Category: Air Force

Mountain West Football Media Announces 2019 Postseason All-Conference Team

The Mountain West football media revealed its players of the year and honored XX different teams on its postseason all-conference squad.

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Mountain West Football Media Announces 2019 Postseason All-Conference Team

The Mountain West football media revealed its players of the year and honored all 12 teams on its postseason all-conference squad.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

A lot of props to go around.

mwwire’s 2019 postseason honors:

All-Conference Teams | Offensive Player of the Year | Defensive Player of the Year | Special Teams Players of the Year | Freshmen of the Year | Coach of the Year | Coordinator of the Year

Ahead of Championship Saturday, the Mountain West Conference announced the media’s selections for its annual individual honors and the traditional two-deep of all-conference athletes.

As you might imagine, the Boise State Broncos led the way in sweeping nearly all of the individual honors, claiming three of five after entering the title game with an 11-1 record: George Holani was named the Mountain West’s top freshman, while Curtis Weaver earned Defensive Player of the Year and Avery Williams was named Special Teams Player of the Year.

The two non-Broncos to earn the conference’s major awards are San Jose State quarterback Josh Love, named Offensive Player of the Year, and Hawaii head coach Nick Rolovich, who was named as the conference’s best in 2019..

Boise State and Utah State led the Mountain West with five selections each, while San Diego State has four and defending champion Fresno State has three. The only teams without representation on this year’s preseason all-conference list are San Jose State and New Mexico.

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Media Individual Honors

Offensive Player of the Year – Josh Love, QB, San Jose State
Defensive Player of the Year – Curtis Weaver, STUD, Boise State
Special Teams Player of the Year – Avery Williams, PR, Boise State
Freshman of the Year – George Holani, RB, Boise State
Coach of the Year – Nick Rolovich, Hawaii

First-Team All-Mountain West

Offense

QB – Josh Love, San Jose State
RB – Charles Williams, UNLV
RB – Xazavian Valladay, Wyoming
WR – Warren Jackson, Colorado State
WR – Cedric Byrd, Hawaii
WR – Tre Walker, San Jose State
TE – Trey McBride, Colorado State
OL – Scott Hattok, Air Force
OL – Nolan Laufenberg, Air Force
OL – Ezra Cleveland, Boise State
OL – John Molchon, Boise State
OL – Keith Ismael, San Diego State

Defense

DL – Mosese Fifita, Air Force
DL – Curtis Weaver, Boise State
DL – Dom Peterson, Nevada
DL – Myles Cheatum, San Diego State
DL – Cameron Thomas, San Diego State
LB – Justin Rice, Fresno State
LB – Mykal Walker, Fresno State
LB – Kyahva Tezino, San Diego State
LB – David Woodward, Utah State
LB – Logan Wilson, Wyoming
DB – Kekaula Kaniho, Boise State
DB – Jamal Hicks, Colorado State
DB – Luq Barcoo, San Diego State
DB – Alijah Halliburton, Wyoming

Special Teams

K – Dominik Eberle, Utah State
P – Ryan Stonehouse, Colorado
KR – Savon Scarver, Utah State
PR – Avery Williams, Boise State

Second-Team All-Mountain West

Offense

QB – Cole McDonald, Hawaii
RB – George Holani, Boise State
RB – Ronnie Rivers, Fresno State
WR – John Hightower, Boise State
WR – Jojo Ward, Hawaii
WR – Siaosi Mariner, Utah State
TE – Parker Houston, San Diego State
OL – Connor Vikupitz, Air Force
OL – Garrett Larson, Boise State
OL – Ilm Manning, Hawaii
OL – Daishawn Dixon, San Diego State
OL – Keegan Cryder, Wyoming

Defense

DL – Chase Hatada, Boise State
DL – David Moa, Boise State
DL – Keshawn Banks, San Diego State
DL – Tipa Galeai, Utah State
LB – Kyle Johnson, Air Force
LB – Demonte Meeks, Air Force
LB – Riley Whimpey, Boise State
LB – Ethan Aguayo, San Jose State
DB – Kekoa Nawahine, Boise State
DB – Jalen Walker, Boise State
DB – Tariq Thompson, San Diego State
DB – Jericho Flowers, UNLV

Special Teams

K – Brandon Talton, Nevada
P – Tyson Dyer, New Mexico
KR – John Hightower, Boise State
PR – Austin Conway, Wyoming

All-Mountain West Honorable Mentions

Air Force: Milton Bugg III, DB; Jeremy Fejedelem, DB; Jordan Jackson, DL; Timothy Jackson, FB; Jake Koehnke, PK; Zane Lewis, DB; Geraud Sanders, WR; Kadin Remsberg, RB

Boise State: John Bates, TE; Sonatane Lui, DL; Eric Quevedo, OL; Khalil Shakir, WR; Avery Williams, DB

Colorado State: Anthony Hawkins, KR; Manny Jones, DL

Fresno State: Kevin Atkins, DL; Blake Cusick, P; Juju Hughes, DB

Hawaii: Cortez Davis, DB; Rojesterman Farris II, DB; Solomon Matautia, LB; Kaimana Padello, DL; Gene Pryor, OL; Taaga Tuulima, OL; Blessman Ta‘ala, DL
Nevada: Daniel Brown, DB; Romeo Doubs, WR, PR; Gabriel Sewell, LB; Toa Taua, RB

New Mexico: Ahmari Davis, RB; Alex Hart, LB; Teton Saltes, OL; Kyle Stapley, OL

San Diego State: Matt Araiza, PK; William Dunkle, OL; Darren Hall, DB; Brandon Heicklen, P; Dwayne Johnson Jr., DB

San José State: Bailey Gaither, WR; Troy Kowalski, OL; Matt Mercurio, PK; Jack Snyder, OL

UNLV: Julio Garcia, OL; Rayshad Jackson, LB; Justin Polu, OL; Javin White, LB

Utah State: Shaq Bond, DB; Gerold Bright, RB; Jordan Love, QB; Caleb Repp, TE; Christopher Unga, DL

Wyoming: Tyler Hall, DB; Logan Harris, OL; Cassh Maluia, LB

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Head Of The Class: Ranking The Best Players Through The First Month Of Games By Year

Head of the Class: 1st Edition Mountain West Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The Mountain West conferences best players according to class. The month of November is behind us and the Mountain West …

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Head of the Class: 1st Edition 

Mountain West Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The Mountain West conferences best players according to class. 

The month of November is behind us and the Mountain West has looked good out of the gate. Utah State is still ranked in the top twenty after their first loss to Jordan Ford and Saint Mary’s and San Diego State is on the cusp of a top-25 ranking after receiving votes in both polls this week.

The conference as a whole is different this year and teams have lost players due transfer, graduation and professional options. They have also brought players in during that time as well. Regardless of whether players are new to the conference or not much of the success teams are having can be attributed to the individual performances of certain players thus far.

We have started our new column the Mountain West Wire’s Player of the Year Watch list, which is meant to highlight five players a week based on their performances and one in particular is awarded out player of the week. This has been a fun article to put together but the conference as a whole has had talented players emerge and they have had great performances all month long. The point of this article will be to update our readers on some players and performances that may have been missed.

First Off,

The Freshmen

5. Zane Meeks, Nevada

Season Stats: 4.6 PPG 3.8 RPG 0.4 APG (8 GMS)

Best Performance: 11 Points, 4 Rebounds on 5-8 made FGs against Valparaiso 11/24

Nevada has struggled a bit on the way to that 5-3 record they have currently with losses to USC, Davidson and Utah. The core of Nevada’s team is made up of transfers and Lindsey Drew but Meeks who committed to at the time newly dubbed head coach Steve Alford last spring has made an impact on a very shallow Wolf Pack frontcourt while showing potential.

4. David Roddy, Colorado State

Season Stats: 8.9 PPG 4.6 RPG 1.0 APG

Best Performance: 14 Points, 4 Rebounds, 3 Blocks and 1 Steal against Arkansas St. 11/20

Roddy is a 6-5 250 GUARD who can shoot the ball from deep. Roddy chose basketball over football before committing to CSU last year and has made an impact as a true freshman on a 6-3 Rams squad. The future is bright with Roddy and Stevens in Fort Collins, don’t worry Nico Carvacho the Rams are in good hands.

3. Orlando Robinson, Fresno State

Season Stats: 10.5 PPG 6.3 RPG 0.7 SPG (6 GMS)

Best Performance: 16 Points, 7 Rebounds, 2 Assists and 2 Steals against Cal-St. San Bernadino 11/17

Robinson had high major offers back in high school and has shown why while being impactful on a Fresno State team that is loaded with bigs. He and Nate Grimes need to figure something else out though if they want to live up to preseason expectations.

2. Isaiah Stevens, Colorado State

Season Stats: 12.3 PPG 3.4 RPG 3.6 APG (9 GMS)

Best Performance: 21 Points, 5 Rebounds and 5 Assists against Loyola Marymount 11/16

Colorado State is 6-3 so far and a combination of youth and senior leaders is a big reason why. Stevens has had some great performances so far and looks like a solid leader on the team as just a freshman.

1. Jarred Hyder, Fresno State

Season Stats: 15.6 PPG 3.8 RPG 2.4 APG (5 GMS)

Best Performance: 26 Points, 3 Assists and 2 Steals against Winthrop 11/10

Hyder has been a bright spot for Bulldog fans who were looking for a bit more from their veteran guards. He is leading the team in scoring and is a big reason Fresno State has two wins so far this season.

UP NEXT: SOPHOMORES

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Mountain West Basketball: Week 5 DPI Computer Rankings

Mountain West Basketball: Week 5 DPI Computer Rankings Aggies and Aztecs already separating themselves from the pack Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire ‘Tis the season…for computer rankings Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone-and more …

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Mountain West Basketball: Week 5 DPI Computer Rankings

Aggies and Aztecs already separating themselves from the pack

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

‘Tis the season…for computer rankings

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone—and more importantly, with nearly 1,200 Division I games having been played—it’s time to start looking at how teams are stacking up against one another.

To do so, allow me to introduce my analytics system, the Dieckhoff Power Index—or DPI, for short.

The DPI assigns teams an overall rating out of 100 points, which will hopefully make it easy to digest for people who, like me, have little to no knowledge of advanced math.

Without getting into too long an explanation, the DPI is a mixture of:

  • offensive efficiency
  • defensive efficiency
  • statistical performance in the “four factors”: shooting, turnovers, offensive rebounds, and free throws.

A deeper explanation of the history and methodology behind the system can be found at the DPI website. The site has the full rankings for all 353 teams and will feature bracketology projections later in the season.

But for our purposes here at Mountain West Wire, all you really need to know is this: high scores are good and low scores are bad. These ratings paint a picture of how the eleven teams in the MWC match up on both sides of the ball, nationally and within the league.

Updated DPI rankings for the Mountain West will be posted here weekly throughout the season. I will also give some insights into each team and track their movement in the standings.

Without further ado, here are the first batch of rankings for the DPI on the heels of the holiday weekend. The grades and rankings are current through all games played on Monday, December 2.

(Note: Games against non-Div. I opponents are not counted in the DPI.)

Utah State (#1 MW, #11 overall) — DPI GRADE: 86.50

  • Offense Grade: 88.9 (#1 MW, #11 overall)
  • Defense Grade: 83.9 (#2 MW, #19 overall)
  • 4-Factor Grade: 86.7 (#2 MW, #45 overall)

Though it seems counter-intuitive with potential All-American Sam Merrill in the mix, Utah State’s weakest offensive trait so far has been its shooting. The defense has also struggled to force turnovers. But when the Aggies get Neemias Queta (knee) back, both of those marks should go up considerably. These issues are minor, though, as Utah State has been a top-20 team on either side of the ball. They’re still tops in the MW—for now.

Games this week: 12/4 @ San Jose State; 12/7 vs. Fresno State

San Diego StATE (#2 MW, #20 overall) — DPI GRADE: 84.95

  • Offense Grade: 80.9 (#2 MW, #61 overall)
  • Defense Grade: 85.8 (#1 MW, #8 overall)
  • 4-Factor Grade: 88.1 (#1 MW, #32 overall)

Outside of Michigan, the Aztecs had probably the best weekend out of any team in the country. After garnering lukewarm NCAA Tournament consideration before the season, SDSU is already knocking on the door of the Top 25 polls after just four weeks. Their top-10 defense has been the key, with the Aztecs allowing the 17th-lowest effective field goal percentage in the country. They are charging hard for Utah State’s throne.

Games this week: 12/4 @ Colorado State; 12/8 vs. San Jose State

 

COLORADO STATE (#3 MW, #109 OVERALL) — DPI GRADE: 76.15

  • Offense Grade: 77.8 (#3 MW, #88 overall)
  • Defense Grade: 69.0 (#7 MW, #165 overall)
  • 4-Factor Grade: 81.6 (#4 MW, #91 overall)

A bit of a shock here, as the Rams were picked to finish ninth in the preseason Mountain West poll. Colorado State has a couple regrettable losses already, but recent wins over Washington State and Loyola Chicago were encouraging. The team has shot the ball relatively well, but its secret to success so far has been getting to the free throw line. The Rams have already made more than 200 trips to the line, a top-10 mark nationally.

Games this week: 12/4 vs. San Diego State; 12/7 @ Boise State

NEW MEXICO (#4 MW, #110 overall) — DPI GRADE: 76.07

  • Offense Grade: 75.2 (#6 MW, #126 overall)
  • Defense Grade: 72.4 (#4 MW, #127 overall)
  • 4-Factor Grade: 80.7 (#5 MW, #105 overall)

It’s been a mixed bag so far for Paul Weir’s new-look Lobos, but the results have been mostly positive. New Mexico would surely like to get that game to UTEP back, but their win over Wisconsin cancels out the loss to the Miners. The Lobos were above-average at mostly everything in November, but those numbers are boosted by some blowout victories. Early indications are that UNM will be closer to .500 than they will be to the NCAA Tournament.

Games this week: 12/4 vs. Boise State; 12/7 vs. Wyoming

NEVADA (#5 MW, #120 OVERALL) — DPI GRADE: 75.63

  • Offense Grade: 75.6 (#5 MW, #120 overall)
  • Defense Grade: 69.5 (#5 MW, #159 overall)
  • 4-Factor Grade: 81.8 (#3 MW, #89 overall)

There’s precious little daylight separating Teams 3 through 5 in the Mountain West right now, as the Rams hold just a half-point edge over the Wolf Pack. New head coach Steve Alford has already experienced some turbulence, as Nevada has lost to its three best opponents so far. But their shooting and turnover stats indicate that they should be a Top 100 team soon.

Games this week: 12/4 vs. Santa Clara; 12/7 @ Air Force

Head to the page 2 for the back half of the standings.

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MWwire’s 2019 Postseason All-Conference Mountain West Football Team

In looking back at the 2019 regular season, our staff has made its selections for the best of the best from Mountain West football.

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Mountain West Wire Presents Its 2019 Postseason All-Mountain West Football Teams

In looking back at the 2019 regular season, our staff has made its selections for the best of the best from Mountain West football.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire

Who stands out as the conference’s best from this season?

Before the Mountain West football championship kicks off in Boise this Saturday, our staff has put their heads together to determine who deserves recognition as part of our postseason all-conference teams. If you’re interested in our picks from 2018, you can find that here.

Unlike our preseason all-conference selections, our postseason honor roll only goes two deep. We have, however, maintained our efforts to better reflect the variety we see week in and week out throughout the Mountain West, too, so previous changes like the FLEX defender, differentiating between guards and tackles and centers rather than just selecting offensive linemen, and so on remain intact.

If you disagree with our choices, of course, feel free to let us know what you’d have done differently on Twitter or Facebook.

This year’s voters: Jeremy Mauss, Sean O’Toole (Air Force), Raja Prabahala and Collin Clovis and Erik Smiley (Boise State), Josh Fredlund and Brad Hubbard (Colorado State), Matthew Kenerly (Fresno State), Brandon Tamanaha (Hawaii), Brandon Blake (Nevada), Roger Holien (New Mexico), Ted McGovern and Erwin Mendoza (San Diego State), Logan Jones and Sam McConkie (Utah State), and Jesse Tachiquin (Wyoming)

First Team

Offense

QB – Josh Love, San Jose State
RB – Charles Williams, UNLV
RB – Xazavian Valladay, Wyoming
WR – Warren Jackson, Colorado State
WR – Cedric Byrd, Hawaii
WR – John Hightower, Boise State
TE – Trey McBride, Colorado State
C – Garrett Larson, Boise State
G – Nolan Laufenberg, Air Force
G – Solo Vaipulu, Hawaii
T – Ezra Cleveland, Boise State
T – Parker Ferguson, Air Force

Defense

DT – Cameron Thomas, San Diego State
DT – Sonatane Lui, Boise State
DE – Dom Peterson, Nevada
DE – Myles Cheatum, San Diego State
OLB – Curtis Weaver (STUD), Boise State
OLB – Rayshad Jackson, UNLV
ILB – Logan Wilson, Wyoming
ILB – Kyahva Tezino, San Diego State
CB – Luq Barcoo, San Diego State
CB – Jericho Flowers, UNLV
S – Alijah Halliburton, Wyoming
S – Tariq Thompson, San Diego State
FLEX – Dwayne Johnson Jr. (AZTEC), San Diego State

Special Teams

K – Dominik Eberle, Utah State
P – Ryan Stonehouse, Colorado State
KR – Savon Scarver, Utah State
PR – Avery Williams, Boise State

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Air Force Football: Mike Thiessen Is MWwire’s 2019 Coordinator Of The Year

The Falcons’ ground game and explosive passing attack made Thiessen our staff’s pick for Mountain West football’s top coordinator.

Air Force Football: OC Mike Thiessen is MWwire’s 2019 Coordinator of the Year

The Falcons’ ground game and explosive passing attack made Thiessen our staff’s pick for Mountain West football’s top coordinator.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

Thiessen emerged from a strong group of contenders.

Among our staff’s selections for Mountain West football’s individual honors this fall, perhaps none was more contested than the vote for coordinator of the year. Air Force offensive coordinator Mike Thiessen won the day, however, and is our selection.

Thiessen, one of the longest-tenured coaches in the Mountain West and the conference’s co-offensive player of the year winner way back in 2000, helped elevate the Falcons’ dangerous running game to its best overall performance since 2015, averaging 5.12 yards per carry and a conference-best 37 rushing touchdowns, while guiding Donald Hammond III — our choice as the conference’s offensive player of the year — to one of the best seasons ever by an Air Force quarterback and supplementing his occasional absence with a team passer rating, 203.73, that is number one in the country.

Also received votes: Jake Dickert, Wyoming; Zak Hill, Boise State; Jeff Schmedding, Boise State; Zach Arnett, San Diego State; John Rudzinski, Air Force

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Air Force Football: Donald Hammond III Is MWWire’s 2019 Offensive Player of the Year

The Air Force quarterback is our staff’s choice after putting together one of the most prolific seasons in Mountain West football history.

Air Force Football: Donald Hammond III Is MWWire’s 2019 Offensive Player of the Year

The Air Force quarterback is our staff’s choice after putting together one of the most prolific seasons in Mountain West football history.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

Quietly dominant, deservedly recognized.

Our staff has chosen Air Force quarterback Donald Hammond III as our postseason selection for Mountain West football’s offensive player of the year.

Because Air Force doesn’t run your typical offense, you can be forgiven for overlooking just how good Hammond has been throughout the fall. As a passer, he completed 52-of-99 attempts for 1,286 yards with 13 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He averaged 13 yards per attempt and finished the regular season with a 194.88 passer rating, which is far and away the highest figure of any Mountain West quarterback with at least his 99 attempts this decade.

If that weren’t enough, Hammond III was especially dominant as a passer in conference play, posting a 254.44 passer rating that is unmatched, period, by any FBS quarterback in their own conference action since 2010.

Oh, yeah, and he also ran a little bit and did that pretty well, too, averaging 4.63 yards on 111 attempts and accounting for 11 more touchdowns on the ground as part of the Falcons’ best overall running attack since 2015. Even if Air Force came up just short of its second Mountain division title, there’s no denying Hammond III earned this honor.

Also received votes: Cole McDonald, QB, Hawaii; Josh Love, QB, San Jose State; George Holani, RB, Boise State; John Hightower, WR, Boise State

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Future Hoops Foes: Week Four Recap of Week Five’s Opponents

Mountain West beings league play.

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Taking a Look At Week Five’s Mountain West Opponent’s Performances in Week Four

Each Mountain West Teams Opponents for Week 5

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Take a look at each team’s opponents for this week and how they did last week.

Future Foes Week Four Recap:

This weeks edition of Future Hoops Foes will look a bit different in preparation for a break in non-conference play. There are still two games against non-conference opponents (Santa Clara and BYU) this week and you can find their reviews as normal down below. But since we are getting an early round of conference match ups in the first week of December, there will just be the listed dates and opponents for your favorite Mountain West teams in the remaining slots.

Air Force Falcons (3-5, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

Wyoming Cowboys

Sat, Dec. 7th

Nevada Wolf Pack

Boise State Broncos (4-2, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

New Mexico Lobos

Sat, Dec. 7th

Colorado State Rams:

Colorado State Rams (6-3, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

San Diego State Aztecs

Sat, Dec. 7th

Boise State Broncos

Fresno State Bulldogs (2-4, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

New Mexico Lobos

Sat, Dec. 7th

Utah State Aggies

Nevada Wolf Pack (5-3, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

Santa Clara Broncos:

Herb Sendek’s Bronco squad is 8-1 on the season and should’t be overlooked after convincing wins against Denver, SEMO and CSU Fullerton last week all by double-digits. Their lone loss comes at the hands of a very good Stanford team and they do boast an 8 point win over Washington State. Santa Clara is receiving production from a number of players on the court and as a whole are averaging a bit over eighty points a game.

They are led in scoring by sophomore guard Trey Wertz (11.6 PPG) and down low 6-11 sophomore forward Guglielmo Caruso is averaging 11.3 PPG. The Bronco’s are a tough squad this season and fully expect to leave Nevada with a win on Wednesday night and increase their win streak to six.

Sat, Dec. 7th

Air Force Falcons

New Mexico Lobos (7-2, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

Boise State Broncos

Sat, Dec. 7th

Wyoming Cowboys

San Diego State Aztecs (8-0, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

Colorado State Rams

Sun, Dec. 8th

San Jose State Spartans

San Jose State Spartans (3-5, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

Utah State Aggies

Sun, Dec. 8th

San Diego State Aztecs

Nevada-Las Vegas Running Rebels (3-6, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

Fresno State Bulldogs

Sat, Dec. 7th

Brigham Young Cougars:

Mark Pope‘s squad had a successful trip to Hawaii coming away with a 2-1 record in the Maui Invitational and 6-3 overall. A Loss to top five ranked Kansas was their only blemish of the week and they ended the weekend with a 35 point win over Montana Tech. TJ Haws and Jake Toolson helped solidify their positions as leaders of this team last week with solid performances.

But the big news surrounding the Cougars this week will be the return of star big man Yoeli Childs who returns from a nine game suspension dealt by the NCAA after his testing of NBA Draft waters took an unforeseen turn due to the misfiling of paperwork and alleged funds exchanging hands. Childs averaged 21.2 PPG, 9.7 RPG and 2.1 APG last year and will completely change how this BYU team plays.

Utah State Aggies (7-1, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

San Jose State Spartans

Sat, Dec. 7th

Fresno State Bulldogs

Wyoming Cowboys (3-5, 0-0)

 Wed, Dec. 4th 

Air Force Falcons

Sat, Dec. 7th

New Mexico Lobos

Side Note:

Make sure to revisit our top-25 opposing players article before you watch Saturdays game against BYU, as Yoeli Childs makes an appearance in our top five with a review of his own alongside Saint Mary’s guard Jordan Ford who has been tearing up Mountain West teams this season and handed Utah State their first loss of the season this past week.

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College Football Playoff Rankings: Projecting Boise State, Air Force In The Week 15 Top 25

The Broncos seem likely to move up in the new College Football Playoff rankings, but will the Falcons join them? We predict how it’ll look.

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College Football Playoff Rankings: Projecting Boise State, Air Force in the Week 15 Top 25

The Broncos seem likely to move up in the new College Football Playoff rankings, but will the Falcons join them? We predict how it’ll look.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

Will the CFP make it two for the Mountain West?

Championship week is upon us all across the college football landscape, and the Boise State Broncos’ path to the Cotton Bowl is clear: Handle business against Hawaii and hope that Memphis stumbles against Cincinnati in the AAC title game. Simple as that.

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While App State still technically has a chance if both the Tigers and Broncos fall on Saturday, the rest is mostly just window dressing at this point. That doesn’t mean it can’t be a point of pride, however, especially for a team like the Air Force Falcons who, after notching their tenth win of the year, have built a solid case to be a part of the final conversation even if there’s nothing at stake for them.

As always, keep this in mind first: A lot can change in a week and in the CFP era and things have definitely tended to change quite a bit over the course of a month or so.

Here’s a quick recap of the weekend that was and what it might mean.

Who lost?

From the top:

  • #5 Alabama lost on the road to #15 Auburn, 48-45
  • #8 Minnesota lost at home to #12 Wisconsin, 38-17
  • #13 Michigan lost at home to #1 Ohio State, 56-27
  • #19 Cincinnati lost on the road to #18 Memphis, 34-24
  • #21 Oklahoma State lost at home to #7 Oklahoma, 34-16
  • #24 Virginia Tech lost on the road to Virginia, 39-30

If only we’d had more shakeups like this down the stretch. The Cavaliers seem like a good bet to vault into the top 25 after finally winning the Commonwealth Cup for once, even if they’re going to summarily dispatched by Clemson in the ACC title game (still counts!).

By Way of Comparison: How did the rest of the Group of 5 fare?

  • #25 Appalachian State defeated Troy on the road, 48-13
  • SMU defeated Tulane at home, 37-20
  • Navy defeated Houston on the road, 56-41
  • Air Force defeated Wyoming at home, 20-6
  • Louisiana defeated Louisiana-Monroe at home, 31-30

A quick bit of props for the Ragin’ Cajuns, who notched their tenth win of the year but are otherwise a step behind conference mate Appalachian State, since their strength of schedule is exactly the same — 113 for UL, 114 for App State — but, alas, Louisiana has already lost twice. That Sun Belt title game is going to be a fun one, anyway.

SMU, Navy, and Air Force all handled business as expected, but your guess is as good as ours about how the committee will treat the three. The Midshipmen, fairly or unfairly, are probably still a step behind with one fewer win on the resume and Army probably won’t change that much. Meanwhile, the difference in SOS between the Mustangs and Falcons is basically nothing (76 for SMU, 84 for Air Force).

Tale of the Tape: Air Force vs. Navy vs. SMU

It may help to look at the Massey composite rankings in order to make a determination here. How do each team’s wins stack up in terms of how and who they’ve played?

Air Force – Colorado: 69 | San Jose State: 104 | Fresno State: 97 | Hawaii: 48 | Utah State: 55 | Army: 100 | Colorado State: 111 | New Mexico: 123 | Wyoming: 62 | Average: 76.9

Navy – East Carolina: 117 | Air Force: 24 | Tulsa: 81 | USF: 95 | Tulane: 57 | UConn: 125 | SMU: 25 | Houston: 85 | Average: 67.7

SMU – Arkansas State: 73 | North Texas: 116 | Texas State: 120 | TCU: 51 | USF: 95 | Tulsa: 81 | Temple: 46 | Houston: 85 | East Carolina: 117 | Tulane: 57 | Average: 84.1

The Midshipmen definitely have an advantage with this kind of examination, but “10 > 9”, too, so how will the committee split the difference? Navy is also even with SMU by strength of SOS, per Sagarin, and both are a tick ahead of Air Force but (probably) not by enough to really make much of a difference. You could probably throw darts at a board and do just as well as me prognosticating here.

So what do I think the top 25 will look like? Read on.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Air Force Football: Players Cases for All Conference Recognition

10 Wins Meant Great Players There are a lot of Falcons worthy of All Conference Team, but who will make it? Contact/Follow @Sean or @MWCWire With the regular season in the books, I want to take a little time to reflect on the success that the Falcon …

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10 Wins Meant Great Players

There are a lot of Falcons worthy of All Conference Team, but who will make it?

Contact/Follow @Sean or @MWCWire

With the regular season in the books, I want to take a little time to reflect on the success that the Falcon team experienced this season, before we gear up for Bowl season. And for as great of a TEAM as they were this year, I want to focus specifically on what were some special performances by some outstanding football players.

Before Bowl matchups will be announced for 60+ teams in about a week nationally, the Mountain West Conference will recognize the leagues top performers by announcing the ‘All Mountain West Conference Team’. With that, I submit to you, some Air Force Football players worthy of All-Conference Consideration.

All Conference Considers on Offense

DONALD HAMMOND II (First Team All-MWC)

Its easy to become a prisoner of the moment. Donald Hammond has been nothing short of spectacular in the recent weeks, particularly in a performance for the ages against New Mexico. But to point to this small portion of the season would be an injustice to this young man.

Hammond didn’t have anything handed to him, as he had to beat out competition in spring and fall camp to earn the starting spot on the depth chart. Isaiah Sanders has proven to be a capable quarterback, the fact that (injuries aside) Hammond’s performance has kept him off the field is a real testament to just how good he has been.

But take a step back and look at things from 10,000 feet and you can’t help to acknowledge just how special this talent is. Were watching what may be the most dangerous passing quarterback that Air Force has had in some time. And I don’t mean this in a “he’s great for an Academy quarterback” kind of way.

He. Can Ball. Period.

But once you get lost in the gaudy numbers that Hammond has put up throwing the ball, you quickly can forget that he ran for 11 touchdowns on just under 500 yards. He should be acknowledged more nationally as the true dual threat passer that he is.

Geraud Sanders (First or Second Team All-MWC)

Usually when a player leads the country in any significant statistic, they garner more national attention. While that may not be the case for Geraud Sanders, its as unfortunate as the fate defensive backs have met when facing him.

Sanders doesn’t just lead the conference in yards per reception, he leads the country. He is also top five in the conference in touchdown receptions to go with nearly 750 yards receiving.

Like many, I would love to see what this guy could do on a more conventional passing team, just on pure volume of opportunities. Then again, thanks to changes made recently allowing Military Academy Athletes to turn pro, that may come to fruition in a professional capacity.

The Offensive Line (First, Second and Honorable Mention All MWC Team)

The Air Force offense has been very good this year. At just under 35 points per game in an offense that (supposedly) grinds clock limiting team possessions, the Falcons were 3rd in points per game in the Mountain West.

The reason that the Air Force offense was so successful was in large part because it was multiple- and that is a testament to the offensive line. This unit helped pave the way for an offense that finished second in yards per play, only behind Hawai’i, and once again led the conference in rush yards.

One of the easiest ways to point to this groups recognition as one of the best in the country would be its nomination to the Joe Moore Award, which honors the best offensive line unit in the nation.

Parker Ferguson, Nolan Laufenberg, Christopher Mitchell, Connor Vikupitz, Colin Marquez and Scott Hattok were all part of a unit that gave up the least sacks in the country again (4) and each could be found worthy to appear on either of the All-Mountain West Conference Teams. Yes, any of the six.

Timothy (Duval) Jackson/Kadin Remsberg/Ben Waters (All- MWC Honorable Mention)

Something Jackson, Remsberg and Waters all share in common; with more opportunities, all three could be First Team All Conference Players. They have been that caliber.

It’s interesting though, the thing that in one regard prevents these players from getting the recognition they may garner otherwise is the one thing that distinguishes Cadet athletes, a true team first mentality.

Remsberg and Jackson share the backfield and carries regularly with Donald Hammond and Taven Birdow, among others. I mention this particularly because the four of them are all in the top 18 in rushing in the conference, and all have gone for over 500 yards, with the exception of Hammond who falls short of that mark by nine yards.

Another interesting fact of note, this time last year, Ben Waters was a reserve on the secondary of the defense. And had he had enough catches to qualify, he would surplant his fellow pass catcher, Geraud Sanders as tops in the country for yards per reception.

All Conference Considers on Offense

Mosese Fifita (First or Second Team All- MWC)

Thanks to some recent changes around Cadet restrictions on weight, the Military Academies have been able to pursue and leverage some in season heft, they could not do in the past.

For Air Force, this advantage was very apparent this year in their own personal game-wrecker on the inside of the line, Mosese Fifita. The D-Line standout on the Falcon defensive line has collected five sacks on his way to being named to the Polynesian Player of the Year Watch List.

Air force was stout against the run, and their ability to collapse the pocket in the middle was a major reason the defense rebounded so spectacularly this season. This defensive unit now proudly boasts one of the top 25 total defenses in the country.

Jordan Jackson (Second Team or Honorable Mention All- MWC)

Coming into the 2019 season, there were lofty expectations for Jordan Jackson. He earned Second Team All-Conference honors last season as just a sophomore, and was prime for another strong campaign.

If you were to merely look at statistics you may say that he under performed relative to last season, as both sacks and tackles for loss were down this year. These are compelling stats, but I’d be remiss if his two forced fumbles and two batted passes were ignored this year.

I think very notably what you would find in the case for Jackson is that while those statistics may be down, the affect he had on the opposition and his team cannot be ignored. Teams had to gameplan for Jordan Jackson this year, and they did. In doing so, he drew attention that allowed players to Fifita to shine and the both of them ate up multiple blockers so linebacker’s Demonte Meeks and Kyle Johnson could stay clean and make players. This is a case where he made the whole defense that much better.

Demonte Meeks (First or Second Team All- MWC)

The back two levels of a defense will always benefit from strong defensive line play. The Air Force defense was no different this year. One of those players who made the most of their opportunity was Demonte Meeks at the inside linebacker spot. All over the field was Meeks who registered 97 tackles to go with his nine tackles for loss and four quarterback sacks.

A lot went into making this a ressurgent defense, and Meeks is certainly a cornerstone to that improved play. It is very revealing that he garners this attention considering to start the season, he was really in the shadow of highly productive and by many accounts an All- Conference level linebacker in his peer, Kyle Johnson.

Zane Lewis (Second Team All- MWC)

Another regular season in the books and another season that saw Zane Lewis intercept a pass and return it 99 yards for a touchdown. A single data point constitutes not a pattern. We have a trend here, and that is Zane Lewis is a rock solid cover corner.

While he only had one interception, he did take it to the house. In addition, the Falcon corner notched 40 tackles and 14 pass break-ups, good for third most in the MWC. Not since Roland Ladipo has Air Force placed a cornerback on the All Conference Team, but I suspect that trend ends in 2019. A few of those break-ups turned INT’s, and he’s a lock on the first team.

Lewis and his counterpart Tre Buggs III are major reasons why the Falcon pass defense rebounded so nicely. After a dreadful 2018 campaign, the Air Force pass defense finished this year second best in pass yards surrendered, and third in touchdowns. Monumental strides from last year.

Jake Koehnke (Second Team All- MWC)

When a team is complete in all three phases of the game, the results are just what Air Force experienced this year, a successful season. A 10 win campaign does not come easy, and getting guaranteed points every time you enter the red-zone goes a long way. The Falcons got just that from Jake Koehnke.

He may of only kicked 12 field goals this year, hitting on all of them, but you can’t ignore that one of those kicks was 57 yards long. Even dating back to last season, he Koehnke has proven to be a reliable leg, and will be tough to replace next season. If not for a couple of missed extra points, he locks down a first team spot. Lets not forget, this is a Lou Groza Award Finalist as well.

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Week 14 College Football Rankings: Welcome To The Party Air Force

Air Force is ranked for the first time in nearly a decade as it enters both the AP and USA TODAY coaches poll.

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New Mexico Guard Jaquan Lyle Seen in Boot, Status Unknown

Lyle was seen in a boot during the New Mexico Football Game on Saturday

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Lyle’s status is currently unknown at this time

The final Associated Press and USA TODAY’s top 25 rankings are out and there are a pair of Mountain West teams ranked. Boise State moved up to 17 in the coaches poll and up one spot to 19 in the AP poll.

The other team ranked is Air Force which finished the regular season at 10-2 and comes in at 25th in both polls. It has been nearly a decade since the Falcons were last ranked, and 34 years since multiple service academies were ranked at the same time.

The coaches poll also gave votes to both Hawaii and San Diego State.

AP TOP 25

25. Air Force Falcons 10-2 65 (NR)

24. USC Trojans 8-4 157 (25)

23. Navy Midshipmen 9-2 216 (24)

22. Virginia Cavaliers 9-3 231 (23)

21. Cincinnati Bearcats 10-2 237 (18)

20. Appalachian State Mountaineers 11-1 288 (22)

19. Boise State Broncos 11-1 463 (20)

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18. Iowa Hawkeyes 9-3 (19)

17. Michigan Wolverines 9-3 603 (10)

16. Memphis Tigers 11-1 615 (17)

15. Minnesota Golden Gophers 10-2 683 (9)

14. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 10-2 734 (15)

13. Oregon Ducks 10-2 799 (12)

12. Penn State Nittany Lions 10-2 890 (13)

11. Auburn Tigers 9-3 957 (16)

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10. Wisconsin Badgers 10-2 971 (14)

9. Alabama Crimson Tide 10-2 995 (5)

8. Baylor Bears 11-1 1074 (11)

7. Florida Gators 10-2 1135 (8)

6. Oklahoma Sooners 11-1 1257 (7)

5. Utah Utes 11-1 1275 (6)

4. Georgia Bulldogs 11-1 1356 (4)

3. Clemson Tigers 12-0 1437 (3)

2. Ohio State Buckeyes 12-0 1498 (2)

1. LSU Tigers 12-0 1528 (1)

Also Receiving Votes: SMU 50, Oklahoma State 36, Kansas State 36, UCF 6, Virginia Tech 6, Iowa State 5, Arizona State 4, California 3, Washington 2

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Coaches Poll

25. Air Force 10-2 129 (NR)

24. USC Trojans 8-4 171 (25)

23. Navy Midshipmen 9-2 188 (24)

22. Virginia Cavaliers 9-3 192 (NR)

21. Cincinnati Bearcats 10-2 283 (17)

20. Appalachian State Mountaineers 11-1 331 (22)

19. Iowa Hawkeyes 9-3 502 (20)

18. Michigan Wolverines 9-3 542 (11)

17. Boise State Broncos 11-1 558 (19)

16. Memphis Tigers 11-1 630 (18)

15. Minnesota Golden Gophers 10-2 688 (9)

14. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 10-2 776 (15)

13. Oregon Ducks 10-2 878 (13)

12. Auburn Tigers 9-3 897 (16)

11. Penn State Nittany Lions 10-2 946 (12)

10. Wisconsin Badgers 10-2 952 (14)

9. Alabama Crimson Tide 10-2 1068 (5)

8. Baylor Bears 11-1 1117 (10)

7. Florida Gators 10-2 1135(8)

6. Oklahoma Sooners 11-1 1294  (7)

5. Utah Utes 11-1 1326 (6)

4. Georgia Bulldogs 11-1 1394 (4)

3. Clemson Tigers 12-0 1482 (4 1st place votes) (3)

2. Ohio State Buckeyes 12-0 1548 (17 1st place votes) (2)

1. LSU Tigers 12-0 1577 (43 1st place votes) (1)

Also Receiving Votes: SMU 65; Oklahoma State 40; Kansas State 24; UL Lafayette 21; Indiana 14; Hawaii 7; Central Florida 7; Arizona State 6; Tennessee 3; San Diego State 3; Iowa State 3; Virginia Tech 2; Temple 1.

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