2014-15 Season Previews – (Independant) Midshipmen
There is never much that will come as a surprise when playing Navy. The program sends out the same kind of roster year in and year out, and plays the same style of game.
There is never much that will come as a surprise when playing Navy. The program sends out the same kind of roster year in and year out, and plays the same style of game.
Few college football programs are as well positioned for the rapidly changing landscape of the sport as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
For this year’s Bearcats club, Notre Dame transfer Gunner Kiel looks to add to what is already an embarrassment of riches at the quarterback position.
The UCF Knights were outstanding last year under the stewardship of Blake Bortles, who was simply the first QB selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in this year’s NFL Draft.
Utah State Aggies head coach Matt Wells has reason to smile after this past season. Not only did his team go 7-1 in conference en route to a 9-5 record overall, but he won the Mountain Division of the Mountain West Conference, earning a spot in the conference title game against then-ranked No. 24 Fresno State.
In a relatively newly-formed conference that’s seen plenty of new faces and upheaval, the ECU Pirates are a model of stability – one that’s carried over from the mostly dismantled Conference USA.
The Wyoming Cowboys are coming off of a 5-7 season that saw them finish fourth in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West Conference. They’re looking to improve upon that showing under new head coach Craig Bohl.
Entering the 2014 college football season, the Fresno State Bulldogs are far and away the favorites for the top spot when it comes to the West Division of the Mountain West Conference.
The New Mexico Lobos went 3-9 in 2013, but the bigger concern is that they only managed to win one conference game—a 45-37 defeat over Air Force.
The Colorado State Rams finished the 2013 college football season as a clear No. 3 seed in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West Conference, and if we’re being more specific, they were a near finisher at the No. 2 spot ahead of Boise State.
The San Jose Spartans went 6-6 last season finishing third in the West Division of the Mountain West Conference, but the conference as a whole is expected to be down this year, and San Jose is no exception.
The Hawaii Warriors have not been a good football team under head coach Norm Chow. That said, he’s only completed two years with the institution up to this point, and we should see some improvements in Year 3 even if they’re minimal.
The Air Force Falcons walked away 2-10 in 2013, and while you shouldn’t expect them to be a contender for a Mountain West championship—let alone a Mountain Division title—you shouldn’t be surprised when they show improvements during the upcoming college football season.
Just a few months ago, it looked as if head coach Bobby Hauck would have quite the task ahead of him during the 2014 college football season. Despite seeing improvements in 2013, this group could have dealt with motivation issues this upcoming year.
The Mountain West as a complete conference isn’t going to be as competitive as it was last season, as the clear favorites are the Boise State Broncos and Fresno State Bulldogs in their respective divisions.
The Fresno State Bulldogs have played two great seasons under head coach Tim DeRuyter, and while it would be unfair to say they have no shot at winning another Mountain West championship in 2014, it’s clear that the Boise State Broncos have taken over the reigns as favorites entering the new college football season.