A few assorted pre-season storylines to follow as we near mid-August and teams gear up for the season.
Group of 5 Rankings
Our very own Mike Wittman lent a hand to the Underdog Dynasty with ranking the best Group of Five teams entering the college football season. Three Mountain West teams cracked the top 10 with Boise State edging out defending national champion* UCF for the top spot. San Diego State came in at number five while Fresno State ranked eighth.
UNM’s starting QB spot still up for grabs
The competition for New Mexico’s starting quarterback position is a three-way battle between Coltin Gerhart, Tevaka Tuioti, and Sheriron Jones. Gerhart and Tuioti have taken the first-team snaps in fall camp. The eventual winner will have the tall task of leading the Lobos after going 3-9 last season.
Boise looks to improve fourth down efficiency
Boise State finished dead last in the FBS in fourth down conversion rate in 2017. Coach Bryan Harsin has made it a focus of fall camp to improve upon. In addition to adjusting their game planning strategy for fourth downs, they’ve resorted to extra pushups for failed conversion attempts as a motivational technique in fall camp.
UNLV’s Evan Austrie’s resilience pays off
Safety Evan Austrie missed the final five games of last season due to a ruptured kidney against Air Force. His hard work through the offseason has him primed for a comeback season in which he’ll be a starting safety for the Rebels.
California is on fire
Bulldogs practiced at 7:30 this morning to (hopefully) avoid the worst of the smoky air. https://t.co/qy0NU4DE5I
— Marek Warszawski (@MarekTheBee) August 7, 2018
On the horizon:
- Later today: Ever wonder what a student manager does behind the scenes? Wonder no more as we take a look at the job of a student manager.
- Later today: Part three of the team preview series will look at San Jose State.