Hawai'i has been named the favorite in the 2011 Western Athletic Conference football coaches poll announced today at the league's football preview being held in Las Vegas. Fresno State was picked second, while Nevada finished third. Hawai'i finished last season with a 10-4 record and tied for the WAC regular season title with a mark of 7-1. The Warriors played in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, its seventh bowl appearance over the past nine years.

Hawai'i returns quarterback Bryant Moniz who led the nation last season in passing, total offense and touchdowns thrown.

Fresno State was 8-5 last year and made its 11th bowl appearance in the past 12 years playing in the uDrove Humanitarian Bowl. The Bulldogs return junior running back Robbie Rouse who last year rushed for 1,129 yards.

Nevada was 13-1 last year and also won a share of the WAC title with a 7-1 mark. The Wolf Pack beat Boston College in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl last season, their fifth consecutive bowl appearance.

Hawai'i received 47 points from the eight WAC coaches. Fresno State was in second with 41 points followed closely by Nevada with 40. Louisiana Tech was selected fourth with 31 points followed by Utah State with 22 points, Idaho (21), San Jose State (15) and New Mexico State (7).

The following is the complete 2011 WAC football coaches' poll (coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams):

Coaches Poll
1. Hawai'i
2. Fresno State
3. Nevada
4. Louisiana Tech
5. Utah State
6. Idaho
7. San Jose State
8. New Mexico State

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Hawai'i has been named the favorite in the Western Athletic Conference football media poll announced today at the conference's Football Preview being held in Las Vegas. The Warriors were 10-4 last year and finished with a 7-1 mark in conference play to share the WAC title. It was their second WAC title in four years.

Hawai'i received 292 points and 18 first-place votes from media members around the WAC and the nation. Fresno State was picked second after garnering 284 points and 11 first-place votes. Nevada finished third with 264 points and 11 first-place votes. Louisiana Tech was selected fourth with 184 points followed by Utah State (166), Idaho (141), San Jose State (85) and New Mexico State (60).

The media also voted on preseason players of the year. Hawai'i quarterback Bryant Moniz was voted the Offensive Player of the Year, while Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner was picked as the Defensive Player of the Year.

Moniz, a senior quarterback from Wahiawa, O'ahu (Fresno City College), was the nation's leader in passing and total offense last season. Last year, he became just the 11th player in FBS history to surpass 5,000 passing yards in a season. He set four school records including most yards passing in a game with 560 against San Jose State. He averaged 360.0 passing yards per game and also led the nation in passing touchdowns (39) and ranked eighth in passing efficiency (159.11). Moniz led the Warriors to a 10-4 record, share of the WAC championship, and appearance in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl.

Wagner, a native of Ontario, Calif. (Colony HS) is a two-time first-team all-WAC honoree. Last season, he led the WAC and tied for seventh in the FBS with 11.1 tackles per game. He logged a total of seven double-digit tackle games, and had at least six stops in all 12 games. Additionally, Wagner added eight tackles for a loss as well as four pass breakups and one forced fumble.

The following is the complete 2011 WAC football media poll:

Media Poll
1. Hawai'i
2. Fresno State
3. Nevada
4. Louisiana Tech
5. Utah State
6. Idaho
7. San Jose State
8. New Mexico State