Knudson: Checking in with the New Kids on the Block

By Mark Knudson, The Mtn. Insider
October 24, 2011
 
Lost in all of the ongoing conference re-alignment saga is the fact that three new teams are all set to join the Mountain West next season. How are they going to stack up and what will the MW look like in 2012?
 
First, we all have to continue to hope that Boise State and Air Force do the smart thing and stay put. Good things are in store for this Conference and the teams that remain part of it. The new alliance with Conference USA will raise the profile even more and ultimately the benefits of being in this Conference for the long term will outweigh those of the Big East Conference, which is facing extinction.
 
Next fall, the MW welcomes Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii to the mix while sending TCU off to the Big 12 - a move that can’t really be criticized. With Nevada beating Fresno State on Saturday, the Wolf Pack appears to be the strongest of the threesome coming in.
 
The Wolf Pack sits atop the Western Athletic Conference with a 2-0 record after beating the Bulldogs, who suffered their first conference loss. Remember, Nevada lost all-everything quarterback Colin Kapernick to the NFL after last season. His replacements, senior Tyler Landtrip and freshman Cody Fajardo have been solid by throwing for almost 1,700 yards and seven touchdowns between them.
 
After winning three straight, the Wolf Pack is 4-3 overall for the season and controls their own destiny in WAC play. Nevada has won 15 straight at home with three games left to play in Reno this season, including a visit from Hawaii on November 12. Head coach Chris Ault is well respected in coaching circles and figures to bring an instant title contender into the MW next season
 
The Bulldogs are 3-5 on the season with two of those losses coming to nationally ranked Nebraska and Boise State. They’re led by sophomore quarterback Derek Carr, younger brother of David, who has dazzled at times during his first year as a starter. He’s thrown 15 touchdown passes against just five picks and has racked up 1,980 yard through the air. As Carr gets more experience and better protection from his offensive line – he’s been sacked 12 times – he has every chance to equal or surpass the production of his older brother, who was a top NFL draft pick.
 
Oh yes, don’t forget about head coach Pat Hill joining the Conference; certainly no one in MW media circles will.
 
Then there’s the Hawaii Warriors, who possess something neither Nevada nor Fresno do. Hawaii has already been a BCS buster when they faced off against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl at the end of the topsy-turvy 2007 season. The Warriors haven’t found that level of success since, but everyone in the MW knows they will be not only a great road trip, but also more importantly, a formidable foe when they join the league next season.
 
Senior quarterback Bryant Moniz, who has stamped his name in the Hawaii record book, is having another excellent season with 2,145 and 19 touchdowns compared to just four interceptions. Luckily for the MW, he’ll be gone after this season. Sophomore quarterback David Graves has performed well in limited mop up duty and figures to take over for Moniz next fall.
 
Fresno State has the most work to do but it’s conceivable that all three MW-to-be teams will be bowl eligible at the end of the season. Adding them to the MW mix in 2012 will boost the Conference even more.
See all of Mark Knudson's blog entries HERE.