MWCConnection Roundtable: What is the biggest question for each team entering fall camp?

August means fall camp is upon us. Every team should be practicing as of today. And many have started earlier, as they will be playing games in Week 0 (thanks Hawaii for football a week earlier). With the focus on fall camp, this week’s question is a question: what is the biggest question for each team entering fall camp?

Zach: I’m going to take a bit of an outside the box approach to this question. Former Boise State and NFL coach Dirk Koetter joined the staff in Boise as an analyst. I’m wondering how he will influence the play calling of offensive coordinator Tim Plough. Koetter is known for being an offensive mastermind. Can he help a Bronco offense that struggled last season?

Jeff: There is a disturbing report about several SDSU football players, not named, who were involved in an off-campus rape last year after the SJSU game. It remains to be seen what action the university will take but the woman, who was 17 at the time, has hired a lawyer and the school looks to be cooperating with law enforcement. If these players are key players, it could have a resounding influence on the team. I’ll update as I find out more.

Mike: Looking at Colorado State, all eyes will be on the offense. Will the air-raid be a work in progress or a well-oiled machine after an off-season of installing it. For the Rams to be successful from the get go and make a bowl game this season, it will have to be the later. Also, Coach Norvell teams have not been known for their defense during his time at Nevada, will it be any different at Colorado State?

Willie: Taking a look at how things have unfolded for Wyoming in the early goings of Fall camp, the biggest question for both their coaches and Poke fans, is who’s going to be leading the offense into battle come August 27th? The quarterback battle is ongoing and continues to be left up for grabs. Will it be one of the transfer QBs in Andrew Peasley or Evan Svoboda, or will returning QB Hank Gibbs capture that role? That decision remains to be seen and will ultimately be left up to Coach Bohl and his staff.

Alex: I’ll look at UNLV since I’ve had the chance to see some of their practices. The obvious question is the quarterback competition, but I am more intrigued by the running backs. Who will fill the void left by the school’s all-time leading rusher Charles Williams? There are several guys who could fill that void like former Oregon transfer Jayvaun Wilson, Courtney Reese, Chad Magyar and more. But the stand out so far through a few practices is Louisville transfer Aidan Robbins. The 6-foot-3, 230 pound back is one of the biggest players on the field for the Rebels, and has the power-speed combination that can make him the top back for coach Marcus Arroyo. It has only been a few practices, but he has several impressive runs every practice. Can he continue it through the rest of camp and have the same production when the season starts? We’ll see.

P.S. You can also thank UNLV football which had its Week 1 game against Idaho State moved to Week 0 for the early start.

Adam: The biggest question at the start of fall camp for the New Mexico Lobos is going to be at quarterback. With the Lobos transitioning to a triple-option style of offense this season, the quarterback position will be the Achilles’ heel of the plans at UNM.

The Lobos added transfer Miles Kendrick from Kansas, with the hopes he can steady a position that has seen eight different starters over the last two seasons.

New Mexico also returns Isaiah Chavez, who guided the Lobos to two wins at the end of the 2020 season, and led them to a win over Wyoming last season. CJ Montes also returns, along with Conor Genal. Bear Milacek and Jah’Mar Sanders are also among those who will be competing for the QB1 spot.

A good and steady play at quarterback could spell the difference between a losing season and a trip to a bowl game in December.

Aiden: For me, it is all about the offensive line. I’m not overly concerned about who slots in where because Boise State has a group of six to seven offensive lineman that will get the job done. The more important factor to keep an eye on is the health of the players in the trenches. Last year, the Broncos lost center Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez before their first game against UCF and led to a revolving door of different lineups. Avoid a repeat and Boise State should feel good heading into week one against Oregon State.