Know the Opponent: MWC Part I
By Mike Vamosi
It’s the Mountain West turn to be previewed on our journey to the 2014 kickoff. PAC-12 teams will play eight total teams from the Mountain meaning that we’re breaking their preview into two parts, so here’s part one
PAC-12 fans will see Hawaii head coach Norm Chow Fresno State head coach Tim DeRuyter a combined five times this fall. Photo Credit: Marco Garcia-USA TODAY Sports
Colorado State Rams – 8-6, 5-3 MWC, Fans in Pullman don’t want to think about the last time they saw Jim McElwain’s team. CSU has an epic late comeback in the New Mexico Bowl against Wazzu that probably still has Mike Leach staying up late. This year’s team though returns only 12 starters with five on offense/seven defense. They open in Denver against Colorado at Sports Authority Field on Friday, August 29 with kickoff at 7 pm on FOX Sports 1.
Full 2014 Schedule: v. Colorado (Aug. 29 in Denver at Sports Authority Field), @Boise State (Sept. 6), UC Davis (Sept. 13), @Boston College (Sept. 27), Tulsa (Oct. 4), @Nevada (Oct. 11), Utah State (Oct. 18), Wyoming (Oct. 25), @San Jose State (Nov. 1), Hawaii (Nov. 8), New Mexico (Nov. 22), @Air Force (Nov. 28)
Fresno State Bulldogs – 11-2/7-1 MWC, Fresno State is the reigning conference champions which happened in head coach Tim DeRuyter’s second season in the valley. The Bulldogs bring back 13 players from that title team with five on offense/eight defense but will be breaking in a new quarterback, among other key positions. In their first two seasons under DeRuyter, they’ve gone bowling but are 0-2 losing in the Hawaii/Las Vegas Bowl. Fresno opens at the Coliseum against USC on Saturday, August 30 with kickoff at 4:30 pm on FOX. The following week they take a trip out to Salt Lake City facing Utah on Saturday, September 6 noon kick on the PAC-12 Network.
Full 2014 Schedule: @Southern California (Aug. 30), @Utah (Sept. 6), Nebraska (Sept. 13), Southern Utah (Sept. 20), @New Mexico (Sept. 26), San Diego State (Oct. 3), @UNLV (Oct. 10), @Boise State (Oct. 17), Wyoming (Nov. 1), San Jose State (Nov. 8), @Nevada (Nov. 22), Hawaii (Nov. 29)
Hawaii Warriors – 1-11/0-8 MWC, It was a rough second year for Norm Chow and his Warriors who won one game and were winless in conference play. In two games against PAC-12 opponents they lost by a combined score of 63-27, they’ll see three teams from the conference this season. Hawaii returns 13 starters with seven on offense/six defense from the 2013 squad. Three of the first four weeks they face PAC-12 teams starting with Washington on Saturday, August 30 in Honolulu with kickoff at 7:30 pm on CBS Sports Network. The following week they’ll host Oregon State September 6 again at 7:30 pm also on CBSSN. Two weeks later on September 20 Colorado comes to the islands with kickoff TBD.
Full 2014 Schedule: Washington (Aug. 30), Oregon State (Sept. 6), Northern Iowa (Sept. 13), Colorado (Sept. 20), @Rice (Oct. 4), Wyoming (Oct. 11), @San Diego State (Oct. 18), Nevada (Oct. 25), Utah State (Nov. 1), @Colorado State (Nov. 8), @San Jose State (Nov. 15), UNLV (Nov. 22), @Fresno State (Nov. 29)
Nevada Wolfpack – 4-8/3-5 MWC, Brian Polian looks to build off his first season in Reno which saw four wins, three in-conference play. 17 starters return with 10 back on defense and seven offensive players which should benefit the team. Nevada went 0-3 against ranked teams last season losing all three on the road at UCLA, Florida State and Fresno State by a combined score of 161-50. The Wolfpack host Washington State Friday, September 5 at MacKay Stadium with kickoff schedule for 7:30 pm on ESPN. A week later they’ll travel to Tucson for a date against Arizona on Saturday, September 13 with a 8 pm kick on PAC-12 Network.
Full 2014 Schedule: Southern Utah (Aug. 30), Washington State (Sept. 5), @Arizona (Sept. 13), @San Jose State (Sept. 27), Boise State (Oct. 4), Colorado State (Oct. 11), @BYU (Oct. 18), @Hawaii (Oct. 25), San Diego State (Nov. 1), @Air Force (Nov. 15), Fresno State (Nov. 22), @UNLV (Nov. 29)
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