Mountain West Football: Examining Each Opponent’s Week 2 Depth Chart
Mountain West Football: Examining Each Opponent’s Week 2 Depth Chart
What stands out in the depth charts released by each of the Mountain West’s ten Week 2 non-conference opponents?
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What to keep in mind before kickoff.
Colorado (link to depth chart)
What stands out: After being supplanted by Jarek Broussard over the last couple of years, Alex Fontenot is back atop the Buffaloes depth chart at running back with Deion Smith.
Why that could be important: Given that Colorado is yet another team still dealing with a quarterback competition into the season, one thing that would certainly help in the interim is a decent running game which could keep defenses from keying on whoever is under center. Against TCU, Fontenot and Smith didn’t find much daylight (15 carries, 61 yards) and it’s an open question as to whether things will improve much against the Air Force defense.
California (link to depth chart)
What stands out: When news broke in late August that defensive end Brett Johnson would miss his second straight year with injury, the Golden Bears turned to Jaedon Roberts to provide a solid bookend for veteran Ethan Saunders.
Why that could be important: It’s no secret that Cal is all about defense, which made losing Johnson, a preseason all-conference pick, a big blow for Justin Wilcox’s team. Roberts played as part of an extensive edge rusher rotation against UC Davis — seven players had between 14 and 30 snaps against the Aggies, according to Pro Football Focus — but he might be in line for a bigger role starting this week against UNLV.
Middle Tennnessee State (link to depth chart)
What stands out: The Blue Raiders have a talented defensive line, but one name behind that group who has also played his way into the starting lineup is redshirt freshman Devyn Curtis, who’s listed as the starter at middle linebacker.
Why that could be important: Is Curtis MTSU’s version of Drew Kulick? At first blush, that appears to be the case. He made 11 appearances and one start for the Blue Raiders between 2020 and 2021, though the latter season got cut short by injury, but he fits right on a defense that generally skews pretty young as it is with six combined freshman and sophomores among the starting eleven.
Northern Colorado (link to games notes, depth chart on page 46)
What stands out: After losing last year’s leading rusher, Gene Sledge, to the transfer portal, the two-deep at running back features a pair of incoming transfers in Elijah Dotson and David Afari.
Why that could be important: Landing Dotson, after he stepped away from Sacramento State early last season, and Afari, a role player at Miami of Ohio, has already paid dividends. The pair combined for 163 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in their opening loss to Houston Baptist and will likely see plenty of touches as the Bears take aim at Wyoming.
Incarnate Word
What stands out: The Cardinals offense generates a healthy amount of buzz, but defensive end Chris Whittaker made his first start for UIW last Saturday in their win over Southern Illinois.
Why that could be important: UIW might again be plenty capable of winning shootouts this year, but performances like the one Whitaker had against SIU (four tackles, two sacks) will provide a boost to a defense that was merely okay about generating havoc in 2021. Against a Nevada team that has managed to stay balanced on offense in its first two games, enough disruption could force the Wolf Pack to change its plans.
Weber State (link to depth chart)
What stands out: One of the biggest questions that the Wildcats had to address in spring and fall practice concerned how they would replace all-purpose offensive weapon Rashid Shaheed. An early answer: Junior wide receiver Haze Hadley.
Why that could be important: Hadley has pitched in sparingly as a pass catcher and punt returner since 2019, but WSU’s opening romp over Western Oregon suggests he’ll assume a much bigger role on both fronts. He had two catches for 33 yards and six punt returns for 131 yards, meaning that he could be a sneaky field position weapon for which Utah State will need to be prepared.
Auburn (link to depth chart)
What stands out: One unexpected challenge with which the Tigers will have to contend moving forward is the recent medical retirement of star center Nick Brahms, meaning that junior Tate Johnson is the man at the point of attack for now.
Why that could be important: With 33 career starts under his belt, Brahms’s departure is a pretty significant one. The good news for Auburn fans is that Johnson passed his first test against Mercer with flying colors, posting an overall PFF grade of 74.5 in Week 1, but this will be a big opportunity for Lando Grey, Soane Toia, and other Spartan defenders on the interior to cause a few unexpected headaches.
Michigan
What stands out: Michigan’s quarterback competition is still ongoing, so Cade McNamara started last week against Colorado State and it’ll be J.J. McCarthy’s turn this week against Hawaii.
Why that could be important: Jim Harbaugh’s maneuvering isn’t breaking news at this point, but the Warriors will at least get the benefit of film on both Wolverines signal-callers and Michigan, for their part, might be able to resolve the quandry once and for all. McCarthy had the better afternoon against the Rams, so it might be his job to lose at this point.
Idaho State (link to game notes, depth chart on page 13)
What stands out: The Bengals haven’t made any changes from their Week 0 projected lineup, which means that just four seniors — left tackle Tyler Clemons, nose guard Raemo Trevino, defensive tackle Terrance Jones, and weakside linebacker DJ Hagler — are likely to see the field on the first snap.
Why that could be important: After last week’s disappointment against Arizona, this is as ideal a “get right” game as San Diego State could ask for. Idaho State is an incredibly young team that will struggle to win games this year, as evidenced by UNLV’s 31-point victory in Week 0, so the Aztecs should have every opportunity to assert themselves on both sides of the ball and remind everyone why they’re Mountain West contenders.
Oregon State (link to depth chart)
What stands out: The Beavers haven’t made any changes from their Week 1 lineup against Boise State, but one relatively new starter who made a big impact against the Broncos was wide receiver Anthony Gould, currently listed with an “or” alongside Silas Bolden.
Why that could be important: When Chance Nolan wanted to attack down the field last Saturday night, Gould was often the one on the spot. He had two catches for 69 yards on four targets, a nice performance that made for a very effective complement to established veterans like Luke Musgrove and Tre’Shaun Harrison. If nothing else, it will give Fresno State’s defense one more thing to think about in preparations for their late game this weekend.
More Week 2!
Week 2 Mountain West Football: Best Bets
Middle Tennessee vs. Colorado State: Game Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Predicition
Incarnate Word vs. Nevada: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction
