Category: Week 0

Mountain West Football: Examining Each Opponent’s Week 0 Depth Chart

What stands out in the depth charts released by Idaho State, Illinois, UConn, New Mexico State, and Vanderbilt ahead of Week 0?

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Mountain West Football: Examining Each Opponent’s Week 0 Depth Chart

What stands out in the depth charts released by Idaho State, Illinois, UConn, New Mexico State, and Vanderbilt ahead of Week 0?

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

What to keep in mind before kickoff.

Idaho State (link to depth chart)

What stands out: The Bengals’ projected starting lineup on offense and defense features 12 different players who are listed as either freshmen or sophomores, as well as each of the six starters listed on special teams.

Why that could be important: Give new ISU head Charlie Ragle some credit, the program isn’t taking any half-measures in building itself back up to respectability. While some familiar names, like former Wyoming quarterback Tyler Vander Waal, center Terron Carey, and linebacker Charles Ike, will bring some much needed veteran leadership, nearly everyone else is in for a crash course through which it seems likely they’ll take a few lumps. For UNLV, it means they should be able to win this game going away if they’re set on making a leap in 2022.

Illinois (link to game notes)

What stands out: Syracuse transfer Tommy DeVito is the likely starter for the Illini at quarterback.

Why that could be important: Illinois hasn’t really had a lot of juice at the game’s most important position since Nate Scheelhaase left in 2013, but DeVito could be the answer that they need at the position and may thrive under the tutelage of new offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr., who helped Frank Harris emerge at UTSA.

It’ll be crucial, then, that Wyoming finds a way to create pressure early and test how well DeVito will be able to stand in and make plays. Running back Chase Brown is likely to get his one way or another, so winning the game may depend on the Cowboys limiting damage through the air.

UConn (link to depth chart)

What stands out: With wide receiver Cameron Ross sidelined for the season with a broken foot, the depth chart at the position features three sophomores.

Why that could be important: The quarterback situation, which new head coach Jim Mora deemed as a competition between “four good players that haven’t played a lot”, will grab more headlines, but whoever emerges from that scrum is going to need reliable targets. Ross, the team’s leading pass catcher back in 2019, was expected to re-establish himself as a potential number one though it appears now that’ll fall again to Keelan Marion, who paced the Huskies in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns last season.

Kevens Clericus, the projected starter opposite Marion, did have 20 catches in 2021 while grad transfer Nigel Fitzgerald did get some playing time himself at Old Dominion. For Utah State’s purposes, it clarifies who the defense is likely to prioritize in shutting down the UConn offense.

New Mexico State (link to depth chart)

What stands out: A couple of familiar names appear in the secondary’s two deep. Former UNLV safety Bryce Jackson is listed as a starter opposite sophomore Dylan Early, while former Colorado State cornerback Linwood Crump is expected to provide some depth.

Why that could be important: The strength of the Aggies defense is at linebacker, but they still gave up far too many big plays in 2021 and that is something about which Nevada is almost certainly familiar. Cornerbacks Syrus Dumas and D.J. McCullough combined for five interceptions last season, but the rest of the defense had five interceptions combined. Don’t be shocked if the Wolf Pack try to test the transfer-reinforced secondary early.

Vanderbilt (link to depth chart)

What stands out: Mike Wright, named as the starting quarterback, will have some young wide receivers to throw to after Will Sheppard in sophomore Quincy Skinner and freshman Jayden McGowan.

Why that could be important: The Commodores aren’t wasting time surrounding their new QB1 with the weapons they’ve deemed most reliable, but neither Skinner nor McGowan have caught a pass at the FBS level yet. That’s not to say both can’t step up and contribute as expected — Skinner was previously part of a state championship team at Florida’s St. Thomas Aquinas while McGowan was a track star and deep threat receiver in his home state of South Carolina — but Hawaii’s veteran-laden secondary will get a decent test right away.

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Idaho State vs. UNLV: Game Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Rebels will host the FCS Bengals to begin their 2022 college football season. Here’s how to tune in and what to watch for.

Idaho State vs. UNLV: Game Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Rebels will host the FCS Bengals to begin their 2022 college football season. Here’s how to tune in and what to watch for.

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

The Rebels look to start the year with a victory.

WEEK 0: Idaho State Bengals vs. UNLV Rebels

WHEN: Saturday, August 27 — 12:30 PM PT/1:30 PM MT

WHERE: Allegiant Stadium; Las Vegas, NV

WEATHER: Sunny, high of 100 degrees (note: game to be played indoors)

TV: CBS Sports Network

STREAMING: Fans can sign up to receive a free one-week trial of Fubo, which includes CBSSN, by following this link.

You can stream the UNLV radio broadcast on The Varsity Network app, which is available for Android and Apple devices.

RADIO: The UNLV broadcast can be found in and around Las Vegas ESPN 1100 AM & 100.9 FM. The Idaho State broadcast can be found in Pocatello on 91.1 FM (KISU).

SERIES RECORD: UNLV leads the all-time series, 6-2.

WEBSITES: ISUBengals.com, the official Idaho State athletics website | UNLVRebels.com, the official UNLV athletics website

GAME NOTES (PDF): Idaho State | UNLV

ODDS: no line

SP+ PROJECTION: UNLV 33.8, Idaho State 11.4

FEI PROJECTION: N/A

PARKER FLEMING PROJECTION: N/A

When UNLV’s 2022 season kicks off in Allegiant Stadium on Saturday afternoon, questions will inevitably include comparisons to its 2-10 campaign in 2021.

That schedule included a double-overtime loss to FCS opponent Eastern Washington that made headlines for all the wrong reasons. A quarterback change, a running game that simply couldn’t compensate for the struggles in the passing game and a defense giving up almost 500 yards left a lot of questions to sort out at the start of a tough season. The Rebels eventually finished the 2021 with two wins in their last four games, eager to build on that late success for this season.

2022 finds the Rebels facing the Idaho State Bengals, and at the risk of calling this a “must-win” game, this could be another FCS team testing a UNLV squad as a gauge for the season ahead.

What kind of offense should we expect? How is the quarterback play? WHO is the quarterback?

At the time of this writing, no starting quarterback has been named, but incoming transfer Harrison Bailey and returning starter Doug Brumfield are at the top of the depth chart. Bailey seemingly represents the potential for more explosive plays downfield; Brumfield is more of a dual-threat quarterback, with the ability to affect the running and passing games.

Coach Marcus Arroyo’s decision on the starter for Saturday will be the first step in forging an identity this season. For an offense that finished 92nd among FBS teams with just over 200 passing yards per game, the Rebels will be looking for a fast start.

What will the run/pass balance look like? 

Against Idaho State, a team that struggled mightily on defense in 2021, the Rebels should be able to move the ball effectively. The depth at wide receiver – including junior Kyle Williams and transfer Ricky White – brings the potential for big plays against the Bengals. Incoming transfer Aidan Robbins, along with returning players Chad Magyar (84 attempts) and Courtney Reese (34), will lead the running game for UNLV and should help set the tempo on offense. After ranking in the bottom half nationally at 4.9 yards per play, expect the Rebels to mix in a variety of plays early on, then stick with what works most effectively against Idaho State.

Mountain West Football: First Look At The Idaho State Bengals

What about the defense? 

If there’s a game the Rebels can show potential in for the season, this is the one. After finishing last in the conference in scoring defense for 2021, the Rebels will need improvement across their front seven. An experienced secondary includes cornerbacks Nohl Williams and Cameron Oliver, potential breakout candidates for 2022, and may lead this defense to start the season, but this defense overall will need to quickly round into form before conference games begin.

Prediction

These two teams won a combined three games in 2021, and both will look for a new start to their respective seasons. Although no lines have been posted at the time of this writing, UNLV is already projected as a 3-touchdown-plus favorite, and are expected to head into their second game vs California at 1-0.

There’s a lot for the Rebels to pull together on offense, and the defense will need to show improvement, but Idaho State is in the midst of their own rebuild with a new head coach. Look for UNLV to possibly struggle at times, but still get the win to open 2022.

UNLV 34, Idaho State 13

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Mountain West Football: Key Newcomers Atop Each Week 0 Depth Chart

The five Mountain West teams playing in Week 0 has new faces atop their respective depth charts. These players could be most crucial.

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Mountain West Football: Key Newcomers Atop Each Week 0 Depth Chart

Each of the five Mountain West teams playing in Week 0 has some new faces atop their respective depth charts. These players could be most crucial.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

Who might be key to a strong start?

Hawaii — Matagi Thompson, S

The Warriors had a lot of personnel turnover early in the off-season and, at least in their first depth chart of the year, seem to have done a goob job replacing those losses with veteran talents who earned starting roles. One exception who stands out is Thompson, the only true freshman listed anywhere atop the two-deep.

Thompson starred at Honolulu’s Punahou School last year and now seems to be the leading edge of the program’s reemphasis on local talent, beating out fellow Punahou alum Noa Kamana among others. If nothing else, it makes him worth keeping an eye on as a potential cornerstone of the future.

Nevada — Bryce Petersen, C

Aaron Frost’s recent injury means that the Union, at least in Week 0, will look totally different from last year’s iteration, but no one will be more important among the newcomers than Petersen. Oddly enough, as Nevada Sports Net’s Chris Murray noted back in May, this is six years in the making.

In that interim, though, Petersen made 30 starts at Akron between 2018 and 2020 before leaving the Zips via the transfer portal in August last year. It wouldn’t be until December that he announced his destination, San Jose State, but he eventually found his way to Reno after re-entering the portal in late April. Now, he’ll be responsible for calling protections in a brand-new Wolf Pack offense.

UNLV — Elijah Shelton, STUD

With Jacoby Windmon’s transfer portal departure to Michigan State and Brennon Scott still on the mend from a spring injury, the task of providing a spark to the Rebels pass rush will fall first and foremost to Shelton, a tall order if there ever was one.

A transfer from Utah who joined the team in April, Shelton didn’t see any action last season with the Utes but did see a handful of starts at his prior stop, Utah State, across 2019 and 2020, and posted double-digit tackles in the Aggies’ Frisco Bowl victory in the former season. If he can prove to be a productive complement to Adam Plant Jr., the UNLV defense could be in very good shape.

Utah State — Kaleo Neves, STRIKER

A veteran of 24 games across the last three seasons, the time to shine is now for Neves. Week 0 won’t be his first career start, as that came against Air Force back in 2020, but he’ll be stepping into the role previously handled by Cash Gilliam and Andre Grayson, among others, and will be counted upon to contribute as part of a unit that played its best ball at the end of 2021 and will strive to keep that rolling.

Wyoming — Shae Suiaunoa, LB

With Easton Gibbs locking down one linebacker spot for the foreseeable future, Suiaunoa appears to be the one in line to be his first primary running mate in the middle of the defense. Primarily a special teams contributor in his first three years with the Cowboys, the former high school quarterback will have big shoes to fill in occupying Gibbs’ former role while Gibbs slides to the middle and replaces Chad Muma. Suiaunoa served as an understudy in 2021, however, and should be as prepared as anyone to step up and hit someone for sixty minutes.

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Week 0 Mountain West Football Betting Lines

Week 0 Mountain West Football Betting Lines First look at who is favored to start the season Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire An appetizer of sorts this week College football is officially back with a starter of sorts for the whole sport, but …

Week 0 Mountain West Football Betting Lines

First look at who is favored to start the season

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

An appetizer of sorts this week

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College football is officially back with a starter of sorts for the whole sport, but for the Mountain West, Week 0 features nearly half of the league.

What we will do every Sunday is take a quick look at the odds to get your week started off right. These lines have been out for a while but now that it is game week we will dive into it.

Later in the week, we will have some select betting stuff for these games for a more detailed and fun look. Here, we will give a quick gut reaction to these lines.

Here are some lines from Circa Sports to get you started.

All lines are as of 8/21/22

Idaho State at UNLV, NL, 3:30 p.m. ET, TV: CBS Sports Network (Watch For Free)

There is no line but UNLV is not safe, even though the Bengals out of the Big Sky were projected to finish tied for last in the coaches poll and last in the media poll.

— First look at Idaho State vs.  UNLV —

With no line, we look at ESPN’s FPI and they have are giving the Rebels a 93% to win this game, and they should. UNLV has been prone to lose a very winnable FCS game. Think back to the Howard loss that was and still might be the largest betting line upset ever, to boot, UNLV lost that game.

Rebel fans should be confident in winning this game, so if you can find a line out there and you really want to put a few bucks on this game take UNLV.

UConn at Utah State – 27.5, 4 p.m. ET, TV: FS1 (Watch For Free)

This is a line and a half and Utah State betting fans likely should take this game. The Huskies are in a big rebuild this year. They lost to Holy Cross last year, brought in the former UCLA and NFL head coach Jim Mora, Jr. to take over for Randy Edsall who basically pulled a Gary Andersen and quit.

— First look at UConn vs. Utah State —

Mora realized he is the warm up game for the Aggies and his defensive coordinator just took a leave of absence.

Utah State has just too much and UConn barely has anything and based on last year results, Aggies fans should be confident in covering.

Wyoming at Illinois -10, 4 p.m. ET, TV: Big Ten Network (Watch for free)

This is an interesting one because Illinois is in the Big Ten and Bret Bielema is heading into his second year, it is still the Illini. That is a dumb blanket statement but them being a 10-point favorite over anyone seems a bit much.

— First look at Wyoming vs. Illinois —

Wyoming did lose a lot in the transfer portal but they also got a good number of P5 players that hopefully can come in and make an impact.

The Cowboy’s defense will need to be on high alert with the pass catching duo of QB Devon Witherspoon to WR Isaiah Williams. Plus, The Illini have a solid ground attack with Chase Brown who had 1,005 yards last year.

Wyoming likely could cover and an outright win is a possibility but going on the road will prove to be difficult.

Nevada at New Mexico State +9, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2 (Watch for free)

This line opened over at just over two touchdowns at 16.5 but it dropped quickly and has settled at nine in favor of Nevada. If you were able to get your hands on that, then you are a likely gal or guy.

Nevada has a new coach in Ken Wilson coming in from Oregon and New Mexico State brought in Jerry Kill. The Wolf Pack lost a lot of talent in the portal when Jay Norvell left for Colorado State but the Aggies have been really bad the past few years.

— First look at Nevada vs. New Mexico State —

Kill is a solid coach and did good things when he was at Central Michigan before health issues forced him to take a step back. Even with a full rebuild in place, be comfortable in taking Nevada to cover, even on the road.

Vanderbilt at Hawaii +6.5, 8:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network (Watch for free)

Just like Nevada, Hawaii has a brand new coach and lost many, many players to the portal and this year will be a rebuilding year for the Warriors. If this wasn’t a Week 0 game it might be spicy to take Hawaii to cover this matchup.

With no prior games and no travel or games in the books for Vanderbilt, they will be fresh, excited, and ready to go.

— First look at Hawaii vs. Vanderbilt —

A few players to watch for Vanderbilt are linebacker Anfernee Orji who led the team with 13 tackles for a loss, QB Mike Wright who some feel could have a breakout year as a dual threat quarterback. He was thrown into action and had five starts and threw for a modest 1,042 yards and rushed for 376 more.

Travel and competition level makes this game ripe for the Warriors to win and pull the upset. There are just so many variables with this team and who is playing with so many new faces, but 6.5 makes it a nice line to go either way. For me, I’m staying away but not to chicken out, my pick would be for Vanderbilt to win but not cover.


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Nevada Football: Wolf Pack Fall Camp Questions

Nevada Football: Wolf Pack Fall Camp Questions Fall Camp has opened for Nevada and there are some questions that need to be answered Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire What Are the Questions Nevada Football Has to Answer During Fall Camp? The …

Nevada Football: Wolf Pack Fall Camp Questions

Fall Camp has opened for Nevada and there are some questions that need to be answered 

Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire

What Are the Questions Nevada Football Has to Answer During Fall Camp?

The Nevada Wolf Pack opened fall camp on Wednesday of last week and that means that the start of the 2022 season is almost here. It’s time to get excited people because football is almost back. 

This fall football camp for Nevada is the first under new Wolf Pack head coach Ken Wilson and the head coaching position is not the only thing that is new for Nevada. The Wolf Pack will be welcoming in new faces at numerous key positions and this season will be one of a lot of changes in Reno.

With the new faces, there are several questions that the Wolf Pack will have to answer before their Week 0 games against New Mexico State on August 27th. And this article will dive into those questions that Nevada will  try to answer before their contest against the Aggies of New Mexico State.

 

Here are some of the questions that Nevada football must deal with before the start of the new season.

 

Who is going to be QB#1 for Nevada?

Carson Strong put up some impressive passing numbers in his final two seasons at quarterback for Nevada. Strong threw for 63 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions while completing around 70 percent of his passess in his final two seasons in Reno.  Strong’s performance was so great that he won back-to-back Mountain West offensive player of the year in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

Now Strong is with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles and the person who will be the starting QB for Nevada is a mystery. 

Nate Cox, the fifth-year senior from Lafayette, Louisiana, appeared to be the favorite to be the starter at quarterback for Nevada as he led the team through spring practices. However, Cox was arrested in June for driving under the influence. Wolf Pack head coach Ken Wilson has not said if Cox will be suspended due to the DUI charge so we will wait and see if that happens.

Should Cox be suspended for the DUI charge, there are some options that Wilson and the Wolf Pack can turn to at quarterback. Former Oklahoma State quarterback Shane Illingsworth can step in to either replace Cox at quarterback should Cox be suspended or even overtake Cox as starting quarterback. Illingsworth has a few years of experience at starting quarterback playing in and starting in a few games for the Cowboys out of the Big 12 conference .

After Illingsworth, the rest of the quarterbacks Nevada has on its roster lack playing experience at the FBS level. Jake Barlage is a JUCO product from Riverside, CA who has not thrown a pass since 2019 at Riverside Community College and AJ Bianco is a true freshman from Honolulu, Hawaii. 

All signs point to a showdown during Fall camp between Nate Cox (Who is the tallest QB in FBS at six-foot-nine by the way . Be ready to hear that alot this season) and Shane Illingsworth for the starting QB job for Nevada. The winner will have the arduous task of replacing one of the most productive quarterbacks in Nevada football history. 

To quote the bad guy who took Liam Nesson’s daughter in the movie Taken: “Good Luck”.

 

Who is going to step up at wide receiver outside of Jamaal Bell?

For those who have been hiding under a rock or stopped paying attention to college football after the regular season finale last year, former Wolf Pack head coach Jay Norvell left to take the head coaching job at Colorado State. 

Norvell wasn’t the only one who left Reno for Fort Collins, 14 players including a bunch of assistant coaches all left Reno to work for Norvell at CSU. Of those 14 players that left Nevada to play for Colorado State,two of them were wide receivers. Melquan Stovall and Tory Horton are with Norvell at Colorado State while Justin Lockhart and Elijah Cooks transferred to San Jose State.

Those transfers combined with Romeo Doubs and tight end Cole Turner departing Reno for the NFL and Nevada has lost six of its top seven pass catchers from 2022. I am going out on a limb here and say that is a big problem for the Wolf Pack.

So who is going to catch the ball for Nevada in 2022? Well, Jamaal Bell is the Wolf Pack’s top returning receiver with all of 14 catches in 2021. But after Bell, the options for Nevada at wide receiver (and tight end) are unknown entities. 

The Wolf Pack did go to the transfer portal and brought  in players at wide receiver that can contribute this season. BJ Casteel, a former Arizona Wildcat, could step up and start for the Wolf Pack this season. Casteel did catch 33 passes for 386 yards in his final season for Arizona in 2021 so that experience and production could be something to hopefully bolster the Wolf Pack receiver unit

Other wide receivers that transferred to Nevada and are looking to make an impact are Illinois transfer Dalevon Campbell and Oregon transfer Spencer Curtis. Both Campbell and Curtis could see a whole lot of playing time this season and keep an eye out for Victor Snow, the five-foot-eight wide receiver from Webster, New York had a pretty good spring game and could possibly find himself getting serious playing time at wide receiver. 

On the tight end front, it’ll be a huge task to replace Cole Turner’s production and it’ll be up to guys like Carlton Brown III, Jacob Munro and Oregon transfer Cooper Shults to at the very least contribute at the tight end position because like the wide receiver unit, Nevada has a whole lot of unknowns that they need to figure out soon.

 

Who is going to join Aaron Frost on the offensive line ?

Last year, Nevada’s offensive line was abysmal and that may be putting it kindly. The Wolf Pack offensive line was responsible for a low rushing yards per attempt output at 3.0 yards per attempt. The Wolf Pack offensive line also gave up 43 sacks which was a school record. 

The Wolf Pack only have one offensive lineman who played full time in 2021 and his name is Aaron Frost. Frost is a two-time All-MW selection and he will be the leader for the offensive line this season as the Wolf Pack try to reestablish “The Union”.

Two things that could help Nevada’s offensive line bounce back from a dismal 2021 season. First, Coach Wilson’s emphasis on running the ball should help an offensive line that at times last season couldn’t protect a cold cup of coffee let alone Carson Strong who was coming off a knee surgery during last offseason. 

The second thing that could help the Wolf Pack on the offensive line is the new additions coming to Reno via the transfer portal. Nevada brought in offensive linemen such as Joey Capra (San Diego State), Kai Arenson (Oregon) and Cole Feinauer (Colorado State) to help shore up the offensive line and any one of these lineman can start or add depth to Nevada’s offensive line. 

The goal for the Wolf Pack during camp must be to find four lineman to start alongside Aaron Frost and find the depth needed should injuries affect Nevada this season.

 

Who is going to help out Dom Peterson on the defensive line?

Like the wide receiver unit, the Wolf Pack will have to replace a lot of production from last year’s team. Sam Hammond, Tristan Nichols, Kam Toomer, Dan Grzesiak, Jack Powers and Zak Mahannah are no longer with the Wolf Pack.

Last season, Hammond, Nichols,, Toomer, Grzesiak, Powers and Mahannah combined for 27.5 sacks and 36.5 tackles for loss. That is a whole lot of defensive production no longer in Reno. And now the Wolf Pack will have to start over on the defensive line. 

The only holdover from last year’s defensive line is Dom Peterson, who was named to the Bednarik Award watchlist for the top defensive player in the nation. Peterson has been  very productive throughout his Wolf Pack career but this season, Nevada will need him to be at his best as their are some talented but unproven players looking to be apart of Nevada’s new defensive line.

The Wolf Pack are hoping that returning players like Christopher Love and Aaron Overton Jr.,  can step up to bigger roles this season on the defensive line. Also, the Wolf Pack went to the transfer portal to search for some defensive line help and they were able to bring in guys like William Green (Liberty), Louie Cresto (Oregon) and James Hansen (Utah State) to contribute on the defensive line this season.

 

Who will replace Julian Diaz as Nevada’s punter?

Another position that Nevada is looking to replace a talented player who is not on the roster anymore is at the punter position.

Julian Diaz set a school record in punting by averaging 45.3 yards per attempt. While Diaz was no Ryan Stonehouse or Matt Araiza, Diaz’s punting did help the Wolf Pack when it came to field position last year. Now Diaz is gone and Nevada has opened up fall camp with uncertainty at punter.

Fifth-year senior Matt Freem did a little punting during spring practices so odds are he may get to compete for the punting job during camp. Nevada did recruit Harry Webster who is a punter from Australia so look for him to compete for the punting job against Freem. 

The Wolf Pack are a team that is rebuilding on both sides of the ball so a strong punting game to go along with the talented leg of kicker Brandon Talton, who was named to the Lou Groza Award watch list for the nation’s best plackicker, would be a big boost to Nevada’s chances of winning some games in 2022.  

 

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Identifying Hawaii’s Week 0 Quarterback

Identifying who will be Hawaii’s starter Week 0 vs. Vanderbilt

First-year head coach Timmy Chang has a big decision looming

The Rainbow Warriors open the season vs. Vanderbilt on August 27

Contact/Follow @AddisonDehaven3 & @MWCwire

Question mark at quarterback

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Last winter, the University of Hawaii football program experienced a mass exodus. Following allegations of former head coach Todd Graham’s verbal abuse and subsequent resignation, nearly 20 student-athletes from Hawaii’s program transferred off the island. Among them: Chevan Cordeiro, Hawaii’s 2021 starting quarterback, who left for San Jose State.

Hawaii’s fall camp opened on July 27, here’s what head coach Timmy Chang had to say about the ongoing quarterback situation:

“As far as quarterback and even the other positions, we recruited all the way until July and so getting these guys in and letting them be able to compete as far as quarterback and some of these other positions—we are not set in stone until we watch these guys compete for about two weeks and we’ll flip into our Vanderbilt game plan,” Chang said to KHON2. “But they got to go out there and compete. There’s six on the roster and all of them can throw. They all do things a little bit different but at the end of the day it’s the guy that distributes the ball and makes the best decisions. That’s the guy that’s going to get the nod.”

With Chang at the helm and Ian Shoemaker, former offensive coordinator at Eastern Washington, guiding the offense, the Rainbow Warriors are expected to return to their “run ‘n’ shoot” style offensive roots which means that solid quarterback play will be at a premium if Hawaii wants to exceed their preseason projections in the West Division. Here’s a rundown of Chang’s options to replace Corderio under center:

The returning guy

Brayden Schager —The Texas native is the only guy on the roster who has played a down at quarterback for Hawaii. The second-year Schager was primarily Corderio’s backup most of last year but did see action in six games, including three starts. Schager’s most memorable moment from 2021 has to be when he lead Hawaii to a fourth quarter comeback over nationally-ranked Fresno State. He finished the season with a 2-1 record as a starter, throwing for 615 yards and two touchdowns while completing 60.1% of his passes.

At Mountain West Media Day, Schager was the first name out of Chang’s mouth when asked about who will fill Corderio’s shoes. While Chang has repeatedly said that the fall camp will see an open quarterback competition, Schager surely has to have somewhat of an edge on the others considering his experience from the previous season.

The transfers

Joey Yellen —The two-time transfer Yellen has sat behind two solid college football quarterbacks at his previous two stops, Arizona State and Pittsburgh. At Arizona St., Yellen backed-up Jayden Daniels, currently the projected starter at Louisiana State University. During his one start in 2019, Yellen threw for four touchdowns and 292 yards in a loss to the University of Southern California. The former four star recruit then transferred to Pitt where he sat behind Kenny Pickett, the first-round draft choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers this year.

At Pitt, Yellen played in four games—all in 2020—where he threw for 402 yards, one touchdown and three picks while completing 45% of his passes.

The California native committed to Hawaii this spring—after Chang had been hired—which means that Chang likely had a hand in getting Yellen to the island. Of the quarterbacks on the roster, Yellen may be the biggest unknown, having not played significant time since the COVID riddled 2020 season. Still, considering Chang had a hand in bringing him to Hawaii, there must be some potential that Yellen could land the starting job come late August.

Cammon Cooper — The Washington State transfer came into the program at an interesting time. He committed in January, after many student-athletes had already hopped in the transfer portal but before Graham had resigned later that month. In a Jan. interview with WarriorSportsNetwork.com, Cooper explained that Graham played a significant role in bringing him to the island.

“I know there’s guys obviously still on the team that have played before too,” Cooper told WarriorSportsNetwork.com. “But with Chevan leaving, there wasn’t really a better place in the country with an opportunity to compete like there is at Hawaii right now.”

The former four star recruit never saw much significant time at Washington St., spending much of his time there in a backup role. Still, the Utah native has plenty of arm talent and could fit nicely in Chang’s expected run ‘n’ shoot offense.

“I think being able to go through my reads and progressions like a pro-style quarterback is really good. I obviously went to Wazzu wanting to be in an air raid and I know Hawaii throws the ball around a bunch,” Cooper said to WarriorSportsNetwork. “The last two years I’ve been running the ball a lot more. I can make a play if I need to and extend plays with my legs which I think will help out the offense.”

Cooper enrolled at Hawaii last spring and went through spring ball with Chang and the rest of the Rainbow Warriors. He should be firmly in the mix for the starting role.

The wildcards

Hawaii has three other quarterbacks listed on the roster, all of whom are relative unknowns.

Jake Farrell — The listed sophomore from Scottsdale, Arizona has good size at 6-5/220 and has been with the program for two full seasons. Farrell spent 2021 season as a scout team member.

Connor Apo — This native Hawaiian went to the same high school as Chang—Saint Louis School—and is entering his second year in the program, having spent the last season as a member of the scout team. At Saint Louis, Apo backed up Corderio and Washington St.’s Jayden de Laura.

Armani Edden — Another scout team member from 2021, Edden transferred from College of the Canyons and Antelope Valley College. Now a senior, he has been with the team since 2020 but has not appeared in any games.

Prediction — Judging by Chang’s comments, the quarterback competition is fairly open but a decision on the starter will be made after the first two weeks of camp. Considering the available options, I would venture a guess that Chang will likely turn to Schager to open the season but I wouldn’t be surprised if Cooper made a serious to push to start after he becomes more comfortable with the offense.

 


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UNLV, TCU Week 0 Is A Possibility At Allegiant Stadium

UNLV could be swapping one Power 5 opponent for another as TCU could be coming to Las Vegas on Aug. 29.

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UNLV, TCU Week 0 Possibility At Allegiant Stadium

Former Mountain West foes to meet up?

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Rebs vs. Horned Frogs happening?

There are plenty of college teams scrambling for games with the Big Ten and Pac-12 going to league only games plus other FCS leagues postponing or canceling its seasons outright.

This has left multiples holes in UNLV’s schedule and there is now a report out of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is more than optimistic with the Rebels swapping out Cal for a potential game against TCU.

The school has yet to sign a formal contract and has not announced an opponent. However, sources said there is a growing belief that, assuming football is played this fall and Big 12 schools can play non-conference opponents, TCU will open its season at UNLV on Aug. 29. UNLV was scheduled to face Cal on Aug. 29, the week before the TCU-Cal game in Berkeley, California.

If TCU and UNLV play, the game would be at Las Vegas’ new Allegiant Stadium. Allegiant Stadium will host home games for UNLV and the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders.

A final decision on the TCU-UNLV game could come as early as this week.

This would be a huge get for the Rebels and not only because they get another game on its schedule but that it is a Power 5 team and at home in the shiny new Allegiant Stadium.

If this game does happen it would put UNLV at 11 games this year with only the Sept. 12 date as open. That was the week Arizona State was to come to Las Vegas.

These two teams were both members of the Mountain West from 2005-11 and those years saw the Horned Frogs win every game against the Rebels. The last win for UNLV over TCU was a narrow 21-19 win in 1997.

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First Look: Hawaii vs. Arizona Game Preview

Hawaii takes on Arizona in Week 0 of this year and on the road. Find out who this Wildcats team is.

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First Look: Hawaii vs. Arizona

Warriors open up against the Wildcats in Week 0.

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Hawaii is back at it in Week 0

Hopefully, the 2020 game can be as exciting as last year’s game that came down to the final play in a Hawaii win. This time the game is on the road and the Warriors have a new head coach with Nick Rolovich heading to Washington State and Todd Graham taking over on the islands.

Location: Tucson, Arizona

Mascot: Arizona Stadium

Conference: Pac-12

2019 Record: 4-8

Arizona head coach Kevin Sumlin is squarely on the hot seat with a 9-15 record in two years in Tucson and a third losing season very likely could have him looking for a new job. He did good things at Texas A&M and there have been some signs of his offense doing well at Arizona but not enough to take advantage of the talent he has.

Offensive players to watch:

This offense did move the ball well overall last year and ended up finishing third in the Pac-12 in total offense, passing, and rushing, but they were not able to convert that offense into touchdowns. In league play, they had four times where they failed to score more than 14 points.

Quarterback Khalil Tate was either good or bad, so not having him around could lead to some more consistency in the Wildcats offense. Sumlin tried to play two quarterbacks in the second half of 2019 but that failed miserably with the scoring seemingly decreasing every week.

The quarterback should be Grant Gunnell‘s job and all to himself. He played in eight games and was part of two wins. His most impressive game was against UCLA in which he completed 29 of 44 passes for 352 yards and a touchdown. For the season, he completed 65.2 percent of his passes and had just one interception in 155 attempts, so clearly, he is an accurate thrower.

The receiving group is loaded with nine of their top 10 pass-catcher back and that includes Jamarye Joiner who caught 34 passes for 552 yards and five scores as a freshman. The passing game should take a step forward.[lawrence-related id=24822]

In the ground game, they do lose J.J. Taylor who led the team running the ball for 721 yards. Plus, there is Tate’s loss in rushing game production with his 413 yards. Stepping in to be the top back is Gary Brightwell who was third in rushing last year with 390 yards and tied for the team in rushing touchdowns at five. Having four of the five starting offensive linemen back from last year should be a plus.

Defensive players to watch:

The defense has been a real struggle as they allowed 35.8 points per game last year and that was dead last in the Pac-12 and 118th in all of FBS. To fix this defense is new defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads.

He is familiar with the Pac-12 South and Arizona as he was leading the UCLA secondary over the past two years. The Bruins overall defense was not that much better than the Wildcats and in the passing game, UCLA was dead last in the Pac-12 in interceptions, yards per game allowed, quarterback rating, and allowed the most passing touchdowns.

That makes this hire seem questionable for Arizona. Rhoads was a head coach at Iowa State for six years from 2009-15, so maybe that leadership is why Sumling brought him in.

Expect the leader and best player on this defense to be Colin Schooler. He had 98 tackles and is expected to be in contention for an all-conference slot. They do bring back a lot of the front seven that includes Tony Field, Anthony Pandy, and Jalen Harris.

Harris has some potential as he had four sacks last year but overall there was little to no pass rush for this defense. That is an area to watch because Hawaii is likely to throw a lot and if there is time to throw look for the Warriors offense to shred the Arizona secondary.

With that pass rush being so bad, it made the secondary look worse than they really were. Arizona does return Lorenzo Burns who led the team with four interceptions, and Scottie Young is back to take over one of the safety spots.

Overall:

This Arizona team will struggle in the Pac-12 and likely finish near the bottom of the South division in the Pac-12. They are replacing a lot of talent on offense and they have a really bad defense as well. There are some areas where this team could improve and it begins with playing just one quarterback and having a new face in charge of the defense.

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First Look: New Mexico vs. Idaho State

Get your first look at Idaho State who takes on New Mexico in Week 1.

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First Look: New Mexico vs. Idaho State

Lobos take on the Bengals in Week 0

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Danny Gonzales-era begins

An early preview of the UNM Lobos matchup against Big Sky opponent Idaho State Bengals

Team: Idaho State 

Conference: Big Sky

2019 Result: 3-9

Head Coach: Rob Phenicie

On August 29, the Danny Gonzales era begins as the Lobos battle the Bengals from Idaho State at DreamStyle Stadium in Albuquerque for the first game of the year.

With the summer months upon us and the whole world talking about the COVID-19 virus, it’s nice to even be able to talk about college football being played this year.

The Bengals from Idaho State come into the Land of Enchantment to take on Lobos in the high altitude of Albuquerque at 5000 feet above sea level. 

The Lobos under former Head Coach Bob Davie finished 2-10 last year, concluding with a nine-game skid before Athletic Director Eddie Nunez and Bob Davie mutually agreed to part ways.

Eddie Nunez: “I’m appreciative of the work that coach Davie has done at UNM.” Davie has a career record of 35-63 in eight seasons with the program. He led the Lobos to a 7-6 record and appearance in the New Mexico Bowl in 2014 and followed it up with a 9-4 campaign and a win in the New Mexico Bowl the following season.

Nunez then pursued and hired Defensive Coordinator Danny Gonzales from Arizona State, where he was on staff with former NFL head coaches Herm Edwards and Marvin Lewis. 

Gonzales who has been offered other head coaching jobs made it very clear he was not interested in any head coaching job as he was quite happy at ASU with Coach Herm Edwards. 

The only head coaching job he would consider would be his alma mater in New Mexico, but only if they pursued him, as he was not looking as he was very happy at Arizona State. 

Athletic Director Eddie Nunez really got a two for one with the hire of young and bright Danny Gonzales. Then, Rocky Long, who is known for super aggressive and physical defenses, it should bode well for the Lobos on the gridiron. 

The Idaho State Bengals are a good team for the Lobos to start the season off before heading on the road for two very challenging teams back to back, in the USC Trojans and Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Idaho State game should be one to allow the Lobos to get things worked out and have success before those two Power Five opponents.

The Bengals are picked by Street & Smith’s College football to finish dead last in the Big Sky Conference in their preseason magazine and have the fewest starters of any team in the conference. 

What they do have is returning Quarterback Matt Struck, who passed for an impressive 2,334 yards for the Bengals. He could be challenged by Wyoming Cowboy transfer Tyler VanderWaal. He is a 6’4, 220Lb Quarterback from Elk Grove Calif.

With New Mexico, Danny Gonzales inherits over 30 seniors on the roster for this year’s Lobo football team, many have with game experience, and that should really help them. 

Then you factor a Rocky Long who without question is one of the top defensive minds in college football and runs the 3-3-5 better than most teams. 

The Lobos should dramatically improve on defense under Long from last year’s Lobos, who gave up an average of 37.2 points per game. One of the biggest question marks right now would be the Quarterback of the Lobos for OC Warehime.

Sophomore QB Trae Hall is listed as the tentative starter, but it should be a dogfight with Junior Tevaka Tuioti and Brandt Hughes. 

Offensive Coordinator Derek Warehime was also an excellent hire for Danny Gonzales as Warehime.

Derek Warehime was a big reason for a very productive era of a big-play offense under former Offensive Coordinator Bob Debesse when both were part of the Lobo coaching staff with Bob Davie. 

Gonzales has gone on record saying that the Warehime be a head coach one day and feels fortunate to have hired him and bring him on staff. 

There is no doubt that all NCAA Football teams with limited reps, limited workouts, and limited practice will look a little rusty after dealing with the COVID Virus. 

The Lobos have some very good talent this year with nine players named to the Athlon Sports Preseason All-Mountain West team, with four players earning the nod on offense, two on defense, and a league-leading three on special teams.

So, you have some players like TE Marcus Williams salivating under this spread offense under Warehime, he can light up as a TE or Split receiver. He should have a very good year under this offense. 

They have some speedy receivers as well with Elijah Lilly as one of the speed burners for the offense. 

The Lobos have some good talent at running back and Bryce Carroll comes to mind as very explosive back with quickness to take it to the house given the opportunity. 

Shoring up the offensive line is Teton Saltes and Kyle Stapley and on defense, Jacobi Hearn at the Linebacker spot and cornerback Donte Martin are solid defenders for the Lobos. 

The Lobo without a doubt come into the season with one of the best punters in the nation with Tyson Dyer averaging 46.1 yards per punt and long of 63 yards Ray Guy Award semifinalist 

So the bottom line is that this should be a fun team to not only watch, they should be able to surprise a few teams with the coaching staff and the upperclassman for this years team. 

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