"Listen son, I'm sorry. It was dark, I'd been drinking Pina Coladas all day, and, in my defense, he looks a lot like your mother."
Like this article? Hate it? Need a place to tell us why? Sign up for the Draft Zoo Forum
As the clock ticks closer to the start of the college football season, the clock also ticks until the Boise State Broncos win the WAC championship and the team goes to their second BCS bowl. Ok, so maybe the other eight teams would like to say something about it, but the Broncos own the conference, and look to do it again. Over the last two years the Nevada team has almost been able to beat the Broncos, but have fallen just short.
9) New Mexico State Aggies
This might be a minor upset in the WAC world. Most people would have the Idaho Vandals as the team to beat(as in everyone beats the team) in the WAC, but the Aggies have lost a ton of talent, changes schemes on both sides, and have a new coach on board.
On Offense:
Former coach Hal Mumme ran a college version of a Mike Martz offense, and won almost as many games as Martz won as a coordinator for Detroit and San Fran. And that is also why Mumme is out as head coach. Enter former defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker from UCLA as the new head coach of the Aggies. Walker has promised to simplify and balance both the offense, and the defense. The pass-happy team from last year will now become a balanced offense on the field, and in hopes of pushing the WAC to new limits. Unfortunately last years QB J.J. McDermott has transferred away from the team, leaving a major lack of experience and talent on most of the offense. In fact, the only part of the offense that is returning from last year is a group of three O-linemen that must become a wall for all of the young talent.
On Defense:
Apparently when you run a rare defense in the 3-3-5, it’s a little hard to stop the run. It is especially tough when you don’t have the player talent to pull it off, and especially when you are in a conference that rushes better than it passes. Luckily this year coach Walker has brought in a 4-3 to stop the run which was good for 5th worst last year. Not having 5 DB’s won’t let them have the pass defense, but when the team is adjusted, they will be able to balance the talent. The team is unlikely to upset UTEP and Nevada this year, and could end up the worst team in college when it’s all said and done. But it will take time to fix, and coach Walker will definitely do better things in 2010.
Idaho Vandals
The Vandals have the unfortunate fate of being in the same state as Boise State. BSU has first dibs on just about every bit of talent in the state, and the team is one of the worst in recruiting year in and year out. This year though, I do believe the Vandals will make a few new strides, and might even steal a game or two. The team needs to have the team surrender fewer than the 43 per game they did last year, and the team needs talented QB Nathan Enderle to stop dumb moves.
On Offense:
As mention, the Vandals return talented QB Nathan Enderle who threw for 2100 yards and 20-TD’s last year. Enderle has cannon for an arm, and the height to fire from it, but often makes dumb mistakes that hurt the team. It won’t help that he lost half of his OL from last year, but the run game should help him out some. Deonte’ Johnson ran for almost 1200 yards as a freshman, but faltered last year. Princeton McCarthy is a great complement to Deonte’ and they could have the potential to form a small trademark on the otherwise weak offense.
On Defense:
I wish I could just put a picture of a person praying right here, just to emphasize how bad the defense was last year. The team was 107th in both passing and rushing which gave them and overall bottom-4 worst defense. It would be nice to give great hope for the team, but only four returning starters will see action this year, and the team is not great at getting to the QB, nor are they good at intercepting the QB. The biggest ray of hope I can give the defense is that they have more talent athleticism than they show through they are rarely able to hold a team under 40-points.
7) Utah State Aggies
The better Aggies of the WAC, AKA the Utah State Aggies return four starters on offence and seven on defense in 2009. Just like the rest of the college nation, new coach Gary Andersen is changing the team’s offense into a spread. Who knows how it will work, but there is no doubt that the spread has definitely done great things for the Big 12, and many other great teams.
On Offense:
As mentioned already, the team is switching to a spread offense to try to spark a new era of Aggie football in Logan. The team returns junior QB Diondre Borel who will love the benefits of the spread, AKA lining up in shotgun throwing to 4-wide on every play. Borel does also get the benefit of returning three of the five starting linemen for him. So that’s the starting quarterback’s Christmas present, and the leading rusher last year was… well look at that, Diondre Borel! Apparently Diondre Borel is the luckiest man in Logan, Utah. Borel won’t be the only player on the field though as two sophomore running backs will compete to help him get some great stuff done.
On Defense:
The team is also implementing a new defense that has been exciting the ineffective but experienced defensive returners. The team will now line up in a slightly moderated 4-3 that will occasionally play a 4-2-5. The team is also looking to attack the QB more aggressively, which should be fantastic for a team that very few currently fear. If the front seven can get the things done that they are expected to, look for a silent but deadly Aggie team in 2009 and 2010.
6) Hawaii Warriors
Another minor shock in the rankings as the Hawaii squad will unfortunately suffer a major drop off. Last year coach Greg McMackin proved to the upper 48 that he was a pretty good coach. He also showed us what a veteran defense can do for a team as they were able to achieve a 7-7 record and a birth in a bloodbath at home against Notre Dame. This year won’t be as lucky though, as the Warriors will struggle to make their home bowl game.
On Offense:
The offense returns only five scattered starters, including Greg Alexander who reminds me a lot like a passer for Hawaii… oh wait. The team should be happy to get Alexander back who passed for top-20 numbers in the six games he started. Unfortunately the O-line surrendered a David Carr on the Houston Texans number of sacks last season. If the team can fix the problem on the line, and if the run game can spark something, the Warriors might get some good stuff done.
On Defense:
Unfortunately the Hawaii Warriors defense lost more starters than USC did. The Warriors defense was experienced and effective enough in 2008. Fortunately for the Warriors, there is a ton of depth still on the team that has enough experience to stop some of the worrying in Honolulu. Actually, it’s hard to feel bad for all of the people in Honolulu! They are sipping blue rums out of coconuts while Hunter and I are sitting in dark scary rooms writing conference previews. Just knowing that the team is in paradise and used to it means that they will be favorites at home against weak conference teams, and a few late East coast challenges.
5) San Jose State Spartans
The San Jose State Spartans were one of the biggest hit-or-miss teams in college last year. They had one of the best pass defenses in college, including a team that only allowed nine total passing touchdowns. Too bad the team’s top QB only threw for 9 touchdowns… The team has a ton of potential in the offense, and will be starting a ton of juniors and seniors in 2009.
On Offense:
The offense returns six starters to the team, including a solid O-Line that returns four starters. Wide out Kevin Jurovich, who was a former 2nd team WAC receiver in 2007 (before being out last year with mono) will likely be the leading receiver in 2009, especially since senior QB Kyle Reed is returning. Reed is one of the most successful QB’s in the history of Spartan football, and is a 3rd year starter. Reed is an accurate, but not threatening QB that manages the game behind the strong run game. Patrick Perry will be returning from a major knee injury, and should provide a major spark in the offense that Yonus Davis just wasn’t to do alone last year.
On Defense:
The defense is definitely the strong side of the team, as the Spartans were able to bring in a top 25 team last year in total YPG. The team only allowed nine passing touchdowns, had a top-10 pass defense in yardage, and had a pretty good rush defense as well. While the team does return six on the defense, it will miss monstrous DT Jarron Gilbert. DE Carl Ihenacho is a sack master on the line, and should even better in 2009. Fortunately for the Ihenacho family, the had another son named Duke who might be the best safety in the WAC. Duke had five picks last year, and even took two to the house, and will likely become a better non-BCS safety for the 2011 draft. The backfield does lose Coye Francies and Chris Owens to the draft, but a talented group of sophomores will likely start for one of the best defenses in the country.
4) Fresno State Bulldogs
The Fresno State Bulldogs are a team that is often labeled as the dark horse to dethrone Boise State. But I have to apologize to long time coach Pat Hill, because it’s not happening this year. The team did not impress last year, and former star QB Tom Brandstater was only able to beat the teams that he was supposed to last year. The team won against all of the pushover WAC teams, and did impress early against UCLA and Rutgers. But the team was hit or miss continuously, and lost games that they could have won.
On Offense:
There is no replacing the talent that Tom Brandstater brought to the table in Fresno, but the three men who are looking to take the snaps from under center come across similar to USC’s situation. Brandstater’s former backup Ryan Colburn has the inside track simply because of his experience in the program. But there is major competition from Ebahn Feathers, a QB who runs a 4.45 40-time, and from the freshman brother of David Carr (former top QB taken number 1 in the draft), Derek. Derek Carr has the same athletic potential as brother David, but will likely sit and learn the system under Colburn. Injury prone RB Ryan Mathews will get the start, but the team has a ton of other good players that can take over and assist the offense, especially under a team the returns the interior of the line.
On Defense:
The defense was good at stopping the pass last year, but overall struggled to stop the rush. This season the defense returns a total of six starters from all over the defense, and the team is looking to jack up the speed on the team. Pat Hill has been able to pull this off by having the players lose dead weight, a training emphasis on speed, and because of the sweet new red-bull fountain in the training room. An increase of team speed will significantly improve the potential of the team, but it may take a little time to adjust in the minor scheme changes. Overall the team might be able to win some big games, but have a tough September with games at Wisconsin and Cincinnati, and a home game against Boise State. The team might take a drop off at QB, but the improvement at RB could spark the team to play well.
3) Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
The WAC needs to figure itself out, especially because it’s bad enough the Boise State is the USC of the conference. Not only does the team have two of it’s teams with the mascot being an “Aggie” but it has two friggen “Bulldogs.” Nobody wants to go see the Aggies face the Aggies, or the Bulldogs face the Bulldogs. There is no reason that the very same conference should have teams in Hawaii, California, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico and… Louisiana??? I almost hope Louisiana Tech becomes a power house in the WESTERN area conference, and this might be their year to explode. While they likely will finish 3rd (and I’m very sure that they will), but they might become a thorn in the conference.
On Offense:
LA Tech’s offense exploded last year, finishing in the top-75 in just about every stat. The Bulldogs were able to put together a good, young team last year and are even luckier to return nine starters, including the entire OL, Phillip Livas (a dynamic WR), QB Ross Jenkins, and Stud RB Daniel Porter. Phillip Livas is a returning pro as he was to return one to the house on a kickoff, and on a punt. Oh he is also able to rush and catch balls too, as he scored good yardage and for some scores. Ross Jenkins will never win a stats battle for LA Tech, but there is no doubting his 6-2 record last year, and he doesn’t have to pass for a ton because of the run game. Daniel Porter became a WAC stud last year, running for nearly 1200 yards and 9 TD’s. Look for him to come out even harder this year, especially if cool-named backup Myke Compton can get some things going.
On Defense:
The LA Tech defense was strong last year, as the team finished 13th in rush defense nationally, and while allowing only 23 points PPG. The team returns three of the four members of the great defensive line, and both safeties. While the team will have to replace the entire starting LB core, and both corners, the team’s talent and depth continues to grow, providing for good young potential throughout. Overall the team also finished 19th in the country in their TO Margin, at plus 9. If the team can keep this efficiency, and create turnover well they might be able to explode and take the conference. Games at Auburn, Navy and LSU will ensure that the team won’t be a BCS Buster, but they have the skills to compete and beat the eight other teams in the WAC.
2) Nevada Wolfpack
Dark horse, dark horse, dark horse… It’s tough having so many dark horse teams in the conference, but Boise State has done it. The Broncos have become the Marcia of the conference, and a Brady Bunch of Jan’s that don’t like it. Luckily for the Nevada team however, they have the talent and potential to knock off the Broncos this year, and maybe even next.
On Offense:
The Wolfpack not only has one of the better passing offenses in college, but also one of the three best rushing attacks. And the rush game was hurt last year! You can’t mention anything about this Nevada team without first mentioning the most underrated QB in college (how do ya like that Hunter) in Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernicus was one of only a few players that has ever run for a 1,000 yards and passed for 2,000 in a season. And he threw for 2,850 yards last year! Kaepernick also threw for 22 scores and ran for 17 of his own, in his sophomore season for the Wolfpack. Expect Kaepernick to become an even stronger passer, and expect the rushing offense to expand as well.
Last year Vai Taua became the WAC rushing champ after 2007 rushing champ Luke Lippencott went down early. Lippencott is back for the Wolfpack, and expect scary things from the two rushing champs. Overall the team returns eight starters including most of the OL, and some talent at receiver.
On Defense:
Oh gosh, look at another WAC team that is good on one side of the ball. The team allowed only 86 YPG on the ground last year, good for 6th in the nation. That’s a great rush defense, but unfortunately the team finished in the bottom 80 in pass defense. The front seven might be the best in the WAC, and there is definitely solid LB depth that should step in after losing two of the three. But unfortunately the weak part of the team is the backfield. The team was unable to stop the pass last year, and unfortunately will struggle again in 2009. If the team wants to make the big jump in dethroning the Broncos, it’s going to have to patch the backfield.
Overall, the Wolfpack has gotten within 9 total points of beating the Broncos over the last two seasons, and get to face the Broncos in their last game this year. If BSU actually beats Oregon and cruises through the country, they might be looking ahead to their BCS bowl game and might struggle against Nevada. Nevada has the talent to win the conference, but early games against Notre Dame and Missouri might take them out of the BCS Buster conversation.
1. Boise State Broncos
The Boise State Broncos will likely start in the top-15 of the preseason national polls, and are the huge favorites to get into a BCS game. In fact, the team only faces tough games to start, and to end the season and have the benefit of facing both those teams at home. The Broncos start the season off against an Oregon team that they beat last season, and then take a nap for three months until the end of the season against Nevada. Should the Broncos go undefeated, they will undoubtedly end up in a BCS bowl, and might even become a BCS Championship game team by poor default. That’s saying a lot, but starting the season in the top 12 can do that. Should the team lose a close game to Oregon, they might actually be able to get into a BCS game by the same schedule default
On Offense:
If it weren’t for Kellen Moore last season, the Broncos would have suffered greatly. Moore as a Freshman threw for almost 70% and was the conference’s best true QB. Moore has a lot of expectations this year, and should deliver as the OL will be improved, and with a ton of talent in the TE’s. Just look for the Broncos offense to explode with it’s potential through the air. Unfortunately the WR depth is a little thin, and the OL still has a lot to prove before Moore can really excel. Ian Johnson took off to the pro’s, leaving high-potential but low-results Jeremy Avery to become the head starter. If the OL can stay strong, and if Avery can at minimum take pressure off the pass game, the offense could easily have another top-25 year.
On Defense:
Finally a WAC team with balance! The Broncos ranked 3rd last year in scoring defense, and were in the top-20 of total yardage. Both sides of the defense were able to finish in the top-35 in yardage, and the 4-2-5 defense looks strong yet again in 2009. The team did lose six member of the defense, but are able to return the amazing Kyle Wilson at corner. Wilson is one of the three best corners in college, and might be the best return corner in college as well. Expect Wilson to have a great year on his way to potentially becoming a 1st round pick in the 2010 draft. The rest of the team has more returning talent in the backfield, but don’t count out the great coaching of the team to fill in the holes.
OPOY
Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada — Stud QB who ran for 1,000 and threw for almost 3,000 yards as a sophomore. Look for Kaepernick to explode on the field, and potentially lead his team to the WAC title. Hunter and I recently debated the most underrated players in college, and he was my pick hands down because of his talent level.
DPOY
1. Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State — Wilson is a stud corner who could easily become the best in the game. He is a giant playmaker who had 5 picks last year, and is also one of the best returners in college. Look for Wilson to help lead the team to a BCS game, and big plays over a bad conference.
2. The Ihenacho family — Not only do they have a great name, but the younger Ihenacho brought in 5 picks last year as a safety, including two to the house. Older brother Carl is one of the best DE’s in the country and got 7 sacks in his first 7 games before a hand injury. Expect the Ihenacho brothers to become big names for the Spartans.
Newcomer of the Year
Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State — Should the brother of the former number 1 pick get the starting nod, expect him to have a game similar to his brother’s. Younger brother Derek has even been touted as having more potential than brother David by some. Don’t expect Derek to become a number one pick, but do expect great things when he comes of age.
{ 1 trackback }