This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Logan • The Utah State Aggies have talked in the preseason about consistency, reloading and avoiding a drop-off in talent or wins.

In other words, the Aggies want to be like Boise State.

"It doesn't matter who leaves," Utah State coach Matt Wells marveled several weeks ago. "They always have someone else stepping up."

Fresh off 12-2 season and a Fiesta Bowl win over Arizona, the Broncos are expected to be the Mountain West's best.

As much as he wants to counter that opinion — and no doubt believes his team is capable of besting Boise — Wells doesn't disagree with the conventional wisdom.

"They are very dynamic on defense and they have a solid offense," he said. "We know what they have."

Lest the Aggies forget, all they have to do is watch the tape of last year's debacle, a 50-19 whipping in Boise. It was one of the worst USU losses Wells has been a part of. He took no consolation in that the Broncos did the same thing to others — beating BYU 55-30 and Wyoming 63-19.

Air Force was the only team to get the better of the Broncos in league play, winning in a 28-14 shocker.

This year the Broncos return their top receivers, the entire offensive line and a defense stacked with returning starters at every position. The only camp drama the Broncos have had is who is going to be their starting quarterback. That question was apparently answered earlier this week, when the Broncos announced that sophomore Ryan Finley will be under center when they play Washington on Sept. 4.

Since Utah State plays at Washington on Sept. 19, the Aggies will have a common opponent with which to judge themselves — although Wells already knows his team will have a battle on its hands Oct. 16 when the Broncos visit to play in Logan.

As strong as the Broncos are expected to be, the Mountain West isn't being characterized as a one-team field. The Aggies have drawn respect while San Diego State, picked to win the West, should also be strong.

The Aztecs are led by running back Donnel Humphrey, who was selected as the Mountain West preseason offensive player of the year after rushing for 1,867 yards on 276 carries in 2014.

Fresno State, led by running back Marteze Waller, is also a team to watch, while Colorado State and Air Force are picked behind the Aggies in the Mountain.

CSU has a new coach in former Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, a guy Wells is familiar with from his recruiting days at Navy.

"He is a smart, offensive mind and we expect to see a lot of the things he did at Georgia that made them successful," Wells said.

The expectation that CSU could be strong even with a new coach points to the league's strength, Wells said.

"It's going to be extremely competitive," he said. "As long as we put ourselves in position to have a chance to win at the end of November, that is what I want, but we know it is going to be a very competitive league."

But until proven otherwise, the road to a championship still goes through Boise. —

Mountain West forecast

Mountain Division

1. Boise State • Has a 72.4 all-time FBS win percentage; only Notre Dame (73.1) and Michigan (73) are better.

2. Utah State • The Aggies get the Broncos at home this year, but watch out for the trip to Fresno State.

3. Colorado State • Has a new coach in Mike Bobo, who brings an aggressive offensive approach.

4. Air Force • What can we say? It's Air Force, the team every opponent seems to dread the most.

5. Wyoming • The Cowboys look to stir up things in Craig Bohl's second season as coach.

6. New Mexico • Lobos ran for over 300 yards per game in '14, but a one-dimensional offense won't cut it.

West Division

1. San Diego State • Aztecs have played in five consecutive bowl games, but last year's 7-6 finish is a source of motivation.

2. Fresno State • Can the Bulldogs improve a defense that gave up 32.4 points per game last year?

3. Nevada • Veteran defense must carry a young offense.

4. San Jose State • Solid recruiting class must step in and contribute right away to fix weaknesses on offense, rushing defense.

5. Hawaii • New coordinators bring new looks to a program struggling to find consistency on field and off.

6. UNLV • Offense continues to be problematic after Rebels averaged 21.9 points per game last year.