Category: Week 1

Boise State vs. Washington: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Broncos head to Seattle for the weekend’s biggest Mountain West football game. Here’s how to watch and what to watch for.

Boise State vs. Washington: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Broncos head to Seattle for the weekend’s biggest Mountain West football game. Here’s how to watch and what to watch for.

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Is a vintage Broncos upset in the works?

WEEK 1: Boise State Broncos vs. Washington Huskies

WHEN: Saturday, September 2 — 12:30 PM PT/1:30 PM MT

WHERE: Husky Stadium; Seattle, WA

WEATHER: Mostly sunny, high of 83 degrees

TV: ABC

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

RADIO: The Boise State broadcast can be found on the affiliates of the Bronco Sports Network, including flagship 670 AM (KBOI) in Boise. The Washington broadcast can be found on the affiliates of the Washington Sports Network, including flagship 93.3 FM (KJR).

SERIES RECORD: Washington leads the all-time series, 3-2. In the last meeting on December 21, 2019, the Huskies defeated the Broncos, 38-7, in that year’s Las Vegas Bowl.

LAST GAME: Boise State defeated North Texas in the Frisco Bowl, 35-32, while Washington defeated Texas, 27-20, in the Alamo Bowl.

WEBSITES: BroncoSports.com, the official Boise State athletics website | GoHuskies.com, the official Washington athletics website

GAME NOTES (PDF): Fresno State | Washington

ODDS: Washington -14

SP+ PROJECTION: Washington by 13.8 (79% win probability)

FEI PROJECTION: Washington by 8.1

PARKER FLEMING PROJECTION: Washington 59.98% win probability (35.31-27.46)

The highly anticipated football season is just around the corner, and the Broncos are traveling to Seattle to play the Washington Huskies. Boise State is no stranger to opening games on the road, and this year’s matchup against the Huskies will mark their fourth time doing so in the last five years. The Broncos have faced Power 5 opponents in their previous two road openers, and they will be looking to make a statement against the tenth-ranked Huskies.

Three Keys to a Boise State State Victory

1.Control the air.

Washington had a potent passing attack last season and are returning most of their talent in quarterback Michael Penix Jr., along with their top five receivers from 2022. Receivers Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan lead the way as both had over 1,000 yards receiving while combining for 16 touchdowns. The Broncos struggled with allowing deep plays last year and lost a lot of their experience in their secondary. Cornerback Markel Reed being healthy will help — he earned the starting job last year, as well, before a season-ending injury — and so will the experience of safety Alexander Teubner, who has 18 career starts, but newcomers must step up.

On the flip side, the Broncos need quarterback Taylen Green to progress as a passer to keep the Huskies from loading up against the running game. His mobility will keep plays alive and as dangerous as the run game is, the big play potential is there to allow the Broncos to keep pace with the Huskies.

2. Control the clock.

Washington can score quickly with their passing game and will likely lean into that with missing almost all of their rushing production from last year. The Broncos have a lot of versatility with the trio of Green and running backs George Holani and Ashton Jeanty. Boise State can wear down the Huskies by running the ball and capitalize on shortening the game now that the clock does not stop after a first down. This will also give time for the Broncos defense to rest and allow them to stay in the game.

3. Control the crowd.

The teams have split their matchups in the Las Vegas Bowl, but the home team has won the three other meetings. Last year, Washington had over 56,000 fans show up for their games against Kent State and FCS Portland State, as well as over 68,000 against Michigan State. With as well as Boise State travels, this crowd will likely be 60,000-plus and will be ready to back the Huskies. If the Broncos can run the ball consistently to control the clock, hit the big plays, and keep the Huskies passing game mostly in check, they should be able to lessen the effects of the crowd.

Prediction

Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer lost his only match-up against Boise State when he was at Fresno State before taking over in Seattle, but DeBoer will have a much better roster for this game. The running game will be critical for the offense, and limiting the big plays will be essential for the defense. It’s doubtful there is a way to stop the Husky offense completely, but making them take 8-10 plays to get down the field, as opposed to 3-4, will help keep the Broncos in the game. Boise State has historically been able to win this type of game, with the key term being historically, and the Broncos have the opportunity to be the grinding upset team that got them on the map in the first place. With that, they will cover the spread and come away with the win in a close game.

Boise State 32, Washington 27

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=645997029]

[protected-iframe id=”f7652191f99ba13728097498e8a79cd8-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/show/48681pqFq0kB9dhrtPPoNd” width=”100%” height=”232″ frameborder=”0″]

New Mexico vs. Texas A&M: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

New Mexico vs. Texas A&M: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction Lobos have a tough one this week Contact/Follow @MWCwire It is a payday game The Lobos will hit the road to open 2023 in SEC country against the Texas A&M Aggies in College …

New Mexico vs. Texas A&M: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

Lobos have a tough one this week

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

It is a payday game

[mm-video type=playlist id=01g1kx1m9c8rz2mjgq player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The Lobos will hit the road to open 2023 in SEC country against the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station.

Location: College Station, Texas

Conference: SEC

Series History: Texas A&M leads the all-time series against New Mexico, 5-0.

2022 Record: 5-7 (2-6 SEC)

Head Coach: 

Game: New Mexico Lobos vs. Texas A&M Aggies

Date: Saturday, September 2, 2023

Location: Kyle Field in College Station, TX

TV: ESPN

STREAMING: ESPN+ or FuboTV with a free trial

Series History: Texas A&M leads the all-time series against New Mexico 5-0

Odds/Point Spread: Aggies (-37)

Total/Over-Under: 49.5

The UNM Lobos under Danny Gonzales is in its fourth year, and the Lobos are headed to College Station, Texas, to take on SEC opponent Texas A&M on September 2 at 5:00.

The Texas A&M Aggies (5-7 last year) welcome the New Mexico Lobos (2-10 last season) at Kyle Field on Saturday, September 2, 2023. New Mexico opens as 37-point dogs. The total has been set at 49.5.

They will play in front of a national audience on ESPN+. 

The Texas A&M Aggies enter their sixth year under head coach Jimbo Fisher. Last year, the Aggies had a very underwhelming season, to say the least, finishing at 5-7 and 2-6 in the very tough South East Conference. 

Fisher added Bobby Petrino to add punch to this Aggie offense, which was ranked just 101 in FBS offensive scoring last year. 

Lobo Coach Danny Gonzales, who went all in on the transfer portal this year with over 41 transfers coming to New Mexico, says it’s an entirely different team than last year’s team from top to bottom. 

“We’ve adjusted our model to have more kids that can compete right now instead of developing them over four years,” he said. “I said at the very beginning that we’re going to get to a conference championship, and you might have to deviate and adjust along the way. “Well, we made a big adjustment.”

He made some decisions, starting with hiring a proven strength coach from SDSU, Derek Baker. When watching them during spring practice, it’s evident that the Lobos are a much more physically strong team. 

One big hire for him was a proven Offensive Coordinator from UAB, Bryant Vincent, running a variation of the zone read. 

NM’s OC Bryant Vincent said the Blazers ran outside the zone — a zone-blocking scheme built on lateral displacement to open gaps for running backs — on and off for a couple of years.

Along with Coach Bryant came one heck of a quarterback, Dylan Hopkins. 

The 2022 Blazers scored 30.1 points per game and ranked 33rd in total offense at 438.2 yards per game, a figure that would rank eighth in Lobo history over 124 seasons. 

Hopkins enters the Mountain West Conference with the second most starts at 25 and has won 19 of those games; this kid is legit. 

Another big hire was the Offensive Line Coach, who came from UAB, and Cam Blankenship, who showed during spring ball. 

Cam is no BS. He is the kind of coach who lets the players know when they blow it assignment-wise and what he expects from them. An old-school, high-intensity coach. 

UAB this past season totaled 5,697 yards of offense. 

The Blazers ranked in the top five in scoring offense within Conference USA in five of his six seasons with the program as offensive coordinator. In his time at UAB, the offense broke over 20 school records.

This Lobo offense lost five receivers from last year’s squad. Still, it gained eight, some of the more notable ones being Jeremiah Hixon from Alabama State, Ryan Davis from UAB, and a trio of TCU transfers.

One wide receiver that will really help take a lot of pressure off Lobo star receiver Luke Wysong is 6-5 JD Washington, who in 30 games caught 107 passes for 2,027 yards and 24 touchdowns, with a long of 69 yards … last year, he caught 54 passes for 863 yards and ten touchdowns.

A trio of TCU transfers, Caleb Medford (wide receiver), Perkin McAllister (cornerback), and Marvin Covington (safety).  

The pressure figures to be as intense as ever in west Texas, but the Aggies will look to turn over a new leaf, much like their first opponent of 2023, the New Mexico Lobos.

Last year’s loss by the Aggies to the Mountaineers from Appalachian State gave the Lobos a recipe for getting this upset there in College Station.

Limit the time of possession for the Aggies offense: The Mountaineers outgained A&M 305-186 and had 22 first downs to just nine by the Aggies, and they controlled time of possession, too, holding a 41:29 to 18:31 advantage.

Watch for the Aggies to try to get a fast start against this Lobo 3-3-5 defense coached by Defensive Coordinator Troy Reffett and Danny Gonzales. 

The Aggies’ last three years’ slow starts have cost them against Appalachian State, Vanderbilt, and Colorado, playing down to the level of the team they played against. 

So it will get hot and heavy for the Lobo Defense right off the bat, so watch for this as the key to this game; the Aggies will want to start strong and pull off the gas later in the game, as I see it. 

Can the Aggies stop the run game against a big New Mexico offensive line averaging over 300 coached by former UAB coach Cam Blankenship? 

The run game is one of the areas that the Aggies have struggled with, so that will be something to watch for. 

The Lobos are loaded at running back, more than this writer, who has covered the Lobos for over 20-plus years.  

Look for Jacory Croskey-Merritt to start for the Lobos; he turned heads during spring back and rushed for over 1,164 yards and 13 TDs at Alabama State. 

Behind him is First team all MWC kickoff returner Christian Washington, Dorian Lewis, Sherod White, ULM transfer Andrew Henry, and Zach Vigil. 

Head Aggie Coach Jimbo Fisher knows what to expect when playing this very aggressive 3-3-5 scheme that former Lobo head coach and DC Rocky Long perfected. 

“This bunch will twist, blitz, come from every angle known to man. They do a great job up front with their creating packages and really challenging the offensive line,” he said Monday at his presser. 

After talking to many of the Lobos who were coached on this defense under Rocky Long and Danny Gonzales, Gonzales is more aggressive than some of his calls. 

Regarding the Lobos’ defense, they need to STS, if you will. “Stop the Studs” 

 In Bobby Petrino’s offense, A&M will look to give its most dangerous weapons the ball. 

“We talk about offensive philosophy, and I always say ‘FTS,’ which is to feed the studs,” Petrino said. “The quarterbacks and the coaches need to understand how we get the ball to our best guys.”

So under New Mexico DC Troy Reffitt, the goal is to shut down the playmakers for the Aggies, get pressure on QB Conner Weigman, and shut down long, serious threats. 

The Aggies have too many weapons for the Lobos, so the defense will have to step up their game against this very big, powerful SEC conference opponent. 

This is one of those games where if the Aggies don’t blow out the Lobos by at least 37, it won’t be a good look going into conference play. 

The Lobos are in a win-win situation with any offense, say 21 points, and hold the Aggies to less than 37; they have something to build on and a $1.6 million dollar paycheck. 

Now that being said, it would be demoralizing to get blown out on both sides of the ball going into the season. 

I don’t think that will happen; one thing that the transfer portal is doing is creating more parody in college football. 

Time will tell the story for sure! 

Texas A&M 38, UNM Lobo 24 


Advertisement

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1360]

Week 1 2023 Mountain West Football: Best Bets

It’s all football, all fall. College football is really back this week and we take a look at what Vegas is saying about the Mountain West.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fvdd4pnb49trk727 player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Week 1 2023 Mountain West Football: Best Bets

A look at the Mountain West betting odds for Week 1

Contact/Follow @J0shFr3d & @MWCwire

What are the oddsmakers saying about these match ups?

Late in the week we will look at odds and recent lines and make our best picks and bets. Odds courtesy of Vegas Insider.

We had a quick bite at the apple in week 0 and didn’t do so bad. We went 2-1 and are looking to keep ourselves above .500.

Stanford @ Hawai’i (+3, O/U 55.5)

Hawai’i nearly pulled off the upset in week zero against Vanderbilt. Stanford has a new coach and a new offensive system. This game could be a shootout as the Cardinal move to a more up tempo offense and the Warriors continue the return of the run-and-shoot.

Pick: Over

Utah State @ #25 Iowa (-23.5, O/U 43.5)

I don’t know what to think here. Iowa’s offense was horrible last year, but the Hawkeyes managed to cover a 23 point spread against another Mountain West team in Nevada. Utah State should be better than that Nevada squad but it’s hard to tell. Taking the under is probably the safest bet here.

Pick: Under

Fresno State @ Purdue (-4.5, O/U 47.5)

Purdue is a completely different team this season with the hire of new head coach Ryan Walters. Fresno State meanwhile still has playmakers on both sides of the ball even with the loss of quarterback Jake Haener. This is one of the best opportunities for a Mountain West P5 upset, so I’m taking the Bulldogs to cover here.

Pick: Fresno State -4.5

Robert morris @ Air Force (NO Line)

There is no line here, but do you really need one? Take Air Force if you can find a place to take the bet and you really need a win. Air Force is breaking in basically a whole new set of skill players and Robert Morris hasn’t won a game since November 2021.

Pick: Air Force ML

Boise State @ #10 Washington (-14.5, O/U 58.5)

This one is a tough call. Washington is expected to be one of the top teams in the country this year. Boise State, meanwhile, is expected to be at the top of the Mountain West. If the Broncos want to get back onto the top of the G5 mountain, it starts in Seattle. But I don’t think it will be enough and the Huskies start their journey back to the CFP.

Pick: Washington (-14.5)

Bryant @ UNLV (NO Line)

Another week one FCS matchup for the Mountain West. This one is one to watch though. Bryant almost beat FIU last year and returns the majority of their offense. UNLV is completely starting over under Barry Odom. The Bears could make this a close one, but expect the Rebels to win.

Pick: UNLV ML

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1360]

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Washington State vs. Colorado State: Game Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

Year 2 of Fort Air Raid gets under way as the Rams welcome the Cougars to Fort Collins. What can we expect out of this Colorado state squad?

[jwplayer tJPh0k22-sNi3MVSU]

Washington State vs. Colorado State: Game Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Rams look to start fresh in Year 2 under Jay Norvell

Contact/Follow @J0shFr3d & @MWCwire

[mm-video type=playlist id=01g8ggatak2kacq2ps player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Can the Rams make an early statement?

WEEK 1: Washington State Cougars (0-0) vs Colorado State Rams (0-0)

WHEN: Saturday, September 2nd — 5:00 p.m. MST / 4:00 p.m. PST

WHERE: Canvas Stadium; Fort Collins, CO (36,500)

WEATHER: Clear Sky, high of 92 degrees

TV: CBS Sports Network (Stream CBS Sports Network on Fubo and click the link here for a free trial)

RADIO: K99-FM 99.1 / ESPN 1600 AM

SERIES RECORD: This will be the 3rd matchup all time between these two schools. The series is tied at 1-1

LAST MEETING: Washington State won 38-7 in Pullman.

WEBSITES: WSUCougars.com, the official Washington State athletics website | CSURams.com, the official Colorado State athletics website

GAME NOTES (PDF): Washington State | Colorado State

ODDS: Washington State -10.5

OVER/UNDER: 54.5

SP+ PROJECTION: Washington State by 18.8

FEI PROJECTION: Washington State by 16.9

PARKER FLEMING PROJECTION: Washington State has a 65.26% win probability (28.3 to 18.75)

Now to the keys to victory for the Rams.

Keys to a colorado state victory

1. Keep the QB protected

The Rams gave up just under five sacks a game last season. Against Washington State they gave up seven sacks. The coaching staff, including head coach Jay Norvell himself, went out and made sure they got the guys they needed to protect Clay Millen.

From D2 transfers to FCS transfers to FBS transfers, this OL now has depth and aren’t to be counted out if one goes down. The coaches emphasized size and the CSU OL averages 6’4″, 305 lbs. Size isn’t everything, but when you got beat as bad the Rams did last season, it can’t hurt.

2. Keep Cam Ward contained

The Rams were able to keep Ward in the pocket for the most part. But he was still able to burn them for almost 300 yards through the air. Getting four sacks last season showed they can get after him. But they must ramp up the pressure this season.

The front four is asked to provide the majority of the pressure in Freddie Banks’ defense. So Mohamed Kamara, Cam Bariteau, Grady Kelly, Nuer Gatkouth and the rotation need to keep their motors running and make Cam Ward gun shy.

3. Take your shot

Colorado State cannot be afraid to just let loose and have fun. If the offensive line can hold up for the Rams, expect this team to get rolling. Clay Millen has shown improved poise and leadership. He’s also said the game has slowed down for him and he’s not as nervous.

We know Tory Horton is going to have the ball thrown his way. But the Rams have brought in other skill players and Millen can’t be afraid to look away from last year’s safety net in Horton. BYU TE transfer Dallin Holker, NDSU RB transfer Kobe Johnson, and returning WR Justus Ross-Simmons are all weapons at Millen’s disposal that he needs to use.

Prediction

The major key to the game for both sides will be the offensive line. The CSU coaches sound a lot more confident this year than they did last year. If that OL can hold up for the Rams expect to see some fireworks from Fort Air Raid. The Cougars are still a P5 school so they have the talent, but the Rams are going to be the more cohesive team this time around.

Final Score: Colorado State 27, Washington State 21

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=645997112]

[protected-iframe id=”f7652191f99ba13728097498e8a79cd8-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/show/48681pqFq0kB9dhrtPPoNd” width=”100%” height=”232″ frameborder=”0″]

Week 0 Mountain West Football Power Rankings

Week 0 Mountain West Football Power Rankings Who tops the first rankings Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire Yeah, it is early With this being the first power rankings of the year and only three teams playing on Week 0, these will be pretty …

Week 0 Mountain West Football Power Rankings

Who tops the first rankings

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Yeah, it is early

[mm-video type=playlist id=01g1kx1m9c8rz2mjgq player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

With this being the first power rankings of the year and only three teams playing on Week 0, these will be pretty similar to our preseason staff rankings.

12. Nevada

The Wolf Pack will get a rude awakening as they take on USC in Los Angeles.

11. New Mexico

Lobos have a very tough game at Texas A&M but they gotta cash that check.

10. UNLV

Give me the Go-Go offense. This is what excites me this week. IF that offense stands out then the Rebels should move up this list quickly.

9. Hawaii

Loved what the passing offense and the rushing defense, yet it was against Vanderbilt. They host the Stanford Cardinal which is winnable.

Stream a ton of football with a free trial of FuboTV

8. Colorado State

All eyes will be on the offensive line and if QB Clay Millen can take the next step.

7. Utah State

Facing Iowa will be difficult for this Aggies team. It will not be as bad as the Alabama game last year but it will be interesting to see what the Aggies offense will do against an elite defense.

6. Wyoming

Running back depth is a question but the defense will be tested as they host Texas Tech.

5. San Jose State

The Spartans are 0-1 but had a good showing against USC with its offense making lots of plays.

4. San Diego State (2 first-place votes)

To be honest, this seemed like the same old San Diego State in its win over Ohio. Running game showed signs of life, defense more than held its own, and the offense settled for field goals

3. Air Force

Can’t want to see what John Lee Eldridge III will be as the main back in Colorado Springs.

2. Fresno State (2 first-place votes)

Mikey Keene was officially named the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs. The defense should be elite.

1. Boise State (8 first-place votes)

Opening the season at Washington will set the tone for the Broncos.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1360]

How To Watch Week 1 Of Mountain West Football

How To Watch Week 1 Of Mountain West Football Where to stream and watch the games Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire Get ready for football overload Games Start on Friday night and through Sunday afternoon. Here is how to take in all of those …

How To Watch Week 1 Of Mountain West Football

Where to stream and watch the games

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Get ready for football overload

[mm-video type=playlist id=01g1kx1m9c8rz2mjgq player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Games Start on Friday night and through Sunday afternoon. Here is how to take in all of those games.

FRIDAY

Stanford at Hawaii (+3.5), 9 p.m. ET, TV: CBS Sports Network, or stream for free with a FuboTV trial

SATURDAY

Utah State at Iowa (-25), 12 p.m. ET, TV: FS1 or or stream for free with a FuboTV trial

Fresno State at Purdue (-3.5), 12 p.m. ET, TV: BigTen Network or stream for free with a FuboTV trial

Robert Morris at Air Force (NL), 1 p.m. ET, TV: Altitude Sport or Mountain West Network

Boise State at Washington (-14.5), 3:30 p.m. ET, TV: ABC or stream for free with a FuboTV trial

Mountain West Football: The Top 50 Players Of 2023

Nevada at USC (-38), 6:30 p.m. ET, TV: Pac-12 Network or stream for free with a FuboTV trial

Washington State at Colorado State (-12), 7 p.m. ET, TV CBS Sports Network or stream for free with a FuboTV trial,

New Mexico at Texas A&M (-38), 7 p.m. ET, TV: ESPN or stream for free with a FuboTV trial.

Week 1 Mountain West Football Odds

Idaho State at San Diego State (NL), 10:30 p.m. ET, TV CBS Sports Network or stream for free with a FuboTV trial,

Bryant at UNLV (NL), 4 p.m. ET, TV: Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network or The Mountain West Network

Texas Tech at Wyoming (+14), 7:30 p.m. ET, TV: CBS, or stream for free with a FuboTV trial

SUNDAY

Oregon State at San Jose State (+16.5), 3:30 p.m. ET, TV: CBS or stream for free with a FuboTV trial

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=326624680]

Fresno State Vs Purdue: Game Preview, How To Watch, Stream, Odds

Fresno State Vs Purdue: Game Preview, How To Watch, Stream, Odds Bulldogs heading to Big Ten country Contact/Follow @MWCwire Can Fresno get the upset? College football is back! The Bulldogs head to West Lafayette to face the Purdue Boilermakers. …

Fresno State Vs Purdue: Game Preview, How To Watch, Stream, Odds

Bulldogs heading to Big Ten country

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Can Fresno get the upset?

[mm-video type=playlist id=01g1kx1m9c8rz2mjgq player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

College football is back!

The Bulldogs head to West Lafayette to face the Purdue Boilermakers. This will be the first meeting ever between both of these programs. The Bulldogs

Game: Fresno State vs. Purdue

Where: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette

TV: Big Ten Network, 9:00 am PT

Streaming: Fubo TV with a free trial

Radio: Bulldogs Sports Network, Fox 1340am

Series Record: First Ever Meeting

Websites: gobulldogs.com

Game Notes: Fresno State | Purdue 

Odds: Purdue (-4)

Players to Watch

QB Mikey Keene

Keene will have some big shoes to fill as former Bulldog Jake Haener is off to the NFL. Keene played at UCF for two seasons before transferring over to Fresno State. Mikey threw for over 2,300 yards and 22 touchdowns in 15 games. Can Keene pick up where Jake Haener left off? Head Coach Jeff Tedford was asked if these Quarterbacks had any similarities.  “They approach the game as a professional. They put a lot of time and energy into it, and that’s a really big deal.

 

Devo Bridges

Bridges is coming off a breakout year with 43 tackles and two sacks. The last time we saw Bridges play was the Jimmy Kimmel bowl game where he had season-high eight tackles and two sacks. The Bulldogs did lose their top pass rusher from last season David Perales to the NFL. Can Bridges take that next step and be the guy that creates havoc in the backfield?

 

QB Hudson Card

The Boilermakers will also be starting a new quarterback in Hudson Card. Hudson transferred over from the University of Texas, after 3 seasons with the Longhorns. In 14 games appeared Card threw for over 1,500 yards and 11 touchdowns.  Hudson was rated the third-highest QB in the transfer portal according to 247sports.

[lawrence-auto-related count=2 category=1370]

 

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Week 1 Mountain West Football Odds

Week 1 Mountain West Football Odds First look at the odds this week Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire How many Mountain West teams are favorites in Week 1? Mountain West Week 1 is in full swing with all 12 teams in action and we have the early …

Week 1 Mountain West Football Odds

First look at the odds this week

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

How many Mountain West teams are favorites in Week 1?

[mm-video type=playlist id=01g1kx1m9c8rz2mjgq player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Mountain West Week 1 is in full swing with all 12 teams in action and we have the early lines for this games and our off the cuff picks. These are not my official predictions but me thinking what will happen before a ton of research goes into these games.

I will also include FPI as well for more context than just the line.

FRIDAY

Stanford at Hawaii (+3.5)

Hawaii showed a good amount against Vanderbilt and while home underdogs, can easily upset Stanford in its opener. Taking the Warriors to cover and win this one.

SATURDAY

Robert Morris at Air Force (NL)

An FCS game, easy win for the Falcons and expect a big game for John Lee Eldridge III.

Boise State at Washington (-14.5)

This seems like an easy cover and for the initial pick, I will fall for it and take the Broncos to cover. This will clearly by a huge test for Taylen Green.

Mountain West Football: The Top 50 Players Of 2023

Washington State at Colorado State (-12)

This feels like an upset to me. RB Avery Morrow available is huge and the Rams will have the best player on the field in WR Tory Horton. Colorado State outright at home in a huge home win at Canvas Stadium.

Fresno State at Purdue (-3.5)

Yes, Fresno State has a new quarterback and lost a lot of offensive playmakers. Take the Bulldogs to upset the Boilermakers with new head coach Jeff Brohm, and led by the defense.

Nevada at USC (-38)

Sigh… take the Trojans to cover.

New Mexico at Texas A&M (-38)

See pick above.

Stream a ton of football with a free trial of FuboTV

Idaho State at San Diego State (NL)

San Diego State please give us some fun offense.

Bryant at UNLV (NL)

The premiere of the Go-Go offense. LETS GOOOOOOO!!

Utah State at Iowa (-25)

The Brian Ferentz drive for 25 KPI to keep his job starts this week against Utah State. The Aggies lost a lot to the portal but QB Cooper Legas can keep them around. Give me Utah State to cover.

Texas Tech at Wyoming (+14)

If Wyoming had its full stable or running backs they miiiiiight get the upset win. Texas Tech should cover and be a bit too much for a likely lethargic Cowboys offense.

SUNDAY

Oregon State at San Jose State (+16.5)

These are two of my dark horse teams I love this year and hate that they play each other. This 16.5 points seems like a lot for Oregon State. The Spartans will cover and maybe just pull the upset and ruin my stupid +4000 bet for the Beavers to win the national title.

Advertisement

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=326624680]

Wyoming Football: First Look At The Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Cowboys get a chance to make a big statement when they open 2023 against the Red Raiders. Here’s a first look at Texas Tech.

Wyoming Football: First Look at the Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Cowboys get a chance to make a big statement when they open 2023 against the Red Raiders. Here’s a first look at Texas Tech.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire

Laradise will host a Big 12 dark horse.

Wyoming Football: First Look at 2023 Non-conference Opponents

Texas Tech | Portland State | Texas | Appalachian State

The Wyoming Cowboys have a big 2023 football season ahead of them, beginning with a big home test in Week 1 against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

As it happens, the visitors are aiming high headed into the fall, as well: After winning eight games for the first time since 2013, Texas Tech has its eyes on competing for a conference championship and won’t take anything for granted.

Location: Lubbock, Texas

Conference: Big 12

Series History: Wyoming leads the all-time series against Texas Tech, 3-2.

2022 Record: 8-5 (5-4 Big 12)

Head Coach: Joey McGuire (second year, 8-5 overall). Former Utah State head coach Matt Wells got the axe near the end of the 2021 season and was ultimately replaced by McGuire, a Texas native intimately familiar with football in the state as both a former high school coach and former assistant at Baylor. His first year at the helm certainly didn’t lack for drama, as the Red Raiders beat both Texas and Oklahoma in the same year for the first time ever and finished 4-0 in games decided by eight points or fewer.

Key Players

Jaylon Hutchings, DT

Wyoming fans certainly appreciate a quality defensive tackle, so they’ll be keenly aware of how Hutchings can change the tenor of a game in a hurry. Last season, he posted a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 84.5 which ranked fifth among all Big 12 defenders, collecting 50 total tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss with four quarterback hurries, all of which are reasons why he was recently named a preseason all-conference selection.

Tyler Shough, QB

Shough missed about half of the 2022 season when he suffered an injury in Texas Tech’s first game, but he made his eventual return to the field count. He started the last four contests and won all of them, finishing the year with a 59.9% completion rate, 1,304 passing yards, and seven touchdowns against a 2.3% interception rate. Should he win the job in fall camp and stay healthy this fall, he could be a big reason why the Red Raiders exceed expectations again.

Jerand Bradley, WR

Like Hutchings, Bradley also earned a preseason all-Big 12 nod after emerging as Texas Tech’s top receiving yards as a redshirt freshman last fall. He tied for the team lead with 51 receptions and stood alone with 744 yards and six touchdowns, so with more consistent quarterback play, his ceiling might be considerable.

Malik Dunlap, CB

Following an injury-plagued 2021 season, Dunlap made his presence known early and often in 2022. He finished in a tie for second among Big 12 defenders with 12 pass breakups and, according to PFF, allowed a 50.8% completion rate on 65 targets, so he’ll be prepared to lock up any pass catcher lined up against him.

Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, S

Taylor-Demerson broke into the starting lineup late in 2021 and made good on that opportunity by becoming one of the top safeties anywhere in the Big 12 last fall. He returns for 2023 as Texas Tech’s top tackler from a year ago, having tallied 74 altogether to pair with five pass breakups, 5.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles.

Overview:

Offense

Despite some unexpected shuffling at quarterback, the Red Raiders held their own on offense in the first year under McGuire and offensive coordinator Zack Kittley, ranking just outside the top 50 nationally by points per drive (2.34, 54th) and available yards percentage earned per drive (48.3%, 52nd). Now, they have the benefit of being one of the more experienced offenses anywhere in college football by returning 80% of last year’s production.

Will one quarterback be able to earn the job and keep it, though? Shough’s injury opened the door for Behren Morton (56.8% completion rate, 1,117 yards, 7:6 touchdowns-to-interceptions) to start a handful of games and Morton might be the better long-term play heading into his sophomore season.

Whoever wins that job will have plenty of weapons at their disposal. Running back Tahj Brooks (855 all-purpose yards, eight total touchdowns) is a seasoned operator who’s led the Red Raiders in rushing over the past two years, while Cam’ron Valdez flashed explosiveness in the second half of 2022 once he was sufficiently recovered from injury. Bradley, meanwhile, is one of five Tech receivers who had at least 30 catches a year ago and that group adds Drae McCray from Austin Peay, where he twice earned all-conference honors and set a program record by averaging 85.8 receiving yards per game in his career there.

The offensive line also happens to be one of the most experienced in the FBS ranks as well, with Dennis Wilburn and Caleb Rogers leading the veteran contingent while Rusty Staats (27 starts at Western Kentucky) arrives from the transfer portal and Cole Spencer, who previously made 36 starts for WKU before his 2022 season was wiped out by injury, figures to be 100%.

Defense

Defensive improvement is what really enabled Texas Tech to defy expectations last season. Under the tutelage of former Fresno State head coach Tim DeRuyter, the Red Raiders finished 70th among FBS defenses in points per drive allowed and 88th in available yards percentage allowed per drive after having finished 110th and 99th, respectively, by those metrics the year prior. They also led the Big 12 in allowing a touchdown on just 46.6% of opponent red zone opportunities and boasted a downright nasty pass rush on standard downs), so there are reasons to think Tech could be even better in 2023.

That starts with the defensive tackle tandem of Hutchings and Tony Bradford (32 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks) up front, though finding more help from the edge can only help. Joseph Adedire (six starts, 3.5 TFLs, one sack) earned a lot of trust after playing well as a true freshman, however, and an incoming transfer like Steve Linton (Syracuse) might be the answer they need.

Linebacker might have the most questions on this side of the ball since Tech will need to replace its top two tacklers from 2022. Jesiah Pierre (40 tackles, seven TFLs, 4.5 sacks) could be in line for a big year as a result, but one interesting name to keep an eye on is Mike Dingle, who’s already opened some eyes as a true freshman and a dual-sport athlete.

The secondary, meanwhile, is very well stocked beyond Dunlap and Taylor-Demerson, boasting other returning starters like Rayshad Williams (37 tackles, seven pass breakups) and bringing in some familiar names from the transfer portal like Bralyn Lux (three TFLs, two sacks, seven PBUs at Fresno State) and CJ Baskerville (36 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, three PBUs at San Diego State). Though they allowed 7.9 yards per attempt last season, they should be much tougher to throw against this fall.

Early Prediction

Wyoming isn’t an easy place for Power 5 teams to visit — just ask Missouri — but it seems likely that Texas Tech will have the athletes on defense to match wits with a Cowboys team inclined to turn the game into a slog. Combined with much more reliable contributors on offense, an upset just doesn’t seem like it’ll be in the cards this time around.

Texas Tech 34, Wyoming 17

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1378]

[protected-iframe id=”f7652191f99ba13728097498e8a79cd8-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/show/48681pqFq0kB9dhrtPPoNd” width=”100%” height=”232″ frameborder=”0″]

Colorado State Football: First Look At The Washington State Cougars

The Rams get a chance at revenge when they open 2023 against Wazzu. Here’s a first look at the Cougars.

Colorado State Football: First Look at the Washington State Cougars

The Rams get a chance at revenge when they open 2023 against Wazzu. Here’s a first look at the Cougars.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire

One of the Mountain West’s biggest non-conference home games.

Colorado State Football: First Look at 2023 Non-conference Opponents

Washington State | Colorado | Middle Tennessee State | Utah Tech

After facing off with Utah State, Colorado State, and Fresno State over the past two seasons, Mountain West fans have gotten pretty familiar with the Washington State Cougars.

Wazzu did a pretty good job of righting themselves following some difficult circumstances in 2021 and their first step toward re-establishing themselves as a Pac-12 dark horse will begin in Fort Collins this September, where the Rams get a shot at reversing the result of last year’s lopsided loss.

Location: Pullman, Washington

Conference: Pac-12

Series History: The all-time series between Colorado State and Washington State is tied, 1-1.

2022 Record: 7-6 (4-5 Pac-12)

Head Coach: Jake Dickert (third year, 10-9 overall). Dickert took on the head coaching role in the second half of the 2021 season, in the wake of the Nick Rolovich saga, but he held the line well enough to shed the interim label. His first full year in charge began with some promise, a 4-1 start which included a big road win at Wisconsin, but the Cougars offense couldn’t find a rhythm in the heart of its conference schedule and a three-game losing streak to USC, Oregon State, and Utah cemented them as a good but not great Pac-12 team.

Key Players

Cameron Ward, QB

Ward’s much-hyped arrival from Incarnate Word wasn’t quite as explosive as Cougars fans may have hoped, but he more than held his own in the Pac-12. Despite absorbing 46 sacks, the most in that conference, he completed 64.4% of his passes for 3,231 yards (6.5 yards per attempt) with 23 touchdowns and a 1.8% interception rate. With improved protection, Ward could be as dangerous as he was in 2021, when he was a Walter Payton Award finalist and threw 47 touchdowns for UIW.

Brennan Jackson, EDGE

One half of Wazzu’s veteran pass-rushing duo, Jackson landed on the all-Pac-12 second-team defense last season after making 41 total tackles and posting career bests with six sacks and 12 tackles for loss. According to Pro Football Focus, Jackson also finished in a tie for third among conference edge defenders with 25 stops, meaning that Clay Millen will need to keep an eye on him at all times.

Ron Stone, EDGE

The other half of that pass-rushing duo? That’d be Stone, who followed up a first-team all-Pac-12 campaign in 2021 with a second-team nod by collecting 34 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks. Most interestingly, PFF credited him with 11 quarterback hits, one of just three defenders in the Pac-12 to reach double digits, so he could easily cause problems for Colorado State’s revamped offensive line.

Chau Smith-Wade, CB

Though he was only an all-conference honorable mention in 2022, Smith-Wade posted an 83.1 PFF overall grade which is the highest among all Pac-12 cornerbacks returning for 2023. That came on the strength of 44 total tackles, eight pass breakups, two interceptions, and three forced fumbles, and that’s more than enough for Smith-Wade to belong in the conversation as the best cornerback in the Pac-12.

Nakia Watson, RB

Watson had a unique task in replacing Max Borghi last year but his first full season as a starter worked out just fine. He led the Cougars with 769 rushing yards (5.3 yards per attempt) and added 30 receptions for another 295 yards through the air, ultimately accounting for 13 total touchdowns. For that, PFF tabbed him with a 74.4 overall grade for 2022, the best figure of any Cougar on offense back for the fall.

Overview:

Offense

Despite the arrivals of Ward and offensive coordinator Eric Morris, the Cougars were merely okay on offense in 2022, ranking 64th among FBS teams with 2.24 points per drive and 60th with 46.6% of available yards earned per drive. Injuries and inconsistency on the offensive line played a big part in that, as they help to explain why Wazzu also finished 90th overall by sack rate and stuff rate allowed.

That line was plenty young, too, and could be better with their first trials out of the way. Redshirt sophomores Christian Hilborn and Fa’alili Fa’amoe started 20 games between them last year — Hilborn spent time at tackle and guard while Fa’amoe was elevated to a starting role at right tackle midway through of the season — while junior center Konner Gomness provides a steady presence in the middle.

Ward and Watson make for a fine backfield duo, but one of Wazzu’s biggest challenges will be incorporating a number of transfer portal wide receivers to replace their top four pass catchers from 2022. As it happens, they raided the Mountain West to do so, bringing in Josh Kelly (Fresno State), Isaiah Hamilton (San Jose State), and Kyle Williams (UNLV) to complement the likes of Leyton Smithson (30 catches, 285 yards, one touchdown) and Lincoln Victor (26-245-0). New offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who went to Pullman from Western Kentucky, will have plenty of weapons at his disposal.

Defense

Dickert’s background as a defensive coordinator paid dividends for this unit, which allowed only 2.02 points per drive (46th in FBS) and 48.3% of available yards per drive (80th). With a handful of stars ready for another go, the main task is about filling in the blanks around them.

Up front, that means figuring out who will start between Jackson, Stone, and Quinn Roff (7.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks) at defensive tackle. Sophomores David Gusta and Ty Garay-Harris got their feet wet in limited action last year, but they also added Na’im Rodman, who had 17 starts in 42 games at Colorado, through the transfer portal.

They’ll also need to figure out their situation at linebacker, where veterans like Kyle Thornton will compete for reps with transfers Ahmad McCullough (Maryland), Devin Richardson (Texas), and Davon Hicks (USF). The situation in the secondary, at least, looks much more promising with Smith-Wade and sophomore safety Jaden Hicks (76 tackles, six pass breakups, two TFLs, one INT) leading the charge and former Utah State defenders Cam Lampkin and Dominic Tatum providing support. The Cougars finished third in the Pac-12 with 47 total passes defended last season, meaning that opposing quarterbacks won’t always have it easy against them.

Early Prediction

On paper, the Rams look like they should be much improved and might be in a position to exploit Wazzu’s offensive line concerns, but that may also be true of the Cougars defensive line against CSU’s own starting five on offense. It should be closer than last year’s contest, but Ward might ultimately be the difference maker in this one.

Washington State 34, Colorado State 20

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1369]

[protected-iframe id=”f7652191f99ba13728097498e8a79cd8-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/show/48681pqFq0kB9dhrtPPoNd” width=”100%” height=”232″ frameborder=”0″]