Lobos picked last in Mountain Division

Expectations are still low for New Mexico. The Rams will be represented by first-year Head Coach Mike Bobo, junior wide receiver Rashard Higgins and senior safety Trent Matthews.

Defending Mountain West champion Boise State was predicted to win the Mountain Division title as the Broncos garnered 28 of a possible 30 first-place votes and earned a total of 177 points. He was a second-team All-MWC choice in 2013.

Parker Robertson is an alum of Utah State University, a freelance contributor, and an avid sports fan. After all, the Aggies return 15 starters – eight on offense, seven on defense – from last year’s team that went 10-4 overall after going 6-2 in the Mountain Division and notching a 21-6 victory over UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl. 10 Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl to finish 16th in both The Associated Press and USA Today Coaches final polls. The event begins Tuesday with the league’s six teams from the West Division, and concludes Wednesday with CSU and the five other teams from the Mountain Division. Fackrell was also selected as the preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

Fackrell, a senior, is coming off a serious knee injury that ended his 2014 season after less than half of the opener against Tennessee.

Following the 2013 season, the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder was named an honorable mention Sophomore All-American by College Football News and earned second-team all-Mountain West honors as he finished the year ranking first on the team with 13.0 tackles for loss, tied for first with two forced fumbles and second with his 5.0 sacks, while ranking fourth on the team with 82 total tackles (37-solo, 45-assist).

Linebacker Kyler Fackrell was also voted the Preseason Defensive Player of one’s Year, despite the fact that quarterback Chuckie Keeton and linebacker Nick Vigil were really throughout the all-conference preseason group. Perennial power Boise State is picked to win. Furthermore, the Aggies have played in four-straight bowl games, winning each of their last three, both of which are school records. Eighteen starters from 2014 return, including junior running back Donnel Pumphrey, a 2014 first-team All-MW honoree who led the Conference and was fourth in the nation in rushing yards with 1,867.

Fresno State, winners of the West Division each of the past two years, received three first-place votes and 141 points to place second behind SDSU in the West Division poll, followed by Nevada (113), San Jose State (91), Hawaii (70) and UNLV (38).