Fresno State will have the most wins in the Mountain West Conference

Handicapping MWC Football

The Mountain West Conference was on the verge of becoming irrelevant but saved itself by welcoming back Boise State and San Diego State and opening their arms for the next round of WAC defectors like Utah State and San Jose State.

Fresno State Bulldogs
Win Total Over/Under: 10.5
BCS Champion Odds: +2000 (field)
Conference Winning Odds: +255
Mountain West Conference Overview

Boise State is still the bully on the block but there are other good teams in the league, this year most notably Fresno State which has found its mojo with new coach Tim DeRuyter.

The Bulldogs are looking to climb the tallest mountain in Idaho but it won’t be easy. How is this for a stat? Boise State has not lost a game by more than 4 points since 2007. They do not lose often and when they do they are always in it until the final possession.

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Why Fresno State will have the most wins in the Mountain West Conference

Talent:

It starts with quarterback Derek Carr, the most talented at his position in the MWC and a senior.

His brother was also a stud at Fresno but for whatever reason the buzz about this Carr has been subdued. Carr will miss tailback Robbie Rouse but he has an all conference receiver in Davante Adams and an all conference TE in Marcel Jensen. All the pieces are there for an outstanding offensive season for Fresno State. Defensively they are experienced up front and at the back end – 7 returning starters are on the D Line and in the secondary, all juniors and seniors.

I am not saying linebackers don’t matter but their defense could be even better than it was a year ago when it was second in the league. [soliloquy id=”82219″]

Schedule:

The schedule is the big one in determining who should get more wins, Fresno or Boise. This year the Bulldogs get to host the Broncos, a team they haven’t beaten in a long time. Hosting the game should give them the edge to win and with non-conference games against the likes of Rutgers, Colorado, Cal-Poly and Idaho this team really has a shot at running the table.

I think there is a loss on the road either at San Diego State or at San Jose State but other than that they could cruise. The interesting thing is what would happen if they are perfect.

Coaching:

I always liked former coach Pat Hill for his willingness to play anybody anywhere but the program was losing its momentum and it was time for a change. Coach Tiim DeRuyter is a defense first guy with a great history of defensive improvement at bigger and bigger schools moving from Ohio to Nevada to Air Force to Texas A&M before getting the gig at Fresno State.

Last year Fresno State had the second best pass defense in the nation and they won by being a pretty balanced team.

He might have lucked into having Carr already on campus when he got there but he appears to have a great feel for recruiting and because he has coached all over he is bringing in kids from all over the nation.

Prediction: 11-1

As described earlier the Bulldogs probably have to beat Boise State to capture the most wins in the Mountain West this season. The interesting part is what if they do and beat everybody else.

No it is not the same as running unscathed through other conferences but if they were undefeated including a beat down of the Broncos could that push them into the Championship Game, especially if it meant that they had actually beaten Boise State twice to get there.

Its some fantastic food for thought but for now lets just enjoy the spreading of the wealth in the Mountain West. This isn’t a vintage Boise State team and Fresno State is ready to step into the void.

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