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LAS VEGAS — With realignment speculation and a handful of overhauled teams and coaching staffs, plenty of intrigue surrounds the 2022 Mountain West media day sessions, which opened Wednesday morning in Las Vegas.
Ahead of the start of the two-day media event, the conference released its preseason media poll. Here's a breakdown of the poll and where teams finished.
Mountain Division
1. Boise State (14 first-place votes)
Voter fatigue may affect Rudy Gobert in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year discussion. It may affect Mike Trout in the American League MVP race. But it will never affect the Broncos in the Mountain Division preseason media poll.
Boise State has been voted first in the Mountain Division every year since it was created in 2019. And for the most part, they've backed it up and have won the division five times. But after an underwhelming 7-5 record and third-place division finish last season, the pressure to win the division in 2022 is on.
With quarterback Hank Bachmeier returning for his senior year, plus key games against San Diego State, Fresno State and Utah State all at home, a bounce-back year in Andy Avalos' second season seems realistic.
2. Air Force: (10 first-place votes)
Quarterback Haaziq Daniels and fullback Brad Roberts may be the most exciting — and frightening — Mountain West duo in 2022. After combining for 31 touchdowns and over 3,000 yards of offense last season, a narrow miss at a division title should be enough motivation to build upon those numbers.
If the Falcons defense performs like it did last year, when it was No. 4 nationally in total defense, they'll be tough to beat. But losing defensive coordinator John Rudzinski to Virginia and defensive tackle Jordan Jackson to the NFL leaves some uncertainty.
3. Utah State (3 first-place votes)
After last year's surprising championship season, nobody will be overlooking the Aggies in 2022. Returning 12 starters and most of its coaching staff, they'll look to run it back. There are question marks, however. Utah State lost its three top-producing receivers and four of its five leading tacklers from last year.
The good news is a handful of Power Five transfers look to fill in those holes, while plenty of last year's leaders are still in Logan, beginning with quarterback Logan Bonner.
4. Colorado State (1 first-place vote)
The Rams, which went 3-9 last season under Steve Addazio, appear to be on an upward trajectory with Jay Norvell at the helm.
Norvell left Nevada for greener pastures and brought with him an influx of transfers, including quarterback Clay Millin and an arsenal of receivers. Expect a passing attack similar to the one seen at Nevada to complement a Rams defense that's been solid in recent years. But unless Norvell pulls a Blake Anderson, turning a losing team into a conference contender, it will take more than a single season.
5. Wyoming
Last winter's mass exodus of players out of Laramie was an unprecedented and unfortunate result of the new NCAA transfer rules. Things became so dire for the Cowboys that head coach Craig Bohl released a public plea to transfers asking them to sign with the team.
The request was answered by some. Wyoming picked up Utah State transfer quarterback Andrew Peasley and USC wide receiver Chase Locke, along with four Power Five transfers on the defensive end.
Bohl managed to glue back together a full roster. But turning the Pokes into a winner, however, seems like a tall task.
A statement from Cowboy Football Head Coach @CoachCBohlpic.twitter.com/7CypQss4GD
— Wyoming Cowboy Football (@wyo_football) December 24, 2021
6. New Mexico
There's the good, there's the bad, and then there's the Lobos' 2021 season.
In Danny Gonzales' second year, New Mexico was 130th nationally in points per game (10.8) and won just two FBS games; they lost nine of their final ten games.
Prospects of improving offensively look bleak, as most of last year's bright spots hit the transfer portal. Fortunately for New Mexico, the defense, led by coordinator Rocky Long, shouldn't be terrible. Most of the talent from a side that finished 44th in total defense last year returns, including leading tackler Jerrick Reed.
Pacific Division
1. Fresno State (20 first-place votes)
The Bulldogs were voted the preeminent team heading into the season with 20 first-place votes on Wednesday.
And for good reason.
After losing coach Kalen DeBoer to Washington, they rehired Jeff Tedford, who stepped away from the job after the 2019 season due to health problems. Tedford led Fresno State to a conference championship in 2018 and has plenty weapons to do it again. All-Mountain West quarterback Jake Haener and three of his top four recievers from a 10-win team return.
Home games against San Diego State and San Jose State don't hurt, either.
2. San Diego State (8 first-place votes)
The Aztecs will, once again, be loaded on the defensive end, returning seven starters from a side that gave up just 19.8 points per game last season. But if they want to repeat as Pacific Division champs and host the Mountain West championship game at the brand new Snapdragon Stadium, they'll need to score some points.
Losing a 1,000-yard rusher in Greg Bell and three offensive line starters won't be an easy task. Look to Virginia Tech transfer and duel-threat quarterback Braxton Burmeister and senior running back Chance Bell to pick up the slack and potentially give Fresno State a run for its money.
3. San Jose State
What version of Brent Brennan's Spartans squad will appear: the 2020 team that surprised the league and won the championship or the 2021 team that backslid? Voters say they'll be somewhere in the middle.
Hawaii transfer quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, who passed for 2,793 yards last season, and Nevada receiver Elijah Cooks are big pickups for an offense that said goodbye to quarterback Nick Starkel. The defense returns nine starters, including all-conference defensive ends Viliami Fehoko and Cade Hall.
Maybe the Spartans are a team to look out for this season.
4. UNLV
Where do we start?
Marcus Arroyo is just 2-16 in two seasons at UNLV; star running back Charles Williams graduated; linebacker Jacoby Windmon, who was 13th nationally in tackles, transferred to Michigan State; Tennesee transfer Harrison Bailey likely takes over at quarterback, but his ability is undefined.
In the meantime, the Rebels are entering their third season playing at Allegiant Stadium, and any momentum that has come from it hasn't translated into on-field success. It's difficult to see 2022 being any different, but voters still put the Rebels at fourth in the division — so maybe some progress?
5. Nevada
The 2022 Wolfpack will look like a skeleton of its 2021 self. All-conference quarterback Carson Strong and wide receiver Romeo Dubbs are both in the NFL, while coach Mike Norvell fled to Fort Collins and took 11 players with him.
What's left for first-year head coach Ken Wilson? Just six starters return from last year's eight-win squad. One of them is fifth-year defensive tackle Dom Peterson, who, along with a handful of defensive transfers, may be able to replicate their success and force turnovers like last season.
But all signs point to a down year in Reno.
6. Hawaii
It wasn't all paradise on the islands last season. Former head coach Todd Graham resigned in disgrace in January after a series of allegations of abuse from former players came out.
Hawaii hopes his replacement, Rainbow Warriors alum Timmy Chang, who set an NCAA record for most all-time passing yards in 2004, will rebuild the program. But with little time to work on the roster he inherited, it may be tough surfing in Year 1.
