Utah State picked to finish 4th in Mountain Division in MWC preseason football poll

Utah State has been picked to finish fourth in the Mountain Division in the Mountain West Conference preseason football poll released Tuesday by the league office.

In a vote of media members who cover the league, Boise State was picked to win the Mountain Division title as the Broncos garnered 20 first-place votes and earned a total of 125 points. The Broncos went 8-0 in league play last season and beat Hawai’i 31-10 in the Mountain West championship game.

Wyoming was picked second in the Mountain Division after the Cowboys received the other first-place vote and 90 points. Rounding out the Mountain Division poll was Air Force (86), the Aggies (60), Colorado State (59) and New Mexico (21).

San Diego State was picked to win the West Division title as the Aztecs garnered 19 first-place votes and 122 points. Nevada was tabbed second as the Wolf Pack earned the other two first-place votes and 100 points. Rounding out the West Division poll was Hawai’i (74), Fresno State (73), San José State (43) and UNLV (29).

This marks the eighth season of divisional play for the Mountain West, which moved to the two, six-team divisional format in 2013 following the additions of San José State and Utah State.

Utah State returns 13 starters (8 on offense, 5 on defense) from last year’s team that finished with a 7-6 record and played in its 14th bowl game in school history in the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl, losing to Kent State. USU concluded Mountain West play with a 6-2 record to finish third in the Mountain Division.

Highlighting Utah State’s returners in 2020 is senior WR Savon Scarver, who is just the third consensus All-American in school history. Scarver was named a first-team All-American from the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele’s Magazine, and earned second-team All-American honors from the American Football Coaches Association as a kick returner following his sophomore season in 2018.

Scarver was also named first-team all-Mountain West as a kick returner as both a sophomore and junior in 2018 and 2019, respectively. USU also returns senior safety Shaq Bond, who earned honorable mention all-Mountain West honors a season ago.

In the past week, the Aggies also received commitments from two former University of Utah players: Jason Shelley, a quarterback, and Devonta’e Henry-Cole, a running back. Those potentially key but late additions likely were not factored into the voting.