WAC power poll: Week 11
With teams entering the final stretch of the season, the conference race is about to get a whole lot more interesting. Boise, Nevada, and Hawaii are all locks for the preseason, but will Fresno State be able to sustain enough momentum to make a bowl game? After losing to Hawaii last month, is Nevada poised for a late season run and upset of Boise State? We should get more clues after this Saturday, but for now, here’s where I rate the nine WAC teams:
Boise State (8-0, 4-0): While Texas Christian made a strong case as a national championship caliber team with their 47-7 win at Utah, the Broncos posted an equally impressive beatdown of Hawaii. The Warriors may have been hot coming into the game, but that was before they met Kellen Moore and his 507-yard passing performance. Boise State’s offense gets a lot of props – and rightly so – but how about the defense? Consider for a minute that by holding the Warriors to just 196 yards, Boise State held Hawaii to its lowest offensive output in 12 years! Makes you scared to think what’s going to happen when the Aggies head up to smurf turf at the end of the year.
Nevada (8-1, 3-1): Think Colin Kaepernick and the Wolf Pack were down for the count after last month’s loss to Hawaii? Think again. The Wolf Pack showed they’re more than just a running team by dismantling Idaho’s defense, with Kaepernick throwing for 320 yards and five touchdowns. The team’s 844 total yards in the game set a school record, and was the highest offensive output by a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team since 2004. Fast ascending in the rankings, don’t think Nevada is ready to surrender command of the WAC to Boise State quite yet. They get Boise St. at home Nov. 26, but will first have to dispatch Fresno State this weekend.
Hawaii (7-3, 5-1): Tough to drop the Warriors here considering that they beat Nevada in week seven, but Hawaii just looked out of sync against Boise State. For the time being, the Warriors’ win against Nevada looks more like a case of catching the Wolf Pack on a down night. Still, despite allowing seven sacks on Saturday, Hawaii’s offense is a well-oiled machine, and the team isn’t completely out of the discussion for winning the conference. Should Boise State fall against Nevada in late November, the Warriors would likely win the WAC outright. With a remaining schedule that features three teams with a combined four wins, the Warriors should find much calmer seas in the weeks to come.
Fresno State (6-2, 4-1): Congratulations to the Bulldogs, who became bowl eligible with their thrilling 40-34 at Louisiana Tech last Saturday. Running back Robbie Rouse showed he’s fully back from an early season injury by rushing for an almost unheard-of 286 yards against the Tech defense, while the Bulldog defense proved to be just strong enough to deflect a Louisiana Tech offense that finally found a groove in recent weeks. While the team has won three straight, they do have a daunting final four games, starting with Nevada this weekend and ending with Illinois.
Louisiana Tech (3-6, 2-3): The Bulldogs got off to a fast start by jumping out to a 14-0 lead on Fresno State, but ultimately it was Sonny Dykes’ defense which denied Louisiana Tech the chance of upsetting Fresno State. The Bulldog defense was gashed by Fresno’s running game, and while the offense was steady, it has yet to find a play-maker. Tech should pick up wins over the next two weeks against New Mexico State and San Jose State, but the team will need to upset Nevada on Dec. 4 if they’re going to become bowl eligible.
Idaho (4-5, 1-3): While Nevada’s offense had a lot to do with Idaho’s 63-17 loss on Saturday, I’ve got to be honest with you. I don’t think the Vandals could hold Logan High to under 20. Given the team’s one-sided offensive attack, the Vandals will be hard-pressed to make a bowl game with four games left, especially since they must play Boise State. Not only has the Vandal offensive line struggled, but the offense has just been too inconsistent, despite the fact that quarterback Nathan Enderle has big-time pro potential.
Utah State (3-6, 1-4): The Aggies picked up their first conference win of the season, but it wasn’t without drama. USU was actually outgained by New Mexico State, with the southern Aggies picking up some 50 yards more than USU. While running back Derrvin Speight and linebacker Bobby Wagner had big games for USU, Diondre Borel played only OK in the win, while beating an otherwise hapless NMSU team isn’t anything to write home about. Still, Logan’s own showed the ability to come from behind in Saturday’s win, and have two winnable games over the next two weeks.
New Mexico State (2-7): No matter how bad things get for New Mexico State, at least the Aggies can say they aren’t as bad as San Jose State. To be perfectly fair, NMSU is finally on its way up, and seems to have found a reliable quarterback in 6-foot-3 junior Matt Christian. His 48.1 completion percentage might be God-awful, but at least his five touchdowns to no interceptions during the last three games gives Aggie fans hope for the future.
San Jose State (1-8, 0-4): The nation’s most inept offense got a much needed bye week this past weekend, and will look to upset Gary Andersen’s Aggies in San Jose this Saturday. The team has shown flashes of promise this season, but until quarterback Jordan Le Secla can find some reliable play-makers, the team isn’t likely to be competitive.
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.