The head football coach departed and nine offensive starters exhausted their NCAA eligibility.

But no panic buttons were pushed — not by Utah State, which looked to reload, nor by the Mountain West Conference, which sought a model for its new “At the Peak” publicity campaign.

Sometimes, all you need is Love.

USU quarterback Jordan Love was everywhere at the league’s Media Days last week. His name was on heart-shaped candy, his image was on notebooks. Love was the coveted guest for radio shows and TV spots at the meet-the-media event in Henderson, Nev. In media polling, Love was selected as the Mountain West’s preseason offensive player the year.

“It’s huge to be recognized for something like that,” Love said. “It’s fun to see. You can’t think too much about it.”

Three years ago, few thought much about Love, whose only Division I scholarship offer came from the Aggies. He signed in 2016, redshirted that year, started six games in 2017, and then broke out last season. As a third-year sophomore, he was accurate on 64% of his passes, with 57% of his completions resulting in first downs. His touchdown-to-interception ratio was 32-to-6. He also played half the season with a torn meniscus.

The Aggies’ spread-and-shred offense is played at a rat-a-tat pace. To train, the Aggies practice running 10 plays in 100 seconds. “We’ll go out there, line the balls up, run a play, set up as fast as we can, and do that all the way down the field,” Love said. “That’s how you train for it.”

As yards piled up, defenders’ hands dropped to their knee pads.

“It’s like a video game,” Love said. “It’s so fun. It’s like hitting the tempo button on ‘Madden’ the whole game. You can see the defense can get real frustrated going against it.”

When Matt Wells accepted the head coaching job at Texas Tech. Love did not give much thought to transferring.

“This is my team,” Love said. “I’m not here for the coaches. I’m here for the team. I’m here to play.”

After learning that Gary Andersen, who coached the Aggies for three seasons through 2012, was returning, “we got excited,” Love said. “We saw what he did when he was here. To actually have him here again, you can see how good a coach he is, and how much he cares about us.”

These days, Love focuses on school, football and getting into hot water.

“Just being in my thoughts,” Love said. “That’s how I relax. I do that by taking hot showers. I can stand in the shower all day. Obviously, you don’t want to do that to run the water bill up. But I can stand there all day and let the water hit my head.”

WEST DIVISION

FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS

>> 2018: 12-2, 7-1 MWC

>> Head coach: Jeff Tedford

>> The situation: The Bulldogs lost 30 players from last year’s roster, including game-managing quarterback Marcus McMaryion. Another departure was offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer, whose 34.6-point-per-game offense relocated to Indiana. Ryan Grubb, promoted from line coach, will direct the offense that is based in run-pass-option concepts. Jorge Reyna, who had more action as a holder (84 snaps) than passer (8-for-12) last year, gets the first shot as McMaryion’s replacement. The three-man committee at running back has been downsized to a partnership between Ronnie Rivers (5.63 yards per carry) and Jordan Mims (54% conversion on third-down rushes). Mykal Walker, who had 14 tackles for loss and six breakups as a defensive end, is now the middle linebacker.

>> The Man: As the offensive line’s strongman, Netane Muti’s Achilles’ heel has been his Achilles. The rupture ended his 2018 season in the second week. Muti’s healthy again, and the only question is whether the Leilehua graduate will line up at left tackle or guard. “That’s an animal right there,” Rivers said. “Strongest dude I’ve ever seen. We’ll be in the weight room, and he’ll have like four plates (on each side of the bar) and repping it out. I’m like, ‘Damn.’ ”

HAWAII RAINBOW WARRIORS

>> 2018: 8-6, 5-3 MWC

>> Head coach: Nick Rolovich

>> The situation: The Rainbow Warriors are entering Rolovich’s fourth season as head coach and an era dubbed the “second phase.” The Warriors lost slotback John Ursua and linebacker Jahlani Tavai to the NFL. But there are 10 new receivers, including slotback Melquise Stovall (who began his career at California) and wideout Jared Smart (son of New York Knicks assistant coach Keith Smart), to complement slotback Cedric Byrd (970 receiving yards) and wideout JoJo Ward (17.0 yards per catch). Jeremiah Pritchard, who redshirted as a junior in 2018, should provide a boost at middle linebacker in the Warriors’ 4-2-5 scheme.

>> The Man: While Kohl Levao’s move to center has strengthened the interior blocking and right tackle Gene Pryor has completed the starting line, Ilm Manning is counted on to provide blind-side protection for quarterbacks Cole McDonald and Chevan Cordeiro. As a true freshman in 2018, Manning was not penalized for holding or a false start in more than 950 plays, including 545 pass attempts.

NEVADA WOLF PACK

>> 2018: 8-5, 5-3 MWC

>> Head coach: Jay Norvell

>> The situation: The Pack has established the Air Pistol — a mesh of the Air Raid (whose concepts mirror run-and-shoot schemes) and run-oriented Pistol. “We want to throw the ball first,” Norvell said, “and we want to run the ball out of the pistol (formation). We want to be physical.” Nevada has rugged left-side blockers on the line and Toa Taua, a 5-8, 220-pound powerback averaging 4.9 yards per touch. For now, there’s a time share at QB among Christian Solano, Carson Strong and “Last Chance U” alumnus Malik Henry, who began his career at Florida State. The front seven is the strength of the defense, led by linebackers Gabriel Sewell (93 tackles) and Lucas Weber (5.5 sacks), a sixth-year senior.

>> The Man: After two years as a running back headed nowhere, Weber was offered the choice of moving to fullback (a position that had not been created yet in UNR’s offense) or switching to defense. He chose to cross the line. “I realized when I moved to the defensive side of the ball you can’t be a selfish player,” Weber said. “You have to be very selfless and you have to work with the guys around you. My personality has changed.”

SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS

>> 2018: 7-6, 4-4 MWC

>> Head coach: Rocky Long

>> The situation: After production dropped by 10 points, to 20.6 per game in 2018, the Aztecs decided to take a step backward — five, actually. The Aztecs are switching from an I formation to a spread, with Ryan Agnew taking snaps in the shotgun rather than from under center. The admission is Agnew can scan the defense earlier; the reality is most QBs grew up in the shotgun. “If the players are more comfortable, they play better,” Long said. The tailback will have to adjust to playing 5 yards from the line of scrimmage instead of 7, reducing his running angles. Speedback Juwan Washington (4.47 seconds in the 40) fell a yard short of extending the Aztecs’ streak of eights years with a 1,000-yard rusher. At 5-7, Washington has studied YouTube videos of Barry Sanders, a 5-8 Hall of Fame back. “My mom is a big sports fan,” Washington said. “She told me about Barry Sanders.”

>> The Man: In his first full season as a starter, middle linebacker Kyahva Tezino amassed 127 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 14.5 backfield stops. His most impressive move was a non-move: He decided against applying for the 2019 NFL Draft. “I didn’t want to leave without winning a championship for my team,” Tezino said. “I felt the team needed me to come back.” Tezino is on schedule to earn a bachelor’s degree in December.

SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS

>> 2018: 1-11, 1-7 MWC

>> Head coach: Brent Brennan

>> The situation: The previous two seasons, the Spartans played 47 different freshmen, which might or might not have contributed to a 3-22 mark and a brief senior day (13 for last year’s home finale). The youth movement was activated because, according to Brennan, there were an “insane number” of injuries to experienced players. “I’m excited watching them grow,” Brennan said. Four starters return to the offensive line, and a projected fifth, right tackle Quinn Oseland, is a graduate transfer from Minnesota. Quarterback Josh Love, a fifth-year senior, is efficient (56% accuracy) if he can stay upright. He was sacked 18 times in eight games. But he also threw for 451 yards and three TDs against Hawaii.

>> The Man: After each season, Ethan Aguayo attends a private film festival. “I watch every one of our games a couple times, just seeing what I could do better,” Aguayo said. “How could I shave on the blitz or come in a different lane? I’m always critiquing myself.” In the 11 games he played last year, Aguayo’s 106 tackles accounted for 12% of the Spartans’ stops.

UNLV REBELS

>> 2018: 4-8, 2-6 MW

>> Head coach: Tony Sanchez

>> The situation: Nearly two weeks ago, the Rebels were jolted when it was announced offensive coordinator Barney Cotton would not coach this season while awaiting a heart transplant. Cotton had spent the spring implementing the run-pass option to assist dual-skilled quarterback Armani Rogers. At 6-5, Rogers had been hyped as having a similar build to Cam Newton. But Rogers does not appear to give a fig about Newton, saying, “I don’t pay attention to the media. I go out there and be myself. They see the comparison, I don’t see the comparison.” Rogers is good on the move (6.1 yards per rush), but inconsistent on throws (44.4% accuracy, with 56% of his completions resulting in first downs). “He’s a special guy,” Sanchez said. “There’s a big difference in our football team when he’s in there and when he’s not in there.”

>> The Man: For linebacker Javin White, every Saturday in the fall is Valentine’s Day. “Man, I love football,” White said. “People say they fall out of love when they get to college, but I love college football. I love watching the NFL, but I love watching college football more.” White has a middle-row view as the Rebels’ play-adjuster. He is coming off a season in which he made four picks and forced four fumbles.

MOUNTAIN DIVISION

AIR FORCE FALCONS

>> 2018: 5-7, 3-5 MWC

>> Head coach: Troy Calhoun

>> The situation: With a triple-option QB a potential pinata every play, the Falcons have not had a wire-to-wire starting signal-caller since 2012. Calhoun indicated Donald Hammond III and Isaiah Sanders are prepared to take a significant number of snaps. “They’re both going to contribute this year,” Calhoun said. Running back Cole Fagan, who rushed for 260 yards against Colorado State, was removed from the 2019 roster. The fastest Falcon — tailback Kade Remsberg (10.64 in 100 meters) — is expected to expand his workload. There are nine returnees from the defensive rotation, including safety Jeremy Fejedelem (104 tackles) and 330-pound nose guard Mosese Fifita.

>> The Man: Of the Falcons’ 168 passes, only 17 were intended for tight end Kade Waguespack. But his nine catches averaged 15.2 yards. “I’ll slip out every now and then, and I’ll be wide open,” said Waguespack, who is mostly a perimeter blocker. “There was one play where I ran straight up the field and there was nobody within 15, 20 yards of me.”

BOISE STATE BRONCOS

>> 2018: 10-3, 7-1 MWC

>> Head coach: Bryan Harsin

>> The situation: The Broncos return nine defensive players with at least nine starts, including the league’s preseason top defender, stud linebacker Curtis Weaver (15 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks). Inside linebacker Ezekiel Noa made 29 of his 36 tackles in the final four games. Jeff Schmedding was hired away from Eastern Washington to be the special teams coordinator, but when Andy Avalos departed for Oregon, Schmedding moved to defensive coordinator. Brett Rypien completed his eligibility, and Harsin promised each of the five scholarship quarterbacks a shot at the starting job. “How long that shot lasts,” Harsin recalled saying, “that’s really up to you.” A decision is expected between the first scrimmage and 10 days from the opener against Florida State. “We’re not going to have two quarterbacks in the huddle, and break the huddle, and one of them runs out,” Harsin said.

>> The Man: All five starting offensive linemen return, but only one of them — left guard John Molchon — owns several pieces of history. With the resurfacing at Albertsons Stadium, Molchon bought five pieces of the old blue turf. “I bought them for family, friends, whatever I feel like, maybe a birthday,” he said.

COLORADO STATE RAMS

>> 2018: 3-9, 2-6 MWC

>> Head coach: Mike Bobo

>> The situation: Last year’s on-field problems were secondary to the health issues of Bobo, who suffered an autoimmune disorder that created numbness and prickly pain in his feet. Bobo, who was hospitalized for 10 days last August, was forced to watch games from the coaches’ booth instead of the sidelines. Bobo said missed tackles and an inconsistent running attack, not his ailments, were factors in the Rams’ struggles. While Bobo continues to improve, quarterback Collin Hill enjoyed his first healthy spring. He missed the equivalent of 1 1/2 seasons because of ACL injuries. “I think you’re not human if you’re not frustrated,” Hill said of the rehabs. When healthy, Hill is 58.9% passer who is expected to boost the Rams’ 22.8-point average.

>> The Man: Is it any wonder defensive end Emmanuel Jones plays without brakes? He grew up in Euharlee, Ga., with under 5,000 residents and no McDonald’s or stoplights. “We have a Dollar General, but everybody has a Dollar General,” Jones said. For fun, he rides four-wheel dirt bikes. “We’re out there kicking up dirt,” he said. “That’s what we do.”

NEW MEXICO LOBOS

>> 2018: 3-9, 1-7 MWC

>> Head coach: Bob Davie

>> The situation: After six years in the triple-option offense, Davie sought a mashup by adding spread elements. But backup quarterback Coltin Gerhart was hurt in the 2018 opener, and starter Tavaka Tuioti was TKO’d the following week. Down to third-string Sheriron Jones, the Lobos scrapped the triple-option and went with the spread. They mustered 1,828 rushing yards in 2018, down 2,722 yards from 2016. “We lost the identity of what we had with the triple option,” Davie said. The Lobos will reboot the mesh plan with a healthy Tuioti and Joe Dailey, their third offensive coordinator in three years.

>> The Man: Known in Twitter World as the “Absurd Hero,” defensive lineman Aaron Blackwell back-squatted 675 pounds during an offseason workout in 2018. The Lobos tweeted the video of teammates cheering on Blackwell, and soon the 30-second clip was on ESPN. “And then my mom calls me,” Blackwell said. “I’m like, ‘How did you know?’ I kind of got the idea that (video) was going crazy.”

UTAH STATE AGGIES

>> 2018: 11-2, 7-1 MWC

>> Head coach: Gary Andersen

>> The situation: Andersen has returned to Cache Valley to succeed the coach (Matt Wells, now at Texas Tech) who succeeded him. Andersen kept the house even during head-coaching stints at Wisconsin and Oregon State. He inherits an offense that lost four starters on the offensive line, three receivers and a top tight end and running back. But quarterback Jordan Love, the preseason offensive player of the year, will run a system under new offensive coordinator Mike Sanford that is similar to last year’s attack. Linebacker David Woodward was named to the Associated Press’ All-America third team after compiling 134 tackles. There’s a casting call for the other linebacker position.

>> The Man: Rush end Tipa Galeai (10.5 sacks in 2018) has embraced his Polynesian ancestry despite growing up on the mainland. His father, Lem Galeai, is a Kahuku alumnus who was inducted into the Idaho State Hall of Fame in 2010. The younger Galeai attended a Texas high school (Trinity) with a sizable Polynesian enrollment and a team that performs the haka. To maintain his weight, Galeai said, he treats himself to palusami and lu pulu.

WYOMING COWBOYS

>> 2018: 6-6, 4-4 MWC

>> Head coach: Craig Bohl

>> The situation: To fill a key position, the Cowboys employed a national search. After extensive vetting, the Cowboys landed an executive chef for their new training facility. “How you feed a guy is as important as how you train him,” Bohl said. They put equal care into rehabbing quarterback Sean Chambers, who completed 60% of his passes and scrambled for 329 yards in a four games before suffering a leg injury. “I wouldn’t say leaders are born, but they’ve gotta have some DNA in there,” Bohl said. “He commands a lot of respect.” Middle linebacker Logan Wilson racked up 103 tackles, and last week, the Cowboys added cornerback Azizi Hearn, a graduate transfer from Arizona.

>> The Man: As a fourth-grader, Cooper Rothe played in a league where the PAT was worth one point for a pass or run and two points for a kick. “I wanted any edge, and I started kicking from that time,” Rothe said. At Wyoming, he learned how to gauge his readiness while kicking into a net on the sideline. “My freshman year, I struggled because you can’t really tell how far the ball could go when you’re kicking into a net,” Rothe said. Last year, he converted 16 of 17 field-goal attempts.