WAC Preview
Here is a brief look at each of the nine football teams in the Western Athletic Conference, listed in order of their preseason ranking by “USA TODAY”.
1. Hawaii Warriors: 11-3 in 2006, 15 starters returning
In preseason Top 25 polls, the Warriors were ranked as high as 12th by Phil Steele’s. A major reason for that is quarterback Colt Brennan.
The Warrior signal caller will return for his senior season to continue leading an offense that was tops in the nation in scoring offense (46.9 points per game), passing offense (441.3 yards per game) and total offense (559.2 yards per game). Brennan will also be a top contender for the Heisman Trophy.
Wide recievers Davone Bess, Jason Rivers and Ryan Grice-Mullen will also be back. The trio combined for 3,168 yards and 36 touchdowns in ’06.
Defensively, linebackers Adam Leonard and Solomon Elimimian return. They combined for 203 tackles last season for a defense that ranked 59th in the country.
2. Boise State Broncos: 13-0, 12 starters returning
The 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl champions will look to continue the nation’s longest winning streak of 13.
Junior running back Ian Johnson is the biggest name back on offense. Johnson led the country in scoring (12.67 ppg) and touchdowns (25) and was second in rushing yards per game (142.83).
Marty Tadman and Nick Schlekeway headline the Bronco defense.
Tadman, the defensive MVP of the Fiesta Bowl, heads into his senior season as the nation’s active leader in career interceptions (12) and interception returns for touchdown (3).
3. Nevada Wolf Pack: 8-5, 14 starters returning
The Wolf Pack will look to bounce back from a tight loss last season in the MPC Computers Bowl to the University of Miami.
The Wolf Pack returns the WAC’s top kick returner in Dwayne Sanders, who averaged 25 yards on each return.
On defense, outside linebacker Ezra Butler will return after a 2006 campaign that made him an all-WAC selection. Butler led the WAC and was 18th nationally with 17.5 tackles for loss.
4. Fresno State Bulldogs: 4-8, 15 starters returning
The only Division I team to lose to the Utah State Aggies in ’06, the Bulldogs return a strong game on special teams. Senior kicker Clint Stitser has converted 75 percent of his field goal attempts in his career (21-28) and is a Lou Groza Award semifinalist.
The Bulldogs also welcome back four starters to an offensive line that allowed 12 sacks the entire season – a school record.
Senior defensive end Tyler Clutts comes into the season with 16 career sacks. He only needs one more to be among the top 10 in school history in that category.
5. San Jose State Spartans: 9-4, 15 starters returning
If the Spartans put up another winning season in ’07, it will be the first time since the 1991 and 1992 seasons that the team has had back-to-back winning campaigns.
Among the 15 returning starters are five all-conference players. That is the highest number of all-WAC players the school has ever had.
Cornerback Dwight Lowery is among the five. In 2006, Lowery received first-team All-America honors. He and teammate Christopher Owens combined for the most interceptions nationally by a cornerback tandem. Lowery was second in the nation with nine interceptions.
Quarterbacking for SJSU will again be Adam Tafralis, who set a single-season school record last year for completing 65.6 percent of his passes.
Tailback Yonus Davis is back after collecting 1,007 rushing yards a season ago.
6. New Mexico State Aggies: 4-8, 19 starters returning
Quarterback Chase Holebrook is back for the Aggies. In 2006, he broke 19 NMSU game or season records. He also set the NCAA record for passing yards by a sophomore.
Joining Holebrook will again be junior wide receiver Chris Williams, who led the nation in receving yards per game (117.9). Williams broke the school record last year for most 100-yard receiving games in a season with seven.
In all, the NMSU offense returns nine starters from a year ago.
Junior safety Derrick Richardson will be an anchor on defense. He notched 73 tackles during ’06, which was the third most in the squad.
7. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs: 3-10, 18 starters returning
The Bulldogs will have a deeper and more experienced defense. They return their top seven tacklers and 11 of their top 12 from a year ago. That group is led by junior linebacker Quin Harris, who snagged 95 stops.
On the other side of the ball will be the team’s top rusher, junior Patrick Jackson. Jackson racked up 854 rushing yards and saw the end zone seven times last season.
The Bulldogs’ non-conference schedule includes LSU, California, Mississippi and Central Arkansas.
8. Utah State Aggies: 1-11, 19 starters returning
USU and NMSU are tied for the most starters returning.
Senior Leon Jackson III, the only quarterback on the roster with game experience, was named starting quarterback last Wednesday by Head Coach Brent Guy.
Jackson will be joined by an offensive line which returns three starters. Senior wideout Kevin Robinson and senior running back Aaron Lesue (a walk-on in ’06) will be other vital parts of the USU offensive attack, which ranked 117th in the nation in scoring a year ago.
Junior defensive end Ben Calderwood is one of the big names back on defense. Calderwood was second-team all-WAC last season and has received numerous preseason accolades already.
WAC Freshman of the Year Paul Igboeli will return at linebacker, where he had 69 tackles in his opening season. Junior linebacker Jake Hutton will also return after missing the final eight games of the season to a foot injury.
9. Idaho Vandals: 4-8, 14 starters back
Robb Akey is the Vandals’ new head coach – the team’s third in as many seasons. He will look to improve a team that lost its final five games in 2006.
Senior cornerback Stanley Franks, the nation’s interception leader, will return to the Vandal secondary. Also back is senior linebacker David Vobora, who led the league in total tackles and solo stops. He was also ranked in the Top 10 nationally in both categories.
On offense, junior running back Jayson Bird will return. He totalled 539 rushing yards in ’06, along with a team-high seven touchdowns.