Mountain West Conference Football

WEST DIVISION

Fresno State

2013 recap: Led by quarterback Derek Carr, the Bulldogs won their first 10 games and were poised for a BCS-game berth until losing to San Jose State. They won the inaugural MWC championship game, then lost to USC in the Las Vegas Bowl.

2014 story: Coach Tim DeRuyter’s offensive style is "being spread and being fast," which resulted in 85.4 plays per game, fourth among FBS teams. With Carr’s departure, the type of plays — not the quantity — will change. Quarterbacks Brandon Connette, a Duke transfer who enrolled at FSU this summer, and fourth-year junior Brian Burrell provide mobility. DeRuyter initially was hesitant to add a quarterback transfer, concerned how it would impact the team chemistry developed during spring training. But Connette, who wanted to return to his native California because of family medical issues, insisted he only wanted an opportunity to compete for the starter’s job. DeRuyter said Connette received high recommendations from FSU players and the Duke staff. Connette was named Duke’s most inspirational player. "That eased my mind," said DeRuyter, who is not likely to name a starting QB until the week before the opener against USC.

A player’s story: On game days, the "Red Mile" — the heckler-lined path leading to Jim Sweeney Field — is an intimidating descent for opponents. During the summer, it is a humbling ascent for the Bulldogs, who run it as part of the offseason conditioning program. "It gets us ready," said John Harper, one of the Bulldogs’ three 1,000-yard receivers last year. Davante Adams and Isaiah Burse left the program, and Harper, after brief consideration, opted not to apply for the NFL Draft. Instead, Harper — whose father Willie Harper was an All-America linebacker at Nebraska who played 11 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers — decided to return as a player-teacher. "I do have dreams to play in the NFL one day," Harper said, but right now "I’m ready for the challenge of helping the younger players."

Quote: "I couldn’t (play quarterback) at this level. I wouldn’t be able to see over our linemen," said 5-foot-11 free safety Derron Smith, whose 14 career interceptions are the most among active FBS players.

Hawaii

2013 recap: The Warriors lost five games by seven points or fewer to finish 1-11.

2014 story: There is a new defensive coordinator (Kevin Clune), a new defensive base (3-4) and an expanded offense. Jordan Wynn and Luke Matthews were promoted from graduate assistants to full-time coaches, although their duties won’t change. Wynn will have an expanded role as a play-caller — he did that the final nine games of last year — and Matthews will continue to coach the receivers. This year, the Warriors plan more rollouts for the quarterback and employ three-, four- and five-receiver sets. Ikaika Woolsey and Jeremy Higgins were listed atop the post-spring depth chart, although Woolsey is expected to get the first snap of training camp. Jeremy Castro, who redshirted after transferring from UCLA, will boost a revised defense.

A player’s story: Running back Joey Iosefa was a 170-pound quarterback when he signed with the Warriors five years ago. After grayshirting and then redshirting, he was used at linebacker for a couple of weeks before moving to running back. Now 245 pounds, Iosefa serves as a tailback, fullback, receiver and, with a 438.40 efficiency rating, a wildcat quarterback.

Quote: "Free food," senior running back Joey Iosefa on things he’ll miss about college.

Nevada

2013 recap: The Wolf Pack lost six of their final seven games to finish 4-8 in Brian Polian’s first year as head coach.

2014 story: Injuries resulted in 18 freshmen playing nearly 3,000 snaps last year. "The best thing about freshmen," Polian said, "is they become sophomores." Polian is hoping that one of the league’s best players, quarterback Cody Fajardo, remains healthy. "One of the best abilities is availability," Polian said. Fajardo, a dual threat as a runner and passer, said he is learning to channel his "competitive edge." That means fighting for the extra yard on third-and-short and not first-and-10. Fajardo, who weight-trains with the linemen, is now 225 pounds (up from 207 last year) and can run 40 yards in 4.51 seconds. He also organizes joint activities to unite the offense and defense. His text bud is former teammate Colin Kaepernick, the 49ers’ starting quarterback. "If I need tips, he’s the perfect guy," Fajardo said.

A player’s story: Defensive end Brock Hekking attracts attention, highlighted by his 17 sacks the past two seasons. Hekking is under his fourth defensive coordinator and third line coach. Scott Boone, the new co-coordinator, is retaining the Tampa-2 formula. Hekking likes Boone’s approach. Hekking asked: "What do you when your back’s against the wall?" Boone responded: "Blitz." Hekking told reporters: "I like him a lot. We have to start a tradition of defensive excellence. I think it starts this year."

Quote: "We’ve got the toothbrush. We’ve got the toothpaste. We can’t have the chance (until the opener) to put them together and put them in our mouth to get out the bad taste of last season," Hekking said.

San Diego State

2013 recap: The Aztecs overcame an 0-3 start to win eight games and qualify for their fourth consecutive bowl.

2014 story: Quarterback Quinn Kaehler is healthy after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. After taking over the starting job in the third game, he threw for 3,007 yards and 19 touchdowns with nine interceptions in 389 passes. Coach Rocky Long said Kaehler makes correct reads. "He won’t run outside and has a hard time throwing the deep ball," Long said. "Physically, he’s not gifted, but mentally he’s gifted." Running back Donnel Pumphrey is 5-9 but rushed for 10 touchdowns in 2013. The Aztecs addressed special teams with assistants Danny Gonzalez and LeCharls McDaniel as co-coordinators, and by adding two kickers. Last year’s kickers combined to miss eight of 16 field-goal attempts and six PATs.

A player’s story: To paraphrase Yogi Berra, offensive tackle Terry Poole was big when he was little. To lose 30 pounds to play Pop Warner, he wore trash bags as an undershirt and ran hills. He was a tight end and defensive lineman through his second year in junior college, when assistant Mike Rasmussen suggested a move to offense. At first, Poole balked, noting he liked to hit. He agreed, and eventually signed as a blocker with SDSU. In the move from right tackle to the blind side this year, he worked on his stance, footwork and kick step. He now is comfortable in his own shoes after finding an online company that sells his size-18 footwear.

Quote: "The fallacy of our defense is because we only have three D-linemen out there and five DBs, you cannot play run defense. That’s bull. We’ve always played good run defense. I do not know why, but we do," Long said.

San Jose State

2013 recap: Despite meeting the bowl-eligible requirements on the last day of the regular season, an upset of previously unbeaten Fresno State, the Spartans did not receive a postseason invitation.

2014 story: Blake Jurich and Joe Gray will duel for the starting quarterback’s job vacated by David Fales’ graduation. Wideout Tyler Winston was the league’s 2013 freshman of the year, a campaign launched when he had six catches for 159 yards and a touchdown against UH in his first collegiate start. Greg Robinson, who won two Super Bowls with the Broncos and a national title with Texas, is the new defensive coordinator. He re-installed the 4-3 scheme that was used in 2012. Robinson is such a stickler for details he went to Texas to meet with a high school coach known for his tackling drills. "He’s not above learning," coach Ron Caragher said. Vince Buhagiar, who missed 2013 because of a right-shoulder injury, is back at middle linebacker.

A player’s story: A decade ago, several poor APR scores resulted in SJSU forfeiting dozens of football scholarships over a four-year period. In the aftermath, the school provided more academic support. This is the sixth year of an increased APR score. Of the 19 seniors, 11 are graduate students, including defensive tackle Travis Raciti, a three-year starter who earned a degree in communications. "School comes first," said Raciti, who recently was accepted into the sports management program. "We understand there’s life after football. If you want to be successful, it helps to have a degree." His field work now consists of playing the 3-technique.

Quote: "Why wait?" Caragher said of awarding scholarships to four walk-ons after their freshman seasons.

UNLV

2013 recap: The Rebels won four in a row at midseason and the final two of the regular season to earn their first bowl berth since 2000 and help Bobby Hauck receive a three-year contract extension.

2014 story: For a bit, the Rebels were banned for this coming postseason after their APR scores were ruled to be too low. But after an accounting discrepancy was discovered, the NCAA approved the amended scores and lifted the ban. During the uncertainty, the Rebels remained whole. "We had unity and commitment," Hauck said. Now the Rebels need to see if they have a quarterback. Nick Sherry played well as a true freshman in 2012 but was benched last year. Blake Decker, who transferred from a junior college in January, is a mobile quarterback who threw for 4,241 yards and 47 touchdowns last year. "I’m fired up about both these guys," Hauck said. The Rebels also are fired up about the Fremont Cannon, which is in their possession — and now painted UNLV red — after beating in-state rival Nevada.

A player’s story: The Rebels call themselves the "brotherhood," and like most siblings, love is peppered with emotion. During unsupervised drills, receiver Devante Davis said, "it’ll get competitive. We’ll argue with each other. We don’t want to lose." That competition extends to the classroom, where GPAs are valued as much as YACs. A commitment to both is why Davis, who could have left school early, remains at UNLV. "I want to be the first person in my family to graduate," Davis said. "UNLV took a chance on me. I want to give it everything I can for as long as I can."

Quote: "That’s not going to change much for us. We’ve always been a have-not here," Hauck on the gap between college football’s haves and have-nots.

MOUNTAIN DIVISION

Air Force

2013 recap: The Falcons lost all eight MWC games last year and were 2-10 overall.

2014 story: The Falcons tinkered with the playbook, employing more passing plays. That style fits quarterback Nate Romine, who is a better passer than runner. Kale Pearson is more of the traditional option-bone quarterback, but he’s coming back from a torn right ACL. Coach Troy Calhoun said the Falcons do not have enough receivers with breakaway speed or hulking linemen to use a spread-passing attack. "There are still things we have to do," Calhoun said. "We have to find a way to run the ball with smaller bodies." Calhoun said it will continue to be difficult to attract big linemen who can still meet the academy’s physical-fitness requirements. "I don’t know if we’ll have a whole lot of those guys (because they have to do) pull-ups and run 11/2 miles in 11 minutes, 15 seconds."

A player’s story: This week, it gets real for linebacker Connor Healy, whose commitment to the Air Force becomes irrevocable. The first day of his junior year, "I’m in," Healy said. Michael Husar, a watch-list candidate for the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s best center, knows about the commitment. Husar wears a band in memory of David "Lissy" Lyon, a former teammate who died in combat operations in Afghanistan in December. "It puts things in perspective," Husar said.

Quote: "When you finish (college football), you’re not playing in the NFL. … I mean, literally, within six months of graduating, you could be in Ukraine. That’s real. That’s very real," Calhoun said of Air Force players.

Boise State

2013 recap: The Broncos went 8-5, their worst record since 1998.

2014 story: What was more unthinkable — the Broncos losing five games or coach Chris Petersen? Bryan Harsin returns to replace Petersen, who’s now coaching at Washington. Harsin sounds like Jon Gruden but acts like Professor Gadget. As the Broncos’ offensive coordinator, he called the Statue of Liberty play in the Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma in 2007. "I folded my book and started walking out," he said of the play. "It was over at that point." Mike Sanford, most recently with Stanford, will call the plays from a playbook that is being restored to its original thickness. There will be shotgun snaps, shifts, motions, no-huddle approaches and tights ends as receivers. Quarterback Grant Hedrick and running back Jay Ajayi (1,425 yards, 18 TDs) are the offensive leaders. Two starters return at new positions on the offensive line. "There’s an expectation, a standard that has been set (at Boise)," Harsin said. "We have to take those expectations and re-establish them."

A player’s story: When Petersen left, the restrictions on social media were lifted. "All of a sudden our whole team has Twitter accounts," nickelback Corey Bell said, smiling. "Really? That’s the first thing you guys thought to do?" Bell has decided to keep his 140-character thoughts focused on his hybrid position of linebacker/nickelback. Bell’s role model is former Bronco Winston Venable. "He’s a freakin’ beast, for lack of another word," Bell said. "That’s what the position has gone back to, a bit more free rein, blitz, play some coverage. It’s a physical position."

Quote: "You don’t want to become the team that’s happy with 8-5. It hurts that people call that a failure, but at the same time, it’s a good thing," receiver Matt Miller.

Colorado State

2013 recap: The Rams averaged 470.8 yards per game, most in school history, en route to 8-6 overall and 5-3 MWC records.

2014 story: Down 15 points with two minutes remaining, the Rams rallied to beat Washington State in the New Mexico Bowl, an outcome that is spilling emotionally into this season. "That’s something Coach (Jim McElwain) brought when he got here — the never-die attitude," QB Garret Grayson said. Grayson threw for 3,696 yards, a diversion to Kapri Bibbs’ 1,741 rushing yards. "There were many times I handed him the ball and started running to the sidelines because he was gone," Grayson said. Bibbs is gone, to an NFL camp, and Jason Oden, a converted safety, gets the first shot at running back. "We’ve got to control the ball offensively to keep (opposing offenses) off the field," McElwain said.

A player’s story: Grayson recalled that Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has "been my favorite quarterback since before I even knew how to play football." Grayson got to meet his idol when he attended the Manning Camp in Louisiana two weeks ago. Grayson participated in drills and video sessions. There also was a 45-minute period in which the invited quarterbacks could discuss football with Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. Grayson kept detailed notes, even on Peyton Manning’s explanation of the "Omaha" pre-snap call. "He did talk about their cadence a little bit," Grayson said. "He told us not to say anything."

Quote: "I’ve never been to Boston. I might skip the game and go to Fenway," McElwain said of this year’s road game against Boston College.

New Mexico

2013 recap: The Lobos took a step back, falling to 3-9 and 1-7 in Bob Davie’s second season as UNM head coach.

2014 story: The Lobos were fourth in the FBS in rushing, at 308.8 yards per game. Despite losing leading rusher Kasey Carrier, the Lobos intend to keep running, even at last year’s 77 percent ratio. That’s because quarterback Cole Gautsche averaged 86.3 rushing yards and completed 44.9 percent of his passes. Davie said he favors milking the clock, too. The Lobos averaged 67.1 plays per game, which was 111th nationally. "We try to slow it down so much because our defense struggles so much," said Davie, referring to the 42.8 scoring average on defense last year. Offensive lineman Lamar Bratton is pleased with the strategy. "If you’re a real offensive lineman, you would love to run the ball every time just because you get that opportunity to really dominate that guy across from you."

A player’s story: Bratton has earned an accounting degree and plans to take the CPA exam at the end of the season. In his free time, he is a "Games of Thrones" fan who has watched every episode and owns every book. His immediate goal is for Lobos football to match the basketball team’s popularity. "I’ve had crazy experiences," he said. "I’ve had people come up and ask, ‘Are you the Lobo basketball team?’ I’d say, ‘No, we’re football,’ and they’d get all sad and go away. Stuff like that gets you fired up."

Quote: "Coach Davie will tell us to run through a wall, and we’ll do it. No helmet," Bratton said.

Utah State

2013 recap: The Aggies went 7-1 to win the MWC West Division, finishing ahead of Boise State.

2014 story: The Aggies earned their third consecutive bowl berth last year with quarterback Chuckie Keeton sidelined for the last seven games. Darrell Garretson went 7-1 as a replacement, but there’s no doubt the job belongs to Keeton. Before suffering the injury, Keeton threw 18 TD passes on 69 percent accuracy. He was intercepted twice in 198 throws. The Aggies are promoting Keeton as a Heisman Trophy candidate this year. The thing is, their defense is just as impressive. Last year, Utah State ranked seventh in points allowed (17.1 per game) and 12th in total defense (330.9 yards). Their top linebackers — Kyler Fackrell and Zach Vigil — return.

A player’s story: The most difficult part of Keeton’s rehabilitation from a knee injury was staying still. In the bowl game, he exasperated coaches when he was caught running down the sideline to cheer on a teammate. "I got yelled at several times during the season for jumping, chest-bumping, running, getting too excited, jumping on stuff," Keeton said. "It was rehabbing on the field is all it was.’ Keeton said he has healed, and he can participate in all the drills when the Aggies’ camp opens next week.

Quote: "I’d like our players to see the locker room, take a picture, put it on Instagram, tweet it out , get all that stuff out of the way," coach Matt Wells said of playing at Tennessee.

Wyoming

2013 recap: The Cowboys went 5-7, costing Dave Christensen his head coaching job.

2014 story: After winning three consecutive FCS titles at North Dakota State, coach Craig Bohl wondered what more could be accomplished. "It was time to close that chapter and take on another challenge," Bohl said. This spring, he implemented a pro-set scheme to replace the spread offense. That means using a tight end, fullback and tailback. "As opposed to trying to beat someone 52-51, we’re looking to try to beat someone 10-9," he said. "It’s a different mind-set." With multi-purpose Brent Smith’s departure, the quarterback job is open. But Bohl is confident his system, which worked at North Dakota, will be effective in Laramie.

A player’s story: Defensive end Eddie Yarbrough remembered being an overweight middle-school student. "I got picked on a lot," he said. Then the summer before his freshman year, he grew 4 inches and "I had a six-pack for about two weeks," he said. It was in high school where he embraced the concept of relentlessly pursuing the ball-carrier. "His intensity level exceeded my expectations," Bohl said. Yarbrough said his friends were surprised when he chose Wyoming. "They thought I’d be riding a horse to Wal-Mart," he said, laughing. "In Wyoming, all you have is this college team. This is the football team of Wyoming. I’m proud to be a part of it."

Quote: "There are a lot of two-lane roads with not a lot of cars on them. And a lot of antelope," Bohl said of Wyoming.