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BOISE, IDAHO – Hawai‘i has been named the favorite in the 2003 Western Athletic Conference football media poll announced today at the conference’s football media preview being held in Boise, Idaho. The Warriors were 10-4 last year and finished second in the WAC with a 7-1 record in league play.

Hawai‘i received 227 points and 12 first-place votes from media members around the WAC. Boise State, the defending WAC champions, was picked second after garnering 223 points and nine first-place votes. Fresno State earned four first-place votes and finished in third for the second straight season with 212 points. Nevada was picked fourth with 161 points followed by Louisiana Tech, San Jose State, SMU, Rice, UTEP and Tulsa.

The media also voted on preseason players of the year. Boise State
quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie was voted the Offensive Player of the Year while Nevada defensive end Jorge Cordova was picked as the Defensive Player of the Year.

Dinwiddie, a senior from Elk Grove, Calif. (Elk Grove HS), threw for 2,283
yards and 20 touchdowns last year for Boise State despite missing four games with a broken ankle. Cordova, a senior from Murrieta, Calif. (Murrieta HS), led the WAC with 8.5 sacks last season. He also had 13 tackles for a loss of 78 yards and made 54 tackles for the Wolf Pack.

The following is the complete 2003 WAC football media poll with first-place votes in parentheses:

Rank Team (1st place votes) Points
1. Hawai‘i (12) 227
2. Boise State (9) 223
3. Fresno State (4) 212
4. Nevada 161
5. Louisiana Tech 148
6. San Jose State 127
7. SMU 99
8. Rice 92
9. UTEP 56
10. Tulsa 30

As the other two teams that play in the Metroplex have been picked to win their conferences!

Then the competition in the WAC might not be as bad as many suggest. I'd guess that if TCU and UNT were in the WAC, the Frogs would be picked second or third (at least behind Boise State - not sure why Hawaii is picked ahead of BSU) and UNT would be ahead of UTEP and Tulsa only.

Of course, this poll is done by the media. I'd be very interested to see how the coaches ranked everyone.

Hawaii has Tommy Chang returning for his senior year. I think they get Boise and Fresno at home this year as well. But I look for the top four teams, Fresno, Boise, Hawaii and Nevada to beat each other up with SMU, San Jose, La. Tech and Rice all pulling off some surprises this year. I doubt any team in the WAC will be in the Top 25 because they'll knock each other off. Remember David Carr's senior year at Fresno when they pulled off all those upsets, but didn't win the conference.

[This message has been edited by EastStang (edited 07-24-2003).]

We need to upgrade conferences. We are almost always picked to come in7th or 8th against these weenies.

Whereas I'm not so bold as to claim we'll win the WAC or anything, I think those WAC media dopes are about to be in for a rude awakening. 7th my a__!

I'm with you, Peruna Punch.

Just released: the official whatasteve Preseason WAC poll:

1. Boise State
2. Fresno State
3. Hawaii
4. (tie) SMU
4. (tie) Louisiana Tech
6. Nevada
7. San Jose State
8. Rice
9. UTEP
10. Tulsa 30

OldPony, you may call the western WAC brethern "weenies," but those schools have done a lot to enhance their porgrams. While living in the Sacramanto area, I was impressed by what nevada and boise (in particular) have done. SMU is way, WAY, better school. Yet, we've allowed ourselves to wallow in bs left over from Pye. (I'll let Stallion continue to remind everyone better.)

Fresno is a growing region, with not much else to offer, so, the program gets a lot of attention. Not only from the city, but the whole stinkin' central valley of CA. Mama Bouche can tell us more about that too, as it seems he lives and works there. SMU is also a way, WAY better school.

Call them "weenies," but they have gone out and gotten top recruits and some quality sleepers. Dinwiddie was a major score for boise. Elk Grove has some good kids, as do many of the Sac area schools. I'd love to have seen some go to SMU, not the "weenie" schools. But we don't have a chance. We still have to improve in getting the kids from our back yard before we look outside.

In the meantime, I'd like SMU to strat getting as serious as those "weenie" schools.

GO PONIES!

For the WAC to have credibility going into Bowl season, the following must happen:
Fresno has to win 2/3 against OU(A), Tennessee(A) and Oregon State(h).
Boise has to win all OOC games.
Hawaii has to split with USC(A)and Alabama(h)
SMU has to split its OOC games.
Nevada has to split road games at Oregon and Washington.
Rice beating UT would be a big surprise as would La. Tech beating Miami and SJS beating Stanford. Its tough to get respect these days.

Is it me, or does Jorge Cordova look 30???

No Cal- You missed my tongue in cheek humor. I was saying that we keep talking about bettering ourselves in conference affiliation but we don't fare very well in the supposedly weak conference that we are in. If we were winning the WAC, or at least challenging for the title, we would have a much better gripe. I, too, would like to play schools of better athletic standing but we need to show something on the field which makes us more desirable to play. It wouldn't hurt to have a crowd at a game either.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by LA_Mustang:
<B>Is it me, or does Jorge Cordova look 30???</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah, a man among boys.

IMO, Boise St. is being highly overrated in many preseason mags/polls. BSU lost every quality WR from last year's team, save 5'-9" 180 Tim Gilligan. Gilligan accounted for 1 TD; 2 other returning BSU WRs also scored 1 TD each last season. They are moving a couple of DBs to WR this year due to the lack of depth.

Trust me, inexperienced WRs running wrong routes, dropping passes, and tipping footballs into the air will make any quality QB look horrendous!

Also gone from BSU is 1,611 yard rusher & 32 TD producer, Brock Forsey.

BSU's defense will likely spend a lot more time on the field in 2003 than they did last season.