BYU is once again favored to win the WAC football title, but coach LaVell Edwards is unimpressed.
"Considering the fact that this is August, it obviously doesn't carry a lot of weight," Edwards said.In the WAC's annual media poll conducted here Saturday, BYU garnered 21 of 33 first-place votes for 289 total points. Fresno State was second, with 11 firsts, 271 points; and San Diego State got the other first-place vote and 239 points.
The remaining teams, in order, were: Hawaii, 208; Wyoming, 158; Utah, 149; Air Force, 132; Colorado State, 89; New Mexico, 85; and UTEP, 34.
Besides their predictable reactions to the poll, coaches also offered some insights into the season and comments on the state of WAC football. To a man, they emphasized that the WAC is not just a basketball conference these days.
"This conference isn't BYU and everybody else anymore," said San Diego State coach Al Luginbill. "I think the WAC is at its zenith."
Last year, five Western Athletic Conference teams went to bowl games, which got some attention. And the WAC has Marshall Faulk, the best running back in the country; Fresno State's Trent Dilfer, touted by some as the best quarterback in the nation; and a whole bunch of terrific wide receivers.
"People are starting to talk about this conference," said Utah coach Ron McBride.
Here's a capsule look at coaches' comments on the upcoming season, in their predicted order of finish:
BYU
"We're very experienced on offense," Edwards said.
No kidding. He has at least three quarterbacks who have started games back; his top three running backs; a bunch of talented receivers; and four offensive linemen with starting experience.
The key on defense, Edwards said, is getting adequate play from the replacements for linebacker Shad Hansen and safety Derwin Gray. "If we can do that," he said, "we'll be a solid defensive team."
The biggest personnel concern is the kicking game. Punter/placekicker David Lauder left school, so the Cougs are scrambling for guys who can boot the ball consistently.
Edwards said the Cougs definitely will run the ball a lot this season. He said they were forced to do that last year because of quarterback problems and made the pleasing discovery they could do it well.
"By the time we got to Ryan Hancock, our team started to emerge as a running team, and we were able to take pressure off the quarterback," he said.
Fresno State
Coach Jim Sweeney thanked the media for voting his team No. 2, sort of.
"I think that would be a tribute to us at this stage," he said. "And if we were playing BYU at home, that vote would be closer."
The coach said he has his best group of receivers ever, and running backs comparable to BYU's.
Sweeney said his team has obvious holes.
"We can be a great team if we can measure up defensively, and that's going to be a chore," he said.
The Bulldogs lost their entire defensive line.
San Diego State
Coach Al Luginbill said that last year's predictions for his Aztecs, especially regarding the offense, were unrealistic - perhaps in part because of the presence of running back Marshall Faulk, once again the Heisman Trophy favorite.
"We had wide receivers and tight ends who hadn't played a snap," he said.
This year, Luginbill expects more from the team that went 5-5-1.
Luginbill said that although the defense got much of the blame for last year's problems, it wasn't their fault. More to blame was a tendency to get up more for some games than others.
Hawaii
The WAC's surprise team last season, Hawaii returns eight starters on offense and six on defense, including quarterback Michael Carter. The biggest need is a replacement for Jason Elam, the All-WAC kicker.
O Where the Rainbows lost the most personnel was on the defensive front, with five starters gone.
Wyoming
Cowboy coach Joe Tiller says the 'Pokes may show some new looks on offense this season. A one-back team last year, they worked heavily in spring practice on a two-back set. And they also have two good tight ends, so they will probably line up both of them at times.
The keys to the Wyoming offense will be the line, with four returning starters but no depth, and quarterback Joe Hughes, who led the WAC in interceptions last year.
Utah
Despite its first bowl appearance in 28 years, Ute coach Ron McBride said his team has lots of room for improvement.
"We were not a consistent football team," he said. "On some weekends we played as well as you can play football; on other weekends we didn't."
In reviewing last season, McBride determined - for one thing - that the Utes needed more weapons. With the return of wide receiver Bryan Rowley and the addition of several redshirts, he thinks they've done that.
"We feel we have more true threats than we've had since I've been there," he said.
The areas of uncertainty are quarterback - where junior Mike McCoy is expected to start - and the front seven on defense. The Ute defense lost all of its starting linebackers and two linemen.
Another key, McBride said, is depth.
"For us to compete on the schedule we play, we need more players who can play."
Air Force
The Falcons lost 10 of 11 defensive starters, including the WAC's defensive player of the year; lost their quarterback; and are coming off a season in which they had their lowest offensive output in 11 years and lost three games at home, and still, coach Fisher DeBerry is optimistic.
Air Force has all of its top running backs back, but the problem last year was that they couldn't throw enough to open some holes. This year the quarterback is senior Scott Teigen, whom DeBerry says is "the best throwing quarterback we've had in three years."
Colorado State
New coach Sonny Lubick is undergoing football-culture shock, coming from a four-year stint as defensive coordinator at Miami to Fort Collins. Under coach Earle Bruce, the Rams finished 5-7 last season, and their prospects look even dimmer with nonconference games against Nebraska, Kansas and Oregon.
Lubick's goals are to instill a winning attitude and a Miami-like work ethic at CSU.
The coach said his team's talent is comparable to most of the teams in the conference. The big question marks are quarterback, defense up front, and the kicking game.
New Mexico
The big plus in New Mexico this year is that, for the first time in 17 years, the entire coaching staff is back.
Coach Dennis Franchione said the team has taken giant strides in improving its strength. When he took over prior to last season, he said the Lobos "may have been the weakest team in Division 1 football."
New Mexico's strong points are a good quarterback, Stoney Case; running back Winslow Oliver, who was WAC Freshman of the Year; wide receiver Carl Winston; and four returning starters on the offensive line.
UTEP
"I thought we were headed in the right direction," said Miner coach David Lee of last year's disastrous 1-10 season. "I just made an error. I overevaluated our talent in the secondary."
Lee said it was the defensive scheme that was at fault. The Miners opened the '92 season with a man-to-man system and gave up bundles of yards through the air. This year they have a new-old defensive coordinator, Charlie Bailey, and are back in a zone defense.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
WAC media poll
BYU 21 289
Fresno 11 271
SDSU 1 239
Hawaii 208
Wyoming 158
Utah 149
Air Force 132
CSU 89
UNM 85
UTEP 34