Utes team to beat in unpredictable MWC

As the dean of Mountain West Conference football coaches, Fisher DeBerry has seen plenty of predictions come and go over his 20 years at Air Force

"Paper doesn't always show the reality of the situation," he advises.

At the MWC meetings in Henderson, Nev., where coaches, players and the media convened in July, the league's unpredictability was once again the focal point of discussion.

In its first five years of existence, three teams have won the conference title. BYU, Colorado State and Utah, tri-champs in the inaugural season of 1999, have taken turns claiming outright championships since then. CSU is the lone team to ever repeat. The Rams followed up on 1999 by finishing on top in 2000.

Head coach Sonny Lubick, who also guided his squad to the championship in 2002, insists there's no secret to success. Finishing on top, he explained, requires just one key ingredient.

"You've got to win the close ones," he said.

A year ago, Utah did it. The Utes edged CSU by a touchdown, outlasted Air Force by two points in triple overtime and edged BYU by a field goal.

"If we had won that game we might have been the champions," added Lubick. "Utah won and they deserved it."

Now for the encore, in a league where home teams are 70-70 in conference play and a repeat champion hasn't been crowned since 2000.

Utah, a consensus pick to end the drought, isn't resting on its laurels.

Too many things can happen, even with several returning starters back in the fold.

"My motivation is to make sure we're not a program that is a one-year wonder," said head coach Urban Meyer.

A team-by-team outlook:

AIR FORCE (7-5, 3-4)

DeBerry vows the Falcons will return to the multiple-option offensive roots this fall.