Tag: Wyoming Football

2023 NFL Draft Profiles: Best Of The Rest From The Mountain West

These players may be long shots to hear their name called in the draft, but here’s what you need to know about what they bring to the pros.

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2023 NFL Draft Profiles: Best of the Rest From the Mountain West

These players may be long shots to hear their name called in the draft, but here’s what you need to know about what they could bring to the NFL.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

You never know who will get called.

2023 NFL Draft: The Best of the Rest of the Mountain West Prospects By School

Air Force | Boise State | Colorado State | Fresno State | Hawaii | Nevada | New Mexico | San Diego State | San Jose State | UNLV | Utah State | Wyoming

Lots of players across the Mountain West Conference decided to stick around for one last ride in college football, but many others beyond those who got the full draft profile treatment are in the mix to make the jump to the National Football League.

These “quick hits” will tell you a little bit about the best of the rest from the Mountain West.

Mountain West Football: 2023 NFL Draft Central

Air Force

Guard Isaac Cochran was a multi-year starter for the Falcons and thrived as part of a unit that was first named as a Joe Moore Award finalist in 2021. In 2022, he became a semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, given annually to college football’s top former walk-on athlete, and landed on the all-Mountain West first-team offense. At 6-foot-5 and 324 pounds, he definitely has the size to play on the inside in the NFL, though it seems most likely he’ll have to follow the same route as previous standouts like Parker Ferguson and Nolan Laufenberg through undrafted free agency.

Quarterback Haaziq Daniels shepherded the Falcons offense through one of the most successful stretches in program history and flashed a strong arm when needed in Air Force’s run-heavy attack, though the usual questions about how well a military academy signal-caller will acclimate to the pros could define his chances of getting drafted.

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2023 NFL Draft: Where Are Mountain West Players Projected On The Composite Big Board?

The draft is set to get underway tonight. Where do Mountain West football’s top players stand before the picks get underway?

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2023 NFL Draft: Where Are Mountain West Players Projected On The Composite Big Board?

The draft is nearly here, but where do the Mountain West’s best prospects stand in the eyes of the draft analyst community?

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

How many will be selected?

The 2023 NFL Draft begins tonight and while Mountain West football isn’t expected to get into the action before tomorrow at the earliest, where exactly do draft analysts expect that the conference’s top players stack up?

To answer that question, the NFL Mock Draft Database gathered information from almost 200 individual big boards to paint an overall picture that’s nearly 600 players deep. It’ll be interesting to see just how many of the 25 players listed below are selected among the 259 picks in this year’s draft.

Mountain West Football: 2023 NFL Draft Central

92. JL Skinner, S, Boise State
136. Jake Haener, QB, Fresno State
184. Viliami Fehoko, DE, San Jose State
205. Jalen Moreno-Cropper, WR, Fresno State
260. John Ojukwu, OT, Boise State
283. Scott Matlock, DT, Boise State
326. Jonah Tavai, DL, San Diego State
327. David Perales, DE, Fresno State
350. Tyreque Jones, S, Boise State
375. Jerrick Reed II, S, New Mexico
380. Kyle Patterson, TE, Air Force
428. Nehemiah Shelton, CB, San Jose State
448. Alfred Edwards, OT, Utah State
458. George Tarlas, DE, Boise State
460. Jordan Mims, RB, Fresno State
467. Nikko Remigio, WR, Fresno State
484. Titus Swen, RB, Wyoming
492. Xavier Williams, WR, Utah State
514. Keshawn Banks, DE, San Diego State
533. Cade Hall, DE, San Jose State
539. Austin Ajiake, LB, UNLV
553. Caden McDonald, LB, San Diego State
556. Dom Peterson, DT, Nevada
568. Elijah Cooks, WR, San Jose State
573. Dontae Bull, OT, Fresno State

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Mountain West Football: 2023 NFL Draft Central

From the first pick to undrafted free agency, here’s what you need to know about Mountain West prospects throughout this year’s NFL Draft.

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Mountain West Football: 2023 NFL Draft Central

From the first pick to undrafted free agency, here’s what you need to know about Mountain West football prospects throughout this year’s NFL Draft.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

It’ll be a busy few days.

Today, the 2023 NFL Draft will kick off at Union Station Kansas City.

A number of Mountain West football prospects are certain to get that coveted phone call throughout the event’s seven rounds and many more will sign in the aftermath known as undrafted free agency, so Mountain West Wire is here to keep you up to date on everything as it happens.

Check back here often over the next several days for everything you need to know about the athletes who could be selected and signed, as well as where they end up in the NFL.

How To Watch

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

Mountain West Football’s Top Prospects

NFL Draft Profiles and Selections/Signings

Air Force

Kyle Patterson, TE
Brad Roberts, RB — invited to minicamp by Washington Commanders

Boise State

Tyreque Jones, DB — signed by Tennessee Titans as undrafted free agent
Scott Matlock, DT — selected by Los Angeles Chargers in 6th round, pick #200
John Ojukwu, OL — signed by Tennessee Titans as undrafted free agent
JL Skinner, S — selected by Denver Broncos in 6th round, pick #183
George Tarlas, DE — signed by Las Vegas Raiders as undrafted free agent

Colorado State

Dequan Jackson, LB — signed by Jacksonville Jaguars as undrafted free agent

Fresno State

Jake Haener, QB — selected by New Orleans Saints in 4th round, pick #127
Jordan Mims, RB — signed by Buffalo Bills as undrafted free agent
Jalen Moreno-Cropper, WR — signed by Dallas Cowboys as undrafted free agent
Nikko Remigio, WR — signed by Kansas City Chiefs as undrafted free agent

Hawaii

Ilm Manning, OL — signed by San Francisco 49ers as undrafted free agent

Nevada

Dom Peterson, DT
Toa Taua, RB

New Mexico

Jerrick Reed II, S — selected by Seattle Seahawks in 6th round, pick #198

San Diego State

Keshawn Banks, DE — signed by Green Bay Packers as undrafted free agent
Jesse Matthews, WR — signed by Houston Texans as undrafted free agent
Jonah Tavai, DL — signed by Seattle Seahawks as undrafted free agent

San Jose State

Elijah Cooks, WR — signed by Jacksonville Jaguars as undrafted free agent
Viliami Fehoko, DL — selected by Dallas Cowboys in 4th round, pick #129

UNLV

Austin Ajiake, LB — signed by Carolina Panthers as undrafted free agent
Daniel Gutierrez, K

Utah State

Logan Bonner, QB
Calvin Tyler Jr., RB — signed by Cincinnati Bengals as undrafted free agent

Wyoming

Titus Swen, RB — signed by Indianapolis Colts as undrafted free agent

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2023 NFL Draft Profile: Wyoming RB Titus Swen

The former Cowboy had a rough end to his time in Laramie, but his on-field production may be enough to get selected in the NFL Draft.

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2023 NFL Draft Profile: Wyoming RB Titus Swen

The former Cowboy had a rough end to his time in Laramie, but his on-field production may be enough to get selected in the NFL Draft.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

An explosive runner, but not without risk.

The Mountain West has a number of running backs who figure to be right on the cusp as potential selections in this year’s NFL Draft, but none may be a bigger mystery at present than Titus Swen.

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Swen first got his feet wet in Laramie as a true freshman in 2019, appearing in eight games while making one start. He opted out of the COVID-shortened 2020 season but made sure that people remembered who he was with a dynamic 2021. That year, he served as the primary backup to Xazavian Valladay but ran for 785 yards, including a program-record 98-yard touchdown scamper, and a team-high seven scores.

When Valladay transferred to Arizona State ahead of 2022, Swen answered the bell yet again by topping 1,000 rushing yards. However, his tenure with the Cowboys ended on a sour note when he was abruptly dismissed from the team in late November. After a brief dalliance with the transfer portal, Swen chose to declare for the draft instead.

There’s no doubt he can be productive in the right offensive system, but could NFL front offices see enough red flags to warrant passing on him?

Measurables (taken from Dane Brugler)

Height – 5′ and 9 3/8″
Weight – 204 pounds
40-yard time – 4.64 seconds
10-yard split time – 1.44 seconds
Arm length – 31″
Hand size – 9 7/8″
Wingspan – 73 7/8″
Vertical jump – 36″
Broad jump – 10′ and 5″ (or 125″)
Shuttle time – 4.32 seconds
3-cone drill time – 7.26 seconds
Bench press – 13 reps

Highlights

Strengths

Fans of throwbacks will almost certainly be a fan of Swen’s if he lands on their team. He possesses enough patience to wait for his gap to open and the burst and toughness to maximize yardage when it does, which explains why The Draft Network’s Damian Parson is a fan of his “play strength and contact balance”. According to Pro Football Focus, only Boise State’s George Holani forced more than Swen’s 55 missed tackles among Mountain West running backs in 2022.

Better yet, Swen demonstrated the explosiveness to create big plays on the ground, often putting the Cowboys offense on his back in the process: Last season, he and Fresno State’s Jordan Mims tied for the conference lead with 29 rushing plays of ten or more yards.

Weaknesses

The late off-field drama may cause some war rooms to take a dim view of Swen, but the colder reality is that he may not have the top gear teams want in a running back. Using Football Outsiders’ Speed Score metric, Swen’s 4.64 40-yard time would equate to 88.0 and that would have been the second-lowest score among those invites to the NFL Combine earlier this year.

The jury is also out on whether he’ll be able to contribute in the passing game: He had 25 targets last season and had six drops in that small sample, meaning that he’ll need to work to prove he can be a three-down back in the pros.

NFL Comparison

Jeff Wilson

Draft Prediction

You get the sense that Swen would’ve been considered a stronger prospect a decade ago, when the NFL wasn’t so pass-happy, but there is still room for a one-cut back who can punish would-be tacklers and fight for yards after contact. Despite his unexpected dismissal from Craig Bohl’s Cowboys, I’m optimistic that someone will take a late-round flyer, so while Swen will likely have to wait a while, I do think someone takes a chance in the seventh round.

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Wyoming Football: Three Questions For Spring Practice

With the most experienced team in the Mountain West on hand for 2023, what do Craig Bohl’s Cowboys need to address in spring ball?

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Wyoming Football: Three Questions For Spring Practice

With the most experienced team in the Mountain West on hand for 2023, what do the Cowboys need to address?

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

The path to a real breakthrough starts now.

The Wyoming Cowboys begin spring practice with plenty of momentum at their back. Craig Bohl’s team returns the most production of any team in the Mountain West, prompting speculation that this might finally be the season where they get over the seven- or eight-win hump. Despite the wealth of experience, however, they aren’t without at least a few big questions which require attention.

Who will help replenish the defensive line?

Though the Cowboys struggled in a lot of respects last season, one thing that wasn’t in doubt all year long was their ability to rush the quarterback. They finished 2022 with a team sack rate of 7.7%, good enough to rank 31st among FBS defenses, but a big piece of that puzzle left via the transfer portal when Oluwaseyi Omatosho departed for Oregon State.

The good news, at least, is the remaining defensive end duo of Braden Siders and DeVonne Harris, not to mention tackles Jordan Bertagnole and a presumably healthy Cole Godbout, look ready to wreak havoc on the Mountain West, but will the Cowboys identify reliable reinforcements? Sabastian Harsh got rave reviews on the practice field before an injury wiped out his season last year, while Keelan Cox could make a strong impression coming back from his own season-ending hurt. Wyoming should be in good shape no matter what here, but the deeper, the bettter.

How will the passing game attempt to overcome its inconsistency?

For a brief moment, it seemed like Wyoming had finally exorcised a few of its offensive demons early in 2022. Andrew Peasley completed 60% of his passes in three of the team’s first four games, but he would reach that mark just once more the rest of the way and, between him and backup Jayden Clemons, the Pokes finished the year with more interceptions than passing touchdowns.

While both quarterbacks return, the team does have to replace a handful of key contributors in the receiving corps. Joshua Cobbs is the biggest name to exit, but he and tight end Parker Christensen and and running back Titus Swen were three of the offense’s top five targets, combining to see 122 passes. More will be expected of wide receiver holdovers like Alex Brown and Wyatt Wieland, both of whom finished 2022 with a catch rate under 50%, but it will take a group effort to finally put years of maddening results in the past for good.

What shape will the running game take?

With the exception of the shortened 2020 season, Wyoming has had a running back shoulder at least 200 carries in six of the last seven full campaigns. As mentioned before, Swen has moved on and while there the remaining offensive backfield is rife with potential, do the Cowboys need another bellcow to make magic?

It’ll be fascinating to watch the competition at running back unfold because Wyoming has at least four options who could take the lead a la Swen or Brian Hill or, alternatively, head up a deep committee of powder kegs. Jordon Vaughn shined when given the opportunity to start last December’s Arizona Bowl, but D.Q. James averaged 8.65 yards on 40 rushing attempts and Dawaiian McNeely has averaged 5.6 YPC on 94 career rushes. Harrison Waylee also arrives in Laramie from Northern Illinois, who’s averaged 5.2 career YPC himself and led the Huskies in rushing back in 2020. If nothing else, this group could be a lot of fun.

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Wyoming Football: First Look At The 2023 Schedule

The Cowboys have been consistent in recent years, but is their 2023 schedule the one that can help them break through?

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Wyoming Football: First Look At The 2023 Schedule

The Cowboys have been consistent in recent years, but is their 2023 schedule the one that can help them break through?

Contact/Follow @mattk_fs & @MWCwire

Could this be the year?

Following the release of the full Mountain West football schedule earlier this month, the stage is set for the Wyoming Cowboys to take advantage of a slate littered with home dates and make a push for their first appearance in the conference championship game since 2016.

Here’s what the week-by-week schedule looks like with Bill Connelly’s preseason SP+ rankings, where Wyoming is 101st overall, in parentheses:

Saturday, September 2 – vs. Texas Tech (35)
Saturday, September 9 – vs. Portland State (68th among FCS teams)
Saturday, September 16 – at Texas (9)
Saturday, September 23 – vs. Appalachian State (86)
Saturday, September 30 – vs. New Mexico (132)
Saturday, October 7 – vs. Fresno State (67)
Saturday, October 14 – at Air Force (77)
Saturday, October 28 – at Boise State (68)
Saturday, November 4 – vs. Colorado State (119)
Saturday, November 11 – at UNLV (108)
Saturday, November 18 – vs. Hawaii (131)
Saturday, November 25 – at Nevada (107)

What are the biggest initial takeaways?

1. Plenty of opportunities for Laradise to show out.

Wyoming always seems to get one really interesting home game against a Power 5 opponent every several years — remember their upset win over Missouri back in 2019? — but what’s most interesting this time around is the fact the Cowboys get so. Many. Home games.

War Memorial Stadium will open for business seven times next fall, including five of Wyoming’s first six contests. That stretch culminates in what should be a stiff test against defending Mountain West champion Fresno State in early October, the first of a few litmus tests which will do a lot to determine whether the Cowboys are primed for a big year.

2. If the Cowboys are legit, we’ll know in October.

That’s because, following the home clash with the Bulldogs, Wyoming hits the road two weeks in a row to face Air Force and Boise State. They’ll get a bye between this pair of contests, but it’s arguably the toughest three-game stretch any team in the Mountain West will face in conference play this year. If they can come out of that stretch with two or three wins, it could be a memorable stretch run.

3. Championship bids are for closers.

Where the first half of Wyoming’s conference schedule will feature a few fistfights, the second half could put the Pokes in a strong position to finish in the top two if they emerge relatively unscathed. They’ve won the Border War at home against rival Colorado State three times in a row, but:

  • They’re 2-3 in their last five trips to Las Vegas.
  • They’re 3-3 in the last six contests for the Paniolo Trophy against Hawaii.
  • Six of their last seven games against Nevada have been decided by eight or fewer points.

On paper, Wyoming could be favored in most of all of their November matchups, but the Cowboys won’t want to look past anyone.

Hardest stretch: vs. Fresno State, at Air Force, at Boise State

Easiest stretch: at UNLV, vs. Hawaii, at Nevada

Guaranteed wins: vs. Portland State

Guaranteed losses: at Texas

Worse than 50/50 games: vs. Texas Tech, vs. Fresno State

50/50 games: vs. Appalachian State, at Air Force, at Boise State, vs. Colorado State, at UNLV

Better than 50/50 games: vs. New Mexico, vs. Hawaii, at Nevada

Preliminary projected record: 7-5

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Mountain West Football’s 2023 Schedule Released

The Mountain West brought a little light into the long off-season by unveiling its full schedule for the 2023 college football season.

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Mountain West Football’s 2023 Schedule Released

The Mountain West brought a little light into the long off-season by unveiling its full schedule for the 2023 college football season.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

Mark your calendars.

There are still 177 days until college football season gets underway, but that didn’t stop the Mountain West Conference from releasing its full 2023 conference schedule today.

This will be the first schedule since 2012 not to feature divisions, as was announced by former commissioner Craig Thompson last May. It will instead be the first part of a new schedule rotation unveiled by the conference last July which features two protected games for each team.

Much like last season, the conference will feature prominently in Week 0 with three games on the season-opening docket for August 26: Hawaii will travel to Nashville to face Vanderbilt, San Jose State will head south to battle USC, and Ohio will visit Snapdragon Stadium to clash with San Diego State.

Mountain West play will begin the week of September 16 when Air Force hosts Utah State. That will be followed by two more conference games the following week, four during the week of September 30, and three on October 7, all of which lead up to the first full week of conference play on October 14.

The Mountain West football championship game is scheduled for Saturday, December 2.

Air Force

Saturday, September 2 – vs. Robert Morris
Saturday, September 9 – at Sam Houston State
Saturday, September 16 – vs. Utah State
Saturday, September 23 – at San Jose State
Saturday, September 30 – vs. San Diego State
Saturday, October 14 – vs. Wyoming
Saturday, October 21 – at Navy
Saturday, October 28 – at Colorado State
Saturday, November 4 – vs. Army (in Denver)
Saturday, November 11 – at Hawaii
Saturday, November 18 – vs. UNLV
Saturday, November 25 – at Boise State

Boise State

Saturday, September 2 – at Washington
Saturday, September 9 – vs. UCF
Saturday, September 16 – vs. North Dakota
Friday, September 22 – at San Diego State
Saturday, September 30 – at Memphis
Saturday, October 7 – vs. San Jose State
Saturday, October 14 – at Colorado State
Saturday, October 28 – vs. Wyoming
Saturday, November 4 – at Fresno State
Saturday, November 11 – vs. New Mexico
Saturday, November 18 – at Utah State
Saturday, November 25 – vs. Air Force

Colorado State

Saturday, September 2 – vs. Washington State
Saturday, September 16 – at Colorado
Saturday, September 23 – at Middle Tennessee State
Saturday, September 30 – vs. Utah Tech
Saturday, October 7 – at Utah State
Saturday, October 14 – vs. Boise State
Saturday, October 21 – at UNLV
Saturday, October 28 – vs. Air Force
Saturday, November 4 – at Wyoming
Saturday, November 11 – vs. San Diego State
Saturday, November 18 – vs. Nevada
Saturday, November 25 – at Hawaii

Fresno State

Saturday, September 2 – at Purdue
Saturday, September 9 – vs. Eastern Washington
Saturday, September 16 – at Arizona State
Saturday, September 23 – vs. Kent State
Saturday, September 30 – vs. Nevada
Saturday, October 7 – at Wyoming
Saturday, October 14 – at Utah State
Saturday, October 28 – vs. UNLV
Saturday, November 4 – vs. Boise State
Saturday, November 11 – at San Jose State
Saturday, November 18 – vs. New Mexico
Saturday, November 25 – at San Diego State

Hawaii

Saturday, August 26 – at Vanderbilt
Friday, September 1 – vs. Stanford
Saturday, September 9 – vs. Albany
Saturday, September 16 – at Oregon
Saturday, September 23 – vs. New Mexico State
Saturday, September 30 – at UNLV
Saturday, October 14 – vs. San Diego State
Saturday, October 21 – at New Mexico
Saturday, October 28 – vs. San Jose State
Saturday, November 4 – at Nevada
Saturday, November 11 – vs. Air Force
Saturday, November 18 – at Wyoming
Saturday, November 25 – vs. Colorado State

Nevada

Saturday, September 2 – at USC
Saturday, September 9 – vs. Idaho
Saturday, September 16 – vs. Kansas
Saturday, September 23 – at Texas State
Saturday, September 30 – at Fresno State
Saturday, October 14 – vs. UNLV
Saturday, October 21 – at San Diego State
Saturday, October 28 – vs. New Mexico
Saturday, November 4 – vs. Hawaii
Saturday, November 11 – at Utah State
Saturday, November 18 – at Colorado State
Saturday, November 25 – vs. Wyoming

New Mexico

Saturday, September 2 – at Texas A&M
Saturday, September 9 – vs. Tennessee Tech
Saturday, September 16 – vs. New Mexico State
Saturday, September 23 – at Massachusetts
Saturday, September 30 – at Wyoming
Saturday, October 14 – vs. San Jose State
Saturday, October 21 – vs. Hawaii
Saturday, October 28 – at Nevada
Saturday, November 4 – vs. UNLV
Saturday, November 11 – at Boise State
Saturday, November 18 – at Fresno State
Saturday, November 25 – vs. Utah State

San Diego State

Saturday, August 26 – vs. Ohio
Saturday, September 2 – vs. Idaho State
Saturday, September 9 – vs. UCLA
Saturday, September 16 – at Oregon State
Friday, September 22 – vs. Boise State
Saturday, September 30 – at Air Force
Saturday, October 14 – at Hawaii
Saturday, October 21 – vs. Nevada
Saturday, November 4 – vs. Utah State
Saturday, November 11 – at Colorado State
Saturday, November 18 – at San Jose State
Saturday, November 25 – vs. Fresno State

San Jose State

Saturday, August 26 – at USC
Sunday, September 3 – vs. Oregon State
Saturday, September 9 – vs. Cal Poly
Saturday, September 16 – at Toledo
Saturday, September 23 – vs. Air Force
Saturday, October 7 – at Boise State
Saturday, October 14 – at New Mexico
Saturday, October 21 – vs. Utah State
Saturday, October 28 – at Hawaii
Saturday, November 11 – vs. Fresno State
Saturday, November 18 – vs. San Diego State
Saturday, November 25 – at UNLV

UNLV

Saturday, September 2 – vs. Bryant
Saturday, September 9 – at Michigan
Saturday, September 16 – vs. Vanderbilt
Saturday, September 23 – at UTEP
Saturday, September 30 – vs. Hawaii
Saturday, October 14 – at Nevada
Saturday, October 21 – vs. Colorado State
Saturday, October 28 – at Fresno State
Saturday, November 4 – at New Mexico
Saturday, November 11 – vs. Wyoming
Saturday, November 18 – at Air Force
Saturday, November 25 – vs. San Jose State

Utah State

Saturday, September 2 – at Iowa
Saturday, September 9 – vs. Idaho State
Saturday, September 16 – at Air Force
Saturday, September 23 – vs. James Madison
Saturday, September 30 – at UConn
Saturday, October 7 – vs. Colorado State
Saturday, October 14 – vs. Fresno State
Saturday, October 21 – at San Jose State
Saturday, November 4 – at San Diego State
Saturday, November 11 – vs. Nevada
Saturday, November 18 – vs. Boise State
Saturday, November 25 – at New Mexico

Wyoming

Saturday, September 2 – vs. Texas Tech
Saturday, September 9 – vs. Portland State
Saturday, September 16 – at Texas
Saturday, September 23 – vs. Appalachian State
Saturday, September 30 – vs. New Mexico
Saturday, October 7 – vs. Fresno State
Saturday, October 14 – at Air Force
Saturday, October 28 – at Boise State
Saturday, November 4 – vs. Colorado State
Saturday, November 11 – at UNLV
Saturday, November 18 – vs. Hawaii
Saturday, November 25 – at Nevada

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Mountain West Football: Who Had The Most Turnover Luck In 2022?

ESPN’s Bill Connelly looked back at fortunes that were shaped by a knack for taking the ball away (or not) in 2022.

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Mountain West Football: Who Had The Most Turnover Luck in 2022?

ESPN’s Bill Connelly looked back at fortunes that were shaped by a knack for taking the ball away (or not) in 2022.

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Some interesting revelations.

After previously measuring how FBS ranked by returning production for 2023 and by initial SP+ projections, ESPN’s Bill Connelly took a closer look at how the 2022 season got shaped by turnover luck.

In particular, Connelly examined fumble luck and the ratio of interceptions to pass breakups, both of which are hard to predict at any given time and could be something to watch with regard to regression candidates, both positive and negative, in the Mountain West. He notes that “a turnover is worth about 4-5 points in terms of field position value”, meaning that it can be a fairly significant influence on the outcome of any single game.

As proof of that point, Connelly’s list of offenses that were impacted most by opponents turning defended passes into interceptions includes Utah State. The Aggies threw 21 interceptions on 398 total pass attempts, a staggering 5.2% rate that also happened to represent a full one-third (33.3%) of passes defended against them, one of eight unfortunate teams to crack 30%. If Cooper Legas can stay healthy and make strides with the starting job in hand next fall, that could make Utah State a positive regression candidate after a disappointing 2022.

How did the conference stack up as a whole?

  • 125. Fresno State: -9.7 turnover luck, -3.1 points per game
  • 121. Colorado State: -7.0 turnover luck, -2.6 points per game
  • 119. Utah State: -7.3 turnover luck, -2.5 points per game
  • 91. Wyoming: -3.1 turnover luck, -1.1 points per game
  • 49. San Diego State: 1.6 turnover luck, +0.6 points per game
  • 43. Boise State: 2.3 turnover luck, +0.7 points per game
  • 41. Hawaii: 2.4 turnover luck, +0.8 points per game
  • 32. Air Force: 3.0 turnover luck, +1.1 points per game
  • 31. UNLV: 2.9 turnover luck, +1.1 points per game
  • 26. Nevada: 3.7 turnover luck, +1.4 points per game
  • 25. New Mexico: 3.8 turnover luck, +1.4 points per game
  • 12. San Jose State: 6.8 turnover luck, +2.5 points per game

There are a few surprising results here. Fresno State won the conference championship despite the worst overall turnover luck in the Mountain West, though adding a little context to that can clarify: The Bulldogs had 13 turnovers in a six-game stretch between losing Jake Haener to injury against USC and rallying to defeat San Diego State, but just one turnover in the other eight contests. His replacement, whether it’s Logan Fife, Jaylen Henderson, or Mikey Keene, will have big shoes to fill to keep the offense from sliding backward on that front.

Another interesting detail is that some of the conference’s worst teams, namely Nevada and New Mexico, had very good fortune with turnovers which could be hard to replicate in 2023 without improvements on offense. Additionally, San Jose State led the conference thanks to the strength of outrageously good interception luck, posting a 9.3 figure which was surpassed in FBS by just USC and Western Kentucky. Chevan Cordeiro’s 2.3% interception rate represented a career-best, but it remains to be seen if he can hold onto that gain while the defense looks to replace impact players like Viliami Fehoko, Cade Hall, and Nehemiah Shelton.

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2023 USFL College Draft: Three Players From Mountain West Selected

A trio of former Mountain West football players were selected from the USFL college draft pool, ahead of the spring league’s second year.

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2023 USFL College Draft: Three Players From Mountain West Selected

A trio of former Mountain West football players were selected from the USFL college draft pool, ahead of the spring league’s second year.

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Spring football is back once again.

The USFL College Draft took place today and, from a pool of roughly 3,000 athletes, the Mountain West Conference got some love from the league once again with three selections among 80 altogether.

Utah State offensive tackle Alfred Edwards III was the Mountain West’s first selection, tabbed by the Philadelphia Stars with the sixth overall pick in the first round. Edwards III earned a first-team all-conference nod in 2022 and finished his Aggies career with a program-record 53 starts.

The Mountain West’s next selection came in the fourth round courtesy of the Houston Gamblers, who selected Boise State defensive tackle Scott Matlock 26th overall. Matlock twice earned second-team all-Mountain West honors, in 2021 and 2022, while also occasionally contributing on offense in goal-line situations as part of the “Clydesdale” play package.

San Jose State cornerback Nehemiah Shelton got selected in the seventh round, with the 51st overall pick, by the Memphis Showboats. Last season, Shelton was one of only 11 Mountain West defenders to post at least ten passes defended and he finished 2022 with 49 total tackles, earning an all-conference honorable mention for the second straight year.

Former Wyoming defensive lineman Victor Jones also heard his name called during the event, going 31st overall to the New Jersey Generals. Jones spent 2022 with Akron and picked up 9.5 tackles for loss and three sacks for the Zips.

Though it will now have to compete for attention with the revived XFL, the 2023 USFL season will kick off on April 15. Games are set to be broadcast on Fox and NBC.

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Ohio 30, Wyoming 27 OT Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl What Happened, What It All Means

Ohio 30, Wyoming 27 OT: Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl what happened, player of the game, and what it all means

Ohio beat Wyoming to win the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. What happened, who was the player of the game, and what does it all mean?

Ohio 30, Wyoming 27 OT Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl What Happened, Player of the Game, What It All Means

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Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl What Happened

– The fantastic game ended with a flourish. After Wyoming managed a field goal in its overtime possession, CJ Harris found Tyler Foster for a ten-yard touchdown pass in overtime to complete the rally for an Ohio win.

– The Bobcats got two Nathaniel Vakos field goals in the last 4:17 of regulation. The first pushed them up 21-17, Wyoming took the lead with just over two minutes to play with a five-yard Jordon Vaughn touchdown run for a 24-21 lead, and Vakos answered with a 46-yard field goal with four seconds to play to force overtime.

– Neither team was ever up by more than one score. Vaughn started the scoring with a 17-yard touchdown run on the opening drive, Ohio roared back with a touchdown-and-2 on a Harris 34-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones. Wyoming converted on a muffed punt with a touchdown pass to take a 14-8 first quarter lead, and the battle was on.

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Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl Player of the Game

Sieh Bangura, RB Ohio
He set the tone for the Bobcat offense with 25 carries for 138 yards and a score. He also caught four passes for 18 yards.

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Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl Fun Stats

– Ohio QB CJ Harris was terrific when he had to be, completing 20-of-33 passes for 184 yards and two scores and running for 52 yards on ten carries.

– The two kickers were fantastic. Wyoming’s John Hoyland hit both his kicks from 53 and 29 yards. Ohio’s Nathanial Vakos hit 3-of-4 from 43, 45, and 46

– Ohio outgained Wyoming 385 yards to 291.

Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl What It All Means

Ohio kept coming through when it had to. CJ Harris had his most important performance of the season, the kicking was there when it had to be, and the defense held firm against a depleted Wyoming team. The Bobcats didn’t let the Cowboys do their normal style to control the game.

The MAC Championship loss to Toledo hurt, but with the win the Bobcats close with eight wins in the last nine games. In the first bowl games since the 2019 Famous Idaho Potato, Ohio has now won four straight.

Wyoming came up with a terrific performance – and a wonderful coaching job by Craig Bohl and his staff – considering all of the lost parts. It was able to hang around, but it couldn’t come up with the big defensive stop late to pull it off. It was still a great effort.

Even so, it was a third straight loss to end the season. On a positive side, it was the third season in four with seven wins or more – Wyoming only played six games in 2020. It was the first bowl loss in four tries under Bohl after losing the 2016 Poinsettia.

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