The 2015 Mountain West Conference football season was the 17th season of college football for the Mountain West Conference (MW). In the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season, the MW had 12 football members: Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State, and Wyoming.
Preseason Mountain West Media 2015 Mountain West Media Day was held at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas on July 28, 2015.
Preseason polls Place Mountain Division West Division 1 Boise State (28) 177 San Diego State (27) 177 2 Utah State (2) 150 Fresno State (3) 141 3 Colorado State 108 Nevada 113 4 Air Force 90 San Jose State 91 5 Wyoming 64 Hawai'i 70 6 New Mexico 41 UNLV 38
Predicted Mountain West Championship Game Winner: Boise State is picked to win the Mountain West title game over San Diego State.
Preseason All-Mountain West Teams
+ Offense Position Player Class Team QB Chuckie Keeton SR Utah State RB Donnel Pumphrey* JR San Diego State RB Marteze Waller** SR Fresno State WR Rashard Higgins* JR Colorado State WR Devonte Boyd** SO UNLV TE Steven Walker* SR Colorado State OL Marcus Henry* SR Boise State OL Rees Odhiambo** SR Boise State OL Alex Fifita SR Fresno State OL Ben Clarke SR Hawai'i OL Pearce Slater SR San Diego State
+ Defense Position Player Class Team DL Alex Hansen** SR Air Force DL Kamalei Correa* JR Boise State DL Ian Seau** SR Nevada DL Eddie Yarbrough* SR Wyoming LB Tanner Vallejo** JR Boise State LB Kyler Fackrell SR Utah State LB Nick Vigil* JR Utah State DB Weston Steelhammer* JR Air Force DB Donte Deayon** SR Boise State DB Darian Thompson* SR Boise State DB Damontae Kazee** JR San Diego State
+ Specialists Position Player Class Team P Alex Boy** SR Nevada PK Donny Hageman SR San Diego State Ret. Carlos Wiggins SR New Mexico
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Rashard Higgins, Jr., WR, Colorado State Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Kyler Fackrell, Sr., LB, Utah State Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year: Donny Hageman Sr., PK, San Diego State
(* - member of the 2014 All-Mountain West first team)
(** - member of the 2014 All-Mountain West second team)
Recruiting classes
Award watch lists The following Mountain West players were named to preseason award watch lists.
Maxwell Award: Rashard Higgins–Colorado State Chuckie Keeton–Utah State Donnel Pumphrey–San Diego State
Chuck Bednarik Award: Kamalei Correa–Boise State Kyler Fackrell–Utah State Darian Thompson–Boise State
John Mackey Award: Kivon Cartwright–Colorado State Billy Freeman–San Jose State Jarred Gipson–Nevada Jake Phillips–UNLV Steven Walker–Colorado State
Fred Biletnikoff Award: Devonte Boyd–UNLV Rashard Higgins–Colorado State Jalen Robinette–Air Force Hunter Sharp–Utah State Thomas Sperbeck–Boise State
Bronko Nagurski Trophy: Kamalei Correa–Boise State Kyler Fackrell–Utah State Ian Seau–Nevada Darian Thompson–Boise State
Outland Trophy: Austin Corbett–Nevada Marcus Henry–Boise State
Jim Thorpe Award: Donte Deayon–Boise State Damontae Kazee–San Diego State Trent Matthews–Colorado State Weston Steelhammer–Air Force Darian Thompson–Boise State JJ Whitaker–San Diego State
Lombardi Award: Kamalei Correa–Boise State Marcus Henry–Boise State Rees Odhiambo–Boise State Tanner Vallejo–Boise State Ben Clarke–Hawai'i Ian Seau–Nevada Alex Barrett–San Diego State Darrell Greene–San Diego State Pearce Slater–San Diego State Christian Tago–San Diego State Nick Vigil–Utah State Kyler Fackrell–Utah State Eddie Yarbrough–Wyoming
Rimington Trophy: Bo Bonnheim–Fresno State Austin Stephens–Utah State Marcus Henry–Boise State
Davey O'Brien Award: Chuckie Keeton–Utah State
Doak Walker Award: Tyler Ervin–San Jose State Brian Hill–Wyoming Marteze Waller–Fresno State Shaun Wick–Wyoming LaJuan Hunt–Utah State Don Jackson–Nevada Donnel Pumphrey–San Diego State
Walter Camp Award: Rashard Higgins–Colorado State Darian Thompson–Boise State
Lott Trophy: Calvin Munson–San Diego State Weston Steelhammer–Air Force
Lou Groza Award: Donny Hageman–San Diego State
Coaches NOTE: Stats shown are before the beginning of the season Team Head coach Years at school Overall record Record at school MW record Air Force Troy Calhoun 9 59–44 59–44 34–30 Boise State Bryan Harsin 2 19–7 12–2 7–1 Colorado State Mike Bobo 1 1–0 1–0 0-0 Fresno State Tim DeRuyter 4 27–14 26–14 19–5 Hawaii Norm Chow 4 8-29 8-29 4-20 Nevada Brian Polian 3 11-14 11-14 7-9 New Mexico Bob Davie 4 46-51 11-26 4-20 San Diego State Rocky Long 4 97–89 32-20 22–9 San José State Ron Caragher 3 53-37 9-15 7-9 UNLV Tony Sanchez 1 0–1 0–1 0–0 Utah State Matt Wells 3 19-9 19-9 13-3 Wyoming Craig Bohl 2 108–40 4–8 2–6
*first year as conference member, ^achieved as head coach of New Mexico from 99 to 08
Rankings
+ Legend Increase in ranking Decrease in ranking Unranked the previous week RV Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll
Pre Wk2 Wk3 Wk4 Wk5 Wk6 Wk7 Wk8 Wk9 Wk10 Wk11 Wk12 Wk13 Wk14 Wk15 FinalAir Force AP RV RV C RV RV CFP Not releasedBoise State AP 23 20 RV RV RV 25 21 RV RV RV C 24 22 RV RV RV 24 20 RV RV RV RV CFP Not released Colorado State AP C CFP Not released Fresno State APCCFP Not released Hawaii APCCFP Not released Nevada AP CCFP Not released New Mexico APCCFP Not releasedSan Diego State AP RV RV RVC RV RV RV RVCFP Not released San José State APCCFP Not released UNLV APCCFP Not released Utah State AP RVC RV RVCFP Not released Wyoming APCCFP Not released + Legend Increase in ranking Decrease in ranking Unranked the previous week RV Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll
Schedule
Championship game
The championship game was played on December 5, 2015. It featured the Air Force Falcons, champions of the Mountain Division, and the San Diego State Aztecs, champions of the West Division. The game was played at Qualcomm Stadium in front of 20,959. San Diego State won the game 27–24 to claim their first outright conference championship since 1986, and their first ever outright Mountain West Conference championship.
Bowl games
Bowl GameDateStadiumCityTelevisionTeam MatchupsWinning teamScoreLosing teamScore New Mexico Bowl December 19 University Stadium Albuquerque ESPN Arizona vs. New Mexico Arizona 45 New Mexico 37 Cure Bowl December 19 Orlando Citrus Bowl Orlando CBSSN San Jose State vs. Georgia State San Jose State 27 Georgia State 16 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl December 22 Albertsons Stadium Boise ESPN Akron vs. Utah State Akron 23 Utah State 21 Poinsettia Bowl December 23 Qualcomm Stadium San Diego ESPN Boise State vs. Northern Illinois Boise State 55 Northern Illinois 7 Hawai'i Bowl December 24 Aloha Stadium Honolulu ESPN San Diego State vs. Cincinnati San Diego State 42 Cincinnati 7 Armed Forces Bowl December 29 Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth ESPN California vs. Air Force California 55 Air Force 36 Arizona Bowl December 29 Arizona Stadium Tucson ASN Nevada vs. Colorado State Nevada 28 Colorado State 23
Mountain West vs Power Conference matchups
Records against other conferences 2015 records against non-conference foes:
Regular season
Power 5 ConferencesRecordACC1–0Big Ten0–6Big 120–0Pac-122–10SEC0–3Notre Dame0–0Power 5 Total3–19Other FBS ConferencesRecordAmerican0–2C-USA1–0MAC1–2Sun Belt1–2Independents (Excluding Notre Dame)1–2Other FBS Total5–10FCS OpponentsRecordFootball Championship Subdivision11–1Total Non-Conference Record19–30
Post Season
Power ConferencesRecordPac-120–2Power 5 Total0–2Other FBS ConferencesRecordAmerican1–0MAC1–1Sun Belt1–0Total Bowl Record4–4
Awards and honors
All Conference teams
Offensive Player of the Year: Donnel Pumphrey, JR., RB, San Diego State Defensive Player of the Year: Damontae Kazee, JR., DB, San Diego State Special Teams Player of the Year: Rashaad Penny, SO., RS, San Diego State Freshman of the Year: Brett Rypien, QB, Boise State Coach of the Year: Rocky Long, San Diego State
Offense: Pos.NameYr.SchoolNameYr.School First Team Second TeamQBBrett RypienFR.Boise StateNick StevensSO.Colorado StateWRThomas SperbeckJR.Boise StateDevonte Boyd**SO.UNLVWRRashard Higgins*JR.Colorado StateHunter SharpSR.Utah StateRBDonnel Pumphrey*JR.San Diego StateJeremy McNicholsSO.Boise StateRBTyler ErvinSR.San Jose StateBrian HillSO.WyomingTEBilly FreemanJR.San Jose StateJake RohSO.Boise StateOLSevrin RemmoSR.Air ForceA.J. RuechelSR.Air ForceOLMarcus HenrySR.Boise StateFred ZerblisJR.Colorado StateOLRees OdhiamboSR.Boise StateAlex FifitaSR.Fresno StateOLNico SiragusaJR.San Diego StateWes SchweitzerSR.San Jose StateOLPearce SlaterSR.San Diego StateChase RoullierJR.WyomingPKTyler RausaJR.Boise StateBrent ZuzoJR.NevadaPR/KRRashaad PennySO.San Diego StateCarlos WigginsSR.New Mexico
Defense: Pos.NameYr.SchoolNameYr.School First Team Second TeamDLAlex HansenSR.Air ForceKamalei CorreaJR.Boise StateDLKennedy TulimasealiiJR.Hawai'iCory JamesSR.Colorado StateDLIan SeauSR.NevadaLenny JonesSR.NevadaDLAlex BarrettJR.San Diego StateEddie YarbroughSR.WyomingLBCalvin MunsonJR.San Diego StateEjiro Ederaine**SR.Fresno StateLBKyler FackrellSR.Utah StateJake Fely**SR.San Diego StateLBNick Vigil*JR.Utah StateChristian TagoJR.San Jose StateDBRoland LadipoJR.Air ForceDonte Deayon***SR.Boise StateDBWeston Steelhammer*JR.Air ForceDameon BaberFR.NevadaDBDarian Thompson*SR.Boise StateJ.J. Whittaker**SR.San Diego StateDBDamontae KazeeJR.San Diego StateAndrew WingardFR.WyomingPMichael CarrizosaSO.San Jose StateHayden HuntJR.Colorado State (* - Two-Time First-Team Selection)(** - Two-Time Second-Team Selection)(*** - Three-Time Second-Team Selection)
All-Academic Fall 2015 Academic All-Mountain West Team Announced , Mountain West Conference, February 11, 2016