On Mountain High: Twining’s Take of Week 1

Editor’s Note: Jeff Twining is joining the SaturdayBlitz.com team, primarily covering the Mountain West. This is his debut.

The Mountain West has long been regarded as the best non-BCS conferences. At the end of the 2010
college football season, Mountain West champ TCU reigned supreme as the top non-BCS team after
beating Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl and finishing the season undefeated.

As the 2011 season begins, TCU is back to defend its conference title one last time before exiting for
the Big East in 2012. With Boise State joining this year, and Nevada, Fresno State and Hawai’i joining in
2012, the Mountain West may be changing, its status as the top non-BCS conference is not.

Although TCU is on its way out, they are still part of a big opening weekend for the conference. Last
night, a young UNLV team bravely challenged Wisconsin in Madison. The Horned Frogs head to Waco to
take on unranked Baylor and Boise State caps off college football’s opening weekend by playing Georgia
in Atlanta, Saturday night on ESPN.

Add San Diego State, the always-competitive Air Force, and then Nevada, Fresno and Hawaii a year from
now and the Mountain West will continue to be the top non-BCS conference. That being said, what
distinguishes the big conferences from the smaller ones is talent from top-to-bottom. In order for the
Mountain West to grow, the bottom teams must improve.

In 2006, Robin Ross, now part of the rebuilding process at UNLV, became Western Washington
University’s head coach. It took three years to post a winning season and the school’s first post-season
victory since 1999 by winning the Dixie Rotary Bowl.

I was a member of that 2008 team and witnessed the rebuilding process first-hand. Now, Ross is lending
his talents to the Rebels’ rebuilding process as a linebackers coach for Bobby Hauck; Ross’ expertise will
greatly help.

In Ross’ second year at Western, we opened the season at FCS UC Davis. As large underdogs, we played
an afternoon game in 117-degree heat and shocked the Aggies in their home-opener and the first game
in their new stadium. We may have finished the season 2-8, but as a young team, that victory gave us
hope for the future. The next year, we finished 6-5, won a bowl game and the future of Western football
appeared bright.

Although last night’s nationally televised game resulted in a 51-17 loss, it represented a pivotal stepin
Hauck’s rebuilding process. In order to beat the best you have to learn from the best. When building a
college football program, it’s important to stress learning the game. Not only can UNLV watch film of
what they did and did not do well, they can also study what makes Wisconsin so dominant.

Poor tackling was one of UNLV’s biggest weaknesses last night. Tackling is often a major factor in what
distinguishes the good teams from the bad. If there’s one thing I know as a former pupil of Ross’ is that
he tirelessly teaches proper tackling technique.

I live in San Diego, but I think I can hear him yelling “Use your haaaands” at the top of his lungs from
Vegas. Either that or it’s still ringing in my ears form those three years at Western.

Point is, UNLV coaches need to use this game and experience as a teaching tool moving forward. It

wasn’t all bad for UNLV last night. They did score twice in the second half. With only 11 returning
starters, the Rebels are clearly a young team and any success is a step in the right direction.

The second year of a rebuilding process is usually when fans see flashes of that progress and potential
– when the answer to the question “are we going in the right direction” becomes clearer. Coming from
Montana, where he built a perennial national-title contender at the FCS-level, Hauck knows what it
takes to build a winning program; it just takes time.

It’s going to be difficult for the Rebels to contend for the Mountain West title, but I believe they will be
formidable opponents throughout the year and will eventually get that first “signature” win. It was two
second-half scores to cover the spread. By season’s end, it could be two late scores to upset TCU.

Each week, I’ll finish my column with picks, against the spread, of the upcoming weekend’s Mountain
West games. Last night, as 34.5 point underdogs, UNLV scored two touchdowns late and covered the
spread – losing by 34. Here’s how I think the rest of the teams will fare.

Friday Night

No. 14 TCU (-4) at Baylor
Pick: TCU is 6-1 in their past 7 road openers, but only 3-9 in Waco since 1975. I think Baylor will
challenge the Horned Frogs, but in the end TCU’s defense will solidify itself as one of the nation’s best.
TCU covers, 27-21.
Saturday

South Dakota (FCS) at Air Force (-33)
Pick: The Falcons have won six-straight home openers by an average of 35 points per game. But South
Dakota, a former NCC opponent of Western Washington, is no cupcake opponent. I do see Air Force
winning, but South Dakota will challenge early.
Air Force wins, 35-17, but doesn’t cover.

Colorado (-6) at New Mexico
Pick: This is the only conference game of opening weekend. It’s also the beginning of Mike Locksley’s
third year at New Mexico. He returns 15 starters, the most in the conference so it’s time for him to
finally show some success in rebuilding. That being said, I think the Lobos, who didn’t have a 500-yard
rusher or receiver last year, are too inept offensively to compete, especially against up-and-coming
Colorado State.
Colorado State covers, 31-14.

Weber State (FCS) at Wyoming (-11.5)
Pick: The second of three FCS – Mountain West matchups and, like the other, this will result in a
relatively easy victory for the home team. Wyoming, who next faces Texas St. next, and then Bowling
Green, has a chance to be 3-0 before hosting Nebraska September 24. First, they need to beat Weber
State.

Wyoming covers, 27-10

Cal Poly(FCS) at San Diego State (-23)
Pick: Two years ago, Brady Hoke began to rebuild the Aztecs and got them to 9-4 last year, tied with
Air Force for third in the conference. Hoke bolted for alma mate Michigan and now former assistant
Rocky Long is trying to vault San Diego State to the top of the Mountain West. They have one of the top
quarterbacks in the country in senior Ryan Lindley and will roll in their home opener.
San Diego State easily covers, 38-7

Boise State (-3) vs. Georgia – Superdome, Atlanta, Ga.
Pick: Boise State thrives in the national spotlight and this is one of the marquee matchups of the
opening weekend. The Broncos return senior starting Kellen Moore, a Heisman contender, and are
looking to seriously contend for a national title. If they finish the season undefeated they should play for
a national title. With so much on the line in this first game, I expect Boise to rise to the occasion.
Boise covers, 30-24.