Mountain West Preview Part 1: Broncos vs. The World
Can anyone get in the way of a Boise State three-peat?
Welcome to the Wild, Wild (Mountain) West
Conference realignment has stolen the headlines, and a good portion of the league’s schools, over the past year. But for 2025, we have one more year of the traditional setup. Boise State has won back-to-back conference titles, and will look for a third straight before bolting for the new-look Pac 12 next summer.
This preview is set up in alphabetical order, and will cover Air Force through Nevada. Look for the rest of the schools next Monday!
Looking for other conference previews?
Air Force Falcons
2024 in Review
Last season was a rebuilding year for the Falcons, and the plethora of new, young players on the two-deep struggled to find consistent success on both sides of the ball. In fact, they began the year losing to the first seven FBS opponents they faced. During that span, the offense turned the ball over more times (13) than they scored a touchdown (11). The defense didn’t help matters much, surrendering over 30 points four times, something they had only done three times between in the previous three seasons. Then, everything changed as Air Force reeled off four straight wins to finish at 5-7. They obviously missed a bowl, but those wins provided invaluable confidence and belief in the process.
Key Storylines
Will experience and lumps lead to wins? In retrospect, we should have expected the struggles with the amount of turnover the Falcons’ program experienced last year. An astounding 42 players made their first career start - by far the most in the nation and an almost impossible battle for even an experienced coach like Troy Calhoun. Now, many of those players have returned as veterans, but offseason losses could set the program back.
Do they have a QB1? After spending much of the year cycling through quarterbacks, Quentin Hayes emerged as the presumed starter after leading the offense during the four game win streak. But he was a non-participant in spring practice, and his future with the program is uncertain. The Falcons also lost their top six tacklers from the defense to graduation or the portal.
Trust in the ground game. On the positive side, the top five backs, led by FB Dylan Carson, and a solid core along the OL return. That should provide more than enough depth to get the triple option attack off and running, provided Hayes, or whoever emerges as his replacement, can make the right reads and distribute the football well.
“Must watch” Game
The games against Navy (Oct. 4 in Annapolis) and Army (Nov. 1 in Colorado Springs) and the battle for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy will always reign supreme on the Air Force schedule. When it comes to competing for a conference championship however, the early test against Boise State at home on Sept. 20 stands out. Can the Falcons take advantage against a Broncos squad that could still be trying to find footing in the post-Ashton Jeanty world?
Boise State Broncos
2024 in Review
The 2024 Broncos will go down as one of - if not the - best teams in the program’s storied history. By becoming the first-ever G5 representative in the 12-team playoff, giving a storied program a run for their money in the Fiesta Bowl, and doing it all with a generational, video game talent in Ashton Jeanty, they might have just been one of the most fun teams in college football history. Jeanty stole the headlines, and we don’t have to rehash that here, but the defense was quietly a strength as well. They led the nation in sacks (55) and allowed just 122 ypg on the ground, but did struggle mightily in defending the pass when they did not get to the quarterback. Even though they came up short against Penn State, Spencer Danielson’s squad showed they will be one of the contenders to make the playoff each and every year.
Key Storylines
What does the “post-Jeanty” offense look like? This is, of course, the low-hanging fruit when discussing the prospects for the 2025 Broncos. Sire Gaines (7.8 YPC as a true freshman), Jambres Dubar (5.0 YPC in 19 career games), and Fresno State transfer Malik Sherrod (1634 yards and 15 TD in 40 career games) will compete for time and, in the immortal words of Brad Pitt in Moneyball, try to recreate the 2024 Heisman runner-up in the aggregate.
Maddux Madsen’s emergence as a capable signal-caller in 2024 was a welcome development to provide just enough contrast to Jeanty’s dominance, but he’ll be asked to do more this year. Finding a go-to target in the receiving game will be key and there’s plenty of experience there in Latrell Caples and Austin Bolt who bring a combined 11 seasons of college football. Former five-star prospect Chris Marshall could be poised for a breakout year as well.
The aforementioned pass defense woes will need to improve, but the Broncos went out and addressed that need head-on with the additions of former four-star corner and Notre Dame transfer Jaden Mickey and safety Derek Ganter Jr., an FCS All American at Eastern Washington.
“Must watch” game
We’ll once again go with the low-hanging fruit here and highlight the trip to South Bend on Oct. 4. This will be the first-ever matchup between the Broncos and Fighting Irish on the gridiron, but Boise State is no stranger to playing on the road in big time environments. Just last season, they went to Autzen Stadium and gave Oregon all they could handle, falling 37-34 in a game where the Ducks needed two non-offensive scores and a walk off field goal to survive. If Boise can somehow pull off the upset, we’re highly likely to get a first round playoff game on the Blue Turf with the new seeding rules. Sign us up!
Colorado State Rams
2024 in Review
Last year was a high water mark for the Rams, whose six conference and eight overall wins were the most since Jim McElwain’s final season in 2014. Going into the year, the offense was expected to be one of the most electric in the country, but WR Tory Horton’s injury kept him out of six games and caused it to sputter. Instead, the defense led the way, allowing just 19.9 points per game in Mountain West play, and just 14.8 per game during their five game win streak to open conference play. Though a close loss in Fresno kept them out of a conference championship game and they dropped the Arizona Bowl against Miami (OH), the 2024 campaign set a firm foundation for the future and bought Jay Norvell a ton of goodwill.
Key Storylines
Can the offense find a new go-to receiving threat? Tory Horton’s lost production was noticeable when he was out last year, and Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi’s consistency suffered as well. Former 4-star Kojo Antwi (Ohio State) and Armani Winfield (341 yards last season) seem to be the best candidates.
Braden Fowler-Nicolosi is entering his third year as a full time starter, so that consistency in Matt Mumme’s air raid attack should get the offense back up and humming. The o-line is going through transition, but the tackle positions will be anchored by All-MW Honorable Mention Aaron Karas and Liam Wortmann, a grad transfer from DII Central Missouri with 35 starts under his belt.
Tyson Summers returns as defensive coordinator after most recently serving as Western Kentucky’s DC. Summers previously served as the Rams’ DC in 2015, and led the second best pass defense in the conference that season. Former Baylor and Western Kentucky EDGE JaQues Evans, who has struggled with injuries the past two seasons after a great start to his career, will look to end his time in college on a high note by anchoring that side of the ball.
“Must watch” game
Fresno State handed the Rams their only conference loss last year, and the rematch in Fort Collins on Friday, Oct. 10 represents the only time Colorado State will face a Mountain West foe that made a bowl game last season before November. If they can get by the Bulldogs, the Rams will be right in the thick of the conference title race before getting a crack at both of the perceived favorites - UNLV and Boise State - down the stretch.
Fresno State Bulldogs
2024 in Review
The Bulldogs’ season was thrown into disarray before it even began when Jeff Tedford stepped down from his head coaching duties amid health concerns in July. Tim Skipper stepped up in the interim and admirably led the team to an appearance in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl after a 6-6 regular season. While that wasn’t enough for Skipper to land the full time head coaching role, the Bulldogs showed impeccable resolve and grit. Overall, five of their seven total losses, including the bowl, were by eight points or less, and they gave Michigan all they could handle on opening weekend, trailing just 16-10 with 10 minutes to play in the Big House.
Key Storylines
Welcome to the Entz Era! Matt Entz, a two-time FCS National Champion head coach at North Dakota State before spending 2024 on Lincoln Riley’s staff at USC, takes over and is poised to be another in the long line of successful head men in Fresno. His coordinator hires were impressive as well. OC Josh Davis led an offensive resurgence that culminated in a program-first semifinal appearance at South Dakota, and DC Nick Benedetto’s aggressive NIU defense stole the national stage when they shut down Notre Dame in South Bend last season.
Caution: Work Zone. As is often the case in a coaching transition, the roster is a work in progress. Of the eleven All-Mountain West selections on the team a year ago, just one - CB Al’zillion Hamilton - remains. All-in-all, the Bulldogs rank 116th nationally and 8th in the Mountain West in returning production. Entz and co. brought in the fifth-best transfer portal class in the conference though, headlined by QB Carson Conklin (Sac State), QB E.J. Warner (Rice), OT Marquise Thorpe-Taylor (UCLA), and CB Sammie Hunter (Utah).
“Must watch” game
We’ll highlight the other side of the Rams-Bulldogs matchup here. Fresno State’s nonconference schedule is tough, with trips to Lawrence, Kansas and Corvallis, Oregon interposed between home games against Georgia Southern and Southern University. The conference slate, however, begins with two games that the Bulldogs probably need to win if they want to participate in Bowl Season (at Hawai’i and at home against Nevada). Then comes the trip to Fort Collins. Just like I mentioned in the Rams’ preview section, this game will help decide if the Bulldogs are true contenders for a trip to the conference title game.
Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors
2024 in Review
Last season was oh so close to a breakthrough for Timmy Chang. His Rainbow Warriors finished 5-7, but were three close losses (16-14 vs UCLA, 27-24 at San Diego State, and 29-27 vs UNLV) away from truly “arriving”. But the school certainly believes their former gunslinger is the guy to lead them back to glory, as evidenced by the contract extension Chang received at the end of the season. It has been a long and painful rebuild, but there are signs that Hawai’i is close to being more than a meme for the most sicko of college football fans.
Key Storylines
All eyes will be on the offense in year four of the rebuild orchestrated by Chang. It has not been bad by any means, but inconsistencies in scoring outputs have kept it from being elite. Those issues have been exacerbated on trips to the mainland, where the Rainbow Warriors average just 16.6 points per game during Chang’s tenure.
Micah Alejado is poised to take over the starting quarterback role after a strong performance in the final two games of the season filling in for the injured Brayden Schager. In his lone start in last year’s season finale, Alejado threw for 469 yards and five touchdowns against New Mexico. He’ll have some weapons to throw to as well, with Pofele Ashlock getting healthy and Jackson Harris (Stanford) and Brandon White (Kentucky) transferring in.
Stout defense in paradise? The defense will probably never steal headlines on the island, but it showed signs of life last year under first year DC Dennis Thurman. The back seven brings back a ton of experience, and the staff is hopeful transfers De’Jon Benton (USC, New Mexico) and Ka’eo Akana (Utah) can provide a spark to the defensive line that was middle of the pack in sacks and TFLs last year.
“Must watch” game
The Rainbow Warriors have a manageable schedule this year with four winnable non-conference games and a conference slate that does not include Boise State. The home date against the Utah State Aggies on Oct. 11 stands out as a massive opportunity to figure out how competitive this team will be. The Aggies embarrassed Hawai’i last year in Logan with bowl eligibility on the line, and avenging that loss would go a long way towards proving Chang’s squad is ready for the next step.
Nevada Wolf Pack
2024 in Review
A three-win season might not look like much on the surface, but the Wolf Pack battled hard in Jeff Choate’s first season. As their record might indicate, they struggled to find consistent success on both sides of the ball, but six of their ten losses were one possession games - including almost derailing SMU’s playoff run before it even started in Week Zero and losing just 28-21 at Boise State. Jeff Choate cut his teeth as a head coach by getting Montana State to their first FCS semifinal in 25 years on the back of a tenacious defense, and if you squinted, you saw glimpses of that potential in Reno last fall.
Key Storylines
It’s an entire roster turnover for year two of the Choate era with 26 incoming transfers replacing 30 that portaled out. When you add in high school and JUCO recruiting, the number of incoming players eclipses 50. It’s hard to write a full preview of the team, as they didn’t even release a full roster for spring ball.
Is this finally Purdy’s year? One player that ultimately decided to stay after entering the portal is presumed starting QB Chubba Purdy. Purdy has appeared in 23 games across five seasons of college football at Florida State, Nebraska, and Nevada - amassing 1085 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. Obviously those are not numbers that inspire a ton of confidence, but he did reach a career high completion percentage last season.
The schedule doesn’t do them any favors, traveling to Penn State, and drawing Boise State, San Jose State, and UNLV in conference. Choate showed he could field a competitive team in year one, but will have to have quite the ace up his sleeve to improve in 2025.
“Must watch” game
In the middle of a challenging nonconference slate that includes the trip to Happy Valley, another road trip to the always dangerous Western Kentucky, and a home game against FCS power Sac State, the Wolf Pack host Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders are far from the top of the list of contenders in CUSA this season, but this is a pretty “even” matchup that the Pack need to win at home if they have aspirations of improving this season.
Thanks for reading our 2025 Conference Preview Series! Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Mountain West. Want even more? Subscribe and get ready for a written and video preview for every single FBS team in the country!
Subscribe to get the Mountain West Preview Part 2 sent directly to your inbox!