2012 CFN All-Mountain West Team & Roundup

2012 Mountain West Fearless Predictions, Game Stories, Game of the Week, Player of the Week, Roundup & Standings

CFN 2012 All-MWest Team 

2012 Preview  2012 Mountain West Preview
- 2012 CFN All-Mountain West Team & Top 30 Players
 

2012 CFN All-Mountain West Offense
QB – Derek Carr, Jr. Fresno St
RB – Stefphon Jefferson, Jr. Nevada
RB – Robbie Rouse, Sr. Fresno St
WR – Davante Adams, Fr. Fresno St
WR – Chris McNeill, Sr. Wyoming
TE – Gavin Escobar, Jr. SDSU
OL – Nick Carlson, Sr. Wyoming
OL – Chris Barker, Sr. Nevada
OL – Jeff Nady, Sr. Nevada
OL – Matt Paradis, Jr. Boise St
OL – Austin Wentworth, Jr. Fresno St
PK – Nolan Kohorst, Jr. UNLV
KR – Mike Edwards, Jr. Hawaii

2012 CFN All-Mountain West Defense
DL – Michael Atkinson, Sr. Boise St
DL – Tyeler Davison, Soph. Fresno St
DL – Demarcus Lawrence, Soph. Boise St
DL – Mike Purcell, Sr. Wyoming
LB – Austin Niklas, Sr. Air Force
LB – John Lotulelei, Sr. UNLV
LB – Albert Rosette, Sr. Nevada
DB – Leon McFadden, Sr. SDSU
DB – Derron Smith, Soph. Fresno St
DB – Phillip Thomas, Sr. Fresno St
DB – Duke Williams, Sr. Nevada
P – Pete Kontodiakos, Sr. CSU
PR – Scott Harding, Soph. Hawaii

The Best Mountain West Players of 2012
1. QB Derek Carr, Jr. FSU
2. RB Stefphon Jefferson, Jr. Nevada
3. SS Phillip Thomas, Sr. FSU
4. DE Demarcus Lawrence, Soph. BSU
5. RB Robbie Rouse, Sr. FSU
6. RB Kasey Carrier, Jr. UNM
7. QB Cody Fajardo, Soph. Nevada
8. QB Brett Smith, Soph. Wyoming
9. WR Davante Adams, Fr. FSU 
10. LB Albert Rosette, Sr. Nevada
11. LB John Lotulelei, Sr. UNLV
12. OG Chris Barker, Sr. Nevada
13. RB Adam Muema, Soph. SDSU
14. CB Leon McFadden, Sr. SDSU
15. RB D.J. Harper, Sr. Boise St
16. LB Austin Niklas, Sr. Air Force
17. DT Michael Atkinson, Sr. Boise St
18. RB Cody Gets, Sr. Air Force
19. LB Art Laurel, Jr. Hawaii
20. LB J.C. Percy, Sr. Boise St
21. LB Ghaali Muhammad, Sr. Wyo.
22. LB Alex Means, Sr. Air Force
23. S Derron Smith, Soph. Fresno St
24. TE Gavin Escobar, Jr. SDSU
25. TE Zach Sudfeld, Sr. Nevada
26. DT Tyeler Davison, Soph. Fresno St
27. C Nick Carlson, Sr. Wyoming
28. P Pete Kontodiakos, Sr. CSU
29. S Duke Williams, Sr. Nevada
30. P Alex Dunnachie, Sr. Hawaii

2012 CFN M-West Off. Player of the Year
QB Derek Carr, Jr. Fresno State

Carr had a nice sophomore season throwing for 3,544 yards and 26 touchdowns with nine picks, but he blew up under the new coaching staff with 3,742 yards, 36 touchdowns and just five picks before the bowl game. He only threw two interceptions in one game, and it happened to be in his phenomenal 536-yard, five score day in the win over San Diego State. He only gave up one interception over the final five games to 17 touchdowns over the span showing total command of the offense leading the Bulldogs to a share of the Mountain West title.

2012 CFN M-West Def. Player of the Year
S Phillip Thomas, Sr. Fresno State

There were several dynamic defenders in the Mountain West, but Thomas was the ultimate playmaker with a nation-leading eight picks with three scores - two against Colorado - while also coming up with 82 tackles, a team-leading 12 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. The defense finished fourth in the nation against the pass and 19th in yards allowed. Thomas had a lot to do with that.  

3 Biggest Surprises

1. San Diego State. The offense was expected to undergo a total overhaul after losing QB Ryan Lindley and RB Ronnie Hillman, and while the passing game didn’t come around, the ground attack was fantastic, averaging 229 yards per game on the way to a piece of the Mountain West title.

2. New Mexico running game. Considering this might have been the worst program in college football over the last few seasons, new head coach Bob Davie did a nice job with a 4-9 season. Losing six straight put a damper on the fun, but the ground attack ended up rolling averaging over 300 yards per game with Kasey Carrier averaging 122.4 yards per outing.
br /> 3. Fresno State WR Davante Adams. The true freshman didn’t just turn in the best season by any Mountain West receiver, he absolutely dominated finishing with 89 catches for 1,168 yards and 13 scores with at least one touchdown in each of the last seven games.

3 Biggest Disappointments

1. Nevada. It’s not like the Wolf Pack was all that bad, but they should’ve been better than 7-5 and losing four games in the final five was awful. South Florida won three games all season, and two against FBS teams. One was in Reno.

2. Norm Chow’s Hawaii coaching debut. Closing out with two wins put a Band-aid on the disaster of a season. It’s Norm Chow. It’s Hawaii. The passing game shouldn’t have been 98th in the nation and the offense shouldn’t have been the third-worst in all of college football.

3. San Diego State 21, Boise State 19. This wasn’t one of Boise State’s better teams over the last several years, but an 11-1 season and a spot in the BCS would’ve been there had the team not lost at home to San Diego State. The Mountain West could’ve had a team in the Orange Bowl against Florida State.

Best Mountain West Game of the Season

Nov. 20 – San Diego State 39, at Nevada 38. The Wolf Pack held a 31-21 lead late in regulation when SDSU went on a long march culminating in a four-yard Gavin Escobar touchdown with just under four minutes to play. The Aztecs got the ball back with under a minute to play, giving QB Adam Dingwell just enough time to complete three big passes, including a 30-yarder to Ezell Ruffin, followed up by a pass interference call, allowing Chance Marden to hit a 35-yard field goal as time expired to force overtime. Nevada got an eight-yard Brandon Wimberly touchdown catch on its OT possession, but SDSU countered with a 21-yard touchdown catch from Gavin Escobar. The Aztecs went for two, Dingwell connected with Adam Roberts, and the comeback was complete.

Second Best Game : Nov. 3 – San Diego State 21, at Boise State 19
Third Best Game : Oct. 6 – at Nevada 35, Wyoming 28

Coach of the Year
1) Tim DeRuyter, Fresno State
2) Rocky Long, San Diego State
3) Chris Petersen, Boise State

Performances of the Year
1) Oct. 26 – LB Albert Rosette, Nevada vs. Air Force. 25 tackles, one forced fumble in the 48-31 loss.
2) Sept. 29 – QB Derek Carr, Fresno State vs. San Diego State. 42-55, 536 yards, 4 TDs, 2 interceptions, 34 rushing yards in the 52-40 win.
3) Oct. 20 – RB Kasey Carrier, New Mexico vs. Air Force. 39 carries, 338 yards, 3 TDs in the 28-23 loss.

Top Freshmen
1) WR Davante Adams, Fresno State
2) C Ben Clarke, Hawaii
3) DB Trent Matthews, Colorado State