Aztecs Picked to Win West Division; Four Named Preseason All-MW

The San Diego State University football team has been picked to win the West Division of the Mountain West in a preseason poll of  media representatives who cover the conference, the league announced Tuesday. The last three times the Aztecs were picked to win the West Division (2015-17), they won at least 10 games each season.

SDSU received 19 of the 21 first-place votes and 122 total points, 22 points ahead of Nevada (100), which had the other two first-place votes. SDSU has been picked to either finish first or second in the West Division all eight years of division play. The Aztecs have won two of the last five Mountain West titles (2015 and 2016) and three of the past eight (also 2012).

SDSU finished the 2019 season with a 10-3 record, the program's fourth double-digit win campaign over the last five years.

Following the Aztecs (122 points) and Nevada (100) in the West Division poll were Hawai'i (74), Fresno State (73), San José State (43) and UNLV (29).

Boise State was picked to win the Mountain Division for the eighth consecutive season after making the MW championship game last year for just the third time since 2014. The Broncos ended up with 20 first-place votes in the Mountain Division and 125 total, followed by Wyoming (90 and one first-place vote), Air Force (86), Utah State (60), Colorado State (59) and New Mexico (21).

Preseason All-MW

Four Aztecs were named to the 2020 Mountain West Preseason All-Conference Team, the league announced Wednesday. All four selections — sophomore defensive lineman Cameron Thomas, junior defensive lineman Keshawn Banks, senior safety Tariq Thompson and junior cornerback Darren Hall — were on the defensive side of the ball, SDSU's most on defense in the history of the league.

The four preseason all-MW picks are four of the eight starters returning for a defensive unit that led the conference and ranked second in the Football Subdivision Series in scoring (12.7) and rushing (75.4), fifth in total (287.8) and sixth in pass efficiency (110.25).

Thomas totaled 49 tackles a year ago as a redshirt freshman, including 9.0 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two pass breakups and 13 quarterback hurries. Thomas racked up numerous postseason awards in 2019, including first-team all-MW honors.

Playing alongside Thomas in the front three, Banks, meanwhile, had 43 tackles last year as a true sophomore, including a team-high 13.5 tackles for loss for 50 yards, 4.5 sacks for 26 yards, a pass breakup and nine quarterback hurries. For his efforts, he was named a second-team all-MW selection.

Thompson continued to rack up the preseason accolades, a year after registering 55 tackles (44 solo) to go along with three tackles for loss, a sack, four interceptions, eight pass breakups, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries (tied for sixth in Aztec single-season history). Thompson earned second-team all-Mountain West accolades for a third consecutive season.  

Hall recorded 49 tackles (34 solo) last year, as well as 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown, an interception and a team-high-tying 16 pass breakups. His 16 pass breakups tied for the most in the country, and he also ranked in a tie for sixth in pass deflections per game (1.42) and tied for 10th in total passes defended (17).

2020 Mountain West Preseason Poll

West Division
1. SDSU (19) - 122
2. Nevada (2) - 100
3. Hawai'i - 74
4. Fresno State - 73
5. San José State - 43
6. UNLV - 29  

Mountain Division
1. Boise State (20) - 125
2. Wyoming (1) - 90
3. Air Force - 86
4. Utah State - 60
5. Colorado State - 59
6. New Mexico - 21  

2020 Mountain West Football Preseason All-Conference Team

Offense
QB Hank Bachmeier, Boise State
WR Khalil Shakir, Boise State
WR Warren Jackson, Colorado State
WR Tre Walker, San José State
RB Charles Williams, UNLV
RB Xazavian Valladay, Wyoming
OL Parker Ferguson, Air Force
OL Nolan Laufenberg, Air Force
OL John Ojukwu, Boise State
OL Ilm Manning, Hawai'i
OL Keegan Cryder, Wyoming
TE Trey McBride, Colorado State  

Defense
DL Cameron Thomas, San Diego State
DL Keshawn Banks, San Diego State
DL Scale Igiehon, Boise State
DL Dom Peterson, Nevada
LB Demonte Meeks, Air Force
LB Riley Whimpey,  Boise State
LB Dequan Jackson, Colorado State
LB Justin Rice, Fresno State
DB Darren Hall, San Diego State
DB Tariq Thompson, San Diego State
DB Kekaula Kaniho, Boise State
DB Avery Williams,  Boise State  

Specialists
P Ryan Stonehouse, Colorado State
PK Brandon Talton, Nevada
KR Savon Scarver, Utah State
PR Avery Williams, Boise State
 

SDSU Lands Four Players on 2020 MW Preseason All-Conference Team Four Aztecs were named to the 2020 Mountain West Preseason All-Conference Team, the league announced.