College Football Predictions & Preview – WAC

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This is a continuation of our series on 2009 college football predictions. Today, we continue with a look at the Western Athletic Conference.

College Football Predictions

WAC (Western Athletic Conference)

1) Boise State
2008 Record: (12-1, 8-0)
Coach: Chris Peterson, 4th year (35-4 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Bryan Harsin (4th year)
Def. Coordinator: Justin Wilcox (4th year)
Returning Starters: 13 (6 offense, 5 defense, kicker, punter)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: Yes (Kellen Moore)

Offense: The Broncos return six starters from an offense that averaged 37.6ppg and 440.9 yards per game. They also bring back sophomore Kellen Moore (6-0, 184), who earned WAC Freshman of the Year in 2008. The lefty threw for 3,486 yards with 25 touchdowns last season. They do have to replace RB Ian Johnson at running back. Junior Jeremy Avery (5-9, 171) has experience and rushed for 614 yards last year. Junior D.J. Harper (5-9, 192) also has the speed to take it to the house every time. At wide receiver, they return two proven targets in juniors Titus Young and Austin Pettis (567 yards). Up front, sophomore center Thomas Byrd (5-11, 282) returns to lead a line that needs to rebuild their left side.

Defense: The defense returns just five starters from a unit that allowed just 12.6ppg (3rd in the nation) and 308.2 yards per game (20th). The losses shouldn’t be devastating as the Broncos had talented backups with experience. The only returning starter is All-WAC end Ryan Wintersywk (6-4, 260), a junior who had 11.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. He’s the only returning starting lineman, though sophomore DT Billy Winn (6-4, 279), who had 5.5 tackles for loss, was on the Freshman All-American team. At linebacker, they lose both starters (they play a 4-2-5). Sophomore Hunter White (5-11, 215) appears to have locked up one of the spots. The secondary returns four of five starters and should be the strength of the unit. Senior CB Kyle Wilson (5 picks) is back to improve his NFL stock. The leading returning tackles is junior Jeron Johnson (5-11, 190), who recorded 98 last year.

Outlook: The non-conference schedule features Oregon and Miami (OH) at home. They also take on Bowling Green and Tulsa on the road and UC Davis at home. This is a schedule that could put them at undefeated if they beat Tulsa and Bowling Green along with Louisiana Tech on the road. Hawaii is never easy on the road either, but they are fortunate to host Nevada and New Mexico State.

2) Nevada
2008 Record: (7-6, 5-3)
Coach: Chris Ault, 25th year, (198-91-1 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Chris Klenakis (10th year)
Def. Coordinator: Nigel Burton (2nd year)
Returning Starters: 15 (7 offense, 7 defense, punter)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: Yes (Colin Kaepernick)

Offense: Nevada returns seven starters from an explosive offense that averages 37.6ppg (12th in the nation) and 508.5 yards per game (5th in the nation). They also return the WAC’s Offensive Player of the Year in quarterback Colin Kaepernick (6-6, 215), who threw for 2,849 yards and 22TDs, while tossing just seven picks. He does lose his top two receivers including Marko Mitchell. Junior Chris Wellington (632 yards) will have to step up and lead a stable of young and talented wideouts. They Wolf Pack are strong at running back. Junior Vai Taua (5-10, 225) is back after leading the league in rushing with 117 yards per game and 15 TDs. Senior Luke Lippincott (6-2, 215) is also back after being sidelined by a knee injury in most of 2008. He was the conference’s leading rusher in 2007. Up front, they return three of five starters including both tackles.

Defense: The defense returns seven starters from a unit that allowed 32.3ppg (99th in the nation) and 400.2 yards per game (91st in the nation). This sets them apart from Boise State and after moving to a 4-3 scheme last year, they still haven’t completely fixed their problems. UP front, they returns junior DE Dontay Moch (11.5 sacks) and junior Kevin Basped (10 sacks). At linebacker, they return two of three starters. Sophomore James Michael-Johnson (6-2, 220) showed potential last year with 49 tackles, while sophomore Brandon Marshall (6-1, 230) added 33 in six starts. In the secondary, they return two of four starters. Senior FS Jonathan Amaya (6-2, 190) led the team in picks with four and tied for the lead in tackles (68).

Outlook: The Wolf Pack face Notre Dame and Colorado State to start the season on the road. They also host Missouri and UNLV in their non-conference schedule. A road game at Boise State in the finale may decide the WAC. This is a team with a very explosive offense that needs to find a way how to stop teams.

3) Fresno State
2008 Record: (7-6, 4-4)
Coach: Pat Hill, 13rd year (92-61 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Derek Frazier (1st year)
Def. Coordinator: Randy Stewart (1st year)
Returning Starters: 18, (7 offense, 9 defense, kicker, punter)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: No

Offense: The Bulldogs return seven starters from a an offense that averaged 29.6ppg. They do lose qb Tom Brandstater and will have to rely on their rushing attack. Junior QB Ryan Colburn, freshman Derek Carr and sophomores Ebahn Feathers and Matt Faulkner will vie for the starting spot. At running back, they return the top four rushers including junior Ryan Mathews (5-11, 210), who rushed for 606 yards in eight games. Senior WR Seyi Ajirotutu (6-3, 210) leads a strong receiving corps after compiling 795 yards in receiving. The problem is finding a quarterback to utilize their receiving crop. Up front, Fresno State returns three of five starters, including both tackles as well as star TE Bear Pascoe.

Defense: The defense returns nine starters from a unit that allowed 31.1ppg (92nd in the nation) and 410.9 yards per game (97th in the nation). Their biggest loss will be at defensive coordinator, where longtime coach Don Brown lost his fight with brain cancer earlier in the year. Randy Stewart, a long-time assistant takes over. They have the talent to stop the run and should improve up front with the return of junior end Chris Carter (6-2, 230), who had 3.5 sacks and 88 tackles and was named second-team All-WAC. They also have a experience and some size at tackle, so there’s no excuse not to improve that rushing defense, which allowed 210 yards per game. At linebacker, they return star junior Ben Jacobs (6-3, 240), who led the team in tackles with 113. In the secondary, Senior SS Moses Harris (5-11, 205) is back as the best all-round defender.

Outlook: The Bulldogs take on UC Davis at home to start the season, followed by Wisconsin on the road. A home game against Boise State in the third game of the season will tell a lot about the team. They also face Cincinnati on the road and Illinois on the road in the season finale. This is a program that appears to go bowling nearly every year. This should be a bowl team, but the key will be finding a quarterback to replace Brandstater. They have talent at nearly every other positon.

4) Louisiana Tech
2008 Record: (8-5, 5-3)
Coach: Derek Dooley, 3rd year (13-12 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Frank Scelfo (3rd year)
Def. Coordinator: Tommy Spangler (3rd year)
Returning Starters: 15 (9 offense, 6 defense)
Ret. Starting Quarterback Yes (Ross Jenkins)

Offense: The Bulldogs return nine starters from a unit that produced 24.6ppg and 343.1 yards per game. They need to improve on the league’s worst passing offense (156 yards per game). Junior QB Ross Jenkins (6-3, 212) threw for 1,155 yards after going 6-2 as a starter, but was more of a game manager than a thrower. His top target is junior Phillip Livas (5-8, 175), who had 2,105 all-purpose yards last year. Senior RB Daniel Porter (5-9, 190) was a first-team All-WAC selection last year after rushing for 1,164 yards and nine TDs. They do return all five starters, plus a sixth player who had six starters a season ago. They are anchored by junior LT Rob McGill (6-6, 305), a potential all-league pick.

Defense: The defense returns six starters from a unit that allowed 23.7ppg (52nd in the nation) and 376.5 yards per game (73rd in the nation). They return three of four starters up front including senior DT D’Anthony Smith (6-2, 300), who had five sacks last year, 65 tackles and was named to the first-team All-WAC team. They ranked 13th in the nation against the run, but struggled against the pass (113th). Senior SLB Brian White (6-1, 228) is the only returning starter at linebacker. The secondary returns a pair of starters including FS Antonio Baker (5-11, 200), who had 115 tackles and three picks last year.

Outlook: Louisiana Tech faces Auburn and Navy on the road to start the season. They open their home schedule with Nicholls State and then later take on LSU in November on the road. In the WAC, they host Boise State, but take on Nevada on the road.

5) Hawaii
2008 Record: (7-7, 5-3)
Coach: Greg McMackin, 2nd year (7-7 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Ron Lee (2nd year)
Def. Coordinator: Carl Lee (2nd year)
Returning Starters: 9 (7 offense, 2 defense)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: Yes (Greg Alexander)

Offense: Hawaii returns seven starters from an offense that averaged just 24.6ppg (71st in the nation) and 251.3 yards per game. This was so unlike a type Hawaii team, as it took nearly half a year for juco transfer Greg Alexander (6-3, 230) to get comfortable in the run-and-shoot. Alexander threw for 1,895 yards last season with 14 touchdowns. That’s a month of production for a Colt Brennan or Timmy Chang. Second-year coach Greg McMackin has tried to add more balance to the offense. They hope to produce an improved offensive line led by senior C John Estes (6-2, 295). They rushed for just 94.5 yards per game last year and allowed 57 sacks, the most in the nation. The Warriors want to run the ball more and use the Wildcat formation RB Inoke Funaki (5-11, 190), a former quarterback, should be stellar in the formation. They return all three receivers including junior Greg Salas (6-2, 200), who had 831 yards in receiving.

Defense: Hawaii returns just two starters from a unit that allowed 28.9pppg and 360.9 yards per game. They lose second-round NFL draft pick David Veikune up front and all-time leading tackler Solomon Elimimian. They return just one starter on the line in senior John Fonoti (6-2, 255), who made 62 tackles, including nine for loss, three fumble recoveries and 3.5 sacks last season. At linebacker, senior Brashton Satele (6-1, 255) is a hard-hitter who should have a breakthrough season after recording 53 tackles last year. The secondary is a big concern as they have as many as 18 candidates for two corner spots, including several juco players.

Outlook: Hawaii faces Central Arkansas at home to start the season and then takes on Washington State in Seattle. They also play at UNLV and host Navy and Wisconsin at the end of the season. The schedule is favorable with home conference games against Fresno State at Boise State. Unfortunately, Hawaii lost so much on defense and with the concerns on the offensive line and at quarterback, it’s hard to imagine they are much better than a middle-of-pack WAC squad.

6) San Jose State
2008 Record: (6-6, 4-4)
Coach: Dick Tomey, 5th year (23-25 at San Jose State , 70-109 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Steve Morton (4th year)
Def. Coordinator: Keith Burns (3rd year)
Returning Starters: 15 (7 offense, 7 defense, punter)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: Yes (Kyle Reed)

Offense: The offense returns seven starters from a unit that produced just 18.7ppg (106th in the nation) and 282.8 yards per game (112th in the nation). Senior QB Kyle Reed (6-3, 215) is back after tossing for 1,563 yards and nine TDs last year. Reed should really be helped out by the return of senior Kevin Jurovich (6-0, 183), who missed most of last season with an illness. He was a second-team All-WAC selection in 2008 after setting a single-season school record with 85 catches for 1,183 yards. Senior Terrance Williams (6-5, 220), who caught 22 passes last year, provides a big target. At running back, they return senior Patrick Perry (5-10, 205), who missed the past two seasons with an injury. Junior Lamon Muldrow (5-9,210), a juco transfer, is also in the picture. Up front, they return all five starters though junior RB Allan Eliapo (6-2, 320) was the only lineman to start all 12 games.

Defense: The defense returns seven starters from a unit that allowed 21.6ppg (37th in the nation) and 311.7 yards per game (21st in the nation). This is a solid unit that has steadily improved since Dick Tomey took over in 2004. Up front, senior Carl Ihenacho (6-3, 256) leads a front line that returns 3 of 4 starters. He has 13 career sacks and finished eight nationally in tackles for loss last year with 18.5. At linebacker, senior OLB Justin Cole (3-year starter) and senior Travis Jones (72 tackles) return. The secondary returns just one true starter in senior FS Devin Newsome (5-10, 185). Junior Duke Ihenaco (6-1, 210) moves from linebacker to strong safety. He led the WAC in picks with five, returning two for a touchdown and also recorded six pass breakups and 66 tackles.

Outlook: The Spartans take on USC and Utah at home to start a brutal non-conference schedule. They also face Stanford on the road and Cal Poly at home. The conference schedule features Nevada at home with Boise State and Fresno State on the road. The offense should see some progress despite lacking great firepower and the defense should be steady again.

7) New Mexico State
2008 Record: (3-9, 1-7)
Coach: DeWayne Walker, 1st year (0-0 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Timm Rosenbach (1st year)
Def. Coordinator: DeWayne Walker (1st year)
Returning Starters: 13 (5 offense, 6 defense, punter, kicker)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: No

Offense: The offense returns five starters from a unit that allowed 22.2ppg (89th in the nation) and 355.6 yards per game (64th in the nation). DeWayne Walker akes over as head coach and will have to rebuild the offense and defense. They lose most of the talent on offense including QB Chase Holbrook and record-setting receivers Chris Williams and A.J. Harris. They move from the spread offense to a more traditional as former NFL QB Timm Rosenbach, takes over as offensive coordinator. The top two qb candidates Jeff Felming and Trevor Walls had poor spring games. They’ll use a combination of seniors Tonny Glynn and Marquell Colston at running backs. Senior WR Marcus Anderson (5-8, 166) is the leading returning receiver with 617 yards. They’ve brought in several jucos to push for playing time. The offensive line returns three of five starters from a unit that had all sorts of injury issues last season.

Defense: The defense returns six starters from a unit that allowed a whopping 34.1ppg (105th in the nation) and 379.6 yards per game (75th). This is Walker’s specialty, as he coached a great unit at UCLA. They’ll transition from a 3-3-5 scheme to a traditional 4-3 look. Up front, they have no returning starters, though last year’s line struggled so that’s not necessarily a bad thing. At linebacker, they return all three starters including senior Nick Paden (6-3, 235), who was third in the WAC with 8.9 tackles per game and had two picks. Weakside linebacker Jason Scott (5-10, 207) had nine tackles for loss and is the team’s second-leading returning tackler. In the secondary, they return two of five starters from the third-ranked pass defense in the nation (159.4ypg). Of course, most teams just ran all over the Aggies last year. Junior CB Davon House is a playmaker who recovered two fumbles and picked off two last season.

Outlook: The Aggies face Idaho (conference), Prairie View A&M and UTEP at home in their first three games of the season. They take on rival New Mexico, Ohio State and San Diego State on the road. In conference, they face Boise State on the road and Fresno State at home. This will be a rebuilding year for the Aggies, who are implementing a new offense and defense.

8 ) Utah State
2008 Record: (3-9, 3-5)
Coach: Gary Anderson, 1st year (4-7 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Dave Baldwin (1st year)
Def. Coordinator: Bill Busch (1st year)
Returning Starters: 19 (10 offense, 7 defense, kicker, punter)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: Yes (Diondre Borel)

Offense: The Aggies return 10 starters from a unit that produced 24ppg and 334.3 yards per game. New coach Gary Anderson has his work cut out for him. Junior QB Diondre Borel (6-0, 174) is back, after rushing for 632 yards and tossing for 1,705 yards. He started the final nine games last year and showed a great ability to run. Now he needs to improve his overall passing game. At running back, sophomore Robert Turbin (5-10, 202) averaged 4.6 yards per carry, but touched the ball less than 10 times per game. The return a solid receiving corps, but they lack a number one option and a playmaker. Sophomore Stanley Morrison (26 catches) is the best option. Up front, the line returns four starters including center Brennan McFadden (6-2, 305), who was named to the second-team All-WAC last seaosn.

Defense: The defense returns seven starters on a unit that allowed 34.7ppg (107th in the nation) and 412.7 yards per game (99th in the nation). New defensive coordinator Bill Busch has moved 14 players from offense or other defensive positions to new spots on defense. They had to add more speed to the defense. Up front, they return three starters, but two may be replaced. Senior LB Paul Igboeli (6-0, 201) is the top returner, who has racked up 242 career tackles. The second-team All-WAC selection recorded 78 tackles last year. However, they lose All-WAC LB Jake Hutton, who quit due to foot problems. In the secondary, they do have some talent and two returning starters. Senior FS James Brindley (5-11, 189) is the top player who picked off three passes.

Outlook: The Aggies open with Utah and Texas A&M on the road, which is just brutal. They also face Southern Utah at hoe and then BYU on the road. In conference, they host Boise State and Louisiana Tech and face Fresno State on the road. New coach, new staff and different system. The talent is just not there yet so expect a long season in Logan.

9) Idaho
2008 Record: (2-10, 1-7)
Coach: Robb Akey, 3rd year (3-21 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Steve Axman (3rd year)
Def. Coordinator: Mark Criner (3rd year)
Returning Starters: 11 (5 offense, 6 defense)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: Yes (Nathan Enderle)

Offense: The Vandals return five starters from a unit that produced just 19.6ppg. Junior QB Nathan Enderle (6-5, 223) returns, though he had to beat out juco transfer and one-time Arkansas Razorback Brian Reader. Enderle was up-and-down last year with 2,077 passing yards, 20 TDs and 17 picks. He did make strides in his sophomore season over his freshman year when he threw for just 10 TDs and had 18 picks. The running game was mediocre (133.2ypg) and needs to step up. Junior Deonte Jackson (5-8, 191) averaged 97.9 yards per game as a freshman, but last season tallied just 696 yards (nearly 500 less than 2007), because he shared time with Princeton McCarty (5-8, 174). Washington State transfer DeMaundray Wooldrige could also have an impact. It appears they’ll have the same rotation again this year. At receiver, they return both starters, but they lose star TE Eddie Williams, a late-round NFL draft pick, who was twice as productive as their top receiver last year. Up front, they return just two of five starters.

Defense: The defense returns six starters from a unit that allowed a whopping 42.8ppg (117th in the nation) and 472 yards per game (116th). The Vandals’ defense was very young last season and they also had to battle injuries. One of the key players who went down was junior Shiloh Keo (5-1, 214), who racked up 31 tackles in four games (and a blocked punt), before injuring his shoulder. UP front, they bring back junior Aaron Lavarias (6-3, 262), who moves to end. Sophomore Michael Cosgrove (6-4, 265) and junior Jonah Sataraka (6-2, 285) will occupy the tackle positions. They are very inexperienced at linebacker where junior JoJo Dickson (6-2, 215), was the most experienced player, though he’s had injury issues during the season and in the spring.

Outlook: Idaho faces New Mexico State on the road to start the season and then takes on four straight non-conference foes in Washington on the road, San Diego State at home, Northern Illinois on the road and Colorado State at home. They also face Boise State on the road and Nevada on the road. Not that it really matters as the Vandals will stuggle this year against the upper-echelon of the WAC.

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