2011 Mountain West Preview: Burning Questions, Bold Predictions

by Jeremy Mauss on Aug 5, 2011 9:00 AM PDT in Mountain West Football

August begins out month long preview of the Mountain West. We will have breakdowns of the offense, defenses as well as projections. This intro post will go over some questions that each team may have as well as some bold predictions.

First below is a combined chart that combines all the major magazines that ranked the conference:

Not a real surprise there, but just wanted to show a larger sample size of where the teams have been predicted.

Now on to the bold projections and burning questions.

Air Force

Bold Prediction: Air Force goes 12-0, wins the Mountain West and goes to a BCS bowl game. They get TCU early in the season at home, Notre Dame is beatable against the option and Boise State has not faced the triple option offense.

Burning Question: Can Air Force get to the 10-win mark for the first time since 1998?

Boise State

Bold Prediction: Boise State will beat Georgia but will not win the Mountain West and lose conference games against TCU and Air Force.
Burning Question: Is wide receiver Geraldo Hiwat the real deal, and able to step into the shoes as the top wide receiver.

Colorado State

Bold Prediction: The Rams will start the season 5-0 and end the season with eight games.
Burning Question: Will head coach Steve Fairchild open up the passing game to see what he really has in quarterback Pete Thomas?

New Mexico

Bold Prediction: Head coach Mike Locksley will make it through the season as head coach.
Burning Question: Can New Mexico settle on one quarterback to find some consistency on offense?

San Diego State

Bold Prediction:Quarterback Ryan Lindley will be a Heisman trophy finalist.
Burning Question: What wide receivers will step up to replace DeMarco Sampson and Vincent Brown.

TCU

Bold Prediction: The Horned Frogs will lead the nation in total defense for the fourth straight season.
Burning Question: What does TCU have in quarterback Casey Pachell?

UNLV

Bold Prediction: Wide receiver Phillip Payne will rebound from a poor 2010 and lead the Mountain West in receptions.
Burning Question: What can head coach Bobby Hauck do with his own quarterback Caleb Herring do running the pro-style offense?

Wyoming

Bold Prediction: Wyoming goes 6-6, but misses out on a bowl game because they play two FCS teams.
Burning Question: What freshman quarterback will Wyoming start? Sub question, how soon will that freshman get pulled?

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Comments

That plaque just raised the question in my mind: Is this year’s MWC championship going to be in the shape of the ugly new logo? Ugh. Enjoy winning those (starting in 2012) Boise.

by HawkeyedFrog on Aug 5, 2011 9:31 AM PDT reply actions

I would assume so

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by Jeremy Mauss on Aug 5, 2011 11:08 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions

If Ryan Lindley is a Heisman finalist

then the Aztecs are finishing higher then fourth.

by Smoove V on Aug 5, 2011 11:45 AM PDT reply actions

True

I think they could finish anywhere from 1st to 4th, but to be a Heisman finalist they would have to win at least 10 games and finish at least second.

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by Jeremy Mauss on Aug 5, 2011 1:03 PM PDT up reply actions

Maybe first if Andy Ludwig

can recreate the magic from the 2008 Utah Ute season.

by Smoove V on Aug 5, 2011 3:44 PM PDT up reply actions

oh geez

Utah fans hated Ludwig.

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by Jeremy Mauss on Aug 5, 2011 9:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Hope you bold prediction on CSU works out

Even if they only end up with 8 wins at the end. This 3-9 shtick is getting tiring.

Fairchild will open it up I think, he hasn’t had a QB he can trust as he gets a new one every year. With his talk about how Thomas is light years ahead of last playbook and game ready wise I think we will finally see the full CSU playbook. That would be the one Fairchild used in his first year to a 7-6 record. He couldn’t trust Grant Stucker and its hard to trust a true freshman against defenses like AF, TCU, Utah, etc. Against Idaho and some other weak D’s he let Thomas go.

They must have cut my part out of the commercial! Damn it!

Bring back Fum's Song!

by bhsmarine on Aug 5, 2011 12:56 PM PDT reply actions

Grant Stucker sucked. I remember the “Ram Talk” section of the Collegian running him down every week. I got a kick out of it. He was pretty good against CU, though, which I am grateful for.

And, hey, at least he wasn’t Jon Eastman.

Low-cut blouses are looked down upon in this establishment.

by wtnelson on Aug 5, 2011 1:57 PM PDT up reply actions

True

I thought those #18 jerseys would be flying off the shelves, thankfully I waited a couple weeks to see Suckers true talent come out.

At least Eastman was a back up and had low expectations, fans were still calling for Eastman over Sucker at the end of the year.

I still think Billy Farris was kind of awesome, had a great deep ball and Fairchild could trust him. Thanks to Gartrell Johnson, but still trusted him.

Bring back Fum's Song!

by bhsmarine on Aug 5, 2011 10:29 PM PDT up reply actions