WAC Football & Basketball blog

The Champions of the Mountain West and WAC conferences will do battle on a national stage at the Fiesta Bowl. Both come into the contest undefeated and feel they deserve a shot at the national championship.

The 13-0 Boise State Broncos are the class of the WAC conference. In their last BCS appearance they proved they belong with the big boys as they defeated powerhouse Oklahoma. The Broncos are led by one of the best quarterbacks in the nation-Kellen Moore. Moore threw for 39 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He may be without stud WR Austin Pettis due to a lower leg fracture. Although their passing game gets most of the attention, the Broncos can run the ball as well. Jeremy Avery was quick and elusive while gaining 1,131 yards. The Boise State defense is very quick and plays aggressive but will have some issues with a tough TCU offense.

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The Horned Frogs enter the contest at 12-0. They dominated the Mountain West which has proven to be a very good conference. Their defense, behind stud DE Jerry Hughes, is extremely talented. They will be the toughest test Boise State has faced this season. Hughes will test a very good Bronco offensive line which allowed only five sacks on Moore during the regular season. Hughes sacked opposing quarterbacks 11 times during the regular season. On offense, TCU features QB Andy Dalton who threw for 22 touchdowns and five interceptions. Dalton is very steady and doesn’t make mistakes.

Prediction: The high flying Broncos will not find the road as easy against the dominating defense of the Horned Frogs. Kellen Moore will make plays but will be harassed by Jerry Hughes throughout the contest. Boise St. will spread TCU out but they will uncharacteristically turn the ball over. On offense, the Horned Frogs will play a slow paced game filled with runs and short passes. Dalton will manage the game effectively and lead the Horned Frogs to the victory. On a national stage, TCU proves they are as good as anyone and if given the chance they may have walked away with the BCS trophy. TCU 34 Boise State 24

By: Scott Dryden
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer

The 7-5 Bowling Green Falcons will have their hands full when they battle Idaho in their home state. The Falcons are led by WR Freddie Barnes who hauled in an incredible 138 balls for 1,551 yards and 16 scores. Senior QB Tyler Sheehan threw for 3,605 yards and 23 scores while completing 64% of his passes. Each should find success against a weak Vandal defense.

Idaho is one of the best stories in all of college football. The Vandals finished the season at 7-5 following a 2008 campaign which saw them go 2-10. They are led by QB Nathan Enderle who threw for 2,666 yards and 18 scores. RB DeMaundray Woolridge is a RB who can make big plays. Woolridge ran for 854 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2009 and will be relied on heavily against the Falcons.

Prediction: Idaho Head Coach Robb Akey will have his hands full trying to stop Freddie Barnes. Barnes and Sheehan will rack up big numbers in a game that should be a thrilling shootout. Woolridge will be a major factor running the ball but the key to the game will be Nathan Enderle. Enderle should be completely healthy following the extensive break and will be the difference in the game. In front of a partial crowd, Idaho continues to add to their miracle season. Idaho 47 Bowling Green 43

By: Scott Dryden
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer

The Nevada Wolf Pack brings the nation’s best rushing attack to Hawaii led by QB Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick is a skilled athlete capable of busting a long run every time he touches the ball. Colin ran for 1,160 yards and 16 scores and threw for 1,875 yards and 19 touchdowns in the 09 regular season. RB Vai Taua ran for 1,345 yards and Luke Lippincott ran for 1,034 yards to give Nevada a triple threat from the backfield. Nevada struggled early but reeled off eight victories in a row before finishing the season with a tough loss to WAC powerhouse Boise State.

SMU has had one of the biggest turnarounds of the 2009 season. What Head Coach June Jones has accomplished with the Mustangs is simply miraculous. Jones’ team entered the 2009 season losing 21 of their last 22 including a 1-11 mark in 2008. The 2009 Mustangs finished with a 7-5 mark behind a wide open offense. However, SMU is led by RB Shawnbrey McNeal. The Miami transfer ran for 1,125 yards and ten scores. Expectations were high for QB Bo Levi Mitchell but he sustained an injury in October which forced freshmen Kyle Padron under center. Padron played well throwing for 1,462 yards and eight scores in six games.

Prediction: This game should be a high scoring affair with explosive offenses and suspect defenses. The key for SMU will be to get out to an early lead which would force Nevada to throw the ball. SMU WR Emmanuel Sanders will have a huge day as will McNeal on the ground. They will score early and often but will not be able to control the Wolf Pack running game. Kaepernick will be the star of the game making plays with both his feet and his arm. Nevada will run for well over 300 yards and gain the victory in a very entertaining contest. Nevada 52 SMU 37

By: Scott Dryden
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer

The Bulldogs of Fresno State will kick off the bowl season when they face upstart Wyoming on December 19th. The Nevada Wolf Pack will bring a tremendous running game to a national stage on Christmas Eve when they face SMU at 8:00 in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. Surprising Idaho will stay in state for the Humanitarian Bowl when they take on Bowling Green on December 30th. The big game for the WAC as usual includes powerhouse Boise State. In what could possibly be the best game of the bowl season, the Broncos will look to stay undefeated as they face unbeaten TCU. The game will take place on January 4th at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

The WAC season winds down with only two conference games on the schedule and the conference title wrapped up. Boise State will look to remain undefeated and will have a legitimate shot at a BCS game.

Week 13 Review:

In what was the conference title game, Boise State outscored Nevada 44-33 in a thrilling contest. Kellen Moore threw for five touchdowns in the victory. Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick threw for 141 yards and three scores while RB Vai Taua ran for 160 yards and a touchdown. Utah State upset Idaho 52-49 in Moscow. San Jose State defeated New Mexico State 13-10. Hawaii upset Navy 24-17.

Standings: Conference Record Included

Boise State - 7-0

Nevada - 7-1

Fresno State - 6-2

Idaho - 4-4

Hawaii - 3-5

Utah State - 3-5

Louisiana Tech - 3-8

San Jose State - 2-9

New Mexico State - 3-9

Week 14 Preview:

Fresno at Illinois - The Bulldogs look to move their season record to 8-4 when they travel to disappointing Illinois. Illinois is very athletic but shouldn’t be able to contain the Bulldogs. The game will be aired on the Big 10 Network. Prediction Fresno State 37 Illinois 30

New Mexico State at Boise State - The Broncos will cruise to an easy victory and finish the season with a perfect mark. Prediction Boise State 55 New Mexico State 17

Wisconsin at Hawaii - The Badgers travel from cold Madison, Wisconsin to the paradise of Hawaii. The game will be aired on ESPN2. The 8-3 Badgers will bring a physical style of football to the islands as Hawaii needs to victory to finish over .500. Prediction Wisconsin 34 Hawaii 23

San Jose State at Louisiana Tech - A game between two of the conference’s bottom feeders. Louisiana Tech’s running game will be the difference. Prediction Louisiana Tech 33 San Jose State 20

By: Scott Dryden
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer

Boise State ran their record to 12-0 in a thrilling 44-33 victory over Nevada. The Broncos still have their sights on a BCS bowl game but must finish the regular season with a victory over New Mexico State to further solidify their chances. With Oklahoma State’s loss to Oklahoma, the latest bowl projections show Boise State facing Iowa in the Fiesta Bowl. In the meantime, BSU is the lone WAC school with a logo Snuggie available for purchase. Fans can buy Boise State Snuggie blankets online through DFN Sports site.

Week 12 Recap- Boise State stayed undefeated rolling Utah State 52-21 in front of a national TV audience. Fresno State escaped with a 30-28 victory over Louisiana Tech. Hawaii defeated San Jose State 17-10 in OT. Nevada extended their winning streak to eight with a 63-20 annihilation of New Mexico State.

Standing as of 11-26-09 (Conference record included)-

Nevada - 7-0

Boise State - 6-0

Fresno State - 6-2

Idaho - 4-3

Hawaii - 3-5

Utah State - 2-5

Louisiana Tech - 2-5

New Mexico State - 1-5

San Jose State - 0-6

Week 13 Preview:

Nevada at Boise State: The biggest game of the season in the WAC kicks off the conference play in front of a national TV audience on November 27th at 10:00 ET on ESPN2. With a victory the Wolf Pack can win the WAC championship. Nevada started the season with three straight losses and looked nothing like the team that had high expectations placed on them. Since then Nevada has reeled off eight straight victories. Do it all QB Colin Kaepernick has had a very good season. He has thrown for 1,734 yards with 16 touchdowns and rushed for 1,129 yards with another 16 touchdowns. Incredibly he isn’t the only weapon on the ground for Nevada. RB Vai Taua has missed two games but still has 1,293 yards with ten scores on the season averaging an astonishing eight yards per carry. Despite their gaudy numbers the Wolf Pack will not find an easy path on the ground against Boise State’s defense. The Bronco offense gets most of the credit but their defense is very good. They will stack the line and try to force Kaepernick to throw the ball. On offense, Boise State has one of the best QBs in the nation in Kellen Moore. The sophomore signal caller has thrown for 2,791 yards and 33 touchdowns on the season with only three interceptions. RB Jeremy Avery will have a big game against the Wolf Pack defense. WR Austin Pettis is a playmaker. He has hauled in 62 passes for 850 yards and 14 scores on the season. Boise State averages 44 PPG and will find little resistance against Nevada. In what will be a shootout on the Smurf Turf, Boise State continues their march to a BCS game. Boise State 54 Nevada 39

Utah State at Idaho: The 3-8 Aggies visit Moscow to face the Idaho Vandals. Utah State has struggled on the season but do have a ray of hope in junior QB Diondre Borel. He will need to have a good game for the Aggies to have any chance. The 7-4 Vandals are on a two game losing streak including a beat down at the hands of Boise State. Idaho will finish their miracle season on a high note. Idaho 44 Utah State 24

New Mexico State at San Jose State: The 3-8 Aggies visit the 1-9 Spartans. The game will feature two listless offenses with turnovers being the deciding factor. San Jose State will win the turnover battle and get the victory. San Jose State 20 New Mexico State 13

By: Scott Dryden
DFN Sports Staff Writer

Navy at Hawaii: The Rainbow Warriors end the season with two home games against out of conference foes. First up is the 8-3 Navy Midshipmen. Navy’s triple option will present problems for Hawaii’s defense. QB Ricky Dobbs will have a big game as Navy cruises to their 9th victory of the season. Navy 55 Hawaii 31

Boise State defeated Utah State 52-21 last Friday night on national TV. Boise State remains strong at #6 in the BCS Top 25 rankings. The Broncos host Nevada on the 27th in what should be a thrilling contest and with a win they could very well find themselves in strong contention for a BCS bowl game despite the fact TCU is still ranked ahead of them in the BCS standings.

Boise State at Utah State: The Broncos travel to Logan to battle Utah State in front of a National TV audience on November 20th.  Boise State QB Kellen Moore has a legitimate shot at the Heisman Trophy if he has big performances in the last 3 games.  Utah State will need a big game from QB Diondre Borel to have any chance.  Boise State’s defense will dominate the Aggie offense and Kellen Moore will have a huge game.  Boise State 62 Utah State 20
> Find a great selection of Boise State apparel as well as Boise State Snuggie blankets online through College Sports Fans and DFN Sports!
Louisiana Tech at Fresno State: Fresno State looks to bounce back after a tough loss to Nevada.  They may have to face Louisiana Tech without Ryan Mathews who was injured in the game against the Wolf Pack.  Tech will also try to control the game on the ground.  Fresno State’s offense will be too much for the Tech defense.  Fresno State 31 Louisiana Tech 23

Hawaii at San Jose State: The Spartans host the Rainbow Warriors in what should be an entertaining game.  Hawaii will spread the ball around and escape with a close victory.  Hawaii 37 San Jose State 31

Nevada at New Mexico State: The Wolf Pack are on a roll.  They have won 7 games in a row putting up dominating rushing performances every week.  Vai Taua and Colin Kaepernick will have big games against the sub par Aggie defense.  Nevada 63 New Mexico State 13

Standings (Conference Record Included) as of 11-19-09:

Nevada    6-0
Boise State    5-0
Fresno State   5-2
Idaho  4-3
Utah State  2-4
Louisiana Tech  2-4
Hawaii    2-5
New Mexico State  1-4
San Jose State      0-5
By: Scott Dryden
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer

Nevada continued their impressive run dominating a good Fresno State team 52-14.  The Wolf Pack had two 100 yard rushers and QB Colin Kaepernick ran for 95 yards and two scores in the victory.  Fresno State’s stud RB Ryan Mathews was lost to an injury in the 2nd quarter.  Boise State lit up Idaho in an impressive 63-25 win.  QB Kellen Moore threw 5 touchdowns in the victory.  Southern Utah defeated San Jose State 24-9.  RB Robert Turbin ran for 190 yards, scoring twice in the victory.  Hawaii defeated New Mexico State 24-6.  Rainbow Warrior receiver Greg Salas hauled in 16 passes for 196 yards in the victory.  The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs stepped out of conference and gave LSU all they wanted before succumbing 24-16.

By: Scott Dryden
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer