July 21, 2008
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LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The San Diego State football team has been picked to finish seventh in the Mountain West Conference preseason poll of MWC media members, the league announced Monday at its annual media day in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Aztecs, who return 12 starters, including eight on the defensive side of the ball, received 92 points. Brigham Young, which captured its second straight MWC title in 2008, was selected to win the conference title after receiving 29 first-place votes and 299 overall. Utah earned 274 points and five first-place votes to come in second, while TCU was third with 293 points.
New Mexico was slated to finish fourth (197 points), with Wyoming (156), Air Force (141), the Aztecs (92), Colorado State (73) and UNLV (59) rounding out the poll.
San Diego State has finished the same or better than predicted in the preseason poll in each of the last three seasons. Last season, SDSU was predicted to finish eighth in MWC play but managed to place sixth.
In addition, senior Russell Allen (Oceanside, Calif.) was named to the 2008 preseason all-conference team. A linebacker, Allen became the first Aztec to earn preseason all-conference honors since Antwan Applewhite's selection in 2006.
Aztec season and single-game tickets are still available and can be purchased at the Aztec ticket office at Qualcomm Stadium or by calling (619) 293-SDSU (7378).
| 2008 Mountain West Conference Preseason Football Poll | ||
| Rk. | Team (first place votes) | Points |
| 1. | BYU (29) | 299 |
| 2. | Utah (5) | 274 |
| 3. | TCU | 239 |
| 4. | New Mexico | 197 |
| 5. | Wyoming | 156 |
| 6. | Air Force | 141 |
| 7. | San Diego State | 92 |
| 8. | Colorado State | 73 |
| 9. | UNLV | 59 |
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| 2008 Preseason All-Mountain West Football Team | ||||
| Position | Student-Athlete | Class | School | |
| OFFENSE | ||||
| WR | Austin Collie** | Jr. | BYU | |
| WR | Ryan Wolfe | Jr. | UNLV | |
| OL | Nick Charles** | Jr. | Air Force | |
| OL | Ray Feinga* | Sr. | BYU | |
| OL | Dallas Reynolds* | Sr. | BYU | |
| OL | Blake Schlueter** | Sr. | TCU | |
| OL | Robert Conley** | Sr. | Utah | |
| TE | Dennis Pitta* | Jr. | BYU | |
| QB | Max Hall* | Jr. | BYU | |
| RB | Harvey Unga** | So. | BYU | |
| RB | Rodney Ferguson* | Sr. | New Mexico | |
| DEFENSE | ||||
| DL | Jan Jorgensen* | Jr. | BYU | |
| DL | Paul Kruger | So. | Utah | |
| DL | John Fletcher** | Jr. | Wyoming | |
| DL/LB | Ryan Kemp | Sr. | Air Force | |
| LB | Ward Dobbs** | Sr. | Wyoming | |
| LB | Russell Allen | Sr. | San Diego State | |
| LB | Jason Phillips** | Sr. | TCU | |
| DB | Brice McCain** | Sr. | Utah | |
| DB | DeAndre Wright* | Sr. | New Mexico | |
| DB | Stephen Hodge** | Sr. | TCU | |
| DB | Robert Johnson | Jr. | Utah | |
| SPECIALISTS | ||||
| P | Louie Sakoda* | Sr. | Utah | |
| PK | Louie Sakoda** | Sr. | Utah | |
| Ret. | Devin Moore | Sr. | Wyoming | |
| * member of the 2007 All-Mountain West Conference first-team. ** member of the 2007 All-Mountain West Conference second-team. | ||||
| Offensive Player of the Year: Max Hall, Jr., QB, BYU | ||||
| Defensive Player of the Year: Jason Phillips, Sr., LB, TCU | ||||
| Special Teams Player of the Year: Louie Sakoda, Sr., PK/P, Utah | ||||
| Freshman of the Year: Braylon Broughton, DE, TCU | ||||