SALT LAKE CITY – The Nevada football team has been picked to finish second by both the media and coaches in the 2010 WAC Preseason Polls, the league announced Monday morning at the start of its annual Media Days event.
Senior Dontay Moch was named the Preseason WAC Defensive Player of the Year in voting by the league’s media as the defensive end won the honor following the 2009 season. Moch was eighth in the nation in tackles for loss last year with 20 for minus 93 yards. Among those were 6.5 sacks and Moch tallied 61 tackles overall.
The Wolf Pack returns 15 starters, including All-America candidates Colin Kaepernick, Moch and Vai Taua, from last year’s team that went 8-5 overall, 7-1 (second place) in WAC play and went to its fifth bowl games in as many years.
Boise State received 73 points from the nine WAC coaches while Nevada was in second with 56 points. Fresno State was third with 52 followed by Utah State (42). Hawai'i was selected fifth with 39 points followed by Idaho with 38 points, Louisiana Tech (31), New Mexico State (21) and San Jose State (17).
Boise State received 386 points and 42 first-place votes from media members around the WAC and the nation. Nevada was picked second after garnering 333 points and the other first-place vote. Fresno State finished third with 300 points followed by Idaho with 207 points. Louisiana Tech was selected fifth with 200 points followed closely by Utah State (196), Hawai'i (166), New Mexico State (81) and San Jose State (66).
Boise State junior quarterback Kellen Moore was voted the Offensive Player of the Year by the media.
Nevada opens the 2010 season on Sept. 2 against Eastern Washington.
The complete preseason polls can be found HERE.
