# 2009 Mountain West Conference football season

The 2009 Mountain West Conference football season was the 11th since eight former members of the Western Athletic Conference banded together to form the MW.

## Previous season

Utah won its fourth conference championship while being the only Division I team to go undefeated.

## Rankings

| | | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 |
| Air Force | AP | | (42T) | NR | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Air Force | C | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Air Force | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Air Force | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | |
| BYU | AP | 20 | 9 | 7 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 16 | (26) | 25 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 15 |
| BYU | C | 24 | 12 | 9 | 20 | 21T | 20 | 19 | 16 | (27) | 25 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 14 |
| BYU | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 19 | 17 | 17 | 16 | (26) | 25 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 14 |
| BYU | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 16 | NR | | 22 | 22 | 19 | 14 | 14 |
| Colorado State | AP | | (42T) | (41) | (37T) | NR | | | | | | | | | | |
| Colorado State | C | | (47T) | (40T) | (40) | NR | | | | | | | | | | |
| Colorado State | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Colorado State | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | |
| New Mexico | AP | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| New Mexico | C | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| New Mexico | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | | | | |
| New Mexico | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | |
| San Diego State | AP | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| San Diego State | C | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| San Diego State | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | | | | |
| San Diego State | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | |
| TCU | AP | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| TCU | C | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| TCU | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| TCU | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| UNLV | AP | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| UNLV | C | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| UNLV | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | | | | |
| UNLV | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | |
| Utah | AP | 19 | 17 | 18 | (35) | (31) | (30) | 24 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 23 | 22 | (26) | 23 |
| Utah | C | 18 | 17 | 16 | (28) | (31) | (32) | (29) | 20 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 23 | 19 | 25 | 24 |
| Utah | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | (31) | (32) | (26) | 19 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 21 | 19 | 24 | 22 |
| Utah | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 18 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 25 | 23 |
| Wyoming | AP | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Wyoming | C | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Wyoming | Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Wyoming | BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | | |

## Mountain West vs. BCS matchups

| Date | Visitor | Home | Significance |
| September 5 | San Diego State 14 | UCLA 33 | |
| September 5 | BYU 14 | Oklahoma 13 | BYU upset the third-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in their first game of the season. Game played at Cowboys Stadium. |
| September 5 | New Mexico 6 | Texas A&M 41 | |
| September 6 | Colorado State 23 | Colorado 17 | Rocky Mountain Showdown |
| September 12 | Texas 41 | Wyoming 10 | |
| September 12 | TCU 30 | Virginia 14 | The Horned Frogs opened the season by holding the Cavaliers to 177 yards total offense. UVa never started a play inside the red zone (the TCU 20), and did not score until the final 5 minutes, with the game out of reach. |
| September 12 | Air Force 13 | Minnesota 20 | The first game at the Gophers' new TCF Bank Stadium. |
| September 12 | Oregon State 23 | UNLV 21 | |
| September 19 | Utah 24 | Oregon 31 | |
| September 19 | Wyoming 0 | Colorado 24 | |
| September 19 | Florida State 54 | BYU 28 | |
| September 26 | Louisville 14 | Utah 30 | |
| September 26 | TCU 14 | Clemson 10 | |
| October 3 | New Mexico 28 | Texas Tech 48 | |

## Bowl games

| Bowl Game | Date | Stadium | City | Television | Conference Matchups |
| Maaco Bowl Las Vegas | December 22 | Sam Boyd Stadium | Las Vegas, Nevada | ESPN | #1 MW vs. #4/#5 Pac-10 |
| Poinsettia Bowl | December 23 | Qualcomm Stadium | San Diego, California | ESPN | #2 MW vs. #6 Pac-10 / WAC |
| Armed Forces Bowl | December 31 | Amon G. Carter Stadium | Fort Worth, Texas | ESPN | #3 MW vs. Pac-10 |
| New Mexico Bowl | December 19 | University Stadium | Albuquerque, New Mexico | ESPN | #4 MW vs. WAC |
| Humanitarian Bowl | December 30 | Bronco Stadium | Boise, Idaho | ESPN | #5 MW vs. #1 WAC |

## Home attendance

| Team | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 | Game 6 | Game 7 | Total | Average |
| BYU | 64,209 | 64,091 | 64,103 | 64,641 | 64,071 | 64,301 | -------- | 385,416 | 64,236 |
| Utah | 45,333 | 45,588 | 45,129 | 44,837 | 45,051 | 44,991 | -------- | 270,929 | 45,155 |
| TCU | 35,249 | 37,130 | 31,156 | 33,541 | 50,307 | 41,738 | -------- | 229,121 | 38,187 |
| Air Force | 42,205 | 35,929 | 30,104 | 34,117 | 46,212 | 25,370 | -------- | 214,117 | 35,686 |
| New Mexico | 30,051 | 26,246 | 35,248 | 24,021 | 24,344 | 21,751 | -------- | 161,661 | 27,982 |
| San Diego State | 42,137 | 21,184 | 30,258 | 12,647 | 21,708 | 18,851 | -------- | 146,785 | 24,464 |
| Colorado State | 23,417 | 24,967 | 30,499 | 20,631 | 22,025 | 20,317 | -------- | 141,586 | 23,643 |
| UNLV | 22,195 | 25,967 | 29,717 | 25,597 | 26,315 | 15,902 | 13,730 | 159,423 | 22,775 |
| Wyoming | 18,016 | 31,017 | 19,196 | 14,502 | 19,201 | 15,031 | -------- | 116,963 | 19,494 |

## Awards and honors
### All Conference teams

* Offensive Player of the Year: Andy Dalton, JR., QB, TCU
* Defensive Player of the Year: Jerry Hughes, SR., DE, TCU
* Special Teams Player of the Year: Jeremy Kerley, JR., KR, TCU
* Freshman of the Year: Austyn Carta-Samuels, QB, Wyoming
* Coach of the Year: Gary Patterson, TCU
Offense:
| Pos. | Name | Yr. | School | Name | Yr. | School |
| First Team | First Team | First Team | First Team | Second Team | Second Team | Second Team | Second Team |
| QB | Andy Dalton | JR. | TCU | Max Hall | SR. | BYU |
| WR | Ryan Wolfe | SR. | UNLV | Vincent Brown | JR. | San Diego State |
| WR | David Reed | SR. | Utah | DeMarco Sampson | SR. | San Diego State |
| RB | Harvey Unga | JR. | BYU | Jared Tew | JR. | Air Force |
| RB | Eddie Wide | JR. | Utah | Joseph Turner | SR. | TCU |
| TE | Dennis Pitta | SR. | BYU | Andrew George | SR. | BYU |
| OL | Matt Reynolds | SO. | BYU | Nick Charles | SR. | Air Force |
| OL | Erik Cook | SR. | New Mexico | Peter Lusk | SR. | Air Force |
| OL | Marshall Newhouse | SR. | TCU | Caleb Schlauderaff | JR. | Utah |
| OL | Marcus Cannon | JR. | TCU | Zane Taylor | JR. | Utah |
| OL | Zane Beadles | SR. | Utah | Jake Kirkpatrick | JR. | TCU |
| PK | Ross Evans | SO. | TCU | Erik Soderberg | SO. | Air Force |
| PR/KR | Jeremy Kerley | JR. | TCU | Dion Morton | SR. | Colorado State |
Defense:
| Pos. | Name | Yr. | School | Name | Yr. | School |
| First Team | First Team | First Team | First Team | Second Team | Second Team | Second Team | Second Team |
| DL | Jan Jorgensen | SR. | BYU | Ben Garland | SR. | Air Force |
| DL | Jerry Hughes | SR. | TCU | Johnathan Rainey | SO. | New Mexico |
| DL | Koa Misi | SR. | Utah | Wayne Daniels | JR. | TCU |
| DL | John Fletcher | SR. | Wyoming | Cory Grant | JR. | TCU |
| LB | Carmen Messina | SO. | New Mexico | Mychal Sisson | SO. | Colorado State |
| LB | Daryl Washington | SR. | TCU | Tank Carder | SO. | TCU |
| LB | Stevenson Sylvester | SR. | Utah | Brian Hendricks | SO. | Wyoming |
| DB | Reggie Rembert | JR. | Air Force | Andrew Wright | SO. | Air Force |
| DB | Rafael Priest | SR. | TCU | Andrew Rich | JR. | BYU |
| DB | Nick Sanders | SR. | TCU | Tejay Johnson | JR. | TCU |
| DB | Robert Johnson | SR. | Utah | Chris Prosinski | JR. | Wyoming |
| P | Adam Miller | SR. | New Mexico | Brian Stahovich | SO. | San Diego State |