Peak Perspective: What every Mountain West team wants for Christmas.

Dear Santa,

Some of us have been good this year, and a few of us have been downright awful. But most of us have been inconsistent over the course of the season. We hope you can understand that it’s hard to be good all the time.

Air Force

A Mountain West Championship

We’ve been good this year. Actually, we’ve been good for many years recently. What more do we have to do to get what we keep asking for? We have had the top rushing offense in the nation. Over the years, we have consistently had one of the best defenses around the country. Some years, we had both at the same time. However, we have yet to win a Mountain West championship in the Troy Calhoun era. Can we have a conference title next year, please?

Boise State

An Offensive Coordinator

After a rough start, we’ve been very good this year. Usually, we are good every year. In the past, we’ve asked for some really big things, like an invitation to a new conference. However, we will aim our sights slightly lower and more realistic this year. What we really want is an offensive coordinator. We had a great interim one, and we’d like someone comparable—an OC who can be innovative and continue to develop our phenom freshman quarterback Taylen Green. Also, if it’s not too much to ask, someone who is willing to stay around for at least three seasons.

Colorado State

A Passing Attack

Last year we thought we had everything we needed after our move and foolishly didn’t ask for anything. We were wrong, as our record indicates. This year, we won’t make the same mistake. Clearly, we want a passing attack in our offense. We are Fort Air-Raid, after all, but the 2022 season did not come close to living up to its name. A shiny new passing offense will give us tons of options to play around with, and we promise not to get tired of it and will keep going back to it every single week.

Fresno State

Health

Even though we won the conference championship this season, our team was hampered by injuries to key players this season. We believe it ruined the chance at a special season for us in a year when no Group of 5 teams was very good. This year, we ask for improved health throughout our program for the players and staff. When the players were healthy this year, our team was very good. Likewise, when Coach Tedford is healthy enough to coach, we are regularly at the top of the conference. More of that, please.

Hawaii

Success in the transfer portal

It was a difficult year we could really use a wonderful gift to ease some of the pain caused since last Christmas. Our program is in need of something that will lift up our spirits. This is where you come in. The best gift we could get this holiday season would be to have success in the transfer portal. An injection of talent would be just what we need to take a step forward in the development of the program. Plus, it might make some games more bearable to watch while you’re up late eating cookies.

Nevada

Better recruiting

At the conclusion of our first season of our new era, we have done a lot of reflecting. Some things went well, but many things could have been better. But that’s the case in all rebuilding efforts. It seems clear that better recruiting will speed up the rebuilding process, and that’s where you come in. Can we land some talented players who can make an immediate impact next season? It doesn’t seem like too much to ask for, and it has the potential to produce huge benefits.

New Mexico

An offense

We haven’t been very good this year and are definitely sorry that was the case. We want to be better. We truly do. In order for us to be better, we need to ask for something from you, but just one thing. It will make all the difference. We want an offense. Any kind of offense. It doesn’t need to be a big expensive one, and it can even be a hand-me-down one. It just needs to be one that works.

San Diego State

A quarterback

I know what you’re thinking; we ask for this every year. And you’re right, but we either don’t appreciate the gift or else we misuse it. If you can come through one more time, we promise to take good care of him. We won’t even try putting them on defense this time. A quarterback is the missing piece to our entire operation. Please let us try just one more time, and if so, you can give us socks next year.

San Jose State

Sustained success

We aren’t going to lie; the past three seasons have been amazing. Winning games has been grand, and winning the conference championship in 2020 was the ultimate joy. This core group of players has been a true treasure, and we are sad to see them go. But now that we have gotten used to winning and making bowl games, we would like to keep experiencing it. We aren’t even asking for a crazy amount of success, like winning the conference every year, but some consistent bowl-level success would be great.

UNLV

A new coaching staff

It seems like we go over this every few seasons. In fact, we wanted this very thing just three years ago. We really want a new coaching staff. We have a head coach now, but we want the complete set, please, with all the bells and whistles, like directors of player personnel and strength and conditioning coaches too. And while we are at it, a coaching staff that will last, at least for a few seasons, so we don’t have to keep asking every few seasons. Then we can focus on other things on our wishlist, like bowl games.

Utah State

Player development

To start, we really loved our present from last year. It was the gift that kept on giving with excitement, winning, and a championship. A big part of that was the success of our transfer players coming together, but we have been recruiting high school players the past few years as well. In order to get back to the championship, we would like to find success in our ability to develop our younger players. We believe in their talent and want it to come to fruition as soon as possible to achieve our goals.

Wyoming

For everyone to stay together

We want to be a family in Laradise. Last year, that family had some tough times, and many decided to go their separate ways. We were crushed, and so were our hopes of competing. But then something happened; we rebuilt a new family, young and short on time together, but a family just the same. All we ask is that we can keep everyone together so we can keep moving forward. We just want to be one big happy family.

- from,

The Mountain West Conference teams

Oh, and P.S., can our conference get another NY6 bowl and eventual playoff appearance? Not sure how closely you’ve been following playoff expansion, but this would be huge for us. It’s been forever.