July 28, 2015
LAS VEGAS - The San Diego State football team has been picked to win the West Division of the Mountain West in the 2015 preseason poll, the league announced Tuesday in Las Vegas. The poll is voted on by media representatives who cover the conference.
It is the first time that the Aztecs have been picked to win the league, although this is the third year of the two divisions in the MW. SDSU was selected to take second in the west each of the past two seasons after averaging a predicted finish of 6.5 from 2005-12.
San Diego State did one better than its prediction last year, tying for first in the MW West with Fresno State. The Aztecs have ended up at or better than their predicted finish in six straight seasons and nine times over the past 10 years.
SDSU garnered 177 points, including 27 of the 30 first-place votes in the MW West. San Diego State came into the year with just 22 first-place votes in the first 16 years of the league. The only other time that the Aztecs received multiple first-place votes were in 2014 (15) and 1999 (4). Fresno State picked up the other three first-place votes and has 141 total, while Nevada is predicted third with 113. San José State (91), Hawai‘i (70) and UNLV (38) round out the west.
SDSU plays both the predicted second-place finisher (Fresno State) in the West Division and the third-place finisher (Nevada) at home this season.
Boise State paced the Mountain Division by also amassing 177 points, including 28 first-place votes. The Broncos are followed by Utah State (150 and two first-place votes), Colorado State (108), Air Force (90), Wyoming (64) and New Mexico (41).
SDSU also landed four players on the preseason all-conference team, matching its second-highest total in league history (1999). Senior Donny Hageman led the way by being named the MW Preseason Player of the Year, the first in San Diego State's league history. Hageman was joined on the all-conference team by junior running back Donnel Pumphrey, senior Pearce Slater and junior cornerback Damontae Kazee.
Hageman enters the 2015 campaign as one of just seven returning FBS kickers who made at least 20 field goals with an accuracy of at least 80 percent. After playing two seasons at Mt. San Antonio College, Hageman arrived on campus last year and went on to make 20-of-25 field-goal attempts. The 20 field goals set an Aztec single-season record.
Pumphrey, meanwhile, set a school single-season record last year with 1,867 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on 276 carries (6.8 avg.) en route to earning first-team all-league accolades. One of only two players in the nation to rank among the top 10 in rushing yards per game, all-purpose yards per game, rushing touchdowns and rushing yards per carry, Pumphrey also had 23 catches for 160 yards (7.0 avg.)
Slater started all 13 games last year in his first season on The Mesa after transferring from El Camino College. He was instrumental in solidifying the offensive line and enabling the Aztecs to produce a 2,500-yard rushing season and a running back who set a school single-season rushing record.
A second-team all-league pick last year, Kazee totaled 58 tackles (40 solo), four tackles for loss, an interception, a fumble recovery and a team-high 13 pass breakups in 2014.
The Aztecs, who are one of 27 schools to play in a bowl game each of the last five seasons and one of just three from the "Group of 5" conferences, finished 2014 with a 7-6 record and 5-3 in MW play. SDSU returns eight starters on a defense that finished the year ranked 10th in passing, 13th in scoring, 16th in total and 19th in pass efficiency, and Donnel Pumphrey, who rushed for a school-record 1,867 yards and 20 touchdowns as a true sophomore, on offense.
Season tickets and mini-plan tickets are on sale to the general public. They can be purchased at GoAztecs.com, by calling (619) 283-7378 or visiting the Aztec Athletic Ticket Office at Qualcomm Stadium Window E.
San Diego State kicks off the 2015 campaign on Sept. 5 at Qualcomm Stadium against San Diego at 5 p.m. PT.
2015 Mountain West Preseason Poll
West Division
1. San Diego State (27 first-place votes) - 177
2. Fresno State (3) - 141
3. Nevada - 113
4. San José State - 91
5. Hawai‘i - 70
6. UNLV - 38
Mountain Division
1. Boise State (28) - 177
2. Utah State (2) - 150
3. Colorado State - 108
4. Air Force - 90
5. Wyoming - 64
6. New Mexico - 41
2015 Mountain West Football Preseason All-Conference Team
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Rashard Higgins, Jr., WR, Colorado State
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Kyler Fackrell, Sr., LB, Utah State
Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year: Donny Hageman, Sr., PK, San Diego State
Offense
QB Chuckie Keeton, Sr., Utah State
WR Rashard Higgins, Jr., Colorado State
WR Devonte Boyd, So., UNLV
RB Donnel Pumphrey, Jr., San Diego State
RB Marteze Waller, Sr., Fresno State
OL Marcus Henry, Sr., Boise State
OL Rees Odhiambo, Sr., Boise State
OL Alex Fifita, Sr., Fresno State
OL Ben Clarke, Sr., Hawaiʻi
OL Pearce Slater, Sr., San Diego State
TE Steven Walker, Sr., Colorado State
Defense
DL Alex Hansen, Sr., Air Force
DL Kamalei Correa, Jr., Boise State
DL Ian Seau, Sr., Nevada
DL Eddie Yarbrough, Sr., Wyoming
LB Tanner Vallejo, Jr., Boise State
LB Kyler Fackrell, Sr., Utah State
LB Nick Vigil, Jr., Utah State
DB Weston Steelhammer, Jr., Air Force
DB Donte Deayon, Sr., Boise State
DB Darian Thompson, Sr., Boise State
DB Damontae Kazee, Jr., San Diego State
Specialists
P Alex Boy, Sr., Nevada
PK Donny Hageman, Sr., San Diego State
Ret. Carlos Wiggins, Sr., New Mexico