Adam’s WAC football power poll: Week 4
Week four was judgment week for Western Athletic Conference (WAC) teams facing a slate of challenging non-conference games. Coming out of Friday and Saturday’s action, we’re starting to get a picture of which teams are going to be contenders in conference play, and which teams are pretenders. Everyone knows Boise State is the odds-on favorite to win the conference – and rightly so – but watch out for Nevada, which entered the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1948 after defeating BYU 27-13. Pretenders? Fresno State and Idaho both had disappointing weekends, with the Vandals losing an inexplicable game to a previously winless Colorado State team, while Fresno State fell to a ho-hum Mississippi club. And don’t forget about the usual bottom feeders: The “state’s” continue to struggle, with Utah State, San Jose State and New Mexico State combining for just two wins (and none against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents) through the first four weeks of the year. Here’s where I see WAC teams stacking up against each other after four weeks, plus my choice for the week five “Game of the Week.”
Boise State: It’s virtually impossible not to go with the No. 3 ranked Broncos as the WAC’s top team, especially after Saturday’s 37-24 win over Oregon State. Sure, the win wasn’t as impressive as some skeptics would have liked, and yes, Boise State’s special teams mistakes showed that the Broncos are a team with at least a few mere mortals, but a win is still a win. The Broncos improved to an amazing 64-2 at home since 2000 with the win, while also improving their record against BCS-conference teams to 6-1 in the last four seasons. Boise held a decisive advantage in terms of yards for the game, outgaining the 1-2 Beavers by 469-237 margin. The Bronco defense looked impressive, holding Oregon State to only three first downs on 13 attempts, and keeping Oregon State’s rushing game to under 80 yards on the evening. But Boise’s defense got complacent in the second half, and allowed the Beavers to chip away at a 24-10 halftime lead. There’s a layup this weekend against winless New Mexico State, but the Broncos could be challenged by Toledo in week six. Don’t laugh – the Rockets have won three straight, including a 31-20 victory over Purdue.
Nevada: The last time Nevada was ranked in the AP Top 25, the Cold War was just beginning. Yet by beating BYU on Saturday, the undefeated Wolf Pack proved that they deserve their accolades. Despite two turnovers, Colin Kaepernick continues to lead an offense which is virtually unstoppable, and added to his dark-horse Heisman trophy campaign by throwing for 196 yards and a score against the Cougars. While Nevada has yet to beat an FBS team with a record over the .500 mark, it is looking increasingly likely that the Nov. 26 game with Boise State won’t only determine the winner of the WAC, but could determine which team goes undefeated.
Fresno State: Coach Pat Hill’s team looked poised to ascend into the top 25 after starting the season 3-0, but the Bulldogs may not be the team we all thought they were. The Bulldog defense yielded 55 points to Mississippi during Saturday’s loss, and while the defeat comes at the hands of an SEC opponent, it also came at the hands of, arguably, the SEC’s worst team. Fresno State’s defense – so stout against USU two weeks ago – gave up 578 yards to the Rebels, including an almost unheard of 425 yards rushing on nine yards per carry. The good news is that the team continues to fire on all cylinders, with quarterback Ryan Colburn throwing for 390 yards and four scores in the loss. Yet injuries are mounting for the Bulldogs, who might be a candidate for an upset this week when Cal Poly comes to town.
Hawaii: Big whoop. So Hawaii won their last game 66-7, but it came against Charleston Southern. Still, let’s not forget that the Warriors beat Army in week two (Army is now 3-1) and have played Southern Cal and Colorado close this season. The team is currently ranked first in the country in passing yards per game, with Bryant Moniz throwing for six touchdowns in the team’s most recent win. Nevertheless, the Warriors have been known to waver once they’re in conference play, and will be tested by a good Louisiana Tech defense this Saturday.
Idaho: The Vandals are still something of a mystery after four weeks, and their season outlook hasn’t gotten any clearer after the team dropped a 36-34 game to a previously winless Colorado State team. The Vandals do get some reprieve in the rankings, given that the Rams won the game on a last-second field goal, but the 386 yards passing that the Vandals gave up will not bode well for the team’s success in conference play. Quarterback Nathan Enderle was stellar (25-30, 347 yards and 3 TDs), but the defense will have to show up this week against Western Michigan if Idaho is to have a shot at a bowl this season.
Louisiana Tech: While the Bulldogs have yet to win a game against an FBS conference team, you can’t say it hasn’t been close. A week after playing Navy tough, coach Sonny Dykes’ crew couldn’t quite get the job done against a good Southern Miss team, as the offense stalled late in fourth quarter when a potential game-winning drive ended in an interception. The team gets credit for battling back from a 10-point deficit, but offensively the Bulldogs just can’t seem to get anything going, and remain plagued by turnovers. An interesting matchup with Hawaii awaits this week – one which should give us an understanding as to where the team stands.
Utah State: Even in losing, the Aggies have usually managed to keep games competitive, but last Saturday’s 41-7 loss to San Diego State was just plain ugly. True, San Diego State is likely a bowl-bound team this year, but there comes a time when you wonder if the offseason optimism has all but faded in Logan. Injuries continue to haunt USU, while linebacker Bobby Wagner questioned the team’s focus after this performance. A win over BYU this Friday could be the spark the team needs to get its season on track.
San Jose State: Just when it looked like the Spartans might be making progress, the team was blown out by Utah in week four, falling 56-3. San Jose State’s offense was held to just 172 yards in the game, while the team managed just one first down. The good news for the Spartans is that September – and its brutal schedule – ended last week, but the bad news is the team’s prospects for conference play aren’t so hot considering the scare Southern Utah gave San Jose State two weeks ago.
New Mexico State: Three straight losses, all by 20 points or more. Not the way you want to kick off the first month of the season, but it’s exactly how the year has started for the Aggies. Losing to a hit-or-miss Kansas team was expected, but getting blown out by the Jayhawks could have been avoided. With Boise State on the slate this week, things are going to get a lot worse for southern Aggie fans before they get better. As always, the only thing this program can take solace in right now is the fact that it is not the University of New Mexico.
Game of the Week: BYU at Utah State
We’ll be hearing plenty about this game over the next three days, but the long anticipated rivalry matchup gets an added dimension of intrigue considering that both teams have begun the season on down notes. BYU has played well against its competition in the first half, but the Aggies have shown fight in their losses too. If either team wants to entertain notions of a mid-year turnaround, this is the game to start it.
Got beef with my picks? Think I missed the mark? We want to hear from you. Drop me a line at adam.nettina@aggiemail.usu.edu.