Number of teams 8 | ||
League NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) Duration September 1, 2011–January 2012 TV partner(s) The Mtn., CBS Sports Network, Versus | ||
The 2011 Mountain West Conference football season will be the 13th season of college football for the Mountain West Conference. The 2011 season will consist of eight members: Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, TCU, UNLV, Wyoming and new member Boise State.
Contents
- Previous season
- Award watch lists
- Media poll
- AllConference Team
- Boise State all blue uniform ban
- Coaches
- Rankings
- Regular season
- Week one
- Week two
- Week three
- Week four
- Week five
- Week six
- Week seven
- Week eight
- Week nine
- Week ten
- Week eleven
- References
This will be the first year the conference will be without two of its founding members. Utah left to become a member of the Pac-12 Conference and BYU left to become a FBS Independent (other sports joined the West Coast Conference). In response to their departure, the conference added Boise State for this season and will add Fresno State, Hawaiʻi (football only, other sports will join the Big West Conference), and Nevada for the 2012 season.
This will also be the last year TCU will be a member of the Mountain West. They were originally set to become a member of the Big East Conference in the 2012 season. However, on October 10, they accepted a bid to join the Big 12 Conference.
Previous season
TCU repeated as conference champions going undefeated (12–0) during the regular season for the second consecutive year. They finished the year as the highest ranked non-automatic qualifying school in the BCS rankings to receive an automatic bid to a BCS game. Since Oregon was ranked in the top two and selected to play in the BCS National Championship Game, the Rose Bowl was contractually obligated to take the highest ranked non-AQ to fill the Pac-10's spot. The Horned Frogs defeated Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl 21–19 to finish the season 13–0 and finished ranked #2 in both the AP and Coaches Polls.
Air Force, BYU, San Diego State, and Utah also went to bowl games. Everyone but Utah won their bowl game to give the conference a 4–1 bowl record to win the Bowl Challenge Cup for the second consecutive year.
At one point during the season, both TCU and Utah were both ranked in the top 5 of the BCS rankings.
Award watch lists
The following Mountain West players were named to preseason award watch lists.
Media poll
During the Mountain West media days on July 26–27 in Las Vegas, Boise State was picked as the overwehlming favorite to win the conference, garnering 28 of a possible 31 first place votes. Defending champion TCU received the other 3 first place votes and were picked second.
- Boise State – 236 (28)
- TCU – 208 (3)
- Air Force – 176
- San Diego State – 160
- Colorado State – 104
- Wyoming – 80
- UNLV – 77
- New Mexico – 39
All–Conference Team
The media also selected their preseason all–conference team. Boise State's Sr. QB Kellen Moore was selected as the offensive player of the year. TCU's Sr. LB Tank Carder was selected as the defensive player of the year. Air Force's Sr. KR Jonathan Warzeka was selected as the special teams player of the year.
Boise State all blue uniform ban
New conference member Boise State was banned by the Mountain West Conference from wearing their traditional all blue uniforms during conference home games. Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson's reason for the rule was that coaches had stated that the Broncos received a "competitive advantage" when wearing all blue on the blue turf of Bronco Stadium. Boise State head coach Chris Petersen was quoted that he thought the ban was, "ridiculous".
Coaches
NOTE: Stats shown are before the beginning of the season
*first year as conference member, ^achieved as head coach of New Mexico from 99–08
Rankings
The following Mountain West teams have been either ranked or received votes in the major polls during the 2011 season:
Regular season
All dates, times, and TV are tentative and subject to change.
The Mountain West has teams in 3 different time zones. Times reflect start time in respective time zone of each team (Central–TCU, Mountain–Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, New Mexico, Wyoming, Pacific–San Diego State, UNLV). Conference games start times are that of the home team.
Rankings reflect that of the USA Today Coaches poll for that week until week eight when the BCS poll will be used.
Week one
^ Neutral site
Players of the Week
Week two
Players of the Week
Week three
^ Neutral site Players of the Week
Kellen Moore was also named the Davy O'Brien Quarterback of the Week. Greg McCoy was also named the National Kickoff Returner of the Week by College Football Performance Awards.
Week four
Players of the Week
Coaching change
On September 25, 2011 following a 0–4 start which included a loss to Sam Houston State of the FCS, New Mexico relieved Mike Locksley of his duties as head coach. Associate head coach and defensive coordinator George Barlow assumed the job on an interim basis for the remainder of the season.
Week five
Players of the Week
Week six
Players of the Week
Week seven
Players of the Week
Week eight
Players of the Week
Week nine
^ Neutral site
Players of the Week
Week ten
Players of the Week
Week eleven
Players of the Week