2011 Mountain West Conference Football Preview

It is a year of transition in the Mountain West Conference. After a hectic 2010 offseason and beyond, the conference finds itself shedding two members, Brigham Young and the University of Utah, while gaining former WAC powerhouse Boise State. BYU and Utah, which left the conference to pursue football independence and an invitation to the Pac-12, leave a significant hole in the top level of the Mountain West. This hole was only magnified with the news that TCU, winner of last year’s Rose Bowl, will be leaving the MWC for the automatic qualifying pastures of the Big East after this season. In 2012, the MWC will add Fresno State, Hawaii, and Nevada from the WAC to fill the void its former compatriots left. Did you get all that? Conference realignment has hit the MWC hard and the conference has reacted in a very direct way to stay relevant.

One thing is for sure, the 2011 campaign will come down to a two-team tango of former Fiesta Bowl rivals Boise State and TCU. In the only season in which the two non-AQ powers will share conference affiliation, and with a move by MWC administrators to replace a TCU home game with Boise for a contest to be held on the blue turf in Idaho, the 2011 MWC season will be full of intrigue.

While TCU comes off one of the best seasons in school history, it is the Boise State Broncos who look to be the class of the Mountain West in 2011. The Broncos return seven starters on each side of the ball, including Heisman finalist Kellen Moore and two All-WAC offensive linemen in Nate Potter and Thomas Byrd. Doug Martin, also an All-WAC selection, will also return at running back. If Moore can find some new talent at wide receiver, there should be no reason to think that Boise State won’t be right in the thick of BCS contention yet again. The defense returns four All-WAC selections from a squad that dominated the WAC last season, surrendering just over eight points per game during conference play. The MWC has better offensive talent and the Broncos will be replacing key figures Ryan Winterswyk and Winston Venable. With that being said, Boise is a proven commodity and will fit nicely into the Mountain West Conference.

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The Broncos’ main competitor for the MWC crown will be the TCU Horned Frogs. Head coach Gary Patterson had quite a run with quarterback Andy Dalton over the past four seasons. In 2011, Patterson must replace not only the winningest quarterback in school history, but a plethora of talented wide receivers in Jeremy Kerley, Jimmy Young, and Bart Johnson. Running back, however, will not be a concern. Ed Wesley is back, along with Matthew Tucker and home-run threat Waymon James. Defense is the Frogs’ mainstay, and they have two of the best linebackers in the nation returning in Tank Carder and Tanner Brock. The defense returns just five starters from last season, but history is on the side of Patterson and defensive guru Dick Bumpas. TCU’s defense will be just fine.

Beyond the two heavy hitters, look for Air Force to take yet another step forward into breaking through the top 3 in the conference. San Diego State returns a talented offensive backfield, but must replace head coach Brady Hoke, who moved on to Michigan.

By: Zach Bloxham
DFN Sports Staff Writer