2024 Mountain West Conference Football Preview

2024 Mountain West Conference Football Preview

Week 0 has officially arrived! Today, we are capping off our conference previews with the Mountain West Conference, which will have three Week 0 showdowns! How do we think this unfolds? Without further ado, let’s dive into it!

1. Boise State

Boise State is the clear-cut favorite to win the Mountain West. The biggest story out of camp was Maddux Madsen getting the starting quarterback gig over USC transfer and former five-star recruit Malachi Nelson. But they still have the MW’s best defense–including All-American EDGE rusher Ahmed Hassanein–one of the country’s top running backs in Ashton Jeanty, an exceptional offensive line plus a No. 1 wideout in Latrell Caples. Top-to-bottom, they’re the most talented Mountain West team and one of the top in the Group of 5. I think head coach Spencer Danielson carries the momentum he built late last season into a 10-11 win campaign.

2. UNLV

This ranking may surprise some people, but I am exceptionally high on UNLV, who had their best season since they went 11-2 in the Big West in 1984. They only return 11 starters, but I think quarterback transfers Matthew Sluka and Hajj-Malik Williams will do a great job replacing reigning Freshman of the Year Jayden Maiava. This will be the first year that UNLV’s played with any sort of serious expectation in 40 or so years, but I trust Barry Odom’s squad to prevail. If you’re looking for any head coaching candidates in the near future, keep tabs on Brennan Marion, whose Go-Go offense has been successful at multiple stops.

3. Fresno State

Losing Jeff Tedford mere weeks before the new season raises more questions than it answers with Fresno State. But I still like for the Bulldogs to secure a top-3 spot in the conference. I thought this team ran out of gas late last season, but still found a way to finish 9-4. They will have receiving continuity this season, plus return both quarterback Mikey Keene and running back Malik Sherrod.

4. Air Force

You could argue that Troy Calhoun is the best coach in the Mountain West right now. If Zac Larrier doesn’t get hurt midway through last season, this team likely wins 10 games for the fourth time in five seasons. I’m not worried about the Falcons returning just a handful of starters. It also avoids both Boise State and UNLV while playing Fresno State at home. AFA’s schedule sets up beautifully for another successful season.

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5. Hawai’i

I’m planting my flag with Hawai’i. Timmy Chang‘s done an amicable job turning this program around after Todd Graham’s unfruitful departure, even though Chang’s finished with three and five wins over his first two seasons, respectively. Quarterback Brayden Schager returns, plus their top five pass catchers and nine of their top 11 tacklers. They will get Boise and UNLV on the islands with Fresno on the road, but I am still bullish this team will make it to their first bowl game of the Chang era.

6. Wyoming

There’s a wide range of outcomes for Wyoming, who moves from longtime head coach Craig Bohl to Jay Sawvel, who spent the last four seasons as defensive coordinator. A lot of its questions are behind center, even though its bread-and-butter has been through a great ground game and great defense. Wyoming has a very favorable schedule, but I still want to how Evan Svoboda does behind center performs before I can get an accurate read for how this team will fare in 2024.

7. Colorado State

This will be a pivotal third season for Jay Norvell, who, dating back to 2021, has had three straight disappointing seasons with Nevada and CSU. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi‘s a gun-slinger, but will need to cut down the turnovers; Tory Horton could be a Day 2 draft pick; their back seven, led by Jack Howell, Henry Blackburn and Chase Wilson, have plenty of playmakers. But what Norvell’s squads have lacked is game-by-game consistency, which makes their standing a little more flimsy heading into the 2024 season.

8. San Diego State

San Diego State may have the widest range of outcomes in the MW. If you said they were 8-4 or 4-8, I’d believe you. Sean Lewis won at a really difficult place to win when he was at Kent State. I’m not super sure that will happen in year one–especially when the offense is transitioning from a slow-tempo, pro-style system to playing “Aztec Fast” under Lewis.

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9. Nevada

Ah, yes, my beautiful alumni. Ken Wilson took over an impossible job that nobody wanted to take, though he also didn’t do the best in his two seasons. Enters Jeff Choate, who re-ignited a then-mediocre Montana State program into an FCS powerhouse. Is Nevada’s schedule a death wish? Yes. Does the roster leave a little to be desired? Sure. But I think this team gets to at least three wins for the first time since 2021 … behind good coaching and having an extra game of live reps to develop.

10. San Jose State

Ken Niumatalolo isn’t taking over a fruitful situation in San Jose, losing quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, their top three running backs, three of their four best receivers and seven of their top-nine tacklers. Too many question marks, even though I’m intrigued by offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann.

11. New Mexico

Was Bronco Mendenhall a slam-dunk hire? Absolutely. But this job is a disasterclass and I don’t see year one of the new era going well.

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