MWC unit previews: SECONDARIES

The Wimple's ranking of the MWC's secondaries, best to worst:

Air Force's corners are the conference's best returning tandem: Anthony Wright and Reggie Rembert were 1st- and 2nd-team all-MWC. Jon Davis joins returns as safety with them, and the only newcomer is Phil Ohili, who has two years' experience as a backup. Air Force and TCU had the best pass defenses in the MWC last season, holding opposing squads to 154 and 157 ypg, and 57.6% and 47.4% completions. AFA returns 75% of its starters secondary; TCU only 40%-- although new starting cornerback Jason Teague played lots and often in '09. AFA's and TCU's secondaries are the class of the conference in 2010.

See TCU's and the rest of the MWC's secondary ranking after the jump.

MWC unit previews: Special Teams

Preseason practices are just weeks away.  To get you there, the Wimple begins the MWC unit rankings, starting with special teams. 

WYOMING spring report

Wyoming's spring drills concluded a couple weeks ago, featuring a new sight in the thawing Laramie snow: smiles from Coach Christensen. The contrast with last year's spring couldn't be starker. "It was a real good day... We did a good job throwing the ball down the field... I like the way the defense is playing... I think they're doing a trememdous job of working extremely hard... and playing physical," reported the coach after the first scrimmage. After the second scrimmage, the coach said his team was playing "like a real football team out there."

Austyn Carta-Samuels's (right) completion percentage hit 70 percent in one scrimmage; Dax Crum's hit 60 percent. The young replacements on the offensive line (which lost three seniors) appear to have the potential to outperform the '09 line. Josh Leonard, a true sophemore now taking the first-team snaps at right tackle, has impressed the coaches. Clayton Kirven will start at left tackle. Freshmen Thomas Vonashek, Skyler Hinton, and junior Nick Puetz seem to be high on the depth chart for the line.

That new line will be blocking for Alvester Alexander (left)again, who proved the most durable of the team's runningbacks in the spring. True freshman Nehemie Kankolongo early enrolled, but quickly had a spring-ending injury; Darius Terry also didn't make it to the final scrimmage. Both are expected back in the fall, but neither is expected to oust Alexander from the top spot.

At the all-important receiver position, returners Zach Bolger, (right) David Leonard, and Chris McNiell have raised their game, giving JUCO transfers Mazi Ogbonna and DeJay Lester more competition for starting snaps than they may have counted on. This warms 'Poke watchers hearts, and not just because the returning three accounted for more than half of the Cowboys' receptions and yards. Dave Christensen's pass-happy spread requires sure-handed receivers, and in 2009, the Cowboys appeared to have only one or two of those-- Leonard and Bolger.

Josh Biezuns and Gabe Knapton have thrived as converted defensive ends; they tallied tackles like candy on halloween in the team scrimmages. Their switched positions (each from linebacker) are part of Wyoming's move from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3, which the coaches say uses easier schemes, and will allow the Cowboys to keep their best defensive athletes on the field more. The starting line (probably Biezuns, Stover, Purcell, Knapton, though Stover and Purcell both didn't practice this spring, while rehabbing injuries) must replace one of the MWC's great defensive lines, which was an all-senior, all-multi-year starting group.

With Biezuns and Knapton (left) moved, exactly who'll join Ghalai Muhammed in the linebacking corps this fall is more fluid. Devyn Harris is probably one of the other starters. Wyoming's secondary will be one of the conference's best. If they go largely injury-free, corners (and brothers) Marcell and Tashaun Gipson, and safeties Shamiel Gary likely will join safety Chris Prosinski on the all-MWC list in 2010.

WYOMING wraps up, winning (!?!)

Five months ago, the Wimple was unsparing in its criticism of Wyoming, and recommended to Cowboy fans to gird their loins and focus on next season. 2009 was going to be painful, said he, because Wyoming couldn't, and for a few months more, wouldn't run Dave Christensen's spread offense very well at all. Today, seven wins later, it appears that the 'Pokes are a fair stretch further down the road to competence than the Wimple expected them to be at season's end.

That road has been a rocky one, however. Christensen acknowledged the Wyoming was an underdog in every game it had against a D-1A opponent. Once he settled on Austyn Carta-Samuels as QB after a three-game audition between the true freshman and JUCO transfer Robert Benjamin, and moved to a run-first version of his up-tempo spread, Christensen's Cowboys improved. Carta-Samuels endured a frustrating shut-out at Colorado before leading the team to three straight victories, including two over conference foes UNLV and New Mexico, keeping Wyoming out of the MWC's cellar, mocking most pre-season polls. After a three-game skid to the conference heavyweights, the freshman led a remarkable come from behind win at San Diego. The 'Pokes scored 24 points in the fourth quarter to recapture .500 and a chance to go bowling. TCU's whooping of Wyoming may have deflated a less spunky team, but these Cowboys rallied to beat Colorado State in the final regular season game, clinching bowl eligibility for the first time in any of the team member's college careers.

Wyoming got its signature win as a Christmas present, knocking off Fresno State in double overtime in the surprisingly exciting New Mexico Bowl-- making the second takedown of the WAC's Bulldogs by a Mountain West underdog in Albuquerque in as many years. The game's highlight (sadly not included in the ESPN's highlights, but embedded in full, below) came in the first overtime, when Fresno State had Wyoming on the ropes, with a first-and-goal at the one. Four times they ran it up the gut, and four times the brown-and-gold denied them the endzone. Wyoming's missed field goal made that effort statistically irrelevant, but consider that four-and-out the senior-laden d-line's gift to the program this season. It paved the way to the bowl win, which the 'Pokes haven't savored since President Bush was popular, and gives the team that much more leverage going into 2010. Ironically, the d-line will be the team's biggest question mark next season.


Starting with the defense, which garnered plaudits in the pre-season, and came through big for the Cowboys when it had to. Number one: it's filled with young guys at LB and in the secondary. Wyoming will return all seven late-season starters off the line, including the Gipson brothers ('10 juniors) at corner, safety Shamiel Gray ('10 sophomore), and tackle-monsters Chris Prosinski (S, '10 senior), Gabe Knapton (LB, '10 junior), and Brian Hendricks (LB, '10 junior). Proskinski, Knapton, and Hendricks all finished in the national top 20 for tackles this season. Wyoming's back seven in 2010 will be the team's strength.

The big news for the Cowboys was up front however, where the trio John Fletcher (pictured), Fred Givens, and Mitch Unrein turned in a third (fourth?) and final year as starters. Fletcher is the team's sole all-MWC first teamer, and it's entirely unclear who'll replace these gents' pass rush in 2010. Backup end Mike Neuhaus also graduates; two true freshman played this season some. A trio of D-line recruits will join the fray this fall, but the three front spots are the Cowboys' biggest unknown for 2010. The contenders appear to be Purcell, Willis, and Felker.

And then there's the offense. It's just as young. RBs Alvester Alexander ('10 sophomore) and Brandon Stewart ('10 junior), and QB Austyn Carta-Samuels ('10 sophomore) accounted for over 84% of the Cowboys' rushing yards this season. In fact, as Coach Christensen realized his team just wasn't going to pass its way into the post season this year, he relied even more on this trio to run their way to a 13th game. They proved up to the task, and will be joined by the team's best rated recruit, Canadian Nehemie Kankolongo, in the fall. Wyoming's backfield is in good shape.

But what of the passing game? That's what Christensen does, and tried mightily to get his Cowboys to do for most of 2009. Wyoming's lack of reliable receivers turned the team into a run-first offense by the end of the season, and sent Christensen to junior colleges for more hands; Wyoming signed three JUCO wideouts this week. Anthony Amos, DeJay Lester, and Mazi Ogbonna enroll this January, joining four of this season's top six pass catchers for the 2010 lineup. This season juniors David Leonard, Zach Bolger, and Travis Burkhalter led the team in catches. TE Orlando Arnold and WR Greg Bolling graduate, but Chris McNiel ('10 sophomore) was also in the top six and returns. TEs Tooley ('10 RSFr) and incoming T.J. Smith will contribute. If those nine can give grow with Carta-Samuels into a viable passing threat, Wyoming will be a dangerous foe.

Standing in their way, however, is the offensive line. This group had to undergo the biggest transition with the new offense in '09, and performed... about as expected, which is to say, not very well. They paved an inconsistent way for the 75th best rushing game in the country this year, down from 33rd last season. Their calling card must become pass blocking, however, which would be a new addition to their card collection. This season Wyoming's pass offense was 103rd nationally, which was up from 114th. To date, Christensen hasn't coaxed many linemen to Laramie; one JUCO (Nick Puetz) joins the team in January. Another joins in the fall, and one redshirted this season. How Wyoming replaces seniors C Russ Arnold and G Zack Kennedy and T Ryan Otterson is almost as open a question as its replacements for d-line seniors.

TCU 45, Wyoming 10

It took a few minutes to get the machine going, but once started, the TCU offensive and defensive squads were relentless. Despite turning it over three times, the Horned Frogs rolled up almost 500 yards, 23 first downs, and 45 points in three quarters, while holding the Cowboys to 130 yards (98 of them on a touchdown fumble return), three first downs (all on one drive), and ten points.

Dalton was decent, completing only 52% of his passes, including one TD and one interception, but running 12 times for for 89 yards and four first downs. Matthew Tucker rushed for 133 yards, including 48 for a TD in the third quarter. One play after Wyoming ran a weird fumble back for six, Greg McCoy returned the favor, racing all the way down the sideline for an answering six.

The first team defense was sensational, holding all but one of Wyoming drives to three-and-out, or less, with Daryl Washington tallying eleven tackles. The second team defense let Wyoming drive into the redzone, but gave up no points.

With the win, the Frogs captured at least a share of the conference title, and reached 11-0 on the season for the first time in 71 years. A win next week against New Mexico would make the '09 seniors the winningest class in TCU history, and be the first time TCU ever won 12 games in the regular season.

Here're highlights:


In other news, New Mexico won its first game of the season today, and comes to Fort Worth for the Frogs' rubber match with BCS autobid eligibility. In short, TCU's road to the BCS looks something like this:















Only routine obstacles stand between the Frogs and their first prime-time bowl since the '50s.

Into the abyss: Wyoming

The Wimple begins its bottom-to-top pre-season review of the Mountain West in Laramie, because if the old saying offense wins game, but defense wins championships is true, then the 2009 Wyoming Cowboys are in deep trouble. They have a fine defense, but how ever will they get that crew into any championship-portending contest without an offense to win the necessary games leading to it?

The simple fact is: they won't. At least not this year. The Wimple's spring prognostication was that

there is exactly a 100% chance the Cowboys are going to spend a season in the wilderness, learning this newfangled high-tempo pass-happy offense. Wyoming is filled with power running players, and even though Karten Sween ran a spread in high school, he's going to work behind a subpar o-line, with receivers who, let's face it, signed with a power running school.

After nearly all of the fall drills, it appears the Wimple was correct. Until Coach C. gets players who are accustomed to (and recruited for) his dizzying spread attack, Wyoming's offense is going to s-t-i-n-k. It stunk in the spring, when dozens of Cowboys were out with injuries. It stunk in the summer, as the players grew into their more rigorous conditioning. It stunk in fall drills, when JUCO transfer Robert Benjamin and senior Karsten Sween got the two-deep to themselves. And it'll stink in the first six, eight, or even ten games this season, as the Cowboys go live in Year One of the spread.

About his broken offense, coach Christensen sounds like a broken record, "we don't catch the ball very well. I don't think there's any secret there." A few days later, “right now, we’re a poor catching football team . . . right now, we are pathetic catching the football." A few days later, "I was very, very disappointed in our mechanics of running the spread offense, the communication, lining up, mental errors -- I thought the offense took a huge step backwards and that's something we've got to get corrected. . . It's not all the quarterbacks. Shoot, it was the line and the receivers, running backs not running hard enough -- you can just name any position and they didn't play very well on offense." A few days later, “the bottom line is you have to catch the ball and were not very good at that right now on a consistent basis.”

And that's just half the bad news. The other half? The same other half that always accompanies teams switching from run-first to pass-first: turnovers. "I'm not going to be pleased until we stop turning the football over," said Christensen about halfway through fall drills. Turnovers dampen even the good news coming out of Laramie. Top-two QB Robert Benjamin's successes all seem to come with the that fateful caveat. Defensive linemen John Fletcher and Mitch Unrein both forced turnovers in one scrimmage, one an interception, the other a forced fumble. But wait: aren't turnovers good for the defense? Not if they only signal an inept offense, which is clearly the issue here.

Is there any good news in Laramie. Yes, there is.

Robert Benjamin, pictured, a JUCO transfer, is capable of running the offense both with his arm, and with his feet. . . (you know this is coming) when he throws the ball to the correct team.

The 35 pounds senior TE and JUCO transfer Orlando Arnold shed this offseason aren't his biggest loss; Arnold is the first Cowboy to shake off the bad case of dropsies that plagues the rest of the team. Christensen calls him the team's most-improved player. Senior TE Jesson Salyards is also working with the first team, and is a consistent ball-catcher. Darius Terry and Brandon Stewart are running an option play from the WildFrog formation successfully. Stewart and David Leonard are emerging as the top WRs on the team.

Across the trench, senior DE Mike Neuhaus has performed well in place of slightly-injured John Fletcher on the line. Mitch Unrein, Fletcher, and Fred Givens continue to impress on the D line. Brothers and CB tandem Marcell and Tashaun Gipson look sharp in the secondary. Freshman Shamiel Gray has rocketed up the depth chart, joining Chris Prosinski, Jamichael Hall, and Keith Lewis in the two-deep at safety.

If you're partial to Laramie and its brown and gold, buckle in, keep your eyes on the horizon, and if you must pay close attention to your Cowboys this season, focus on the defense and recruiting. The on-field product this year will fast fade into a footnote: a tweeny year of programmatic puberty. And say to yourself: 2010...

Repeat that. It's theraputic.

Rating the MWC post-spring: the rebuilders

The whistles go silent; the pads are shelved; the off-season enters its interminable summer dawdle... What's the conference pecking order look like? As usual, the Mountain West looks like layered cake, with these layers: the contenders, the bowlers, and the rebuilders. In these next few posts, the Wimple will cast an eye on each layer of the cake.

Today: the rebuilders.

Colorado State, Wyoming, and San Diego State share the dubious honor of low expectations, but for totally different reasons.

The Cowboys used power running to lose consistently last year-- and lost their backfield to the graduation of Devin Moore and Wynel Selden. With them went the coach, and in their place blew in Joe Christensen, the spread-guru from Missouri. Despite the incessently optimistic spring chatter out of Laramie, there is exactly a 100% chance the Cowboys are going to spend a season in the wilderness, learning this newfangled high-tempo pass-happy offense. Wyoming is filled with power running players, and even though Karten Sween (pictured) ran a spread in high school, he's going to work behind a subpar o-line, with receivers who, let's face it, signed with a power running school.

The Cowboys might beat Weber State in Laramie, but after that the home slate is Texas (huh?), UNLV, New Mexico, BYU, and TCU. While it's true UNLV hasn't won a conference roadie in... forever, look for Wyoming to end that streak. New Mexico, BYU, and TCU look much stronger than the 'Boys, even on the road. On the road, Wyoming faces Colorado, Florida Atlantic, Air Force, Utah, San Diego State, and Colorado State. Maybe the boys in brown 'n yellow will find a way to stifle Florida Atlantic, SDSU, or Colorado State, but the Wimple thinks chances are slim. FAU returns one of the nation's most prolific quarterbacks in '09; SDSU brings back nearly nothing but experience, and Colorado State, for all its troubles (see below), has a strong offensive line that may keep Wyoming's new spread off the field. Air Force and Utah will make quick work of the Cowboys. Anything better than 2-10 will be a remarkably quick turnaround by what will have become the hottest coach in the country.

The good news: Christensen signed a pretty good recruiting class, and has the Cowboys working tougher than they were working under Joe Glenn. We won't look for fruit in this quest for respectibility until at least 2010. Any buds before then will be welcome surprises.

Colorado State, on the other hand, is not changing schemes from night to day this offseason; it's changing personel night to day. Steve Fairchild rode a terrific group of senior skill players to a surprising bowl bid to in Albuquerque last season, and an equally surprising upset over Fresno State, where Gartrell Johnson set the all-time bowl rushing record. And then graduated. With him strolled out of eligibility the Rams' two QBs, a terrific LB, and the best CSU TE of the decade, Kory Sperry. Add a year's suspension for the Rams' other great LB, another QB quitting, and suddenly the skill position cupboard in Fort Collins looks terribly bare. The spring chatter has been more honest than the coverage of the Rams' rival, featuring sinking expectations.

The Rams share Weber State and a trip to Colorado OOC with Wyoming, and likely will beat only Weber State, as well. At home, CSU also sees Nevada, Utah, SDSU, Air Force, and Wyoming. The Wimple sees the Rams beating Wyoming, and if Steve Fairchild can find a quarterback and runningback between now and September, maybe CSU bests SDSU as well. After what will be a humiliating trip to Boulder, CSU travels to BYU, Idaho, TCU, UNLV, and New Mexico. The Rams may not even score points except against hapless Idaho, whom CSU may beat. If CSU can squeeze four wins out of this schedule, it will have gotten a jump-start on what may be a solid '10 team.

The good news: CSU returns 4 starters up front, including light-out tackle Shelley Smith (pictured). These big guys will give the new backfield room and holes to work with much of the time. But don't expect the Rams to muscle their way back into bowl eligibility this season.

San Diego State hasn't been good in... in forever. Despite a season-killing plethora of injuries last year, it looked like the Aztecs might be headed for a different layer of the MWC cake, for a change. But then it fired Chuck Long, who had turned the team's trajectory back towards winning, and brought in Brady Hoke (pictured). Although the Wimple thinks firing Long was a bad idea, it can hardly be argued that hiring Hoke was equally as bad. The midwesterner promptly hired two great coordinators, and has begun installing a faster tempo offense, and completely different defense.

So, what do the Aztecs have to look forward to in 2009? They return the longest list of returning starters in the conference. Many of those starters were fill-ins for the terribly injury-plagued Aztecs last year. If Hoke & Co. can skirt the injury bug this season, they may command one of the conference's most surprising offenses; the defense is learning an entirely new scheme-- Rocky Long's high-risk high-reward 3-3-5, with the "Lobo" back recast as the "Aztec." Which means exactly what, you ask? Probably more of the same in San Diego, for another interminable year.

There is reason for (highly guarded) hopes, however: SDSU's OOC slate could be shockingly soft: @Ucla, Southern Utah, @Idaho, and New Mexico State. BYU, New Mexico, TCU, and Wyoming also come to San Diego; the Wimple expects the Aztecs to beat only Wyoming at home in conference. SDSU travels to UCLA, Idaho, Air Force, Colorado State, Utah, and UNLV. .500 on the road may happen, and suddenly the Aztecs may be one upset away from a bowl. Or, in its accustomed drill, SDSU may choke on Hoke's new scheme, and join the hapless Rams and Cowboys at the conference bottom. The Wimple sees little clue which way their chips will fall this season.

Wyoming - post spring

Wyoming is attempting the most thorough change of personality the conference has seen in years, going from a ground-first defense-heavy attack to a high-tempo pass-happy out-score-'em style. Graham Watson, who watched Christensen install the same offense at Missouri, says the project is progressing, but hints that it's take a few years-- just like it did in Missouri. Even the coaches are having difficulty keeping up. 17 Cowboys have been out at one time with injuries, (and 17 missed the spring game, leaving only 51 on the roster, forcing Coach Joe to bring in some graduating seniors to fill spots) still unused to the vigor Christensen expects from his team.

Wyoming returns highly experienced Brian Hendricks in the place of graduated LBs; QBs Karsten Sween, Dax Crum, and Adam Barry are all fighting to start; look for Barry to change positions; Sween ended spring atop the depth chart. All QBs have been open for sacks, but Karsten Sween loves the new scheme because he ran something like it in high school; TE Orlando Arnold looks forward to catching balls; his brethren on offense are getting the swing of things and even getting the best of the Wyoming D some of the time. The D doesn't have to re-learn every facet of its game, even if it is working out harder than it ever has. Senior Russ Arnold takes over at center; coach Mike Fanoga has helped bring several Polynesian players to Laramie; freshman corner Tashaun Gipson has impressed. Brandon Stewart, who was a specialty speed back in '08, looks to figure more prominently in the Cowboys' spread option. Junior Darious Terry, and sophomores James Davis, and James Carraway (second feature on the trio) will vie to replace seniors Wynel Seldona and Devin Moore, Wyoming's only good offensive news in '08. Terry loves the new spread, and is running a wildcat formation from it sometimes.

In the second half of the Cowboys' third scrimmage, the offense began to click; one particularly bright spot in the inter-squad game was the kicker: Jake Scott was 5-5. The offense was so underwhelming in the spring game, however, that the secondary and running game looked good; Karsten Sween did finish it off with a long TD drive, however.

TCU 54, Wyoming 7

TCU ate Wyoming for lunch on Saturday, despite being outgained on the ground and holding the ball for fewer minutes than the Cowboys-- both firsts this season for the Frogs.

Andy Dalton connected with Jimmy Young five times for 226 yards-- a school record-- and three touchdowns. Aaron Brown returned a kickoff to the endzone.

The game was poorly attended, but the win was enough to push the Frogs on spot higher in the BCS poll, matching their highest ranking since 2003-- 13th.

Utah tops the cartel outsiders on the poll at 10; if the Frogs can beat UNLV and the Utes beat New Mexico, the two winners will meet for a monster game in Salt Lake City on the 6th.

pre-game press: CGP focuses on Wyoming, not polls; Wyoming optimistic; CGP determined to prevent Wyoming from running all over TCU; matchup notes; AP; Watson; FWST notes.
Post-game press: FWST lead; FWST notes; FWST key performances; Jimmy Young's big day; DMN; Laramie Boomerang lead; CGP's Sunday notes.

photo: M. Walters

Post-Spring MWC Football Round-up: Middl'uns

Two Mountain West teams seem poised to do what New Mexico and Air Force did last year-- come together like they haven't done in a while-- perhaps even a very long while. This season will be UNLV's and Wyoming's best chance in a long time to break even and perhaps go bowling. Wyoming brings back most of its offense, and with a new coordinator, high expectations.

• WYOMING-- Cowboy fans expect their new offensive coordinator to coax better things from their offense this year. He'll have the pieces to do just that: a veteran QB, backfield, and line. A full season effort in '08 will make the difference between playing in December or watching others play in December.
• UNLV-- This is a make or break year for Mike Sanford's crew. He's got more players on scholarship than he's ever had, and has returning depth all over the field. The Rebels have 7 home games this year, and have as good a chance as ever to be a MWC bowl team

TCU 21, Wyoming 24

Trading quarters, the Frogs lost another close game by three points, this timeto Wyoming in Laramie. Dalton came in for the ineffective Jackson, and after a frustrating third quarter in which Wyoming scored on a drive that featured two dubious pass-interference calls against the Frogs on consecutive Cowboy 3rd downs, led the Frog to 14 unanswered points. Chris Manfredini missed what would have been the game-tie-ing field goal, from the 31 yard line.

Sorting the MWC: Pushing for a Bowl

Last season's adjustment in schedule lengths and bowl-eligibility made seven the new six: non-BCS teams are unlikely to go bowling unless they have seven wins. The Mountain West has ties to only four bowls, meaning five teams are likely to sit at home for Christmas, unless they can come up with seven wins, making them more eligible for an at-large bid than a 6-6 BCS team.

Which MWC teams are likely to get seven or more wins this year? TCU, BYU, and Utah are all but certain to. UNLV, SDSU and Air Force are all but certain not to. In the mushy middle sit Wyoming, New Mexico, and Colorado State. Of the three, Wyoming seems the most likely to achieve seven wins: Virginia, Utah State, Ohio, and Boise State are all winnable OOC games for the Cowboys. In conference, a .500 record is a possibility. Wyoming's tight defense is probably going to be improved in '07, and their star QB, Karsten Sween, won't be so shiney and new.

New Mexico also returns a rising star at QB- Donovan Porterie- but will be building a new offensive line to protect him and Rodney Ferguson, a terrific runningback. Look for the Lobos to start the year slowly.

Colorado State hopes Kyle Bell's return will spur new life into its offense, which went lifeless in the second half last year. Coach Lubick, who is feeling heat, is trying to get more physical play from his team. If he gets it, the Rams will be bowling again in 2007.

Look for Wyoming to place fourth or tie for third in conference, with New Mexico and Colorado State coming in next.