Fresno State predicted to repeat as West Division Champs in MW preseason poll

LAS VEGAS - Much different from a year ago, the Fresno State football team was picked to win the West Division by the media, announced by the Mountain West on Tuesday morning prior to the 2018 media summit getting underway at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Fresno State turned the 2017 predicted order of finish upside down after being picked to finish last with a 10-4 run and a West Division crown guided by then-first year head coach Jeff Tedford. Now, the Bulldogs will make its run for a second-straight appearance in the MW Championship game as the favorite in Tedford's sophomore season.

This is the third time in six seasons (2013, 2014 and 2018) the Bulldogs have been the favorite to win the West since the inception of the divisional format instituted by the league to start the 2013 season. In the previous two occasions the Bulldogs were picked the win the West in the league's preseason poll, Fresno State carried out that forecast each time.
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In addition to the predicted order of finish, the 2018 All-Mountain West Preseason Football Team was announced. This year's team included two Fresno State selections in senior wide receiver KeeSean Johnson and junior linebacker Jeff Allison. Johnson was a 2017 second-team All-MW pick while Allison was the Bulldogs' sole first-team selection a season ago.

2018 PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

West Division
Rk. Team (first-place votes) - Points
1. Fresno State (16) - 126
2. San Diego State (6) - 116
3. UNLV - 78
4. Nevada - 72
5. Hawai'I - 45
6. San José State - 25

Mountain Division
Rk. Team (first-place votes) - Points
1. Boise State (22) - 132
2. Wyoming - 95
3. Colorado State - 82
4. Utah State - 78
5. Air Force - 52
6. New Mexico - 23

2018 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST PRESEASON FOOTBALL TEAM

OFFENSE
QB: Brett Rypien**, Sr., Boise State
WR: KeeSean Johnson**, Sr., Fresno State
WR: McLane Mannix, So., Nevada
RB: Alexander Mattison, Jr., Boise State
RB: Lexington Thomas*, Sr., UNLV
OL: Ezra Cleveland, So., Boise State
OL: John Molchon, Jr., Boise State
OL: Aaron Jenkins, Sr., New Mexico
OL: Keith Ismael**, So., San Diego State
OL: Tyler Roemer**, So., San Diego State
TE: Dax Raymond, Jr., Utah State

DEFENSE
DL: David Moa**, Sr., Boise State
DL: Curtis Weaver*, So., Boise State
DL: Youhanna Ghaifan*, Jr., Wyoming
DL: Carl Granderson*, Sr., Wyoming
LB: Jeff Allison*, Jr., Fresno State
LB: Jahlani Tavai**, Sr., Hawai'i
LB: Malik Reed, Sr., Nevada
DB: Tyler Horton*, Sr., Boise State
DB: Dameon Baber**, Sr., Nevada
DB: Tariq Thompson**, So., San Diego State
DB: Andrew Wingard*, Sr., Wyoming

Specialists
P: Ryan Stonehouse, So., Colorado State
PK: Dominik Eberle*, Jr., Utah State
KR/PR: Avery Williams**, So., Boise State

Offensive Player of the Year: Brett Rypien, Sr., QB, Boise State
Defensive Player of the Year: Andrew Wingard, Sr., DB, Wyoming
Special Teams Player of the Year: Avery Williams, So., KR/PR, Boise State

* - member of the 2017 All-Mountain West first team
** - member of the 2017 All-Mountain West second team

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Fresno State predicted to repeat as West Division Champs in MW preseason poll

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