Some people like to say that the 2011 Boise State football season begins today at Mountain West Media Days in Las Vegas. I like to say that the 2011 Boise State football season began about two hours after last year's Nevada game. Potato-potato, really.
Nevertheless, media days are a great reason to be excited about football season, and there will be plenty to discuss with today's All-Mountain West reveal and player and coach interviews. Follow this post for the latest updates on all things Mountain West, and tune in on Twitter for breaking news and pants jokes. Keep that refresh button handy, we've got a lot of blogging to do.
Update 11:30 a.m.: Preseason poll and all-conference picks are in
Update: 5:30 p.m.: Boise State presser recap
Update: 6:00 p.m.: No blue-on-blue, George Iloka interview, and more
First, here's a commercial from the Mountain West, reminding everyone that the Mountain West wins a lot of trophies and that the Mountain West has a sense of humor. No duh it has a sense of humor. Mike Locksley is still employed, isn't he?
And now for actual news stuffs ...
Today's Mountain West Media Days agenda
(all times Mountain, because of synergy)
- 11:00 a.m.: Preseason polls and all-conference team revealed
- 2:00 p.m.: Press conference start
- 3:30 p.m.: Kellen Moore and George Iloka participate in a live chat on the Mountain West website
- 4:45 p.m.: Chris Petersen, Moore, and Iloka take the podium
- 4:48 p.m.: KTVB makes the Mountain West start the whole thing over because the KTVB cameras weren't working
All press conferences will stream live at the Mountain West website and will be posted to YouTube shortly after. TCU is the first to go, so you have a good two hours to kill between the Horned Frogs and the Broncos.
Chadd Cripe's Mountain West media ballot
Idaho Statesman reporter extraordinaire Chadd Cripe played his picks by the book, taking Kellen Moore as offensive player of the year, TCU's Tank Carder as defensive player of the year, and picking Boise State - TCU - Air Force as the top three in the conference.
Cripe's all-conference team has Moore, Doug Martin, Nate Potter, Thomas Byrd, Billy Winn, Shea McClellin, and George Iloka, which is pretty much the group you'd expect to see when the list is revealed later this morning.
[Note by Kevan Lee, 07/26/11 11:29 AM MDT ]
The Mountain West just announced its preseason picks and preseason all-conference team. Here they are:
The official Mountain West preseason poll of obviousness
- Boise State (28 first-place votes) - 236 points
- TCU (3) - 208
- Air Force - 176
- San Diego State - 160
- Colorado State - 104
- Wyoming - 80
- UNLV - 77
- New Mexico - 39
The above poll is from the members of the media, of which there are probably at least three from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
The official Mountain West preseason all-conference team, featuring a ton of Broncos
- QB Kellen Moore - Boise State
- RB Doug Martin - Boise State
- RB Ronnie Hillman - SDSU
- WR Phillip Payne - UNLV
- WR Josh Boyce - TCU
- TE - Lucas Reed - New Mexico
- OL Nate Potter - Boise State
- OL A.J. Wallerstein - Air Force
- OL Kyle Dooley - TCU
- OL Thomas Byrd - Boise State
- OL Paul Madsen - Colorado State
***
- DL Billy Winn - Boise State
- DL Shea McClellin - Boise State
- DL Stansly Maponga - TCU
- DL Josh Biezuns - Wyoming
- LB Tank Carder - TCU
- LB Mychal Sisson - Colorado State
- LB Miles Burris - San Diego State
- DB George Iloka - Boise State
- DB Leon McFadden - San Diego State
- DB Anthony Wright - Air Force
- DB Jon Davis - Air Force
***
- P Brian Stahovich - SDSU
- PK James Aho - New Mexico
- PR/KR Jonathan Warzeka - Air Force
Of the preseason all-conference team, only TCU's Tank Carder was a unanimous selection, meaning someone with a crush on Ryan Lindley has some explaining to do.
Preseason players of the year
- Offensive Player of the Year - Kellen Moore
- Defensive Player of the Year - Tank Carder
- Special Teams Player of the year - Joanthan Warzeka
This Nate Porter kid sounds pretty interesting ...
He and Cullen Moore and Doug Harper will make a pretty dangerous combination.
[Note by Kevan Lee, 07/26/11 5:45 PM MDT ]
Boise State's media guide contained a preseason depth chart. I like depth charts so much I made new post out of it.
Tidbits via Twitter from Boise State's turn at the podium
Coach Pete, Kellen Moore, and George Iloka took to the podium this afternoon to answer media questions. Here are some of the most notable responses, relatively speaking.
Pete: "I don't think we have depth charts." ... So definitely don't read much into that depth chart I posted earlier.
Petersen says three fewer practices are spread across the month. Still has two two-a-days. ... Hasn't nailed down how to deduct 3 scholys
Petersen said he has not lost any players over the summer...also not sure on grayshirts.
"I think it's natural to call it a rivalry" - Moore on TCU
Whoever coach Yates puts at strong safety, we'll be fine - Iloka
(Photo courtesy of Dave Southorn's camera phone, for my money the MVP of Media Days)
[Note by Kevan Lee, 07/26/11 6:16 PM MDT ]
Some late tidbits:
-
Boise State won't be able to wear its all-blue uniforms for Mountain West home games thanks to the Mountain West having a monochrome phobia. BAD WORDS!
- George Iloka completed one of the best live chat interviews you will ever read.
- The reason Ebo Makinde wasn't on the two-deep depth chart? Chest pains.
Only player expected to miss a game because of injury so far this year is CB Ebo Makinde, who has a chest injury and is out for a while.