Misplaced Pages

2011 WAC football season
League	NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
Sport	Football
Duration	September 1, 2011 through December 24, 2011
Number of teams	8
TV partner(s)	ESPN, WAC Sports Network
2012 NFL Draft
Top draft pick	LB Bobby Wagner, USU
Picked by	Seattle Seahawks, 47th overall
Regular season
Champions	Louisiana Tech
Season MVP	RB Robert Turbin, USU LB Adrien Cole, La. Tech
Football seasons
← 20102012 →

The 2011 Western Athletic Conference football season is a college football season for the Western Athletic Conference. The 2011 season consisted of eight members: Fresno State, Hawaiʻi, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, Nevada, New Mexico State, San Jose State, and Utah State.

This season the WAC's membership changed for the first time since 2005. Boise State, who joined the conference in 2001, left to join the Mountain West Conference.

This season was the last year of membership for three other schools: Fresno State, Hawaiʻi, and Nevada. All became members of the Mountain West in 2012 (Hawaiʻi as a football only member, other sports will join the Big West Conference). In response to their departure, the WAC added five new members in 2012. Of the new members, only Texas State and UTSA had football programs.

Previous season

After going 14–0 in 2009, Boise State started the season in the top 5 in both the AP and Coaches preseason polls and was picked to win the conference. Boise State spent a majority of the season ranked in the top 4, including climbing as high as #2 in the AP and Harris polls, while running their nation leading win streak to 24 games before their day after thanksgiving matchup with #19 Nevada. Nevada, whose only loss of the season was at Hawaiʻi, defeated the #3 ranked Broncos in overtime. Boise State, Nevada, and Hawaiʻi all finished the season 7–1 to share the WAC title.

In bowl games, Boise State (12–1) defeated Utah 26–3 in the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas. Hawaiʻi (10–4) lost to Tulsa 35–62 in the Hawaiʻi Bowl. Nevada (13–1) defeated Boston College 20–13 in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. Fresno State (8–5) lost to Northern Illinois 17–40 in the Humanitarian Bowl.

Preseason

Award watch lists

The following WAC players were named to preseason award watch lists.

WAC Football Preview

During the WAC Football Preview in Las Vegas on July 27–28, Hawaiʻi was selected as the favorite to win the conference by both the media and the coaches. In the media poll, Hawaiʻ received 18 first place votes. Fresno State and Nevada both received 11 first place votes with Utah State receiving one. In the coaches poll, Hawaiʻi received five first place votes while Fresno State, who ranked second, received one first place vote and Nevada, who ranked third, received two first place votes.

Media Poll

1. Hawaiʻi – 292 (18)
2. Fresno State – 284 (11)
3. Nevada – 264 (11)
4. Louisiana Tech – 184
5. Utah State – 164 (1)
6. Idaho – 141
7. San Jose State – 85
8. New Mexico State – 60

Coaches Poll

1. Hawaiʻi – 47 (5)
2. Fresno State – 41 (1)
3. Nevada – 40 (2)
4. Louisiana Tech – 31
5. Utah State – 22
6. Idaho – 21
7. San Jose State – 15
8. New Mexico State – 7

The media also voted on the WAC preseason players of the year. Hawaiʻi's Bryant Moniz was selected as the offensive player of the year and Utah State's Bobby Wagner was selected as the defensive player of the year.

Coaches

NOTE: Stats shown are before the beginning of the season

WAC vs. BCS matchups

Regular season

All dates, times, and TV are tentative and subject to change.

The WAC has teams in four different time zones. Times reflect start time in respective time zone of each team (Central–Louisiana Tech, Mountain–New Mexico State, Utah State, Pacific–Fresno State, Idaho, Nevada, San Jose State, Hawaiian–Hawaiʻi). Conference games start times are that of the home team.

Rankings reflect that of the USA Today Coaches poll for that week until week eight when the BCS poll will be used.

Week one

^ Neutral site

Players of the week:

Week two

Players of the week:

Week three

Players of the week:

Week four

Players of the week:

Week five

Players of the week:

Week six

Players of the week:

Week seven

Players of the week:

Week eight

Players of the week:

Week nine

Players of the week:

Week ten

Players of the week:

Week eleven

Players of the week:

Week twelve

Week thirteen

Week fourteen

All-WAC Teams

First Team

Second Team

Players of the year

Coach of the year

Sonny Dykes–Louisiana Tech

Bowl games

Home attendance

References

1. "Football Club News | Maxwell Football Club". Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
2. "No 2-Minute Warning — Coming Soon". July 6, 2011.
3. "FWAA > News > Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List".
4. "FWAA > News > Outland Trophy Watch List".
5. "2011 Thorpe Award Watch List Released | The Jim Thorpe Association and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
6. http://www.rotarylombardiaward.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=103:2011-official-list&catid=9:2011-news&Itemid=23
7. "Rimington Trophy Official Website: News".
8. "2011 DAVEY O'BRIEN WATCH LIST - Davey O'Brien". Archived from the original on March 27, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
9. "Doak Walker Award - SMU".
10. "Forty named to Walter Camp list | NCAA.com". Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
11. "Current Watch List | PB Sports Commission - Lou Groza". Archived from the original on August 17, 2009. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
12. "Hawai'i Named WAC Favorite in Both Media and Coaches Polls - WACSports.com Official Web Site of the Western Athletic Conference". Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
13. "Verizon WAC Football Players of the Week - WACSports.com Official Web Site of the Western Athletic Conference". Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
14. "Verizon WAC Football Players of the Week - WACSports.com Official Web Site of the Western Athletic Conference". Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
15. "Verizon WAC Football Players of the Week - WACSports.com Official Web Site of the Western Athletic Conference". Archived from the original on November 30, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
16. "Verizon WAC Football Players of the Week - WACSports.com Official Web Site of the Western Athletic Conference". Archived from the original on November 30, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
17. "Verizon WAC Football Players of the Week - WACSports.com Official Web Site of the Western Athletic Conference". Archived from the original on November 27, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
18. "Verizon WAC Football Players of the Week - WACSports.com Official Web Site of the Western Athletic Conference". Archived from the original on November 25, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
19. "Verizon WAC Football Players of the Week - WACSports.com Official Web Site of the Western Athletic Conference". Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
20. "Verizon WAC Football Players of the Week - WACSports.com Official Web Site of the Western Athletic Conference". Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
21. "Verizon WAC Football Players of the Week - WACSports.com Official Web Site of the Western Athletic Conference". Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
22. "Verizon WAC Football Players of the Week - WACSports.com Official Web Site of the Western Athletic Conference". Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
23. "Verizon WAC Football Players of the Week - WACSports.com Official Web Site of the Western Athletic Conference". Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
24. "2011 WAC All-Conference Teams". Retrieved October 22, 2024.

• 2011 Western Athletic Conference football season