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Mountain West Football: Examining Each Opponent’s Week 5 Depth Chart
What stands out in the depth charts released by each of the Mountain West’s three Week 5 non-conference opponents?
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What to keep in mind before kickoff.
BYU (link to depth chart)
What stands out: A lackluster running game hasn’t gotten much clarity in terms of who will shoulder the load since Chris Brooks, Lopini Katoa, and Miles Davis are all tied together with an “or”.
Why that could be important: The Cal transfer Brooks has been largely quiet since a dominant Week 1 performance against USF, which has opened the door for others like Davis, who proved to be a major factor in last week’s win over Wyoming with 131 rushing yards on 13 carries. They could all get tested against a Utah State front that has generated equally generous shares of havoc (35 tackles for loss, first in Mountain West) and big play opportunities for their opponents (28 runs allowed of ten or more yards, 11th in Mountain West).
Navy (link to depth chart)
What stands out: The Midshipmen made a number of recent changes on both sides of the ball to combat a painfully slow start to the season, including at linebacker where Jianni Woodson-Brooks and Colin Ramos have started the past two games against Memphis and East Carolina.
Why that could be important: Navy hasn’t been particularly good at much of anything through its first three games, but one thing the Middies have done well is defend the run, allowing 2.33 yards per carry while Ramos and Woodson-Brooks have combined for three tackles for loss and 36 total tackles. The Air Force ground game will, obviously, be their toughest challenge yet in that regard, but the sophomore duo could be key to preventing the Falcons from running wild.
UConn (link to depth chart)
What stands out: The Huskies’ quarterback situation has settled itself since Week 0 as true freshman Zion Turner has started each game since Ta’Quan Roberson tore his ACL in Week 0 at Utah State.
Why that could be important: Talk about a crash course in navigating the world of college football. Turner hasn’t been great overall with a 55.1% completion rate and an average of just 4.4 yards per attempt to date, but he does have a 4-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio and he has shepherded to the slightest of improvements in points per drive from a year ago (from 0.93 to 1.00). He might surprise here and there against a Fresno State defense battling injuries despite being heavy favorites in the contest.
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