Mountain West teams never have shied away from trying to clone a successful scheme within the league.
New Mexico’s 3-3-5 Lobo defense was all the rage around the league, and BYU even swiped New Mexico defensive coordinator Bronco Mendenhall a few years ago.
Then Utah’s spread-option was widely copied around the nation, as well as within the conference, and UNLV hired former Utah offensive coordinator Mike Sanford.
Last year, TCU went unbeaten in conference play on the strength of its defense. Sure enough, everyone concentrated on the defensive side in the offseason.
TCU ranks fifth nationally in scoring defense. Wyoming is third in total defense, and Colorado State seventh. Three MWC teams rank among the nation’s top 25 passing defense leaders, and five are in the top 25 in rushing defense.
“In the old WAC, there was more emphasis on offense. There’s probably more emphasis on defense now,” Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry said Tuesday during the weekly media conference call. “Everyone is recruiting good defensive players. TCU is showing us how important a defense is.”
While there’s no disputing the defensive improvements by Wyoming, San Diego State, CSU and BYU, this is shaping up as a rather weak offensive league.
The offensive player of the week, BYU quarterback John Beck, was operating on two gimpy ankles in the double-overtime loss at Boston College. The special-teams player of the week, TCU kicker Chris Manfredini, also deserved offensive player of the week consideration for scoring all 12 of the Horned Frogs’ points in the league’s only victory over a top-25 team this season.
The only Division I-A team walloped by the MWC is Utah State, by Wyoming and Utah.
Injuries have played some role – from CSU losing running back Kyle Bell to starting quarterback losses at San Diego State and New Mexico.
“In the first three weeks, a lot has to do with the matchups,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said, noting he won’t put too much credence in the Utes’ big scores against Northern Arizona (45-7) and Utah State (48-0) after Utah couldn’t move the ball in the opener at UCLA in a 31-10 loss.
Several schools, including Wyoming, adjusted defensive schemes this year. The scariest part for the rest of the league is TCU coach Gary Patterson saying “I don’t feel like we’ve played our best defense yet” after beating Texas Tech 12-3.
Time rushes on
The CSU-Nevada game raced to a conclusion in 2 hours, 25 minutes, partly because of the new rules speeding up the game and partly because Nevada game management officials did not call any media timeouts for the radio stations.
The game had the pace feel of a spring game with a second-half running clock.
It is the fastest game in the country so far this year, but not the fastest in CSU history. Somehow, the Rams needed only 2:21 to lose at LSU 17-3 in 1985.
Breaking news?
MWC commissioner Craig Thompson said negotiations are continuing to get more carriers for The Mtn., and hopefully there will be an announcement this week.
Unless there’s a breakthrough with the Cox cable system in San Diego, local fans won’t get to watch Saturday’s Utah at San Diego State game unless they go.
Although The Mtn. is available in Colorado Springs and Laramie, there is no TV coverage for the Air Force-Wyoming game, traditionally one of most entertaining rivalries on the schedule.
Staff writer Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
