All-Mountain West football honors Fresno State skill position for first time since 2014

Fresno State running back Ronnie Rivers, who scored nine touchdowns in only five games plus a few plays in the Bulldogs’ final football game of the season, was selected on Tuesday first-team All-Mountain West Conference.

Rivers’ touchdown total, seven rushing and two receiving, is tied at the top of the conference with Hawaii wideout Calvin Turner and Nevada wideout Romeo Doubs.

Turner and Doubs both played in eight games, while the Bulldogs’ senior was limited by an ankle injury in a loss to New Mexico, playing just one red zone series in the third quarter and getting one carry.

Bulldogs right tackle Syrus Tuitele was a second-team selection on offense and defensive end David Perales a second-team selection on defense.

Defensive tackle Kevin Atkins, linebacker Levelle Bailey, wideout Jalen Cropper, quarterback Jake Haener, defensive end Kwami Jones, wideout Keric Wheatfall and safety Evan Williams gained honorable mention.

Nevada quarterback Carson Strong was the offensive player of the year, San Jose State defensive end Cade Hall the defensive player of the year, Boise State defensive tackle Avery Williams the special teams player of the year, UNLV wideout Kyle Williams the freshman of the year and San Jose State coach Brent Brennan the coach of the year.

The teams are selected by a vote of Mountain West coaches and select media from each of the 12 markets.

Rivers in his senior season also led the Mountain West in all-purpose yards per game (136.3), was third in rushing yards per game (84.5) and was leading the conference in yards from scrimmage per game before falling to third (128.7) playing only three snaps against New Mexico.

He scored 44 touchdowns in his career, tied with Anthony Daigle for first in school history.

Rivers is the first Fresno State skill-position player to be first-team all-conference since Josh Harper in 2014.

Second-team picks Perales, Tuitele

Perales, a fourth-year junior from Merced, led the conference and is second in the nation in forced fumbles per game (0.67). He also led the Bulldogs with 9.0 tackles for loss and with 1.4 a game was fourth in the Mountain West.

Tuitele, a fixture on the Bulldogs’ offensive line the past three seasons, started all six games at right tackle on an offense that led the conference in total yards per game (479.3) and was second in scoring (32.8).

Fresno State had two first-team selections last season in linebackers Justin Rice and defensive end Mykal Walker, four in 2018 when winning the Mountain West championship with offensive tackle Christian Cronk, Walker, linebacker Jeff Allison and cornerback Tank Kelly and one in 2017 with Allison.

ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST OFFENSE

FIRST TEAM

QB – Carson Strong (Nevada), sophomore

WR – Khalil Shakir (Boise State) junior

WR – Romeo Doubs (Nevada), junior

WR – Bailey Gaither (San Jose State), junior

RB – Ronnie Rivers (Fresno State), senior

RB – Xazavian Valladay (Wyoming), junior

TE – Cole Turner (Nevada), juinior

OL – Parker Ferguson (Air Force), senior

OL – Nolan Laufenberg (Air Force), senior

OL – Kyle Spalding (San Diego State), senior

OL – Jack Snyder (San Jose State), senior

OL – Keegan Cryder (Wyoming), junior

PK – Brandon Talton (Nevada), sophomore

KR – Avery Williams (Boise State), senior

SECOND TEAM

QB – Nick Starkel (San Jose State), senior

WR – Dante Wright (Colorado State), sophomore

WR – Calvin Turner (Hawaii), senior

WR – Tre Walker (San Jose State), senior

RB – Toa Taua (Nevada), junior

RB – Greg Bell (San Diego State), senior

TE – Trey McBride (Colorado State), junior

OL – John Ojukwu (Boise State), junior

OL – Jake Stetz (Boise State), senior

OL – Syrus Tuitele (Fresno State), senior

OL – Aaron Frost (Nevada), junior

OL – Zachary Thomas (San Diego State), senior

PK – John Hoyland (Wyoming), freshman

KR – Jordan Byrd (San Diego State), junior

ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST DEFENSE

FIRST TEAM

DL – Scott Patchan (Colorado State), senior

DL – Cameron Thomas (San Diego State), sophomore

DL – Cade Hall (San Jose State), junior

DL – Viliami Fehoko (San Jose State), sophomore

LB – Darius Muasau (Hawaii), sophomore

LB – Caden McDonald (San Diego State), junior

LB – Kyle Harmon (San Jose State), junior

LB – Chad Muma (Wyoming), junior

DB – Avery Williams (Boise State), junior

DB – Jerrick Reed (New Mexico), junior

DB – Darren Hall (San Diego State), junior

DB – Tariq Thompson (San Diego State), senior

P – Ryan Stonehouse (Colorado State), senior

PR – Avery Williams (Boise State), senior

SECOND TEAM

DL – Shane Irwin (Boise State), junior

DL – David Perales (Fresno State), junior

DL – Dom Peterson (Nevada), junior

DL - Sam Hammond (Nevada), senior

LB – Riley Whimpey (Boise State), senior

LB – Dequan Jackson (Colorado State), junior

LB – Lawson Hall (Nevada), senior

LB – Brandon Shook (New Mexico), senior

DB – Kekaula Kaniho (Boise State), senior

DB – Jalen Walker (Boise State), senior

DB – Cortez Davis (Hawaii), senior

DB – Tre Jenkins (San Jose State), sophomore

P – Tanner Kuljian (San Diego State), senior

PR – Romeo Doubs (Nevada), junior

This story was originally published December 15, 2020 at 11:44 AM.