By
Pete Fiutak
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2006 Mountain West Spring Analysis
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2007 Preseason Lookaheads -
Mountain West
Air Force
Spring Practice
Begins: March 6 Game: April 14
The early spring buzz ... For the first time in 27 years, someone
other than Fisher DeBerry will be running the program. Former Falcon
Troy Calhoun has taken over the reins after serving as the offensive
coordinator for the Houston Texans and will end the era of the
ultra-successful (at least until the last few years) triple option
attack. Expect more of a premium on the running back than the
quarterback, but the QB will have to do a little of everything and needs
to run well. Therefore ...
The big spring question is ... ... does Air Force have the
right personnel to make it happen? Shaun Carney might be the perfect
transitional quarterback because of his experience, but Calhoun will
likely try to fold in some new passers into the mix to be prepared for
2008. Air Force tried to mess around with the offensive formula over the
last few years to get more diverse, so the new attack isn't completely
coming out of the blue, but for a coach who likes to spread the running
game around ...
The most important position to watch is ... Running back.
Maybe. Chad Hall is back after leading the team in rushing, and Ryan
Williams showed flashes throughout last year, even though his role
diminished after the first few games, and Chad Smith has some
experience. Step one will be to find who fits the best in the offense.
Spring attitude... Patience. Rice was able to make an
immediate change with tremendous results, and Air Force is undergoing a
similar transformation of offenses. Even so, in the tough Mountain West,
it might take at least a year before Calhoun gets things rolling like
he'd like to. After losing six of the final seven games of last year,
anything positive this off-season will be welcomed.
BYU
The early spring buzz ... Much will be made out of the loss
of key offensive players John Beck, Jonny Harline and Curtis Brown, but
flying under the radar could be one of the bigger losses: offensive line
coach Jeff Grimes to Colorado. Four starters return to a line that was
average at best, so the faster all things jell up
front with the new coach, the better the new skills guys will be.
The big spring question is ... How fast can the program rebuild?
Beck was a tremendous quarterback and great leader who never received
enough national attention for the way he ran the offense. The same goes
for LB Cameron Jensen on the defensive side. While the key leaders are
gone, the building blocks are in place on the lines and in the secondary
to keep from needing a complete overhaul, but the difference between a
second straight Mountain West championship and the third spot behind TCU
and Utah might be ...
The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback. The
best quarterback on the team is the position coach, Brandon Doman. Jacob
Bower left the program after being told he'd be the number three man if
he didn't want to become a linebacker meaning Max Hall and Cade Cooper
will be in the battle to be the new triggerman. The early line is on
Hall to win the job.
Spring attitude... Win it again. The offense got all the
headlines, but the defense and special teams were all strong enough to
carry the team through the magnificent season. It's not like the offense
is going to go in the tank, and the defense should be almost as
productive, so anything less than another Mountain West title will be
unacceptable.
Colorado State
Spring Practice
Begins: March 24 Game: April 21
The early spring buzz ... No one's saying it out loud, but this
is a make-or-break year for Sonny Lubick and the program. After a
tremendously disappointing second half of last year, and also-ran status
in the Mountain West, the veteran team has to come through with a big
season and be alive and kicking in the conference race. Expect a sense
of urgency this spring.
The big spring question is ... How's Kyle Bell? Expected to
be one of the new stars after a fantastic 2005, Bell was knocked out for
the year with a knee injury four days before the opener and the ground
game went into the tank finishing 113th in the nation. He likely won't
be back until August meaning other backs will get one more shot to prove
they belong in the rotation. The Rams need second and third options, but
even though Gartrell Johnson and Michael Myers have potential, they
won't go anywhere unless there's improvement from the ...
The most important position to watch is ... Offensive line.
If you're looking for why 2006 was a disaster, look to the Ram front
five that got no push for the running game and nearly got QB Caleb Hanie
killed. Now the experience, with the interior returning along with a
slew of decent new options at tackle, has to turn into production. To be
fair, defenses were able to pin their ears back and rush the passer
since the Rams weren't running, but CSU's offense has to dictate the
action this year and that starts up front.
Spring attitude... Build off the positives, and there were
positives despite finishing with a seven game losing streak. The defense
improved from 2005 and Hanie, despite being under constant pressure,
showed a few flashes of being a playmaker. With one of the most
experienced teams in the Mountain West, the potential is there for a
huge turnaround as long as there's more offensive pop and the D doesn't
have to carry the load every game.
New Mexico
Spring Practice
Begins: April 16 Game: May 2
The early spring buzz ... The quarterback situation went from one
of the best in the Mountain West to a bit of a concern after Kole
McKamey announced he wouldn't take a medical redshirt to come back this
year. That means it's Donovan Porterie, and Donovan Porterie. While the
sophomore is one of the league's bright young stars, it'll now be up to
untested senior Bryan Clampitt or true freshmen Brad Gruner, Kevin
Chavez or Blair Peterson to be ready in reserve.
The big spring question is ... Will the running game be back
up to New Mexico snuff? The loss of a back like DonTrell Moore would
hurt anyone, but Rodney Ferguson proved to be a more-than-solid
replacement. Even so, the Lobos averaged a mere 111 rushing yards per
game with defenses daring Porterie and former part-time starter Chris
Nelson to throw. The line is huge, the passing game should be a bit
better, and Ferguson has experience. Now it's time to start pushing
people around.
The most important position to watch is ... Offensive guard.
322-pound Bo Greer and 308-pound all-star Robert Turner are the only
major losses off the offense. Some shuffling will be done to fill in for
Turner on the right side, while the versatile Bart Miller will likely
get the first look on the left. The reemergence of the running game
depends on the line coming together immediately this spring.
Spring attitude... Major optimism. The team is loaded with
experience only losing a few starters off the offensive line and
linebacker Quincy Black off the defense. For being a relatively young
team last year, the Lobos won a surprising amount of close games
highlighted by a shocker over Utah. If that group could go 6-7 with a
bowl loss, this one will be expected to make a serious push into the top
three of the Mountain West.
San
Diego State
The early spring buzz ... After a lousy first year under head
coach Chuck Long, there's hope for things to change in the long haul
after a good recruiting class. Long didn't have time to pull in much of
a class after he was first hired, and now he and his staff went to build
for the future by loading up on the offensive line. Unfortunately for
those looking for an immediate turnaround, that might not happen with
this year's recruits. Wait two years.
The big spring question is ... Is the offense going to be any
better? Long was supposed to make the offense rock, but quarterback
injury issues and star back Lynell Hamilton once again wasn't healthy.
The problems showed as the Aztecs averaged a mere 270 yards and 14
points a game. For good and bad, almost all the key players come back,
so if everyone is healthy, and the line is better, expect a
night-and-day improvement. It all starts this spring needing to be
crisper and more consistent from practice one.
The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback.
Kevin O'Connell was the man when he wasn't sitting out with an injury
thumb. Darren Mougey got knocked out with a shoulder injury, and Kevin
Craft simply wasn't ready to make the offense explode. Top recruit Ryan
Lindley is seen as the future of the program and will likely be
redshirted, but he'll get his chance this fall to make a case for the
starting job. Someone has to show this spring that the gig isn't open.
Spring attitude... Be the sleeper. All the preseason
publications will have the Aztecs battling with UNLV for the Mountain
West basement, but if everyone can stay healthy and if the experience
turns into production, this could quickly turn into one of the league's
most dangerous teams. After years of disappointment, anything positive
out of the program would energize the long-suffering fans.
TCU
The early spring buzz ... Along with Boise State and Hawaii,
TCU will be the hot mid-major going into 2007 after finishing last year
with an eight-game winning streak. As good as the team was before, it
should be even better with nice defensive prospects coming in from the
JUCO ranks so shore up a D returning nine starters and all the depth.
This is definitely a team worth watching for a BCS spot, and the
coaching staff and players seem to know it.
The big spring question is ... What can the offense do to become
even more devastating? That might be a hard thing to find out early
considering a bit of a shakeup in the coaching staff with Justin Fuente
taking over as running backs coach, Mike Schultz going from running
backs to quarterbacks, and long-time Horned Frog Dick Winder retiring.
The offense was fine last year, but it has the potential to be even
better. With the defense certain to be amazing, TCU won't be beaten if
the offense is almost as good. That even includes Texas.
The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback. Jeff
Ballard was terrific over the last two years, but Marcus Jackson might
be even better. He's big, accurate and mobile, and if he can be
consistent, the offense should fly. However, it's one thing to be the
backup when things are going well; it's another to be the man. Redshirt
freshmen Zack Eskridge and Andy Dalton will battle to be the number two
man, which will be a prized position considering TCU might be involved
in several blowouts.
Spring attitude... BCS or bust. It might be enough to win the
Mountain West and hope everything falls into place, but the team is good
enough to shoot for more. While there'll be plenty of attention on the
early game at Texas, if the Horned Frogs win the games they should, 11-1
might be good enough to get into a big money game. As long as all the
preseason attention doesn't go to its head, TCU should be amazing.
UNLV
Spring Practice
Begins: March 19 Game: April 20
The early spring buzz ... It's not exactly do-or-die time for head
coach Mike Sanford, but after going 4-19 in two years in the post-John
Robinson era, with the three wins over D-I teams coming by three points
each, there needs to be a few signs of life. The talent is there to be
far better in the passing game, and the defense can't go anywhere but
up, so there is hope for the team to be more competitive. With Todd
Berry, the former Army head coach and Miami quarterback coach, taking
over the offense and quarterback coaching, more has to come from Rocky
Hinds and the offense.
The big spring question is ... Will the offense actually
work? Head coach Mike Sanford was supposed to be an offensive wizard,
but his shotgun spread has gone nowhere when games are on the line. Just
as important is a defense that's been miserable over the last two years
failing to come up with enough first half stops to make the games
interesting. With all the top receivers coming back, along with Hinds,
there's no reason there can't be more consistent production. One problem
...
The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback.
Hinds is coming off a torn ACL and won't be practicing this spring. That
might not be a bad thing since it'll make Hinds work more on the mental
side of the game. However, someone else has to step up into the
quarterback role to provide depth, if not more options to work with this
fall.
Spring attitude... Relax. There's just enough offensive
talent to have a puncher's chance against everyone in the Mountain West.
No, a title isn't on the horizon, but after the last several years, just
getting a few wins would be enough to turn the program around into the
right direction. The program has to stop trying to be the Mountain West
champion overnight and try to make the baby steps needed to just be
average.
Utah
Spring Practice
Begins: March 13 Game: April 21
The early spring buzz ... The recruiting class should fill in the
holes. The coaching staff went after specific needs from the JUCO ranks
for a quick fix, so anyone who wants a job has to shine in spring ball
before everyone hits campus later this summer. Defensive back, backup
quarterback and running back got a big infusion of immediate talent.
Life will be interesting around practices as the new talent is folded in
to the mix.
The big spring question is ... Who'll step up on defense to
fill the leadership role? Eric Weddle was a heart-and-soul type of a
playmaker the coaching staff could revolve the entire defense around,
but losing safety Casey Evans and tackles Paul Soliai and Kelly Talavou
will hurt just as much. The secondary has to be better and the D needs
to be tighter against the better teams. That all starts this spring.
The most important position to watch is ... Running back.
Utah got a little bit of production from several places, including
Weddle, to balance out the offense. Darryl Poston was the leading rusher
and improved as the season went on, but the coaching staff would like
more speed, power, and options from the backfield. JUCO transfer Matt
Asiata might be that kind of a player,
Spring attitude... The team is close. It might just take a
little bit of tweaking to be back to the Mountain West title status. It
took a miraculous play from John Beck for BYU to get by the Utes in the
regular season finale, while the overall inconsistent play might stop
with a bit more from the offense. As strange as that might sound
considering the Utes averaged 28 points and 368 yards per game, there
wasn't enough game-in-game-out production. With quarterback Brian
Johnson back after missing last year rehabbing an injured knee, there's
reason to be excited.
Wyoming
Spring Practice
Begins: March 19 Game: April 14
The early spring buzz ... Expect Wyoming to be left out of the
preseason discussion for much of anything, but that might be how the
program will like it. Now it gets to sneak up on everyone after a 6-6
season losing four games by a touchdown or less including two in
overtime and one in a hard-fought battle with Boise State. With a little
bit of improvement, this could be the sleeper team in the Mountain West
mix.
The big spring question is ... Will the holes be patched up
in time to make a big move in conference play? While most of the other
Mountain West teams are loaded with experience, Wyoming has to replace
several key players on defense, hurt most by the loss of safety John
Wendling, and both offensive tackles. The recruiting class didn't go for
the quick fix, so several of 2006's backups have to shine right away in
spring ball.
The most important position to watch is ... Safety. Wendling
led the team in tackles, while Dorsey Golston was fourth. With the two
of them gone, juniors Quincy Rogers and Michael Ray have to go from
decent backups to shining stars. Since three of the team's top four
tackles were in the secondary, there will be plenty of opportunities.
Spring attitude... Keep living through the mistakes. QB
Karsten Sween is a keeper and Wynel Seldon has the potential to be among
the league's best backs. These two are the type of players to build an
offense around, and the faster they improve, the better Wyoming will be.
The rest of the problems, especially on defense, will take care of
themselves.