July 25, 2017
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -
2017 SDSU Football Preseason Accolades
The San Diego State football team captured all 28 first-place votes en route to being picked to win the West Division of the Mountain West in the 2017 preseason poll, the league announced Tuesday in Las Vegas at the league's annual Media Summit. It is the third straight season that the Aztecs have been picked to win the West Division and the second consecutive year that SDSU has garnered all the first-place votes.
As of Tuesday morning, San Diego State and USF of the American Athletic Conference East Division are the only teams in the nation to receive every first place vote in their official conferences' preseason poll. Leagues that have released their poll to date include the Big 12, SEC, AAC, Conference USA and the Mountain West.
This marks just the third time in league history that a team has received every Mountain West first-place vote. The others are TCU in 2010 and San Diego State last season. Both of those teams went on to win the conference championship.
The preseason poll and all-conference team are voted on by media representatives who cover the conference.
SDSU is coming off an 11-3 season, knocking off Wyoming, 27-24, in the MW Championship game and Houston, 34-10, in the Las Vegas Bowl, to finish with a No. 25 ranking in both the AP Top 25 poll and the Amway Coaches Poll. It was just the second time that San Diego State has been ranked in the final AP poll in program history (also 1977). The 11 wins tied a school single-season record as the Aztecs became the first team in program history with back-to-back 11-win campaigns.
SDSU, which averaged a predicted finish of 6.5 from 2005-12, has been picked to win the West Division each of the last three years and was predicted second in both 2013 and 2014. San Diego State has won two consecutive MW regular-season titles and three of the past five (2012, 2015-16).
The Aztecs have ended up at or better than their predicted finish in eight straight seasons and 11 times over the past 12 years.
SDSU garnered 168 points, including all 28 first-place votes. Hawai'i was picked to finish second in the West Division with 135 points, followed by UNLV (105), Nevada (79), San José State (54) and Fresno State (47).
Boise State has once again been picked to win the Mountain Division with 161 points, including 21 first-place votes, but did not make the MW Championship game either of the past two seasons. Colorado State trails the Broncos with 135 points and six first-place votes, while the defending Mountain Division champion Wyoming is third with 114 points and the other first-place vote. Air Force earned 82 points for fourth, with New Mexico (68) and Utah State (28) rounding out the Mountain side.
Senior Rashaad Penny (Norwalk, Calif.) was named the preseason special teams player of the year for the second straight season after earning the MW Special Teams Player-of-the-Year award in both 2015 and 2016. Penny also made the preseason all-conference team at running back for the first time.
Last season, Penny rushed for 1,018 yards and 11 touchdowns on 136 attempts (7.5 avg.), while adding 15 catches for 224 yards (14.9 avg.) and three touchdowns, and returning 20 kickoffs for 624 yards (31.2 avg.) and two additional scores. He was one of just nine players in the country with at least 11 rushing TDs and at least three receiving scores, and the only player with a kick return TD as well (he had two). Penny ranked in a tie for second in the country in kick return touchdowns (2), fourth in kick return average (31.2), tied for 20th in total touchdowns (17) and 29th in all-purpose yards per game (133.3). For his efforts, he became the second kick returner in MW history to win the league's special teams player-of-the-year award twice (also 2015) and was first-team all-MW pick as a kick returner for the second straight season.
Last year, Wells caught 25 passes (tied for third on the team) for 294 yards (11.8 avg.) and four touchdowns. The four touchdowns were tied for the 22nd most in the country among tight ends. According to Pro Football Focus, Wells caught 25 of the 29 passes thrown his way in 2016, the top percentage in the country (86.2) among tight ends (min. 8 receptions). Considered one of the best blocking tight ends in the country, Wells also caught a 2-point conversion. He was a second-team all-MW selection last season.
Baron is coming off a season where he set school records in field goals (21) and field goal percentage (.913), going 21 of 23 on the year. Baron, who enters 2017 with 19 consecutive makes from 50 or less yards, led the Aztecs with 119 points last season and ranked 10th nationally in field goal percentage, 20th in points per game among kickers (8.50) and field goals per game (1.50), and 35th in overall points per game (8.50). For his efforts, he became SDSU's first Lou Groza Award semifinalist since J.C. Mejia in 2003 and was the first San Diego State kicker to earn first-team all-Mountain West honors in program history.
The Aztecs did not have a defensive player on the preseason all-conference team, despite last year ranking first in interceptions (26), fifth in turnovers gained (29), sixth in rush defense (105.7), 11th in total defense (315.4), 17th in scoring defense (20.2), 18th in pass efficiency defense (115.5), 20th in first downs allowed (236) and 26th in sacks (2.7).
2017 Aztec football season tickets and mini plans are now on sale. Season tickets start at $125, while mini plans start at $90. Fans can purchase tickets at GoAztecs.com, over the phone by calling (619) 283-7378, or by visiting Qualcomm Stadium's Window E Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. PT and 5 p.m. PT.
The Aztecs kick off the 2017 season at Qualcomm Stadium Sept. 2 against UC Davis at 5:30 p.m. PT.
Notes: SDSU has received every first-place vote the last two seasons… During that time SDSU has 57 first-place votes while all other Western Division teams have 0… In the last three seasons, the Aztecs have 84 first-place votes, while Fresno State has three and all other Western Division teams have none… In the last three seasons, SDSU has 84 first-place votes, in the first 16 seasons of the league San Diego State had 22 first-place votes, combined… This marks the third consecutive season that San Diego State and Boise State have been predicted to win their division of the Mountain West (SDSU has made back-to-back MW championships while Boise State has not made it once over the two years)… San Diego State placed multiple players on the offensive all-conference team for a third consecutive season… Although there are just three players on the all-conference specialist team, SDSU placed two players on the unit… SDSU has now had an all-conference preseason specialist in three straight seasons (four total during that span)… Despite having one of the best defensive units annually (total offense allowed per game national rankings: 11 in 2016, 5th in 2015 and 16th in 2014), SDSU did not place a defensive player in the all-conference team… It snaps a streak of six consecutive seasons in which the Aztecs placed at least one player on the preseason all-defensive team.
2017 Mountain West Preseason Poll
West Division
1. San Diego State (28 first-place votes) - 168
3. UNLV - 105
4. Nevada - 79
5. San José State - 54
6. Fresno State - 47
Mountain Division
1. Boise State (21) - 161
2. Colorado State (6) - 135
3. Wyoming (1) - 114
4. Air Force - 82
5. New Mexico - 68
6. Utah State - 28
2017 Mountain West Football Preseason All-Conference Team
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Josh Allen, Jr., QB, Wyoming
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Andrew Wingard, Jr., DB, Wyoming
Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year: Rashaad Penny, Sr., KR, San Diego State
Offense
QB Josh Allen, Jr., Wyoming
WR Michael Gallup, Sr., Colorado State
WR Devonte Boyd, Sr., UNLV
RB Rashaad Penny, Sr., San Diego State
RB Tyrone Owens, Jr., New Mexico
OL Jake Bennett, Sr., Colorado State
OL Austin Corbett, Sr., Nevada
OL Dejon Allen, Sr., Hawai'i
OL Aaron Jenkins, Jr., New Mexico
OL Mason Hampton, Sr., Boise State
TE David Wells, Sr., San Diego State
Defense
DL David Moa, Jr., Boise State
DL Malik Reed, Jr., Nevada
DL Garrett Hughes, Sr., New Mexico
DL Mike Hughes Jr., Sr., UNLV
LB Jahlani Tavai, Jr., Hawai'i
LB Logan Wilson, So., Wyoming
LB Frank Ginda, Jr., San José State
DB Andrew Wingard, Jr., Wyoming
DB Andre Chachere, Sr., San José State
DB Tyler Horton, Jr., Boise State
DB Trayvon Henderson, Sr., Hawai'i
Specialists
P Michael Carrizosa, Sr., San José State
PK John Baron II, Jr., San Diego State
Ret. Rashaad Penny, Sr., San Diego State