2015 Mountain West Conference football season

Last updated

2015 Mountain West Conference football season
Mountain West Conference logo.svg
League NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision)
Sport Football
DurationAugust 2015–January 2016
Number of teams12
TV partner(s) CBS Sports Network, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, CBS
2016 NFL Draft
Top draft pickLB Kamalei Correa, Boise State
Picked by Baltimore Ravens, 42nd overall
Regular season
Mountain Division championsAir Force Falcons
  Mountain Division runners-upBoise State Broncos
West Division championsSan Diego State Aztecs
  West Division runners-upNevada Wolfpack
Football seasons
  2014
2016  
2015 Mountain West Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
Mountain Division
Air Force x  6 2   8 6  
New Mexico  5 3   7 6  
Utah State  5 3   6 7  
Boise State  5 3   9 4  
Colorado State  5 3   7 6  
Wyoming  2 6   2 10  
West Division
San Diego State x$  8 0   11 3  
Nevada  4 4   7 6  
San Jose State  4 4   6 7  
Fresno State  2 6   3 9  
UNLV  2 6   3 9  
Hawaii  0 8   3 10  
Championship: San Diego State 27, Air Force 24
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2015 Mountain West Conference football season was the 17th season of college football for the Mountain West Conference (MW). In the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season, the MW had 12 football members: Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State, and Wyoming.

Contents

Preseason

Mountain West Media

2015 Mountain West Media Day was held at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas on July 28, 2015.

Preseason polls

PlaceMountain DivisionWest Division
1Boise State (28) 177San Diego State (27) 177
2Utah State (2) 150Fresno State (3) 141
3Colorado State 108Nevada 113
4Air Force 90San Jose State 91
5Wyoming 64Hawai'i 70
6New Mexico 41UNLV 38
  • Predicted Mountain West Championship Game Winner: Boise State is picked to win the Mountain West title game over San Diego State.

Preseason All-Mountain West Teams

Offense
PositionPlayerClassTeam
QB Chuckie Keeton SRUtah State
RB Donnel Pumphrey*JRSan Diego State
RBMarteze Waller**SRFresno State
WR Rashard Higgins*JRColorado State
WRDevonte Boyd**SOUNLV
TESteven Walker*SRColorado State
OLMarcus Henry*SRBoise State
OL Rees Odhiambo**SRBoise State
OLAlex FifitaSRFresno State
OLBen ClarkeSRHawai'i
OLPearce SlaterSRSan Diego State
Defense
PositionPlayerClassTeam
DLAlex Hansen**SRAir Force
DL Kamalei Correa*JRBoise State
DL Ian Seau**SRNevada
DL Eddie Yarbrough*SRWyoming
LB Tanner Vallejo**JRBoise State
LB Kyler Fackrell SRUtah State
LB Nick Vigil*JRUtah State
DBWeston Steelhammer*JRAir Force
DBDonte Deayon**SRBoise State
DB Darian Thompson*SRBoise State
DB Damontae Kazee**JRSan Diego State
Specialists
PositionPlayerClassTeam
PAlex Boy**SRNevada
PK Donny Hageman SRSan Diego State
Ret.Carlos WigginsSRNew Mexico
Rashard Higgins, Jr., WR, Colorado State
Kyler Fackrell, Sr., LB, Utah State
Donny Hageman Sr., PK, San Diego State

(* - member of the 2014 All-Mountain West first team)

(** - member of the 2014 All-Mountain West second team)

Recruiting classes

Award watch lists

The following Mountain West players were named to preseason award watch lists.

Coaches

NOTE: Stats shown are before the beginning of the season

TeamHead coachYears at schoolOverall recordRecord at schoolMW record
Air Force Troy Calhoun 959–4459–4434–30
Boise State Bryan Harsin 219–712–27–1
Colorado State Mike Bobo 11–01–00-0
Fresno State Tim DeRuyter 427–1426–1419–5
Hawaiʻi Norm Chow 48-298-294-20
Nevada Brian Polian 311-1411-147-9
New Mexico Bob Davie 446-5111-264-20
San Diego State Rocky Long 497–8932-2022–9
San José State Ron Caragher 353-379-157-9
UNLV Tony Sanchez 10–10–10–0
Utah State Matt Wells 319-919-913-3
Wyoming Craig Bohl 2108–404–82–6

*first year as conference member, ^achieved as head coach of New Mexico from 99 to 08

Rankings

Legend
 Increase in ranking
 Decrease in ranking
 Unranked the previous week
RVReceived votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll
 PreWk
2
Wk
3
Wk
4
Wk
5
Wk
6
Wk
7
Wk
8
Wk
9
Wk
10
Wk
11
Wk
12
Wk
13
Wk
14
Wk
15
Final
Air ForceAPRVRV
CRVRV
CFPNot released
Boise StateAP2320RVRVRV2521RVRVRV
C2422RVRVRV2420RVRVRVRV
CFPNot released
Colorado StateAP
C
CFPNot released
Fresno StateAP
C
CFPNot released
HawaiʻiAP
C
CFPNot released
NevadaAP
C
CFPNot released
New MexicoAP
C
CFPNot released
San Diego StateAPRVRVRV
CRVRVRVRV
CFPNot released
San José StateAP
C
CFPNot released
UNLVAP
C
CFPNot released
Utah StateAPRV
CRVRV
CFPNot released
WyomingAP
C
CFPNot released
Legend
 Increase in ranking
 Decrease in ranking
 Unranked the previous week
RVReceived votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll

Schedule

Championship game

The championship game was played on December 5, 2015. It featured the Air Force Falcons, champions of the Mountain Division, and the San Diego State Aztecs, champions of the West Division. The game was played at Qualcomm Stadium in front of 20,959. San Diego State won the game 27–24 to claim their first outright conference championship since 1986, and their first ever outright Mountain West Conference championship. [15]

Bowl games

Bowl GameDateStadiumCityTelevisionTeam MatchupsWinning TeamScoreLosing TeamScore
New Mexico Bowl December 19 University Stadium Albuquerque ESPN Arizona vs. New MexicoArizona45New Mexico37
Cure Bowl December 19 Orlando Citrus Bowl Orlando CBSSN San Jose State vs. Georgia State San Jose State27Georgia State16
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl December 22 Albertsons Stadium Boise ESPN Akron vs. Utah StateAkron23Utah State21
Poinsettia Bowl December 23 Qualcomm Stadium San Diego ESPNBoise State vs. Northern Illinois Boise State55Northern Illinois7
Hawai'i Bowl December 24 Aloha Stadium Honolulu ESPNSan Diego State vs. Cincinnati San Diego State42Cincinnati7
Armed Forces Bowl December 29 Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth ESPN California vs. Air ForceCalifornia55Air Force36
Arizona Bowl December 29 Arizona Stadium Tucson ASN Nevada vs. Colorado StateNevada28Colorado State23

Mountain West vs Power Conference matchups

Records against other conferences

2015 records against non-conference foes:

Awards and honors

All Conference teams

[16]

Offense:

Pos.NameYr.SchoolNameYr.School
First TeamSecond Team
QB Brett Rypien FR.Boise StateNick StevensSO.Colorado State
WR Thomas Sperbeck JR.Boise StateDevonte Boyd**SO.UNLV
WR Rashard Higgins*JR.Colorado StateHunter SharpSR.Utah State
RB Donnel Pumphrey*JR.San Diego State Jeremy McNichols SO.Boise State
RB Tyler Ervin SR.San Jose State Brian Hill SO.Wyoming
TEBilly FreemanJR.San Jose StateJake RohSO.Boise State
OLSevrin RemmoSR.Air ForceA.J. RuechelSR.Air Force
OLMarcus HenrySR.Boise StateFred ZerblisJR.Colorado State
OL Rees Odhiambo SR.Boise StateAlex FifitaSR.Fresno State
OL Nico Siragusa JR.San Diego State Wes Schweitzer SR.San Jose State
OLPearce SlaterSR.San Diego State Chase Roullier JR.Wyoming
PK Tyler Rausa JR.Boise StateBrent ZuzoJR.Nevada
PR/KR Rashaad Penny SO.San Diego StateCarlos WigginsSR.New Mexico

Defense:

Pos.NameYr.SchoolNameYr.School
First TeamSecond Team
DLAlex HansenSR.Air Force Kamalei Correa JR.Boise State
DLKennedy TulimasealiiJR.Hawai'i Cory James SR.Colorado State
DL Ian Seau SR.Nevada Lenny Jones SR.Nevada
DLAlex BarrettJR.San Diego State Eddie Yarbrough SR.Wyoming
LB Calvin Munson JR.San Diego StateEjiro Ederaine**SR.Fresno State
LB Kyler Fackrell SR.Utah StateJake Fely**SR.San Diego State
LB Nick Vigil*JR.Utah StateChristian TagoJR.San Jose State
DBRoland LadipoJR.Air ForceDonte Deayon***SR.Boise State
DBWeston Steelhammer*JR.Air ForceDameon BaberFR.Nevada
DB Darian Thompson*SR.Boise StateJ.J. Whittaker**SR.San Diego State
DB Damontae Kazee JR.San Diego StateAndrew WingardFR.Wyoming
PMichael CarrizosaSO.San Jose StateHayden HuntJR.Colorado State

(* - Two-Time First-Team Selection)
(** - Two-Time Second-Team Selection)
(*** - Three-Time Second-Team Selection)

All-Academic

[17]

Home game attendance

TeamStadiumCapacityGame 1Game 2Game 3Game 4Game 5Game 6Game 7TotalAverage% of Capacity
Air Force Falcon Stadium 46,69233,73422,38922,02320,21337,71620,083156,15826,02655.7%
Boise State Bronco Stadium 36,38736,83633,86835,90731,94632,78030,332201,66933,61192.4%
Colorado State Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium 32,50024,57132,50026,11732,54618,12515,641149,50024,91676.7%
Fresno State Bulldog Stadium 41,03132,54733,67530,54025,60425,47626,375174,21729,03670.8%
Hawaiʻi Aloha Stadium 50,00024,25525,71428,54322,43021,48520,32021,284164,03123,43346.9%
Nevada Mackay Stadium 30,00021,48324,35529,55120,42619,99217,215133,02222,17073.9%
New Mexico University Stadium 39,22421,93024,16730,90020,54119,88621,64318,868157,93522,56257.5%
San José State Spartan Stadium 30,45615,19817,26416,33911,64615,65215,77091,86915,31150.3%
San Diego State Qualcomm Stadium 54,00048,785†18,19429,99625,89836,68822,93920,959203,45929,06553.8%
Utah State Maverik Stadium 25,51321,20922,05922,50920,96418,92222,509128,17221,36283.7%
UNLV Sam Boyd Stadium 35,50031,26216,71719,19014,31520,00614,738116,22819,37154.6%
Wyoming War Memorial Stadium 29,18123,66919,11218,72317,02618,68211,149108,36118,06061.9%

Bold – Exceed capacity
†Season High

References

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  2. "Football Club News". Maxwell Football Club. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  3. "Home". johnmackeyaward.org.
  4. "2015 Biletnikoff Award watch list". Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  5. "2015 Bronko Nagurski Trophy preseason watch list announced". NCAA. July 10, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  6. "2015 Outland Trophy preseason watch list released". NCAA. July 10, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  7. "Jim Thorpe Award Watch List Announced". Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. July 13, 2015. Archived from the original on December 15, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
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  9. "Rimington Trophy Official Website: Trophy Watchlist". Rimington Trophy. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  10. "2015 Davey O'Brien Award watch list for nation's top quarterback released". NCAA. July 16, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  11. "2015 Doak Walker Award Candidates". Smu.edu. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  12. "2015 Walter Camp Player of the Year Preseason Watch List Announced". Walter Camp Football Foundation. July 17, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  13. "Watch List". Lott IMPACT Trophy. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  14. "Current Watch List PB Sports Commission - Lou Groza". Lougrozaaward.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  15. "themw.com". Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  16. "All-MW Conference Football Team" (Press release). Mountain West Conference. December 2, 2015. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015.
  17. Fall 2015 Academic All-Mountain West Team Announced Archived 2016-02-15 at the Wayback Machine , Mountain West Conference, February 11, 2016