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 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

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

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

The WAC regular season is winding down and once again Boise State is the team to beat. The Broncos are ranked #6 in the BCS with their sites set on another appearance on the big stage. The Nevada Wolf Pack started the season slowly but are now 6-3 overall and 5-0 in the conference. They will face their biggest test on November 27th at Boise. The rest of the conference has included some strange happenings the biggest being Idaho who sits at 7-3,4-2.

Standings (conference record included) as of November 11th:

Nevada 5-0

Boise State 4-0

Fresno State 5-1

Idaho 4-2

Louisiana Tech 2-4

New Mexico St 1-3

Utah State 1-4

Hawaii 1-5

San Jose St 0-4

Previews:

Idaho at Boise State: Idaho hopes to have QB Nathan Enderle back as they face a very difficult task in Boise. Idaho will have to play the perfect game to pull of the upset. The Broncos will rely on a stout defense to shut down an Idaho offense that has been very productive. QB Kellen Moore will be very efficient while navigating the Bronco defense up and down the field. Prediction: Boise State will continue their march to the BCS while Idaho looks to continue their surprisingly successful season. Boise State 47 Idaho 27

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Fresno at Nevada: A very big game between two explosive offenses. Bulldog RB Ryan Mathews is one of the best in the nation and should have success against a paltry Wolf Pack defense. Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick is playing extremely well and will make plays in the air and with his feet. This will be a thrilling game and one of the best to watch this weekend. Prediction: Nevada, behind their home crowd, will keep their hopes of a conference title alive. Nevada 47 Fresno State 37

New Mexico State at Hawaii: A game between two struggling teams sorely in need of a victory. Prediction: Hawaii’s home crowd will be the difference. Hawaii 45 New Mexico State 23

San Jose State at Utah State: San Jose State will look to get their 1st victory at Utah State. Diondre Borel will make plays and lead the Aggies to the victory. Prediction Utah State 36 San Jose State 23

Louisiana Tech at LSU: The Bulldogs step out of conference to face in state foe LSU in Baton Rouge. Tech gave Boise all they could handle last week but even that will not match the athleticism and the atmosphere in Tiger Stadium. Prediction LSU 34 Louisiana Tech 13

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Week 10 Review:

Boise State at Louisiana Tech: The Bulldogs gave Boise State all they wanted before succumbing 45-35. Boise State QB Kellen Moore was 28 of 41 for 354 yards with 3 touchdowns while RB Jeremy Avery ran for 146 yards and a score to keep the Broncos undefeated.

Fresno State at Idaho: Bulldog stud RB Ryan Mathews ran for 143 yards and 3 scores in the 31-21 victory. The Vandals trailed 24-0 at halftime but managed to put up 21 in the 2nd half. Idaho had to play without QB Nathan Enderle.

Utah State at Hawaii: Rainbow Warrior QB Bryant Moniz threw for 4 scores and RB Leon Wright ran for 167 yards and 3 touchdowns in the 49-36 victory. Diondre Borel threw for 344 yards and threw 2 touchdowns in the loss.

Nevada at San Jose State: The Wolf Pack ran rough shot over the Spartans 62-7 for their 6th victory in a row. Nevada had 4 players with over 100 yards rushing in the victory.

By: Scott Dryden
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer

Boise State at Louisiana Tech: In front of a national TV audience on ESPN 2, Boise State QB Kellen Moore will shine once again. The Broncos will continue their path to a BCS bid in dominating fashion. Boise State 51 Louisiana Tech 24

Fresno State at Idaho: Fresno State will ride the cape of Ryan Mathews as he will rack up yards on the ground. Look for Mathews to eclipse the 200 yard mark against the Vandal defense. The Vandals will put up points with Nathan Enderle at the helm but it won’t be enough in a very entertaining game. Fresno State 43 Idaho 37

Utah State at Hawaii: The Aggies are fast improving behind QB Diondre Borel and will prove to be too much for a struggling Rainbow Warrior defense. Utah State 34 Hawaii 30

Nevada at San Jose State: The Wolf Pack will face the Spartans on a Sunday night game in front of an ESPN national audience. QB Colin Kaepernick’s passing and running will be too much for the Spartans. Nevada 47 San Jose State 17

By: Scott Dryden
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer

San Jose State at Boise State: The Broncos continued their march to the BCS with a dominating victory over San Jose State, 45-7. QB Kellen Moore threw 3 touchdowns and ran for another score in the victory. Next: Boise State travel to Louisiana Tech on November 6th in front of a national audience. San Jose State hosts Nevada on November 8th.

Hawaii at Nevada: The Rainbow Warriors kept the game close but were no match for Nevada losing 31-21. Colin Kaepernick ran for 2 touchdowns and threw for 2 more in the victory. Next: Hawaii hosts Utah State on November 7th. Nevada travels to San Jose State on Sunday November 8th.

Louisiana Tech at Idaho: The Vandals did it again, this time with a narrow victory over the Bulldogs of LA Tech. Idaho scored the go ahead touchdown with only 52 seconds remaining. QB Nathan Enderle threw for 327 yards and 2 scores in the victory. Next: The Bulldogs will have a tough task when they host Louisiana Tech on November 6th. Idaho hosts Fresno State in what should be a great game.

Utah State at Fresno State: Bulldog RB Ryan Mathews was impressive yet again as he ran for 185 yards and a touchdown in the victory. The Aggies are becoming more competitive with Diondre Borel playing much better. Borel threw for 240 yards and ran for 105 yards in the loss. Next: The Bulldogs travel to Moscow to face the surprising Idaho Vandals. Utah State travels to Hawaii.

New Mexico State at Ohio State: The Aggies stepped out of conference in a big way as they traveled to Ohio state. They were no match as they were dominated 45-0. Next: New Mexico State will be on a bye week before returning on November 14th to face Hawaii.

By: Scott Dryden
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer

Boise State vs. Hawaii: The Broncos made short work of the Rainbow Warriors. Boise State held a 34-0 lead at half time. Stud QB Kellen Moore threw for 223 yards and 5 scores. Hawaii was no match in any facet of the game. Next: The Broncos host San Jose State. Hawaii travels to Reno to face the Wolf Pack.

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Fresno State vs. New Mexico State: Ryan Mathews continued his peak performance with 157 yards and two scores. The Bulldogs dominated the Aggies from beginning to end in the 34-3 victory. Next: Fresno State hosts Southern Utah. New Mexico State steps out of conference to battle Ohio State.

Idaho vs. Nevada: The Vandals storybook season hit its biggest bump of the road in Reno. Although Nathan Enderle threw for 342 yards and four scores, the Idaho defense was no match for Nevada’s rushing attack. Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick ran for 4 scores and threw for 2 others as the Wolf Pack got the victory in a wild 70-45 game. Nevada put up an astonishing 484 rushing yards. Next: The Vandals look to bounce back when they host Louisiana Tech. Nevada hosts the struggling Rainbow Warriors of Hawaii.

Louisiana Tech vs. Utah State: State QB Diondre Borel threw for 188 yards in the 23-21 victory. The Bulldogs scored a touchdown to bring the game within two points. Tech was unable to convert the two point conversion preserving the victory for the Aggies. Next: The Bulldogs travel to Moscow to battle Idaho. Utah state travels to Fresno to face the tough running game of the Bulldogs.

San Jose State: Bye Week: Next: San Jose State travels to Boise to face the Broncos.

By: Scott Dryden
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer