by: Marc Lawrence

Our freshly windexed crystal ball looks into the prospects of each of the 117 Division 1-A football teams for the upcoming campaign. Journey with us for a date with history as we examine the BEST and the WORST situations and games surrounding each team this season. We’ve penciled in the games of interest, and the parameters surrounding those games. Get your scorecards ready as we look to make a little extra bacon this college football season as we take a look inside the WAC for 2003…


WAC
A once up-and-coming league, the Western Athletic Conference has fallen upon hard times since the defection to the Mountain West Conference of its better teams in 1999. Nonetheless, the WAC takes pride in knowing they’ve hold a slight 12-11 edge in head-to-head games against MWC defectors. Boise State is once again the team to beat, with Fresno State, Hawaii, Louisiana Tech and Rice waiting to advance out of the the Broncos’ shadow. Curiously, it would be no surprise to us to see this league finish alphabetically from top to bottom in 2003.

BOISE STATE
Now that was impressive. In his 2nd year on the sidelines in Boise, head coach Dan Hawkins vaulted the Broncos to #1 offensive rankings in points and yards. Inside the WAC, Boise State averaged 51.1 PPG while surrendering 13.9 ppg, good for a whopping 37.2 ppg differential, eclipsing BYU’s mark established in 1979. Once again they’ll be lead by quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie and a supporting cast of weight-room freaks that hit the iron hard and heavy in the off-season. Look for Boise to at least maintain the nation’s 4th place ranking as the winningest Division 1-A program over the L4Y. (FYI: they rank ahead of Florida State, Kansas State, Nebraska, Texas, Michigan and Florida). No sense in trying to buck these Broncos as the assault looks to continue.
PASS

FRESNO STATE
The Pat Hill years have been kind to the Bulldogs, especially of late as Fresno has averaged nine wins per season over the L3 years. Despite taking it on the chin five times last year (all against fellow bowl teams) the ‘Dogs managed a nine victories despite losing star quarterback David Carr to the NFL draft. The biggest reason for all the success has been FSU’s ability to protect the ball, as they are +57 in turnovers under Hill’s regime. They are also ranked #1 (along with Louisville) in Division 1 football in team sacks over the last three seasons. The biggest hurdle this year appears in a schedule that finds them leaving home for seven games. Then, again, it’s really nothing new as they have taken to the road seven different times each of the past two seasons, going 9-5 SU. We’re believers.
PLAY ON: vs Oregon State (KEY if Dog)

HAWAII
Like Allstate, Warriors quarterback Timmy Chang knows he’s in good hands with head coach June Jones. After all Jones is a former NFL head coach, in addition to having been a QB coach with Houston. In fact he started his coaching career right here in Hawaii in 1983, tutoring – you guessed it – quarterbacks. Despite battling injuries all season long, Chang manages to start al 14 games for the Warriors. He’ll once again direct a high-profile run-n-shoot attack that was ranked #3 in the nation last year. With nine opponents sporting losing ledgers last year, another bowl game appears in the immediate offing. It ain’t broke and we’re not either thinking about fixing it. When the Tide rolls into Oahu, we’ll do the hula against Shula.
PLAY ON: as Dog vs Alabama

LOUISIANA TECH
Call this a good news / bad news scenario for Bulldogs’ head coach Jack Bicknell. The bummer is the loss of RB Joe Smith and the 1,216 rushing yards he registered last season. The bright spot is the return of 6’4” NFL QB prospect Luke McCown. McCown is the current active leader in passing yards (9,420) of all Division 1-A quarterbacks. That accounts for Tech being the only team in the nation to average more than 300 YPG in the air each of the past three seasons. Taking on a slate loaded with five bowl teams from last season certainly raises the bar. Look for the Bulldogs answer the task and to return to their winning ways in 2003.
PLAY ON: vs Miami Florida (Key: Dog of 21 > points)

NEVADA
The Wolf Pack is working their way back to the winning ways they enjoyed throughout most of the ‘90’s. Fourth year head coach Chris Tormey has witnessed improvement each of the last two seasons and, hopefully with the return of full health of star RB Chance Kretschmer, they may turn the corner in 2003. Kretschmer lead the nation in rushing in 2001 before bowing out most of the season with injuries last year. Replacing the highly productive tandem of QB Zack Treadgill and WR Nate Burleson will be difficult, no doubt about it. But having 10 returning starters back from a defense that improved dramatically last year certainly helps. Note that seven of their first nine games are against sub .500 squads.
PLAY ON: vs Fresno State

RICE
In a head coaching career that has spanned 24-years, Ken Hatfield enters the 2003 season as the nation’s 5th highest Division 1-A winningest active coach. He figures to keep climbing the ladder, too after taking on a schedule that includes only three winning teams from last year. In fact they will conclude the 2003 campaign against losers in seven of the last eight games, including each of the L5. Understandably, Hatfield likes his chances this year. “All of our seniors are ready to have a good year,” he says. And ready they’ll be following a 4-7 season last year. Included in the disappointing season were three losses by five or fewer points. Expect the Owls to be back on top of their perch in 2003.
PLAY ON: vs Nevada

SAN JOSE STATE
After doubling 2001’s win production, 38 year old Dr. Fitz Hill signed a four-year contract extension with the Spartans. One of only three Division 1-A head coaches with a doctorate degree, Hill was formerly an assistant at Arkansas for 11 years before taking over at San Jose. If he wishes to continue earning accolades for his prowess on the playing field he’ll need to paying closer attention to defensive details as his Spartans have allowed 501 and 494 YPG in his tenure with the team. To be sure, the eight returning starters on defense this season is a vast improvement over the two that were on hand at the beginning of the season last year. We doubt, however, they will be able to reach last year’s 9-4 ATS winning level.
PASS

SMU
Phil Bennett’s first year with the Mustangs might not have been as positive as he had hoped for but we’re certainly still high on his chances for success. The former Kansas State defensive coordinator took a few steps back during his maiden ride last year, but with 16 starters back we see better days ahead for the Ponies. “I wish we would have had more success last year but I have learned from some of our mistakes. We have a foundation in place. Now it’s time to start building on it,” Bennett said. Season ending wins to close out the 2002 campaign is a good starting point. Look for the Mustangs to corral an extra win or two in 2003.
PLAY ON: vs Rice

TEXAS EL PASO
Like a bankrupt tailor, the Miners were down to their final threads entering November last year. That’s when they were forced to start a 4th string quarterback in a nearly predictable blowout loss against Boise State. When hired in 2001, head coach Gary Nord vowed to rebuild the program the right way, through high school seniors rather than juco transfers. “At least we have some juniors now,” Nord notes. “We were playing primarily freshmen and sophomores. It was like we were fielding a JV team,” he said. Behind 14 returning starters they figure to get better, perhaps, this season. Nine losing teams on the schedule should help. “We’re not making any excuses. This is the hand we were dealt and we’re going to make the best of it,” he concludes. At the very least you have to admire a man like Nord, that’s for sure.
PLAY ON: as Favs vs Tulsa

TULSA
38 year old Steve Kragthorpe takes over a program in disarray and it couldn’t come at a better time. The former quarterbacks’ coach with the Buffalo Bills the L2Y, Kragthorpe was also Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator from 1997-2000. Bills star QB Drew Bledsoe has this to say about Kragthorpe’s arrival in Tulsa: “…he is a tremendous coach, very intelligent with a creative mind. Tulsa is getting a great coach and unfortunately, we’re losing a great coach.” Pretty powerful words from a respected man in the know. It will take time but we see the Hurricane huffing and puffing their way back to respectability soon. As they’ve only beat one lined team over the last two years, we’ll watch for now.
PASS