Mountain West Preview Part II: Challengers and Rebuilders
First and second year coaches look to find their footing in a chaotic, portal-driven world.
Transition, transition, transition
That’s the buzz word that keeps popping up when researching these six teams. All six have head coaches in either their first or second year at their current school, and with the chaos of the transfer portal, you really feel for them as they try to gain ground while constantly rebuilding and retooling their rosters. Still, several contenders, namely San Jose State and UNLV, could emerge from this group to challenge the mighty Broncos for the conference title.
This preview is set up in alphabetical order, and will cover New Mexico through Wyoming. See the link below for the other six schools.
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New Mexico Lobos
2024 in Review
Bronco Mendenhall’s return to coaching brought about surprising success in the ABQ on the back of one of the most dynamic dual-threat QGs in the nation - Devin Dampier. The season began with a disastrous loss to Montana State in a game where the Lobos held a 31-14 lead after the third quarter, followed by three more losses to Arizona, Auburn, and Fresno State. A road rivalry win over New Mexico State launched a turnaround, though, and the Lobos ultimately won five of their last eight. The five wins were the most for New Mexico since 2015, but Mendenhall took an opportunity to return to his home state to take the Utah State job.
Key Storylines
New Mexico went out and made a solid hire in by landing Jason Eck, who led Idaho to the FCS playoffs in each of his three seasons in Moscow. Prior to Eck’s arrival, the Vandals had not played postseason football since a bowl appearance in 2016 before making the transition down from the FBS. Eck’s background is coaching o-line, so expect the Lobos to focus on improving that aspect of their program and building from there.
Year one of the Eck Era will feature a ton of transition. Dampier is off to Utah to try to revitalize the Utes’ offense, and 47 other players exited the program as well. The staff hit the ground running, taking in 34 transfers and holding onto 17 high school signees. Jack Layne, who took over as starting QB last October for Eck and the Vandals, seems to have the inside track to being QB1 and should help with the transition.
The schedule will do the Lobos no favors as they try to get the new systems in place. The Lobos face two power conference foes on the road (Michigan and UCLA), and drew five of the top six betting favorites to win the conference. It will be an uphill climb in a historically tough place to win, and any victory should be cause for celebration and optimism without overreacting to the losses.
“Must watch” game
The Rio Grande Rivalry with New Mexico State dates back to 1894, 18 years before the Land of Enchantment was admitted to the Union. It is always a heated game, and is one of the best chances for the Lobos to get into the win column this season so it will certainly be circled on the calendar.
San Diego State Aztecs
2024 in Review
Sean Lewis’ first season in San Diego was full of road blocks. The Aztecs sat at 3-3 after their bye week on Oct. 19, but lost their final six games to limp to the program’s worst season since 2008. But based on the track record Lewis established at Kent State, you can probably attribute most of those failures to the mess that was left to him. It was truly starting from scratch with a new offense and a plethora of new players, and even though the bright spots were few and far between, Lewis’ history and the program’s recent ability to win big is enough to bring hope for the future.
Key Storylines
New year, new look. The team that takes the field this fall will look very different than the one Lewis fielded a year ago, and the staff is hopeful that the 22 transfers they brought in will help turn things around quickly. But there’s also enough experience coming back, the Aztecs rank fifth in the league in returning production, to make you think there’s a chance they could see a big jump in results this year.
The battle for QB1 is far from settled, with transfers Bert Emmanuel Jr (Central Michigan) and Jayden Denegal (Michigan) likely extending their battle deep into fall camp. Around them on offense, look for fellow transfers Christian Washington (RB, Coastal Carolina) and Myles Kitt-Denton (WR, Northwestern State) to make big instant impacts as well.
The ace is back. Lewis and Co. had to be thrilled to hold on to one of their most prized roster pieces in OLB Trey White, who totaled 12.5 sacks and 21.5 TFLs last season. That’s exactly the type of player needed to turn a unit that surrendered 28.9 ppg last season. Finding other players to step up and give White some help will be key.
“Must watch” game
The Mountain West opener - at home against Colorado State on Oct. 3 - represents a huge opportunity for the Aztecs to prove their cellar-dwelling days are over. The Rams finished near the top of the conference last year, and if Sean Lewis’ squad can knock them off, the next four games (at Nevada, at Fresno State, Wyoming, at Hawai’i) are all winnable before a showdown with Boise State.
San Jose State Spartans
2024 in Review
Ken Niumatalolo’s arrival in San Jose certainly raised some eyebrows and had skeptics, especially given his last few years at Navy, but you can’t argue with the results in year one. Most outside the program probably expected a step backwards, especially since according to Bill Connelly, they ranked 129th in returning production. You could never question his team’s toughness - as evidenced by the fact that they were in almost every game - but Niumatololo’s willingness to run a modern offense was likely one of the catalysts of the Spartans making a bowl for a third straight season for the first time in program history. That bowl game was one for the ages as well, a 5 OT thriller in Hawaii that ended in heartbreak for SJSU against South Florida. But if that performance is the baseline, it’s exciting to think about what the future holds in the Bay Area.
Key Storylines
The continuity SJSU will enjoy this year is hard to find at the G5 level. QB Walker Eget, who took over the reins mid-season, will enjoy a full offseason as the entrenched starter. Also returning are leading rusher Floyd Chalk IV, and a solid mix of o-line and defensive starters.
Wanted: pass catchers (ASAP). One area that did not enjoy that continuity was the receiving corps, who lost five of their top seven contributors including program legend Nick Nash. To address that need, the Spartans brought in a trio of P4 receivers in Mason Starling (Cal), Leland Smith (Purdue), and Malachi Riley (Arizona).
The secondary appears to be a work in progress as well, as multiple starters from a group that picked off 21 passes a season ago were plucked away by power conference schools. Corners Caleb Pressley (Washington) and Malaki Crawford (USC) were big gets, and should help keep the aggressive defense going on the back end.
“Must watch” game
Maybe the best thing the Spartans have going for them in terms of competing for a title is the fact that they avoid both Boise State and UNLV. Additionally, the conference games that will likely be their three toughest - Hawai’i, Air Force, and Fresno State - are all at home. We’ll circle that last one, the Battle for the Valley, against the Bulldogs, where everything could be on the line. Getting a win over their rivals to punch a ticket to, and maybe even host, the conference title game would make that game even sweeter.
UNLV Rebels
2024 in Review
To say 2024 was a banner year for UNLV is an understatement. Here’s a brief list of accomplishments: 11 wins (tied for most in program history), reached a bowl in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history, earned a major poll ranking for the first time in school history, and (maybe) became the first school in NCAA history to come out on top in a public NIL dispute (you’re welcome for the example, Tennessee). All jokes aside, what Barry Odom accomplished in his two years in Sin City is nothing short of remarkable. It earned him another shot at a power conference coaching gig at Purdue, but it also might have unlocked the potential of a sleeping, or to be more accurate, dormant G5 giant that had been an afterthought for its entire history.
Key Storylines
Mullen returns to coaching. After Odom’s departure, the Rebels wasted little time in nailing the replacement hire - former Florida and Mississippi State head man Dan Mullen. The former SEC Coach of the Year brings a wealth of experience as he looks to revitalize his career, and his hiring is a big reason why UNLV has its highest preseason win total in program history at 8.5.
The biggest problem facing the Rebs? UNLV ranks 129th in returning production (out of 136 FBS teams). Mullen and his staff will turn to 42 transfers and attempt to form a team that will gel and live up to the lofty expectations. The QB battle should be a fun one between Alex Orji (Michigan) and Anthony Colandrea (Virginia), both guys that seem tailor made for Mullen’s offense.
It would take all of my allotted words to list out the other potential contributors out of the portal, but the class is one of the best ever put together at the G5 level featuring 16 former blue chip recruits. But as is always the case with teams built this way, the range of outcomes is drastic. Just one more reason to tune into Rebel football this fall.
“Must watch” game
The game that will most likely be the Game of the Year in the Mountain West will take place when the Rebels travel to Boise to battle the Broncos. The two teams have played three times in the past two years, with two of those games occurring in the Mountain West Championship. Boise has won all three, and have not lost to UNLV since 1976. But the Broncos, even as runaway betting favorites to win the league, have plenty of questions this year, and it would be a prime opportunity to buck history and make a statement on the Smurf Turf.
Utah State Aggies
2024 in Review
Nate Dreiling was dealt a tough hand as he took over a program under a lot of heat following the dismissal of head coach Blake Anderson for alleged Title IX violations. While they had some bright spots late, winning three of their last five contests, it was not enough to overcome a start that featured losses to the Aggies’ first six FBS opponents. It was quite a quick fall from grace for a program that had won big in recent years, and now the Aggies will look to reset as they welcome Utah native Bronco Mendenhall back home fresh off a one-year return to coaching at New Mexico.
Key Storylines
Mendenhall has made a career out of turning programs around, and that is exactly what the fans in Logan need after they watched their team follow up an eleven win 2021 campaign with three straight losing seasons. If he is going to hit the ground running (stop me if you’ve heard this before when a new coach comes in), he’s going to have to overcome massive losses in the portal.
QB Bryson Barnes was not one of the portal casualties, and he showed quite a bit more promise in Logan last fall than he did just up the road in Salt Lake City in 2023. The job appears to be his to lose, and he should have a solid run game supporting him with Miles Davis (BYU) and Javen Jacobs (New Mexico) transferring in.
Defensively, eight starters will need to be replaced. Six of the eight JUCO players Mendenhall signed are on that side of the ball, so that is certainly being addressed in every possible manner. We will see if it translates to improvement on the field, but for now this feels like a team that will need to win in a shootout.
“Must watch” game
We’ll highlight the season opener against UTEP at home because 1) it’s an early evening game up in the mountains and who doesn’t love that and 2) it’s a great chance for Mendenhall to get off on the right foot. There’s a ton of anticipation in Logan about what Bronco can do after seeing what he did for so many years down the road in Provo, and winning on night one in convincing fashion would raise the spirits in a year that could be filled with many difficult moments.
Wyoming Cowboys
2024 in Review
Jay Sawvel was promoted to head coach from his previous position as the defensive coordinator after Craig Bohl retired following the 2023 season. Sawvel’s first year certainly had growing pains, as the Cowboys only mustered wins against Air Force, New Mexico, shockingly, Washington State to close out the season. Aaron Bohl’s (Craig’s son) defense was not entirely the problem. While they were not nearly as good as in previous seasons (90th in scoring), they only allowed one Mountain West foe to eclipse 30 points (New Mexico). The offense was a different story entirely. Without an true identity, they limped to a paltry 19.33 ppg (123rd) over the course of the entire season.
Key Storylines
Can the offense catch up to the defense? The Cowboys were on the short end of most of their close games, going 2-5 in contests decided by 10 points or less. Even marginal improvement from that side of the ball, coupled with staying the course on defense, would pay huge dividends in the overall record.
Kaden Anderson took some lumps when he was inserted under center as a freshman, but that experience should help him lead the offense more effectively this year. Sam Scott, who was limited with a knee injury last season but still averaged 4.7 ypc, can make big plays out of the backfield if his health cooperates, and Anderson will have a great weapon in TE John Michael Gyllenborg.
Here come the reinforcements? Replacing a talented LB corps was one of the top priorities for sustaining the defensive success this year, and Sawvel and his staff might have found some serious gems from the lower levels of the sport. Ethan Stuhlsatz (Lindenwood), Brayden Johnson (Oklahoma Baptist), and Enock Sibomana (North Dakota State) all had eye-catching stats at their previous stops and under this staff’s tutelage could become some of the top defenders in the conference by season’s end.
“Must watch” game
It’s hard to find the “runway” - the spot on the schedule where a team can string together a few wins to build momentum - we try to look for on Wyoming’s schedule this year, but perhaps the Cowboys could create their own. Utah comes to Laramie for a Week Three matchup in a spot that should be advantageous for the Cowboys. Wyoming will be coming off two games they should win (at Akron and Northern Iowa at home), while the Utes face a classic “look-ahead” spot with trendy Big 12 pick Texas Tech the following week.
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