LAS VEGAS — Air Force was picked to finish third in the Mountain West Mountain Division in the preseason media poll, announced during the 2019 Mountain West Football Media Days. Boise State was selected first with 120 points and 15 first-place votes while Utah State was second with 108 points and six first-place votes. Air Force had 73 points, followed by Wyoming with 66, Colorado State 52 and New Mexico 22.
Fresno State was picked to win the West Division with 122 points and 17 first place votes. San Diego State was picked second with 106 points and three first-place votes, followed by Nevada with 74 points, Hawaii with 67, including one first-place vote, UNLV with 51 points and San Jose State with 21.
enior defensive back Jeremy Fejedelem and junior defensive lineman Jordan Jackson were each named to the preseason all-Mountain West team.
Fejedelem was an honorable mention all-conference selection last season after leading the Falcons and ranking eighth in the Mountain West in tackles with 104. He was the first Falcon with 100-plus tackles in a season since Jordan Pierce had 114 in 2014. Fejedelem became the first defensive back with 100 or more tackles since Chris Thomas had 107 in 2008. He enters with season with a team-high 138 career tackles.
Jackson was named second-team all-conference last season, becoming the first Air Force sophomore to earn the honor since 2014. He recorded 54 total tackles and led the team with 12.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Jackson ranked seventh in the Mountain West with 1.04 tackles for loss per game and had at least one TFL in eight games. He had 3.5 tackles for loss vs. Navy, the most by a Falcon in 2018.
Junior quarterback Jordan Love of Utah State was named offensive player of the year while Boise State junior defensive lineman Curtis Weaver was the defensive player of the year. Wyoming senior kicker Cooper Rothe was named special teams player of the year.
Air Force opens the season vs. Colgate Saturday, Aug. 31, in Falcon Stadium. The Falcons return 15 starters from last season, second-most in the conference. The team has seven on offense and defense and one on special teams.
MOUNTAIN DIVISION
Rank Team (first-place votes) Points
1. Boise State (15) 120
2. Utah State (6) 108
3. Air Force 73
4. Wyoming 66
5. Colorado State 52
6. New Mexico 22
WEST DIVISION
Rank Team (first-place votes) Points
1. Fresno State (17) 122
2. San Diego State (3) 106
3. Nevada 74
4. Hawai‘i (1) 67
5. UNLV 51
6. San José State 21
2019 MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Offense
QB Jordan Love** Jr. Utah State
WR John Hightower Sr. Boise State
WR Cedric Byrd II Sr. Hawai‘i
RB Juwan Washington Sr. San Diego State
RB Toa Taua So. Nevada
OL Ezra Cleveland* Jr. Boise State
OL John Molchon* Sr. Boise State
OL Jake Nelson Sr. Nevada
OL Keith Ismael* Jr. San Diego State
OL Justin Polu Sr. UNLV
TE Jared Rice** Sr. Fresno State
Defense
DL Jordan Jackson** Jr. Air Force
DL David Moa Sr. Boise State
DL Curtis Weaver* Jr. Boise State
DL Tipa Galeai** Sr. Utah State
LB Mykal Walker* Sr. Fresno State
LB Kyahva Tezino* Sr. San Diego State
LB David Woodward ** Jr. Utah State
DB Jeremy Fejedelem Sr. Air Force
DB Juju Hughes** Sr. Fresno State
DB Tariq Thompson** Jr. San Diego State
DB DJ Williams So. Utah State
Specialists
P Ryan Stonehouse* Jr. Colorado State
PK Cooper Rothe* Sr. Wyoming
KR/PR Savon Scarver* Jr. Utah State
Offensive Player of the Year: Jordan Love, Jr., QB, Utah State
Defensive Player of the Year: Curtis Weaver, Jr., DL, Boise State
Special Teams Player of the Year: Cooper Rothe, Sr., PK, Wyoming
* - member of the 2018 All-Mountain West first team
** - member of the 2018 All-Mountain West second team
