Adam’s WAC football power poll: Week 8
For the past three weeks I’ve been telling everyone how good Hawaii is, and how the Warriors would be no pushover for Utah State when the two teams finally meet. And for the past three weeks I’ve been getting the old “pssh, are your serious, Hawaii?” look. Well, the Warriors lived up to my expectations on Saturday when they upset then-No. 19 Nevada. The other big story in the WAC might be the sudden surge of Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs proved their bowl game aspirations might not be dead yet with a win over Idaho, while Fresno State got back on track with a win against New Mexico State. Here’s how the teams stack up in my mind up going into week eight, plus my pick for the game of the week.
Boise State (6-0, 2-0)
All last week we heard about how the Broncos would likely make history as the first non-automatic qualifying conference team to come in the number one spot when the first Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings were released. Well, when the BCS rankings finally debuted on Sunday, Boise was on the outside, looking in at third, behind Oklahoma and Oregon. Fortunately for the Broncos, the chances of either of those teams losing are much higher than that of Boise State losing, especially with Nevada looking weaker than many people originally thought. Quarterback Kellen Moore missed only two passes in the Bronco’s 48-0 rout of San Jose State.
Hawaii (5-2, 3-0)
Move over Nevada, there is a new No. 2 in our weekly power rankings, and there’s no disputing this call. By beating the Wolf Pack 27-21, Hawaii proved that they are this year’s surprise team in the WAC, and that going undefeated in conference play (except, of course, against Boise) might not be all that far-fetched. The Warriors’ four straight wins confirm that they’re the real deal. Bryant Moniz is on track to be the conference Offensive Player of the Year after another fine performance. It may be too early to speculate as to how the Hawaii defense will hold up when the team plays Boise State, but the Warriors couldn’t possibly fare any worse than Boise State’s other opponents.
Nevada (6-1, 1-1)
Repeat after me, Wolf Pack fans: it’s OK. You can back away from the ledge, and despite being knocked from the AP rankings, your team is far from finished with the season. Despite losing to Hawaii, Nevada still ranks fifth in the country in rushing yards per game. The team gets its bye week at an opportune time this weekend, and won’t be back to action until hosting Utah State on Oct. 30. The bad news for the Wolf Pack is that they’ll have to face the WAC’s best teams during the second half of the season, playing Idaho, Fresno State and Louisiana Tech all on the road.
Fresno State (4-2, 2-1)
The final score may not show a complete beatdown, but Fresno’s 33-10 win at home against New Mexico state saw Pat Hill’s team take a 30-3 lead into the half. Through three quarters of play the first team Bulldog defense might as well have been a brick wall, holding the Aggies to just 34 net yards rushing. Defensive end Chris Carter tallied three sacks and two forced fumbles to go along with nine tackles. Fresno State may be a better team than I pegged them as last week. They’ll get a layup this week against San Jose State before hitting a November slate which features games at Louisiana Tech, at home against Nevada, and at Boise State.
Louisiana Tech (3-4, 2-1)
It seems like just a few weeks ago we were all writing the Bulldogs as down for the count, but head coach Sonny Dykes has finally found his man in quarterback Ross Jenkins, who has led the team to back-to-back wins. Jenkins, who started the year as a backup, scored four touchdowns in Tech’s 48-35 win against Idaho on Saturday. Louisiana Tech’s offense amassed 678 yards in the win, overcoming four turnovers and six penalties to survive the shootout. While the offensive explosion was impressive, allowing 513 passing yards to Idaho isn’t a good sign – especially with a trip to Boise State in their next game.
Idaho (3-3, 0-1)
I said a few weeks ago that Idaho was the WAC’s biggest question mark, and after six games I’m still scratching my head. The Vandals had one bad loss (Colorado State), a respectable loss (Nebraska), and a close conference loss this past week to what might be an up-and-coming Louisiana Tech team. With games against New Mexico state, San Jose State and Utah State still on the schedule, it’s not unthinkable that the Vandals could get back to the postseason, but they won’t be doing so on the heels of their defense. If quarterback Nathan Enderle can cut back on the interceptions than this team is dangerous. If not, well, than the Vandals might be the conference’s biggest disappointment.
Utah State (2-4, 0-2)
Head coach Gary Andersen and the Aggies could not have gotten a better week for a bye last weekend, and used the time to heal banged up players like cornerback Chris Randle. The Aggies were overwhelmed by Louisiana Tech two weeks ago, but USU has shown the ability to play most teams tough at home, and with Hawaii coming to altitude after an upset win against Nevada, the Warriors are ripe for an upset. If the Aggies are to have any hope at a postseason berth in 2010, they must win this game.
New Mexico State (1-5, 0-2)
Not gonna lie – when it came to choosing between which team gets the honor of our bottom spot this week, I had to flip a coin. The Aggies were blitzkrieged by the Fresno State defense last week, with quarterback Matt Christian taking a beating in the face of a devastating pass rush. Seth Smith did rush for 91 yards for New Mexico State, but nothing else seemed to go right for the Aggies.
San Jose State (1-6, 0-2)
The Spartans are currently scoring fewer points per game (8.9) than any other team in the country and ranks among the worst in the nation. This past week the team suffered another loss that wasn’t even close, getting blown out by Boise State 48-0. The worst part about the team’s season? They’ve still got four more games to be televised on ESPN this season, meaning the entire country gets a chance to feel the pain of each sack quarterback Jordan Le Secla takes.
Game of the Week: Hawaii at Utah State
Call me biased, but this match-up has the classic “trap game” scenario for Hawaii written all over it. Hawaii has traditionally struggled away from the islands, but this year might be a different story. Not only did they beat two solid teams in Army and Fresno State on the road, but they played Colorado tough at altitude in Boulder. Utah State has had two weeks to prepare for the game and get healthy, and should have no shortage of fan support during the homecoming game.
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.