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Show StateSManSpOrtS Wednesday, Sept. 1 1 2010 Page 13 Adam's WAC football power poll: Week 1 Week one of the 2010 college football season is upon us, with eight of the WAC's nine teams taking to the gridiron during the next six days. Everyone's eyes will be on Boise State's visit to Landover, Md. to play Virginia Tech on Labor Day, but the conference's first action kicks off when Idaho hosts North Dakota on Thursday night (7 p.m., on Altitude). Each week I'll compile my "Power Poll" of WAC teams, basing the rankings on strength of overall wins and losses, schedule, and onfield performance. Here's how the teams stack up before the season kicks off: 1) Boise State: The Broncos have only lost two conference games since 2002 and bring back the most experienced and talented team in the WAC this year. QB Kellen Moore is among the best in the country, while the Bronco defense should be lights-out with four returning all-WAC selections from 2009. They do have to face Nevada on the road but head coach Chris Peterson does a great job at preparing his team on a week-to-week basis. This year's team is a national- title contender. 2) Nevada: The Wolf Pack started slowly in 2009 but went 7-1 in conference play, losing only to Boise State. QB Colin Kaepernick might be the most exciting quarterback in America, while an experienced offensive line should pave the way for returning WOLF PACK 1000-yard rusher Vai Taua. The only concern this year is the defense, which head coach Chris Ault said must improve if the Wolf Pack are to unseat Boise as the league's top team. 3)Fresno State: The Bulldogs may lack the star power that they've had in the past, but coach Pat Hill has a solid group that is led by one of the most experienced offensive lines in the entire country, as well as a veteran defense anchored by first team All-WAC defensive end Chris Carter and middle linebacker Ben Jacobs. While the team loses running back Ryan Matthews to the NFL, Hill was confident at WAC Media Day that his young offensive playmakers will prove their worth in helping the team get back to a fourth straight bowl game. 4) Louisiana Tech: The Bulldogs went a disappointing 4-8 sea- ment over the last three years. Still, the team will be adjusting son last year, but former Arizona OC Sonny Dykes brings a dynamic spread offense to Ruston this year. WR Philip Livas is one of the most explosive ,,players in college football, while the offensive line returns 126 combined career starts. Expect the defense to be stiff as well: 1st Team All-WAC linebacker Adrian Cole returns after a 93-tackle effort in 2009. to a radically different offensive and defensive scheme, and with many players switching positions, it's likely a rebuilding year for SJSU. 5)Utah State: Are the Aggies this year's Idaho? Utah State received plenty of publicity as an up-andcoming program during WAC media day, but the Aggies will have to overcome the loss of RB Robert Turbin and WR Stanley Morrison to injuries. The offense should still be explosive, but whether or not the Aggies go bowling could come down to whether or not LB Bobby Wagner and the defense can show marked improvement against the run in 2010. 9) New Mexico State: Dwayne Walker was known as a defensive mastermind while at UCLA, but he has his work cut out for him in Las Cruces. The Aggies have some hope with an experienced offensive line and returning 1000-yard rusher Seth Smith, but the quarterback position will remain a question mark with junior college transfer Matt Christian taking over. NMST limped out of 2009 with seven straight losses and does not catch any breaks in this year's schedule. Got beef with my picks? Think I missed the mark? We want to hear from you. Drop me a line at adamnettina@gmail.com . 6)Idaho: Robb Akey's Vandals were one of the best stories in college football last year, but even the straightshooting head coach will be the first to tell you his team won't be sneaking up on anyone this year. QB Nathan Enderle returns for a senior season, while a trio of tall, fast receivers give Idaho's offense the kind of firepower to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the conference. The good news on defense is that ten starters return. The bad new is that ten starters return on a defense that was second to last in the country in pass efficiency a year ago. 7) Hawaii: The Warriors will have to completely re-tool their offensive line from a year ago, but the team did finish strong in 2009 and returns the best wide receiver in the WAC in Greg Salas. After an injury rattled year last season the defense has nowhere to go but up, but questions still remain at quarterback after returning starter Bryant Moniz missed spring practice. 8) San Jose State: Dick Tomey's final season as the Spartan head coach was not a memorable one, with new coach Mike Maclntyre inheriting a 2-10 team. There is hope, though, as Maclntyre was the former DC at Duke and his Blue Devil defenses showed amazing improve- Utah State to play Southern California, Wyoming in football BY USU ATHLETICS Utah State Director of Athletics Scott Barnes announced Thursday that USU has signed agreements to face Wyoming in a four-game series starting in 2011 and will also play at Southern California in 2013. In addition to the football agreement with USC, the deal also includes a men's basketball home-and-home series with the Trojans. USU will host Wyoming on Oct. 8, 2011 in the first of a four-game non-conference series, spanning six years. The Aggies will play at Wyoming on Sept. 13, 2014 before hosting the Cowboys on Sept. 19, 2015 and then returning to War Memorial Stadium in Laramie on Sept. 10, 2016. "Adding Wyoming to our home schedule early in 2011 gives us a nice regional rivalry and will fill the vacancy created by Boise State," Barnes said. "It will also allow us to continue our master plan for a balanced schedule and give us six home games, which is great for our fans." USU will host six home games for the second year in a row in 2011, as the 2010 ledger has the Aggies at home for six games for just the third time in the past 13 seasons. In 116 seasons of Utah State football, the Aggies have had six home games on the slate a total of only seven times: 1952, 1978, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2008 and 2010. Hosting Wyoming in 2011 will mark the 12th time in the 13-year history of the Mountain West Conference that the Aggies have hosted a MWC team, hosting BYU this season, both BYU and Utah in 2008, UNLV in 2007, Utah in 2006, UNLV in 2005, Utah in 2004, Wyoming in 2003, both BYU and Utah in 2002, Wyoming in 2001, Utah in 2000 and BYU in 1999. "It's great to have a home game against a Mountain West team in Wyoming, especially where it is placed in the schedule. That is big for our program, our community and our fans. That gives us the opportunity to hopefully be on a good television network, whichever one it may be," USU football head coach Gary Andersen said. Barnes also announced that he has signed an agreement to play a non-conference game at Southern California, as USU will take on USC on Sept. 21, 2013 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. "The USC football agreement will give us a chance to play in an important recruiting market," Barnes said. USU football will be taking on USC for the first time since 1989, and the Aggies are 0-4 all-time against the Trojans, very early in the season and facing them in 1928, 1930, we're excited about that oppor1984 and 1989. tunity," Andersen said. "We recruit California heavThe 2010 edition of Utah ily so it is great exposure for State football had its final us. It will obviously be a very two-a-day of preseason camp challenging game for us, but on Thursday, and wrapped we're looking at getting one up with single practices of those games every year that on Friday and Saturday to puts us in the national spotwork on preparations for the light. The USC game definitely 2010 season-opener at No. 7 does that for our program. As Oklahoma on Saturday, Sept. we continue to move forward, 4 at 5 p.m. (MT). The Aggies' we need to take those chalhome-opener is Saturday, Sept. lenges on and prepare in a way 11 vs. border-foe Idaho State at that we know we're going to 6 p.m. (MT). play a high-quality opponent s iNitosikg‘ kS\ Buy a Mac for college, and get a free iPod touch.* Take your education to another level. • Last chance for aUSLYn UtahState free iPod Touch!* University *See store for details |