WEST DIVISION

Fresno State

Coach: Tim DeRuyter

2014 records: 6-8, 5-3 MWC

2014 story: A year after quarterback Derek Carr departed for the NFL, the Bulldogs edited the playbook, emphasizing the running game more than passing attack. “When you have Derek Carr and (wideouts) Josh Harper and Isaiah Burse, you’re going to throw,” DeRuyter said. Running back Marteze Waller gained 1,368 yards, averaging 6.08 yards per carry, in leading the Bulldogs to the West title.

2015 story: Waller is back for his senior season, although he was on a no-contact basis for spring ball. Brian Burrell, who seized the quarterback job last year, abandoned it after the season when he announced he was leaving the program. Zack Greenlee, Kilton Anderson and freshman Chason Virgil, a one-time Mississippi State commit who enrolled in January, were the quarterback contenders in the spring. The competition expanded to four when Ford Childress transferred from West Virginia. As a graduate, Childress is eligible to play this season without redshirting. One certainty is the Bulldogs will play fast. “We’re a very simple offense,” said offensive tackle Justin Northern, noting the Bulldogs have 20 base plays.

A Bulldog story: Last season, Charles Washington started games at all five positions in the defensive secondary. There was wear (his body fat dropped to 3 percent) and tear (double hernia, torn pelvis and torn hip abductors). He said he relied on feistiness instead of technique at each position. This year, Washington only will play left cornerback. He also has healed thanks to surgery and Bikram yoga. “It’s a crazy workout,” he said. “The room is 110 degrees. I’m trying to hold a plank, and I’m struggling for three seconds, and there’s a little lady holding hers with ease.”

Quote: “I’m slacking,” said Northern, after the mechanical-engineering major received a B in a summer class, dropping his cumulative GPA to 3.79.

Hawaii

Coach: Norm Chow

2014 records: 4-9, 3-5 MWC

2014 story: By the end of the first practice, the Rainbow Warriors lost three receivers. By the second game, injuries seized starting center Kody Afusia, running back Joey Iosefa and outside linebacker Jerrol Garcia-Williams. Along the way, two quarterbacks were injured and the starting signal-caller, Ikaika Woolsey, did not tap out despite season-long back pain. The good news was the Warriors had the most successful punting game. The bad news, at least offensively, was they led the nation in punt attempts.

2015 story: The Warriors hired three coordinators (Don Bailey for offense, Tom Mason for defense, Jake Cookus for special teams), and gave assistant coaching jobs to former workmanlike players, Lance Samuseva and Abraham Elimimian. Mason implemented an all-points blitzing attack that dominated the first three weeks of spring training. But Bailey’s no-huddle, no-pause spread offense eventually found its groove. The Warriors will go with a committee at running back and multiple combinations in the three- and four-receiver sets. In Chow’s first three UH years, the tight ends were blockers and check-down receivers. Davasyia Hagger and Tui Unga — 6-foot-6 and 6-5, respectively — can stretch defenses vertically and horizontally.

A Warrior story: On a hot afternoon, 290-pound Kiko Faalologo climbed armpit-deep into a 44-gallon container filled with iced water. That he did not not have an exit strategy was secondary to his willingness to do what it takes. Faalologo, who was raised in American Samoa, joined as a linebacker after delaying his enrollment three semesters. He was used at power back before finding a home at nose tackle in the 3-4 defense. Last week, Faalologo benched 405 pounds four times and squat-lifted 625 pounds.

Quote: “I kept saying before I came out here, this has to be a business trip. I have to take football more seriously than I’ve ever had in my life. You only get an X amount of shots, and here I am with my last one,” said quarterback Max Wittek, a USC transfer.

Nevada

Coach: Brian Polian

2014 records: 7-6, 4-4 MWC

2014 story: Dual-threat quarterback Cody Fajardo led the Pack to the ninth bowl in 10 years. In the mutated pistol offense, Fajardo was the Pack’s leading rusher and passer.

2015 story: The so-called dark side has avoided the spotlight. While the pistol earns the publicity, the defense delivers the tenacity. Last year, Ian Seau (Junior Seau’s nephew) and Lenny Jones split time at the defensive end position opposite Brock Hekking, who completed his eligibility in December. This year, Seau and Jones are forecast as the league’s top bookends. The interior defenders, tackle Rykeem Yates (10.5 backfield tackles) and Kevin McReynolds, a UCLA transfer, might be just as good. Tyler Stewart, a former UH recruit, should earn the start at quarterback. Running back Don Jackson embraces this mantra: run hard, run violently. Jackson can squat-lift 515 pounds. “I hate squatting,” Jackson said, “but it gets me better.”

A Wolf story: Do a search on “Jones” and “poster,” and there’s a YouTube video of Lenny Jones, as a high school senior, dunking on a stunned defender. “I was a little skinnier back then,” said Jones, now 6-3 and 270 pounds. NFL scouts believe Jones has next-level talent. But with only five sacks in a split role in 2014, that wasn’t enough to prompt an early college exit. Jones has three career interceptions, but he’s dropped five. Teammates are “more mad than me about the drops,” Jones said.

Quote: Jones said: “When that (pistol) offense was created, that was the next best thing since sliced bread. It was very successful, and it still is, so the defense had to take a back seat. It was Jordan/Pippen. It was Shaq/Kobe. We don’t feel slighted. … Nobody cares about defense until you start winning games 17-14 or 14-10.”

San Diego State

Coach: Rocky Long

2014 records: 7-6, 5-3 MWC

2014 story: Thanks to running back Donnel Pumphrey (146.2 rushing yards per game) and Long’s chaotic 3-3-5 defense, the Aztecs played in their fifth consecutive bowl after a 12-year drought.

2015 story: Jeff Horton, a former head coach and widely respected play-caller, was promoted to offensive coordinator. Two transfers — Jake Rodrigues from Oregon, Maxwell Smith from Kentucky — will battle at quarterback. But the strategy remains the same: Feed Pumphrey, who averaged 6.8 yards per carry and torched San Jose State for 261 rushing yards. “He sees the hole, he gets in the hole, and he makes people miss,” Long said. “He’s only 170, and he can break tackles and he can run over people. He goes 100 mph in practice. He goes 100 mph in the weight room. He’s a 100 mph guy.”

An Aztec story: If cornerback J.J. Whittaker didn’t have bad luck in his first three SDSU years, he probably wouldn’t have had any luck at all. He missed those seasons because of knee and shoulder injuries, then played all 26 games the next two seasons. He was granted a sixth season, which will enable him to earn a master’s degree in December. It also gives him another season to be involved in Long’s improvisational defense. “It’s blitzing anybody, dropping back anybody,” Whittaker said. “It’s all in coach Long’s brain. We don’t have a playbook. … Everything is free-flowing, like a river.”

Quote: Whittaker, who grew up in nearby Oceanside, said he always wanted to play for the Aztecs because of their helmets. “This was back in the day when they had the black at the bottom of the helmet with the red faded into it,” he said. “I thought that was kind of cool. I’m kind of bitter about not having that. But that’s child talk.”

San Jose State

Coach: Ron Caragher

2014 records: 3-9, 2-6 MWC

2014 story: After an overtime victory at Wyoming to improve to 3-3, the Spartans imploded, losing their final six games.

2015 story: Last month, Caragher dismissed two incoming freshmen for off-field incidents. The disciplinary actions distracted from the hiring of Al Borges, who has been an offensive coordinator for 28 consecutive years, and the recovery of Jared Leaf, a former Warrior who was severely burned in an apartment fire in April 2014. Borges is seeking to boost an offense that averaged an MWC-low 19.3 points per game and settle a quarterback position that incumbent Joe Gray has not yet seized. Leaf is projected to start at linebacker under Greg Robinson, who was the Denver Broncos’ coordinator for two Super Bowl victories.

A Spartan story: Junior linebacker Christian Tago believes in commitments. He has not cut his hair since he was a high school sophomore. He took his girlfriend to see a waterfall. When they reached the top of the hill, she looked down to see her family and friends on the other side. Tago took a knee, and proposed. Tago, who led the Spartans with 96 tackles, recently made another proposal. He asked Borges to also use him as a fullback in short-yardage situations.

Quote: On playing running back, slotback, wideout and returner, Tyler Ervin said: “There are no extra perks for playing more than one position.”

UNLV

Coach: Tony Sanchez

2014 records: 2-11, 1-7 MWC

2014 story: After four two-victory seasons in a row, the Rebels went to a bowl game in 2013, then regressed in 2014. The roller coaster came to stop when Bobby Hauck was dismissed following Hawaii’s comeback victory.

2015 story: No, UNLV will not be renamed UFC, even though the organization’s CEO is a supporter of the Rebels and Sanchez’s previous school, national power Bishop Gorman. But the Rebels already have undergone a makeover, with three new uniforms, a social-media presence, new coordinators (Barney Cotton on offense, Kent Baer on defense), and Sanchez’s tireless enthusiasm. “We go out, and there are people on a regular basis telling us how sick our uniforms look, how excited they are about our home games,” quarterback Blake Decker said. “It’s just a new vibe.” All that might not matter if the Rebels don’t improve offensively. Decker and wideout Devonte Boyd are starts. Cotton’s power-run schemes will bide time until more offensive pieces are added.

A Rebel story: Decker went on a two-year church mission, then joined his dream team, Brigham Young, as a walk-on. The dream lasted a spring semester when he was essentially cut. “Obviously, I’m going to have that chip on my shoulder that I wasn’t given that opportunity there,” Decker said. He attended a junior college before finding an opportunity in the desert. “I couldn’t be more grateful and happy for where I am not,” he said. “I love this team more than anything. And we have new uniforms.”

Quote: On drawing fans, Decker said: “You look at the (UNLV) basketball team, and it has huge support. The last time I checked, we were in the same city. It can be done.”

MOUNTAIN DIVISION

Air Force

Coach: Troy Calhoun

2014 records: 10-3, 5-3 MWC

2014 story: The Mountain Division was so tough the Falcons won 10 games but finished behind Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State. The triple-option, ground-oriented offense added a fourth dimension: The Falcons averaged 16 passes a game. “For us, we have to change every year,” Calhoun said. “When we throw the ball well, we’re a better team.”

2015 story: The Falcons hit “reset” following the graduation of 28 players. With spring training ending in early March to accommodate the academy’s demanding academic schedule — 75 percent of the semester’s work is graded from March through May — and freshmen rounding into shape following basic training, the Falcons will be in an accelerated mode in training camp. Nate Romine, who played five games last year, and senior Karson Roberts, who did not throw a pass in three games, are the top quarterbacks. Jalen Robinette is back, but he’s a wideout, and the Falcons still are committed to the running game.

A Falcon story: Defensive end Alex Hansen takes seven classes a semester, sleeps six hours a night, and, as extra credit, plays on special teams. He recalled a game played in minus-17 degrees in which the football was as hard as the ground. On a field-goal attempt, Hansen jumped high while the kick went low. “I took one in the stomach,” he said. “It hurt.”

Quote: “We don’t get the five-star athletes,” right guard A.J. Ruechel said. “We take pride in being the gritty team that wears you down.”

Boise State

Coach: Bryan Harsin

2014 records: 12-2, 7-1 MWC

2014 story: Harsin’s first season as BSU head coach concluded the same way as his predecessor Chris Petersen’s initial season — with a Fiesta Bowl victory. Quarterback Grant Hedrick and running back Jay Ajayi were the 1-2 combos as the Broncos closed with nine victories in a row.

2015 story: Jeremy McNichols, who averaged 9.4 yards per carry as Ajayi’s understudy, and Stanford transfer Kelsey Young will try to replenish the running game. McNichols has healed from offseason hernia surgery. Ryan Finley and Brett Rypien, whose uncle Mark Rypien is a former Super Bowl MVP, are among the four contenders at quarterback. The Broncos added a 6-foot-3 target with Scottsdale College transfer Austin Cottrell’s recent signing. Defensive end Kamalei Correa, a Saint Louis School graduate, led the MWC with 12 sacks in 2014.

A Bronco story: Blind-side blocker Rees Odhiambo grew in high school — going from 220 pounds the summer before his junior year to 275 pounds at graduation — then matured at Boise. He cooks most of his non-training-table meals, and has embraced the Broncos’ policy of sleeping at home during training camp and the night before home games. “If you have to be mature enough to handle the lifestyle and responsibility,” Odhiambo said. “If you can’t, you can’t last long.”

Quote: On BSU offering the largest cost-of-attendance checks, Odhiambo said: “That’s good. We eat more than the average person.”

Colorado State

Coach: Mike Bobo

2014 records: 10-3, 6-2 MWC

2014 story: Quarterback Garrett Grayson’s breakout season led to his third-round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. Running back Dee Hart, an Alabama graduate transfer, provided complementary skills in his one-and-done season. Unfortunately, Jim McElwaine was a three-and-done coach. He accepted the head job at Florida.

2015 story: At the MWC media days, a hotel guest misidentified long-bearded safety Trent Matthews as Houston Rockets guard James Harden. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know the Rams, with a retooled offense, will need to rely more on unheralded defense. Matthews, a fourth-year starter, is the leader of the secondary. Free safety Kevin Pierre-Louis is the playmaker (85 tackles). Cory James, who knows the linebacker positions inside and out, has 22 career sacks and will be vital in the converted 4-3 scheme.

A Rams story: Nicknamed “Hollywood” in Pee Wee ball, Rashard Higgins was destined for stardom. To go along with his blockbuster stats — FBS leader in touchdown catches (17) and receiving yards (1,570 for the season, 145.8 per game) — Higgins has the confidence and skills to help quarterback Nick Stevens and a youthful offensive line. “I sleep with a football,” Higgins said. “I’ll put that football in my bed just like it’s a little baby. I love that football. I don’t have a blankie. I have a football.”

Quote: On the CSU-promoted “Hollywood Popcorn,” Higgins said: “It’s really buttery. It’s not for me to have. It’s for you to have because I’m putting on a show for you.”

New Mexico

Coach: Bob Davie

2014 records: 4-8, 2-6 MWC

2014 story: The Lobos endured a third consecutive losing season under Davie, who was Notre Dame’s head coach and a long-time television analyst before returning to coaching.

2015 story: Quarterback Lamar Jordan ran the pistol-based, triple-option offense to marginal results. Austin Apodaca, who initially signed with Washington State before attending Mesa College, is a better passer in an offense that, in an ideal situation, favors rushes on a 70/30 basis. Davie inherited a program with one scholarship quarterback three years ago. Davie’s regret is that nine players, such as tight end Reece White and cornerback Cranston Jones, never redshirted and are entering their final season.

A Lobo story: Jones recalled feeling a pop in his elbow during a game. “They said it was out of place,” Jones said. “Then they kind of popped it right back in. They didn’t even give a countdown, like ‘3, 2, 1 …’ They just popped it back in.” Jones was scheduled to miss three or four games. He missed only one. His only problem was the brace that occasionally slipped, forcing him to the sideline for an equipment adjustment. He finished with three interceptions last year.

Quote: On having to gain weight, White said: “I ate a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The key is to eat late at night, right before you go to sleep, so you can’t burn it off. I would eat four sandwiches and drink two glasses of milk. I’d go to bed and, ooh, it was kind of painful.”

Utah State

Coach: Matt Wells

2014 records: 10-4, 6-2 MWC

2014 story: The Aggies lost three quarterbacks to injuries. Kent Myers, months removed from his senior prom, stepped in, going 5-1 and being named the New Mexico Bowl’s MVP.

2015: If Chuckie Keeton remains healthy, he will become the first Aggie quarterback to start five season openers. Keeton tore his ACL in 2013, then aggravated it in the first game of 2014. Keeton said he felt 100 percent in February. Wells said Keeton made several cuts in spring training that “when you rewind (the video), you’re like, ‘Ooh, that’s the old Chuckie.’” Myers debated moving to wideout until Darrell Garretson opted to transfer. Kevin Clune returns to USU as defensive coordinator. He was the Aggies’ linebackers coach for five seasons before running Hawaii’s defense last year.

An Aggie story: The previous two MWC media events, USU distributed Keeton-themed notepads and football cards. “I got hurt those two years,” Keeton said of the absence of swag this year. “I don’t need it this year.” Keeton said the past rehabilitation was easier. He incorporated squat-lifts into his workouts. Keeton attended the Manning Camp this summer. New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton offered tips that Keeton has used in his preparation. “He said a team needs a quarterback who gets into the pilot seat of a plane,” Keeton said. “I have to make sure there’s no turbulence. I can’t afford to waste any plays.”

Quote: On Clune’s stint as UH’s coordinator, Wells said: “My wife called it his one-year sabbatical.”

Wyoming

Coach: Craig Bohl

2014 records: 4-8, 2-6 MWC

2014 story: Bohl struggled to implement a new team culture in his first season as head coach. Bohl said there was a game when the Cowboys didn’t compete until the final whistle. “That’s unacceptable,” he said. “That’s not us.”

2015 story: Bohl would prefer to build through high school recruiting. But as a stop-gap, he signed quarterback Cam Coffman last year. Coffman had success at Indiana but decided he needed a program that better suited his skills. Bohl said his goals to success are a season quarterback, two good running backs, an impactful defensive tackle and two cover corners.

A Cowboy story: Defensive end Eddie Yarbrough spent the offseason volunteering with the Love Child organization in Haiti. He helped build churches and a nutrition center, tutored in an orphanage and high school, and made friends with those still suffering from the 2010 earthquake. “When I’m on my death bed and I’m about to die, what is 13 sacks going to weigh against I helped a village sustain life and a kid not go hungry for a year. It’s a perspective.”

Quote: Bohl said: “We brand ourselves as Cowboy-tough football. That can’t be something you just slap on the back of a T-shirt. You have to show that. You have to put your hand in the dirt and play that way.”