or how effective it is.

Did Jacory Harris come of age in the Labor Day thriller? That's the question that will be answered in front of a national television audience. The true difference makers get the job done week in and week out; Harris has had more than a week to go over both the tape from the Florida State game and what he'll see from a fast Georgia Tech defense that can take advantage of mistakes in the passing game (two interceptions against Clemson). If backs Graig Cooper and Javarris James can loosen up the Yellow Jacket defense on the ground look for things to open up for Harris.

This can go one of two ways: Georgia Tech gashes the Hurricanes on the ground all night, or Miami takes care of their assignments. If that happens, expect another wild night in the ACC. The pick here is Georgia Tech, but this will be a close game with a thrilling finish.

Friday: #10/10 Boise State @ Fresno State (9 PM on ESPN)

This has been cited as the biggest in-conference roadblock to the Broncos getting back to the BCS (they do visit Tulsa in October), and that could be accurate given how Louisiana Tech and Nevada have played so far. Pat Hill's Bulldogs gave Wisconsin all they wanted in Madison last week, falling in overtime to the Badgers. Last season's meeting got out of hand in Boise, with the Broncos racking up 494 yards and sixty-one points in the 61-10 beating. A big part of the loss for Fresno State: their inability to run the football. Ryan Matthews was out and the Bulldogs ran for just eighty-three yards on 35 carries.

It also didn't help that Boise State averaged more than eight yards per play; if Fresno State is to entertain any thoughts of pulling the upset they've got to win first down defensively. Kellen Moore and company have many options to turn to offensively but they've haven't hit that extra gear in either of their two wins. Eight of the eleven meetings have taken place since the Broncos joined the WAC in 2001, and they've won seven of those eight meetings. The lone defeat: at Fresno State in 2005. Fresno State is also going up against Boise State's history in WAC openers; they're 8-0 all-time.

Boise State will have to work, you wouldn't expect anything less than a streetfight from a Pat Hill-coached team especially when considering what happened last season. But Chris Petersen's team will do enough to pick up the win and continue on their quest towards another WAC title, with fans dreaming of another BCS berth at season's end.

The Ultimate Schedule: WAC

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:19:49 -0700

WAC Scheduling “Rules”:

- Five non-conference games (as a result of playing at Hawaii, you get to make up travel costs with an extra home game)

- Eight conference games

Week 1: Oregon @ Boise State (September 3^rd)

Things got a little heated in last season’s meeting, which was won by the Broncos. Boise State picked up two personal fouls for late hits, one of which resulted in an ejection (Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli was knocked out of the game on one of those hits). Of course the rematch coincides with the new mandate that teams must shake hands prior to the game. Let’s just say that Masoli and friends were none too thrilled with that prospect, and RB LaGarrette Blount told Sports Illustrated’s Austin Murphy in the offseason that “we owe them an ass whuppin’.” The national media may place more focus on Alabama/ Virginia Tech, but this may be the game of the weekend.

Other Games Considered: Nevada @ Notre Dame (9/5), Louisiana Tech @ Auburn (9/5), Idaho @ New Mexico State (9/5)

Week 2: Louisiana Tech @ Navy (September 12^th)

Before playing Army last season the Bulldogs had never faced a service academy team in football. It probably wouldn’t be a good idea to mention that Louisiana Tech managed just 152 yards of offense in the 14-7 loss, and Navy’s a much better team than the Black Knights. But Derek Dooley’s team should perform better on offense this season with Ross Jenkins firmly entrenched as the starter.

The Bulldogs ranked second in the WAC and thirteenth nationally in rush defense, allowing opponents to rush for just under 104 yards per game. A performance like that against the team that’s led the nation in rushing each of the last four seasons would be improbable, but the Bulldogs just need to do enough to ensure a win.

Other Games Considered: Fresno State @ Wisconsin (9/12), Utah @ San Jose State (9/12)

Week 3: Boise State @ Fresno State (September 18^th)

The Bulldogs haven’t had much success against Boise State in recent years, dropping three straight and seven of the last eight meetings. If Pat Hill’s team wants to entertain any thoughts of winning the WAC they need to defend their home turf in front of a national television audience. Things got beyond out of hand on the “Smurf Turf” last season, with Boise State romping to a brutally efficient 61-10 win. Fresno State won’t be able to match the Broncos score for score; if the defense can slow down the vaunted BSU attack they just might stick around for a bit.

Other Games Considered: Nevada @ Colorado State (9/19), San Jose State @ Stanford (9/19)

Week 4: Missouri @ Nevada (September 25^th)

For the second consecutive season the Wolf Pack will host a team from the Big 12, and the thought of beating Missouri is a bit more realistic than beating Texas Tech last season. The Tigers will be working with a new quarterback (Blaine Gabbert) among other newcomers at the skill positions, and while the defense returns First Team All-Big 12 selection Sean Witherspoon (155 tackles) Colin Kaepernick could be in position to make some things happen. Things got out of hand in Columbia last season, with the Tigers blowing out Nevada 69-17. But Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin and Chase Coffman won’t be on the field in Reno, which gives the home team a puncher’s chance.

Other Games Considered: Fresno State @ Cincinnati (9/26), New Mexico State @ New Mexico (9/26)

Week 5: New Mexico State @ San Diego State (October 3^rd)

Not exactly a marquee game, but it is a matchup between two teams working with new coaching staffs. Brady Hoke and DeWayne Walker hope to change the culture at their respective schools, and a game like this could be a springboard into bigger things. You have to learn how to win before aspiring to win championships. The solutions for both teams go beyond one side of the football; they struggled on both sides of the ball in 2008. This will either be a low-scoring game because both teams struggle offensively or a high-scoring game due to the play of both defenses.

Other Games Considered: UNLV @ Nevada (10/3), Hawaii @ Louisiana Tech (9/30)

Week 6: Louisiana Tech @ Nevada (October 9^th)

The winner becomes Boise State’s biggest challenger while the loser has to hope for some serious help if they’re to remain a part of the championship chase. Nevada’s won the last four meetings, including coming back from a 31-14 deficit to steal a 35-31 decision in Ruston last year. The Bulldogs will need a big day from QB Ross Jenkins, but they won’t need to ask him to match Colin Kaepernick play for play. Both teams have the talent necessary to pose a threat to Boise State; whether or not they get to play the Broncos with something on the line will likely be decided by this game.

Other Game Considered: Fresno State @ Hawaii (10/10)

Week 7: Boise State @ Tulsa (October 14^th)

There could be some serious fireworks in Tulsa when the Broncos step onto the field. Two of the nation’s best offenses in 2008 are poised to rack up points in 2009, even though the Golden Hurricane haven’t decided on a starting quarterback just yet. G.J. Kinne, Jacob Bower and Shavodrick Beaver are all possibilities to start, and all three will likely see snaps. The options available to Tulsa head coach Todd Graham could make preparation a bit more difficult for the Broncos. This could be a game in which the team with the ball last wins.

Other Games Considered: San Jose State @ Fresno State (10/17), Nevada @ Utah State (10/17)

Week 8: Louisiana Tech @ Utah State (October 24^th)

There are some, despite the hiring of a new head coach, who believe that the Aggies can make a move up the WAC standings. But the Bulldogs have won the last four meetings and used a pair of pick-sixes to win 45-38 in Ruston last season. In order for Gary Andersen’s team to move up in the standings the defense needs to improve. Utah State ranked eighth in the conference in both scoring and total defense. Hence the decision to hire the former Utah defensive coordinator, who helped lead the Utes to an undefeated season last year. If the Aggies take care of the football they’ll be in the game throughout.

Other Game Considered: Boise State @ Hawaii (10/24)

Week 9: Bye Week (October 31^st)

Utah State at Fresno State may be the game with the biggest impact on the conference race, and neither has been projected to be a title contender. Boise State hosts a San Jose State team that could match them defensively but still has a number of questions to answer on offense. Hawaii’s trip to Nevada has the ability to be a wild affair, but you have to wonder about the ability of the Warrior defense to stop Colin Kaepernick.

Week 10: Boise State @ Louisiana Tech (November 6^th)

Boise State has won the last seven in the series, and they haven’t been very close either. It’s another case of a team getting into a shootout with the Broncos, only to find that they don’t have the bullets necessary to survive. Provided both teams take care of business in the weeks leading up to this matchup it should be a frenzied atmosphere with a national television audience tuning in. A good individual matchup to watch will be Tech WR Phillip Livas against Boise State CB Kyle Wilson.

Other Games Considered: Nevada @ San Jose State (11/8), Utah State @ Hawaii (11/7)

Week 11: San Jose State @ Utah State (November 14^th)

One of these two teams, if not both, may be in the position of needing wins to become bowl eligible in mid-November. The Spartans have had a tough time winning in Logan, including a loss there in 2005. SJSU won in Logan in 2007, but the final margin was just three points. The Spartans won at home 30-7 last season, holding the Aggies to 190 yards of offense and ten first downs. The lone touchdown for Utah State came with less than two minutes remaining in the game when the Spartan starters were on the bench. Expect a closer meeting in the rematch.

Other Games Considered: Fresno State @ Nevada (11/14), Louisiana Tech @ LSU (11/14)

Week 12: Louisiana Tech @ Fresno State (November 21^st)

The battle of the Bulldogs and the winner will do themselves a favor in the caliber of their bowl game. Daniel Porter gashed Fresno State to the tune of 189 yards in the 38-35 Louisiana Tech win, so he’ll be a focal point for Fresno State’s defensive efforts. Fresno State rushed for just sixty-three yards in the loss while allowing Louisiana Tech to rush for 280. Phillip Livas also had an impact, returning a punt eighty-one yards for a touchdown. Louisiana Tech did practically nothing in the air but the dominant performance on the ground was all they needed. Fresno State had better take care of that if they want to entertain any thoughts of winning.

Other Games Considered: Hawaii @ San Jose State (11/21), Boise State @ Utah State (11/20)

Week 13: Nevada @ Boise State (November 27^th)

The WAC title could be on the line the night after Thanksgiving, and in the case of the Broncos they could be chasing a BCS berth as well. New Mexico State the following weekend won’t pose much of a challenge, so it may all come down to beating a Nevada team that gave them all they wanted in Reno last year. Boise State has won the last seven games in the series, with the majority of those wins being blowouts. Boise State survived last season despite turning the ball over four times, stopping the Wolf Pack late in the fourth quarter to hang onto the 41-34 win. Nevada can compete; whether or not they can compete against Boise State on the road has proven to be another matter in the past.

Other Game Considered: Navy @ Hawaii (11/28)

Week 14: San Jose State @ Louisiana Tech (December 5^th)

Louisiana Tech was dominant in last year’s 21-0 win, holding the Spartans to 148 yards of offense and a paltry six first downs. It’s hard to predict the same, but Dick Tomey’s team has never been known to light up a scoreboard. Kyle Reed was decent last year and the hope this season is that Reed can help lead an offensive resurgence. By the time December 5^th rolls around we’ll know what kind of answer the Spartans have for their offensive issues, and someone could be playing for a bowl berth as well.

Other Games Considered: Wisconsin @ Hawaii (12/5), Fresno State @ Illinois (12/5)

WAC Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:15:46 -0700

Boise State looks for a return to the BCS

The last decade has been a rather successful one for the Boise State football program, and the last two seasons have been rather special. Under Chris Petersen Boise State has won thirty-five of thirty nine games, and they’ve also finished the regular season undefeated on two separate occasions. Because Utah was ranked higher in the final BCS poll Boise State ended up taking on TCU in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl instead of going back to the BCS, but that shouldn’t take away from an outstanding campaign. And last season’s 12-1 outfit was expected to be even better in 2009, meaning that the Broncos could be poised to once again crash the BCS party.

Quarterback Kellen Moore had an outstanding rookie season, throwing for nearly 3,500 yards and twenty-five touchdowns. Only six starters return on each side of the football, but with just three seniors on the preseason two-deep the Broncos could be poised for a sustained run at the top of the WAC. Boise State finished 2008 ranked second in the WAC in total offense and first in total defense, numbers that should replicate themselves in 2009. Boise State’s credentials are known; a season-opening grudge match with Oregon will determine how realistic their BCS aspirations are.

The better question may be who finishes second behind the Broncos: Fresno State, Louisiana Tech or Nevada? Louisiana Tech improved their win total by three games under Derek Dooley, finishing in a three-way tie for second in 2008. Nine starters return on offense with First Team All-WAC performers Daniel Porter and Phillip Livas (as a punt returner) leading the way. Quarterback Ross Jenkins had a solid campaign for the Bulldogs, who were expected to rely on Georgia Tech transfer Taylor Bennett when the season began.

Jenkins didn’t put up the greatest numbers but he kept his turnovers to a minimum while making sure the ball ended up in the hands of the Bulldogs’ best playmakers. Look for more out of him in 2009. Defensively Louisiana Tech returns seven starters, including leading tackler FS Antonio Baker (115 tackles). Baker and defensive tackle D’Anthony Smith were both First Team All-WAC selections last season and will be expected to make the same impact in 2009. But while Louisiana Tech hosts Boise State they have to visit both Fresno State and Nevada.

Speaking of the Wolf Pack, Chris Ault has the pleasure of welcoming back one of the nation’s most underrated quarterbacks in junior Colin Kaepernick. As well as Kellen Moore played at Boise State last season it was Kaepernick who was named WAC Offensive Player of the Year, accounting for nearly 4,000 yards of total offense and thirty-nine combined touchdowns.

Seven starters return on both sides of the football for Nevada, and the fact that they get both Bulldogs (Fresno State and Louisiana Tech) in Reno. If the Wolf Pack can improve a defense that ranked sixth in the WAC in total defense, they may be able to go into the regular season finale at Boise State with a shot at the conference title.

There was the question of whether or not Pat Hill would stick around after last season, but he’s back and the Bulldogs are hungry to improve upon a disappointing 2008 season. Things started off pretty well for Fresno State, winning at Rutgers in the season opener. But the defense faltered, finishing seventh in the conference in total defense, and the offense turned the ball over twenty-four times (the defense forced just thirteen turnovers). But they were still able to get to a bowl game, losing to Colorado State in the New Mexico Bowl.

Fresno State returns eighteen starters with nine being on defense. Defensive end Chris Carter and linebacker Ben Jacobs led the Bulldogs in tackles last season; in fact the top four tacklers from 2008 return. Offensively Fresno State will need a big year from their running backs, and with the top five rushers from 2008 back they’ve got a chance to do just that. With a new quarterback taking over for the graduated Tom Brandstater the running game becomes that much more important. Fresno State gets Boise State and Louisiana Tech at home, a scheduling quirk that could give them an advantage over the other contenders.

The next tier could be just as hard-fought, with San Jose State, Hawaii and maybe even Utah State jockeying for position. Hawaii didn’t end 2008 on the best note, getting blown out in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl by Notre Dame. Head coach Greg McMackin didn’t help matters with some comments made in poor taste at WAC Media Day, and it remains to be seen if the controversy has any impact on the Warriors. Seven starters return on offense, led by a quarterback in Greg Alexander who progressed as the season went on. The defense may have some problems with just two starters returning. Defensive end John Fonoti and middle linebacker Brashton Satele will need to be leaders in every sense of the word if the Warriors are to exceed expectations.

San Jose State’s issues aren’t on the defensive side of the football; the Dick Tomey era has been defined by tough defensive play. But can the Spartans put up enough points to win a game or two they won’t be expected to. SJSU ranked second in the conference in scoring defense, allowing just under twenty-two points per game. Not a bad number…unless the offense is scoring just under twenty points per game (last in the WAC). Seven starters return on each side of the football, and they’ll be tested early with games against USC, Utah and Stanford to start the season.

There’s intrigue in Logan due to the arrival of Gary Andersen, who over the previous five seasons was the defensive coordinator at Utah. The Aggies return seventeen starters, including ten on offense, and the hope is that the change in messenger can bring about a change in results. There’s an awful lot of experience back, led by QB Diondre Borel, C Brennan McFadden and OLB Paul Igboeli, but how quickly can you teach a team not used to winning how to win? If the Aggies prove to be quick studies could surprise some people.

Fighting to stay out of the cellar are perennial doormat Idaho and rebuilding New Mexico State. Rob Akey dropped into a tough situation in Moscow taking over an Idaho program that had been dropped by the wayside by Dennis Erickson when the Arizona State job opened a couple of years ago. When combining the lack of trust the players may have in the coaching situation (and it’s understandable) with a lack of success rebuilding can take a bit longer than anticipated.

The Vandals return seven starters on offense and nine on defense, making up arguably the most experienced team of the Akey era. QB Nathan Enderle will need to cut down on his seventeen interceptions while staying right around the twenty touchdowns number he posted last season, and the top three rushers from last season also return. Free safety Virdell Larkins, who led the Vandals with eighty-two tackles in 2008, returns to lead a defense that was last in the conference in total defense by sixty yards.

New head coach DeWayne Walker has quite the task ahead of him in taking over for the departed Hal Mumme. The Aggies had offensive capabilities due to the system combined with QB Chase Holbrook, but when you can’t stop anyone you’re going to have a hard time winning football games. Hence the decision to hire Walker, who consistently had UCLA in the top half of the Pac-10 in most of the major defensive categories during his time in Los Angeles.

The task is to take a team that returns seven starters on each side of the ball and teach them how to win consistently (NMSU hasn’t finished above .500 since 2002). Junior Jeff Fleming will start the opener at quarterback, which also happens to be their conference opener (Idaho). New Mexico State got in trouble last season due to turnover margin and the fact that they could neither run the football nor stop the run. Look for those aspects to improve under Coach Walker.

Storyline: Can Boise State get back to the BCS? For all the talk about the Mountain West clamoring for an automatic spot, can the success of the Broncos over the last decade be ignored? And don’t expect a cakewalk through the conference either; BSU will visit Fresno State, Hawaii and Louisiana Tech this year. Not to mention non-conference games against Oregon and Tulsa.

Players of the Year: QB Colin Kaepernick (Nevada) and CB Kyle Wilson (Boise State)

How they’ll finish

1. Boise State

2. Nevada

3. Louisiana Tech

4. Fresno State

5. San Jose State

6. Hawaii

7. Utah State

8. Idaho

9. New Mexico State

Next: WAC Ultimate Schedule