SALT LAKE CITY - Defending Western Athletic Conference champion University of Hawai'i football team was picked to finish fourth in the preseason media and coaches poll released Wednesday at the WAC Football Preview. All-WAC linebacker Solomon Elimimian was also picked as the media's choice for preseason defensive player of the year honors.

The Warriors, which returns four starters on offense and five on defense, captured their first outright conference championship last season with an 8-0 league mark. Overall, UH finished 12-1 and earned the school's first ever Bowl Championship Series berth. In both polls, the Warriors were picked behind Boise State, Fresno State, and Nevada.

Fresno State was the coaches' choice to win the conference with seven of the nine first place votes and 63 total points. Boise State was picked second with the other two first place votes and 57 points followed by Nevada (43), Hawai'i (41), Louisiana Tech (33), San Jose State (33), New Mexico State (26), Idaho (15), and Utah State (13).

The media selected Boise State as its preseason champion in a close vote with 383 total points and 25 first place votes. Fresno State was second with 379 points and 20 first place votes followed by Nevada (296), Hawai'i (243), Louisiana Tech (209), San Jose State (183), New Mexico State (167), Idaho (87), and Utah State (78).

Boise State running back Ian Johnson was the preseason offensive player of the year. Last season, Johnson ran for 1,041 yards and 16 touchdowns and his 45 career rushing scores are just 12 shy of tying the WAC all-time record of 57 set by Marshall Faulk of San Diego State from 1991-93.

Elimimian, a first-team all-WAC pick last season, is a three-year starter. His 313 career tackles are the seventh most in WAC history and 130 shy of tying the all-time mark of 443 set by Robert Rodriguez of UTEP from 2001-04.

The Warriors open the 2008 season Aug. 30 at Florida, who are picked by some national publications as the preseason No. 1 team in the country.

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