COLUMN: Adam’s WAC football power poll: Week three
After an exciting week one which saw both Boise and Fresno State pull major upsets, week two was relatively quiet for Western Athletic Conference teams, with all seven active teams failing to make national waves amidst a sea of upsets and fantastic finishes around the country. But week two in the WAC wasn’t without its fair share of highs and lows, and from the non-conference battles WAC teams were involved in, the relative strengths of each team are coming into view with conference action right around the corner.
1) Boise State (1-0): This time last week, it looked like the Broncos were a sure-fire top-three team, with pollsters taking note of Boise State’s impressive 33-30 comeback win over Virginia Tech. Boise received no less than eight first-place votes in the AP Poll after defeating the Hokies, who despite the loss, many still expected to win the Atlantic Coast Conference. Yet the Broncos’ hopes at making a national title game may have taken a hit when Virginia Tech was upset at home by James Madison on Saturday, making Boise State’s week one upset look less like an upset. Case in point, Boise State lost seven of its eight first-place votes in the AP Poll. While they won’t be tested this week at Wyoming, Boise State will have another chance to state its case as a title contender in two weeks as the team hosts Oregon State.
2) Fresno State (1-0): Like the Broncos, Fresno State was idle during week two, but unlike the Broncos, Fresno State’s lack of action worked to its benefit. The latest AP Poll finds the Bulldogs just outside the Top 25 at No. 27, with Pat Hill’s team preparing to travel to Logan to take on USU this weekend. If the Bulldogs are able to play defense like they did against Cincinnati in week one, the Aggies could find themselves in big trouble. Fresno State, which had all of 11 sacks combined in 2009, registered eight sacks in the season opener and features a tremendous tandem of players up front in tackle Logan Harrell and end Chris Carter. They’ll need to get the running game going to threaten Boise for the top spot, however, as sophomore Robbie Rouse averaged a pedestrian 2 yards per carry in the opener. Rouse, who is in his first year as a starter after last year’s star Ryan Matthews left for the NFL, will miss Saturday’s game with Utah State due to injury.
3) Nevada (2-0): Colin Kaepernick continues to prove that he’s not just one of the best players in the WAC ,but in the entire country, raking up 402 total yards to lead the Wolf Pack to a 51-6 rout of Colorado State Sept. 11. Coach Chris Ault’s pistol offense was lethal in more ways than one, with Nevada scoring on every possession and finishing the game with 631 yards of total offense. They get a tough test with Cal coming to town Friday night, but will have a chance to show the country that they’re the real deal.
4) Hawaii (1-1): A week after scarring Southern Cal at home, the Warriors proved too much for Army in a come-from-behind 31-28 win on the road. Hawaii jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the game and although the Warriors allowed Army’s triple-option offense to get back on track, Greg McMackin’s crew showed tremendous resolve down the stretch. Quarterback Bryant Moniz continues to shine, and against a very stout Army defense on Saturday he went 25-36 for 343 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions. The team showed its true resolve with a game-winning field goal with only seconds left. This is a win which could prove a defining turning point for the team’s season.
5) Utah State (1-1): If the Aggies benefited from their decisive 38-17 win over Idaho State on Saturday, than they struck gold in the eyes of conference observers considering Oklahoma’s dominant win over Florida State in week two. USU, which took Oklahoma down to the wire in week one, was impressive on offense and defense against the Bengals, but didn’t help its case as the next “surprise” WAC team by committing 10 penalties. Depth is a concern given the injuries the team has incurred, but the Aggies will have a chance to show they’re legitimate this weekend when Fresno State comes to Logan.
6) Idaho (1-1): Granted, Idaho was down 31-3 at the half during Saturday’s loss to Nebraska, but it was Nebraska, after all. A week after looking effective in the opener, Idaho quarterback Nathan Enderle threw five picks against the ‘Huskers, hitting just over 50 percent of his passes for a pathetic 4.5 yards per completion. Defensively, Saturday was a disaster for the Vandals, who gave up 360 yards on the ground. They’ll have a chance to redeem themselves before a national TV audience on ESPNU against UNLV this Saturday.
7) Louisiana Tech (1-1): The scoreboard may not have shown it, but Saturday’s 48-16 loss to Texas A&M wasn’t that bad. Louisiana Tech should have gone into the half down only 14-10, but a penalty wiped out a Bulldog interception and allowed the Aggies to complete a hail-mary pass to go up 21-10 as the half expired. On the downside, the Bulldogs turned in another sloppy offensive performance, managing only 1.5 yards per rush and turning the ball over four times. The bigger dissapointment, however, may have been the Tech defense. The Bulldogs gave up more than 500 yards against Texas A&M. They’ll have another tough task against Navy when they take on Navy’s option offense this weekend.
8) San Jose State (0-2): Week two saw another big loss for the Spartans, but also several bright spots. Wisconsin Heisman trophy candidate John Clay ran all over San Jose State, but the Spartans did manage more than 300 yards of offense on their own, with quarterback Jordan Le Secla showing marked improvement by passing for 228 yards and two touchdowns. This week should finally yield results in the win column as the Spartans host Southern Utah.
9) New Mexico State (0-2): The first quarter of the season began well enough for the Aggies, who jumped out to a 7-0 lead over San Diego State on an 18-yard Kenny Turner run. It was all downhill from there, however, as the Aztecs rattled off 20 unanswered points. Quarterback Matt Christian, making his first career start, was impressive enough with 223 passing yards and two touchdowns, but head coach DeWayne Walker has got to be concerned with his defense after it allowed the Aztecs 563 total yards.
Game of the Week: California at Nevada
An intriguing matchup of 2-0 teams, this week’s showdown in Reno will go a long way to telling WAC fans if the Wolf Pack can challenge Boise State for conference supremacy later this year. California is no lightweight, and after pounding Colorado 52-7 last week, the Golden Bears should present a challenge to the Wolf Pack defense. The game will be on national TV at 8 p.m. MST on ESPN2.
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