Air Force picked second in Mountain West preseason football poll
7/19/2023 8:31:00 AM | Football
Four Falcons earn first-team preseason all-MW honors
Air Force was picked to finish second in the preseason football poll, released today by the Mountain West. The Falcons received 364 total points and two first-place votes. Boise State was picked to finish first, receiving 433 points and a league-high 28 first-place votes. Fresno State was selected third with 351 points and five first-place votes. San Diego State was fourth with 338 points and one first-place vote while San Jose State was fifth with 293 points. The complete poll results follow below. The 2023 season will be the first full season without divisions.
Air Force had four players earn preseason all-Mountain West honors. Senior offensive lineman Thor Paglialong and senior running back John Lee Eldridge III earned first-team offensive honors. Junior nose guard Payton Zdroik and senior safety Trey Taylor each earned first-team defensive honors.
Paglialong is the top returning offensive lineman for the Falcons, who led the nation in rushing last season with a 326.7 per-game average. Eldridge III is the top returning rusher for the Falcons. He rushed for 766 yards and four touchdowns while leading the team with a 7.7 average per carry. Zdroik recorded 30 total tackles, tops among defensive lineman on the team, and is the top returner in tackles for loss with 10 for 47 yards and sacks with 5.5 for 37 yards. He was second on the team in both categories last season. Taylor led the Falcons in tackles last season with 69 and had 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack and two interceptions. Taylor was a second-team all-Mountain West selection last season.
Air Force finished the 2022 season 10-3 overall and was second in the Mountain West Mountain Division with a 5-3 mark. The Falcons posted their third straight 10-win season, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season, which only Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Utah and Oregon have matched. Air Force won a series-record 21st Commander-in-Chief's Trophy and defeated Baylor to win the Armed Forces Bowl.
2023 Mountain West Predicted Order of Finish
# Team (first-place votes) Points
1. Boise State (28) 433
2. Air Force (2) 364
3. Fresno State (5) 351
4. San Diego State (1) 338
5. San José State 293
6. Wyoming 281
7. Colorado State 201
8. Utah State 194
9. UNLV (1) 177
10. Hawai'i 102
11. Nevada 92
12. New Mexico 60
2023 MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Offense
QB Chevan Cordeiro ** Sr. San José State
WR Tory Horton* Sr. Colorado State
WR Justin Lockhart Jr. San José State
RB John Lee Eldridge III Sr. Air Force
RB George Holani** Sr. Boise State
OL Thor Paglialong Sr. Air Force
OL Cade Beresford** Sr. Boise State
OL Mose Vavao Sr. Fresno State
OL Cade Bennett** Jr. San Diego State
OL Frank Crum Sr. Wyoming
TE Mark Redman Sr. San Diego State
Defense
DL Payton Zdroik Jr. Air Force
DL Mohamed Kamara** Sr. Colorado State
DL Devo Bridges Sr. Fresno State
DL Jordan Bertagnole Jr. Wyoming
DL DeVonne Harris Jr. Wyoming
LB DJ Schramm** Sr. Boise State
LB Cody Moon Jr. San Diego State
LB Easton Gibbs* Jr. Wyoming
DB Trey Taylor Sr. Air Force
DB Jack Howell* Jr. Colorado State
DB Cam Stone Sr. Hawai'i
DB Ike Larsen** So. Utah State
Specialists
P Jack Browning* Sr. San Diego State
PK John Hoyland* Jr. Wyoming
PR Tory Horton Sr. Colorado State
KR Christian Washington So. New Mexico
Offensive Player of the Year: Chevan Cordeiro, Sr., QB, San José State
Defensive Player of the Year: Easton Gibbs, Jr., LB, Wyoming
Special Teams Player of the Year: Jack Browning, Sr., PK/P, San Diego State
* - member of the 2022 All-Mountain West first team
** - member of the 2022 All-Mountain West second team
Air Force Ticket Information
Air Force had four players earn preseason all-Mountain West honors. Senior offensive lineman Thor Paglialong and senior running back John Lee Eldridge III earned first-team offensive honors. Junior nose guard Payton Zdroik and senior safety Trey Taylor each earned first-team defensive honors.
Paglialong is the top returning offensive lineman for the Falcons, who led the nation in rushing last season with a 326.7 per-game average. Eldridge III is the top returning rusher for the Falcons. He rushed for 766 yards and four touchdowns while leading the team with a 7.7 average per carry. Zdroik recorded 30 total tackles, tops among defensive lineman on the team, and is the top returner in tackles for loss with 10 for 47 yards and sacks with 5.5 for 37 yards. He was second on the team in both categories last season. Taylor led the Falcons in tackles last season with 69 and had 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack and two interceptions. Taylor was a second-team all-Mountain West selection last season.
Air Force finished the 2022 season 10-3 overall and was second in the Mountain West Mountain Division with a 5-3 mark. The Falcons posted their third straight 10-win season, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season, which only Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Utah and Oregon have matched. Air Force won a series-record 21st Commander-in-Chief's Trophy and defeated Baylor to win the Armed Forces Bowl.
2023 Mountain West Predicted Order of Finish
# Team (first-place votes) Points
1. Boise State (28) 433
2. Air Force (2) 364
3. Fresno State (5) 351
4. San Diego State (1) 338
5. San José State 293
6. Wyoming 281
7. Colorado State 201
8. Utah State 194
9. UNLV (1) 177
10. Hawai'i 102
11. Nevada 92
12. New Mexico 60
2023 MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Offense
QB Chevan Cordeiro ** Sr. San José State
WR Tory Horton* Sr. Colorado State
WR Justin Lockhart Jr. San José State
RB John Lee Eldridge III Sr. Air Force
RB George Holani** Sr. Boise State
OL Thor Paglialong Sr. Air Force
OL Cade Beresford** Sr. Boise State
OL Mose Vavao Sr. Fresno State
OL Cade Bennett** Jr. San Diego State
OL Frank Crum Sr. Wyoming
TE Mark Redman Sr. San Diego State
Defense
DL Payton Zdroik Jr. Air Force
DL Mohamed Kamara** Sr. Colorado State
DL Devo Bridges Sr. Fresno State
DL Jordan Bertagnole Jr. Wyoming
DL DeVonne Harris Jr. Wyoming
LB DJ Schramm** Sr. Boise State
LB Cody Moon Jr. San Diego State
LB Easton Gibbs* Jr. Wyoming
DB Trey Taylor Sr. Air Force
DB Jack Howell* Jr. Colorado State
DB Cam Stone Sr. Hawai'i
DB Ike Larsen** So. Utah State
Specialists
P Jack Browning* Sr. San Diego State
PK John Hoyland* Jr. Wyoming
PR Tory Horton Sr. Colorado State
KR Christian Washington So. New Mexico
Offensive Player of the Year: Chevan Cordeiro, Sr., QB, San José State
Defensive Player of the Year: Easton Gibbs, Jr., LB, Wyoming
Special Teams Player of the Year: Jack Browning, Sr., PK/P, San Diego State
* - member of the 2022 All-Mountain West first team
** - member of the 2022 All-Mountain West second team
Air Force Ticket Information
Players Mentioned
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