Mountain West Conference 2024 Preview: NCAA Football Predictions & Team Insights

Let’s explore one of my preferred G5 conferences in the country, the Mountain West Conference. This conference boasts one of the most favored teams to win the whole conference before the season even begins. But could there be other teams capable of challenging for the title?

Though they don’t have an official ranking, the Boise State Broncos are strongly favored to emerge as the Mountain West Conference (MWC) champions and are estimated to be approximately 28th in the nation. At first look, no other teams appear to pose a threat to their title, but there’s still a lot of football left to be played. Last year, the conference was highly competitive, with all 12 teams ranking between 6-2 and 2-6 in conference play. The UNLV Rebels, who fell to Boise in the MW Championship, are likely to face them again this year.

Check out our full NCAA Football 2024 Preview!

Odds to Win Mountain West Championship

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• Boise State -150
• UNLV +350
• Fresno State +600
• Air Force +1200
• Wyoming +1600
• Colorado State +1800
• Hawaii +3300
• San Diego State +5000
• Utah State +5000
• San Jose State +5000
• Nevada +15000
• New Mexico +20000

Boise State is the second-most favored team, following Liberty, to win their conference in the C-USA (-225). This suggests the rest of the conference is at a disadvantage. The Broncos are hoping to secure their second Mountain West Championship win in a row and make it to their third consecutive MW Championship game. Interestingly, this conference has remained stable through realignments and therefore doesn’t experience as many unexpected changes as other leagues.

Let’s plunge in to discover a Mountain West Champion!

Check out our Big 12 Conference 2024 Preview!

Mountain West is Boise’s to Lose

Spencer Danielson, who steered the Broncos to a 3-1 record and a Mountain West Title, was granted the full role for the 2024 season by Boise State. This appointment followed his replacement of Andy Avalos in early November. Although Danielson successfully brought the Broncos back on course and clinched the conference title, they lost to UCLA in the LA Bowl.

Maddux Madsen, a sophomore, beat USC Transfer Malachi Nelson to secure the starting QB position. He is backed by an outstanding team. Running back Ashton Jeanty delivered over 1,200 yards on the ground and an additional 500 in the air, scoring 19 touchdowns. The team has managed to retain four out of five offensive linemen, and they have fortified their receiver ranks with some transfers. The team’s defense may not be noteworthy, but they are not short on talent. Last season, defensive end Ahmed Hassanein had 12.5 sacks and Andrew Simpson was in charge of the linebackers.

What I have an issue with regarding Boise is that their four most challenging games will all be played away.

Boise plays:

• @ Oregon
• @ UNLV
• @ Wyoming
• @ Colorado State

In addition to avoiding Fresno State, they also welcome the overlooked teams from the Pac-12, Washington State and Oregon State. Boise plays all of the lower-ranking Mountain West teams at home, with their most challenging games being away, which could prove to be formidable in this league.

Who Can Hold Off Broncos?

UNLV Rebels

It appears the Rebels are the most likely team to upset the significantly favored Broncos. After their star freshman quarterback transferred to USC following a season with nine wins, UNLV recruited two senior standouts to vie for the position. Whichever player secures the job will have the support of returning receiver Ricky White III, who had an impressive 81-1,386-7 season last year. It seems he’s eager to exact some revenge on Boise.

The defense of UNLV will undoubtedly face some uncertainties, however, Head Coach Barry Doom has strengthened the team with 10 defensive transfers, including Safety Jalen Catalon from Texas. If the defense can improve from last year’s average of 28.6 points allowed per game, the Rebels stand a chance against Boise, especially with the advantage of playing on their home ground in Las Vegas this season. UNLV will have the advantage of hosting their two most formidable conference opponents, but they face a difficult task early in the season with a game against #22 Kansas.

Fresno State Bulldogs

The Bulldogs are set to begin their 2024 season under the temporary leadership of former assistant Tim Skipper, aiming to replicate their impressive start from the previous year. Despite beginning the last season with an 8-1 record, they missed out on the Mountain West Title game after a disappointing three-game losing streak in November. However, the team is rich in experienced players. On the offensive line, quarterback Mikey Keene and running back Malik Sherrod will team up with receivers Jalen Moss, Mac Dalena, and Josiah Freeman. Moreover, four out of five offensive line starters are returning. This suggests a promising season for the offense.

The defense, however, had difficulty defending the run last year, ceding 200 yards on the ground in MW play. To help turn things around this year, Fresno brought in Korey Foreman, a transfer from USC. The secondary is also expected to see some improvements with the return of CB Cam Lockridge, who was sidelined by an injury after only 4 games last year. Fresno is not scheduled to play Boise State in conference play. Nevertheless, their three arguably toughest games are away matches against Michigan, UNLV, and Air Force.

Colorado State Rams

I’m extremely optimistic about the Colorado State Rams this season, and here’s why. Their returning quarterback, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, boasted 3,400 passing yards and 22 touchdowns last season. He even declined substantial six-figure NIL offers to remain with the Rams. It’s clear he has faith in Head Coach Jay Norvell and is full of determination. I’m definitely on board with him. In addition, Tory Horton is back for one more season as a standout receiver. They also have 3 offensive linemen returning and their running back, Justin Marshall, who performed exceptionally well in the final few games.

The Rams, boasting six returning starters on defense and one of the conference’s top secondaries, are set to open the season against #4 Texas in Austin. They also face their rivals, Colorado, early in the season. I predict that the Rams will exact revenge on the Buffalos this year and dominate the rest of the teams in the Mountain West. This season, Colorado State will not face Boise and UNLV, however, they do have away games against Air Force and Fresno. Provided they perform well, I foresee a Colorado State team with only 2-3 losses making it to the Mountain West Championship.

Final Mountain West Predictions

• #1 Boise State
• #2 Fresno State
• #3 Colorado State
• #4 Air Force
• #5 UNLV
• #6 Wyoming
• #7 Hawaii
• #8 San Diego State
• #9 Utah State
• #10 San Jose State
• #11 New Mexico
• #12 Nevada

Check out our SEC 2024 Preview!

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To explore more NCAA Football action, refer to the following pages.

• NCAA Football 2024 Preview
• ACC 2024 Preview
• SEC 2024 Preview
• Big Ten Preview
• Big 12 Preview
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