Spring
Preview
2008
Pac 10 Spring Football Previews
By
Richard Cirminiello
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2007 Pac 10 Spring Analysis
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2008
Early Lookaheads -
Conference USA
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2008 Pac 10 Insider Spring
Questions & Answers
Arizona
Spring Practice Begins: March 8 Game:
April 12
The early spring buzz ... Ever
since Mike Stoops’ ballyhooed arrival
from Oklahoma, Arizona has yet to put it
all together on the field. Last year,
for instance, the defense was crammed
with returning starters, while the
feeble offense was adapting to Sonny
Dykes’ new wide-open passing attack.
This year, the roles have been
reversed. The offense welcomes back QB
Willie Tuitama and most of his
supporting cast, but the defense must be
rebuilt with eight new starters. Stoops
needs to break through soon because
Wildcats fans are quickly losing their
patience with a 17-29 record and no bowl
invitations over the last four seasons.
The big spring question is ... Is
sophomore Nic Grigsby the answer at
running back? Despite rushing for 704
yards as a true freshman, Grigsby still
left Stoops pining for a feature back
that can add an element of balance to
the spread offense. The Wildcats were
114th nationally on the
ground, failing to produce a 1,000-yard
rusher for the sixth year in-a-row.
Although the air will remain the
preferred mode of transportation in
Tucson, the spread can be so much more
effective if defenses can be kept off
balance with the threat of a decent
running game.
The most important position to watch
is ... Cornerback. The Wildcats are
hurting everywhere on defense, but none
more than at cornerback, where starters
Antoine Cason and Wilrey Fontenot have
run out of eligibility. Cason, in
particular, had a knack for completely
shutting off one side of the field for
opposing quarterbacks, a luxury that’ll
be missed in the passer-friendly
Pac-10. In their place step Devin Ross
and Marquis Hundley, who have just one
career start between them.
Spring attitude... The quest to
finally return to the postseason begins
on March 8 for the Wildcats. Sparked by
a palpable sense of urgency engulfing
the program, the offense will be looking
to get tighter in Year 2 of Dykes’
system, while the defense is hoping to
fill in the blanks on a unit that’s been
decimated by graduation.
Arizona State
Spring Practice Begins: March 25 Game:
April 19
The early spring buzz ... After
serving notice to the nation with 10
wins in 2007, Dennis Erickson is hoping
to serve up an equally impressive encore
in 2008. The nomadic head coach
immediately put his stamp on the program
and hasn’t let up, trouncing rival
Arizona on the recruiting trail in
February. The Sun Devils have needs on
both lines and in the secondary, which
they believe will be addressed in the
short term by a handful of junior
college transfers. Not one to pull back
when things are going well, Erickson
plans to put the pedal to the metal in
Arizona State’s quest to become a
perennial contender for a Pac-10
championship.
The big spring question is ...
What can be done in April so that the
Sun Devils pass block better in
September? Something has to change after
a veteran offensive line allowed a
ridiculous 55 sacks in 13 games last
year. Three long-time starters have
graduated, but all things considered,
that’s not such bad news. Arizona State
must do a better job of protecting its
franchise player, QB Rudy Carpenter, so
he has the time to locate a quality set
of receivers that includes Michael
Jones, Chris McGaha, and Kyle Williams.
The most important position to watch
is ... Running back. Out of Keegan
Herring, Dimitri Nance, and Shaun
DeWitty, the Sun Devils are hoping to
find a go-to back that can complement
the passing game and do a fair
impression of the departed Ryan Torain.
Each player is experienced and offers
something a little different to the
offense, but Erickson would prefer to
have a back that can carry the ball 20
times a game and catch the occasional
pass out of the backfield.
Spring attitude... Yeah, Arizona
State started 8-0 last year and won 10
games, but when the schedule got
tougher, it couldn’t meet the
challenge. This season, the Sun Devils
are determined to build on 2007 by
taking a step closer to USC’s grip on
the Pac-10 title. Steps one and two
will be to revamp the offensive line and
solidify the defense, respectively.
California
Spring Practice Begins: March 17 Game:
April 19
The early spring buzz ... Has Cal
peaked under Jeff Tedford? It’s a
question the Bears will try to dismiss
this spring, while attempting to
eliminate the stench of last year’s
putrid 2-6 finish to the season. Cal is
in the awkward position of fending off
allegations it’s an underachiever, an
odd assertion about a program that was
1-10 earlier this decade. It’s also
facing a rare dearth of experience at
the skill positions following the
departures of RB Justin Forsett, WRs
DeSean Jackson, Lavelle Hawkins, and
Robert Jordan, and TE Craig Stevens.
Considering how well Tedford has
recruited at these spots in recent
years, any drop-off in production will
be short-lived.
The big spring question is ... Is
Cal about to get embroiled in an
old-fashioned quarterback controversy?
It might be unavoidable considering the
inconsistent play of incumbent Nate
Longshore and how well sophomore Kevin
Riley played in the Armed Forces Bowl.
The job remains Longshore’s to lose, but
if the more mobile Riley continues to
mature, it’ll be hard for Tedford and
new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti
to keep him out of the lineup this fall.
The most important position to watch
is ... The left side of the
offensive line. The backs and receivers
are going to be green no matter what,
but it may not be noticeable if the
Bears can adequately replace LT Mike
Gibson and LG Brian De La Puente. Cal
is set on the right side and with
All-American Alex Mack at center,
meaning the rest of the offense will
benefit dramatically if the left side of
the front wall can be rebuilt on the
fly.
Spring attitude... This spring will
be Cal’s first chance to recapture the
swagger it had after starting 5-0 last
October and coming within a hair of
rising to No. 1 in the country. Most of
the program’s equity and goodwill have
been squandered, making the road back to
national respect a long one. For a
change, the defense, led by a terrific
trio of linebackers, might have to carry
the Bears until the offense finds its
rhythm.
Oregon
Spring
Practice Begins: April 2 Game: April 26
The early spring buzz ... As hard
as it is to imagine, Oregon might spend
part of 2008 leaning on the defense as
the offense adjusts to new starters at
quarterback, running back, and wide
receiver. While the defense boasts
all-leaguers at every level, the offense
will be without All-Pac 10 QB Dennis
Dixon and RB Jonathan Stewart, and still
has consistency issues at wide
receiver. What does all this mean?
After doing a great job in his Duck
debut a year ago, second-year offensive
coordinator Chip Kelly will have to be
even more innovative this fall.
The big spring question is ...
Who’ll get the ball from Mike Bellotti
on opening day? Dixon is gone, as is
his backup Brady Leaf, leaving Oregon in
a precarious position at quarterback.
Although it’s doubtful a starter will be
named at the end of April, we should
know more about the competition
involving sophomores Justin Roper, Nate
Costa, and Cody Kempt, and BYU transfer
Cade Cooper. Although Roper was
peerless in the Ducks’ Sun Bowl rout of
South Florida, Costa was actually higher
on the depth chart before suffering an
ACL injury.
The most important position to watch
is ... Running back. With Stewart
headed to the NFL and Jeremiah Johnson
still recovering from a serious knee
injury, the Ducks need to build depth in
the backfield, especially with the
uncertainty at quarterback. Oregon was
unstoppable on the ground last year, but
in April, the load will be shouldered by
little-used Andre Crenshaw and
LaGarrette Blount, a heralded 230-pound
transfer from East Mississippi Junior
College.
Spring attitude... There’s no
debate that Oregon has slipped from the
heights of last season, but how far will
depend on the development of the
backfield between now and the Aug. 30
visit from Washington. For now, Duck
fans can take solace from an underrated
and opportunistic defense that’s led by
one of the Pac-10’s best defensive
backfields. Oregon is teetering on the
lip of the league’s first division, a
tenuous position that’s subject to
change over the next six months.
Oregon State
Spring Practice Begins: March 31 Game:
May 3
The early spring buzz ... The
Beavers were clearly built for last
year, making this a likely rebuilding
season for Mike Riley and the program.
Although Oregon State has confounded
experts more than once this decade,
it’ll need pleasant surprises just about
everywhere on the depth chart in order
to even approach last year’s nine-win
season. The front seven of the defense
has been completely gutted by
graduation, and the offense no longer
has RB Yvenson Bernard to compensate for
a dicey situation at quarterback. There
is hope, however, that star receiver and
returner extraordinaire Sammie
Stroughter will be granted another year
of eligibility by the NCAA.
The big spring question is ... Is
there a viable option at quarterback to
run the Beaver offense? Juniors Sean
Canfield and Lyle Moevao were bad and
worse, respectively, in 2007, combining
for 11 touchdown passes and 21
interceptions. Canfield is recovering
from offseason shoulder surgery, leaving
just a pair of scholarship quarterbacks
in camp, Moevao and true freshman Ryan
Katz. If Canfield is slow to bounce
back from a torn labrum, Katz will go
from a potential redshirt to a potential
starter in his debut in Corvallis.
The most important position to watch
is ... Linebacker. There’s no easy
solution to replacing Derrick Doggett,
Alan Darlin, and Joey LaRocque, each of
whom ended last season on the All-Pac-10
Second Team. The Beavers are excited
about their replacements, Isaiah Cook,
Bryant Cornell, and Keaton Kristick, but
having to insert all three into the
lineup in the same year could leave
Oregon State vulnerable on the defensive
side of the ball.
Spring attitude... After winning
19 games and back-to-back bowl games,
Oregon State will have to work overtime
just to get to the postseason in 2008.
Even the kicking game is no longer a
sure thing since Alexis Serna graduated
after four terrific years as the
starter. With trips to Penn State and
Utah to go along with a rugged Pac-10
schedule, the Beavers will hover around
the .500 mark for the first time in
three years.
Stanford
Spring Practice Begins: Feb 26 Game:
April 12
The early spring buzz ... From
the moment Jim Harbaugh stepped foot on
the Farm, he’s had a positive impact on
a program that was pining for a new
direction. From beating USC and Cal in
2007 to improving the talent level on
Signing Day earlier this month, Harbaugh
has gradually been building momentum at
Stanford, a trend he plans to continue
this spring. The Cardinal is still
lagging behind the Pac-10 elite in many
key areas, but there’s a sense around
Palo Alto that the gap will be narrowed
a little further during this upcoming
season.
The big spring question is ...
How much will defensive coordinator
Scott Shafer be missed? Very quietly,
Shafer did an outstanding job with the
Cardinal D in 2007, molding it into an
attacking, disruptive unit. He was so
good that Rich Rodriguez took notice,
luring him to Ann Arbor to be Michigan’s
defensive coordinator. Shafer’s
successor will be long-time NFL
assistant Ron Lynn, who’ll be inheriting
a surprisingly talented defense that’s
led by DE Pannel Egboh, LBs Clinton
Snyder and Pat Maynor, and S Bo McNally.
The most important position to watch
is ... Quarterback. Yeah, Tavita
Pritchard threw the game-winning
touchdown pass in the upset of USC, but
he didn’t do much else the rest of the
way to padlock the starting job. As T.C.
Ostrander exhausts his eligibility,
Michigan transfer Jason Forcier becomes
available to the Cardinal after sitting
out last season. Oh, and keep an eye in
the summer on Andrew Luck, a five-star
recruit that Harbaugh hand-picked to
someday be the franchise at Stanford.
Spring attitude... Stanford may
be far from storming the Pac-10 gates,
but the positive buzz surrounding the
program is palpable. With a little luck
and more progress from the offense, the
Cardinal is poised to add a win or two
to last year’s 4-8 record, making a
serious challenge for bowl eligibility
late in the season.
UCLA
Spring Practice Begins: April 3 Game:
April 26
The early spring buzz ... At the
three most influential coaching
positions on a staff, the Bruins have
gone from Karl Dorrell, Jay Norvell, and
DeWayne Walker to Rick Neuheisel, Norm
Chow, and DeWayne Walker. That’s what
you call a major trade-up, but how will
it impact the Bruins in the immediate
future? Although the trio has created a
stir around Westwood and some mild
concern at Troy, the reality is that
UCLA has a ton of holes to fill in 2008,
especially along the offensive line and
on defense. The excitement surrounding
Neuheisel & Co. may be well-found, but
the real dividends probably won’t start
coming until 2009.
The big spring question is ...
Can Chow do for the UCLA quarterbacks
what he did for the USC quarterbacks
earlier this decade? The long-time
offensive coordinator has the
indisputable track record as a
quarterback guru, which explains why so
many onlookers expect either Ben Olson
or Patrick Cowan to finish his career
with a flurry. Olson, in particular,
hasn’t come close to fulfilling all of
his potential, falling prey to injuries
in 2007, but has the natural gifts
needed to be the next quarterback in
Chow’s long line of success stories.
The most important position to watch
is ... The secondary. The Bruin
defense was built for 2007, which makes
2008 a rebuilding year with as many as
eight new starters entering the lineup.
The secondary took the biggest hit,
losing corners Trey Brown and Rodney
Van, and safeties Chris Horton and
Dennis Keyes. In a league known for its
prolific passing games, UCLA desperately
needs young cornerbacks, like Alterraun
Verner and Courtney Viney, to perform
beyond their experience.
Spring attitude... Although the
Bruins aren’t likely to soar past last
year’s six-win season, that alone won’t
squelch the enthusiasm that’s followed
the hiring of Neuheisel. UCLA will
begin breaking out of its decade-long
malaise, building a foundation for the
future by establishing a power running
game and breaking in a slew of fresh
faces on both sides of the ball.
USC
Spring Practice Begins: March 25 Game:
April 19
The early spring buzz ... If
there’s one program that’s equipped to
handle wholesale changes on both sides
of the ball, it’s USC, a school that
never rebuilds under Pete Carroll. That
said, it’s inevitable that the Trojans
will be a little more vulnerable than in
recent years after losing a bunch of
starters and team leaders to
graduation. Vulnerable enough to lose a
grip on the Pac-10 title for the first
time since 2001? Probably not,
considering the talent gap between the
Trojans and the league’s next best team
remains as wide as its been in years.
The big spring question is ...
Mark or Mitch? The battle between Mark
Sanchez and Mitch Mustain to replace
John David Booty at quarterback will be
one of the most watched national
storylines of the entire spring. While
Sanchez was considered for years to be
the logical heir apparent, Mustain has
done nothing but impress the coaching
staff since transferring from Arkansas.
Although the competition and the
resulting media attention might be a
massive nuisance for the coaching staff,
it’s also going to push both
quarterbacks to be at the top of their
games.
The most important position to watch
is ... Nose tackle. Because of the
position he played, Sedrick Ellis
probably never got as much publicity as
he deserved, but those close to the
program understand how much he’ll be
missed. The catalyst of the Trojan
front, he drew so much attention that it
made everyone around him better. In
Ellis’ place will step either junior
Averell Spicer or redshirt freshman
Christian Tupou, who’ll have massive
shoes to fill in 2008.
Spring attitude... Although a lot
of the faces will be different, the
goals will be the same, namely to win
the Pac-10 championship and contend for
a national title. The Trojans’ toughest
game of the year against Ohio State will
come at home and on two weeks rest, so
the schedule provides the potential for
a seventh straight BCS bowl game and
10-win season.
Washington
Spring Practice Begins: April 3 Game:
April 22
The early spring buzz ... After
four consecutive losing seasons, there’s
an unmistakable sense of urgency to win
right now at Washington. If, however,
that’s to come to fruition in 2008,
youth will need to be served on a roster
that’ll be littered with underclassmen
throughout the two-deep. The face of
the Huskies, QB Jake Locker, is only a
sophomore, and freshmen will be needed
to bolster the depth on both lines and
at wide receiver, where five seniors
were lost from last year’s 4-9 team. It
figures to be a precarious position for
Tyrone Willingham, who’ll be leaning on
a slew of untested kids to help fortify
his tenuous job security.
The big spring question is ...
How much has Locker grown as a passer
since his freshman year? Like it or
not, the sophomore will have an
inordinate impact on the Huskies
fortunes in 2008. As he goes, so goes
Washington, meaning he’ll have to move
closer to becoming a complete
quarterback after laying a sturdy
foundation in 2007. Nearly a 1,000-yard
rusher a year ago, Locker was just
eighth in the Pac-10 in passing
efficiency, throwing more interceptions
than touchdown passes.
The most important position to watch
is ... Defensive line. The Huskies
are staring at a crisis on the defensive
line after losing five seniors to
graduation, including starting tackles
Jordan Reffett and Wilson Afoa, and top
pass rusher Greyson Gunheim. The onus
falls on unproven players, such as
junior DT Cam Elisara and junior DE
De’Shon Matthews, to prevent Washington
from getting dominated at the point of
attack. Even DT Craig Noble, a
headliner from this latest recruiting
class, will get every opportunity to
contribute right away.
Spring attitude... With so much
at stake in Seattle this season, it’s
the worst possible time for the program
to be reshuffling the depth chart and
inserting a bunch of new starters into
the lineup. Washington, however, has no
other choice. Unless Locker can hoist
the entire team on his shoulders, an
unlikely scenario, the Huskies are
looking down the barrel of another
disappointing season.
Washington State
Spring Practice Begins: March 17 Game:
April 12
The early spring buzz ... Sensing
that things had gotten stale under Bill
Doba, Washington State turned to former
player Paul Wulff, who’ll be bringing a
new energy and a new playbook back to
the Palouse. The Cougars will spend
much of March and April learning the new
no-huddle spread offense and making the
switch on defense from the 3-4 to the
4-3. Hired on Dec. 11, Wulff got off to
slow start with this recruiting class,
so much-needed enforcements on defense
and at wide receiver are not likely to
come from many of February’s signees.
The big spring question is ...
Who’ll be Wulff’s first quarterback?
Senior Gary Rogers was Alex Brink’s
long-time backup and easily has the most
experience, but with a new staff in
Pullman, everyone is starting from
square one. That’s great news for
juniors Kevin Lopina and Cole Morgan,
redshirt freshman Marshall Lobbestael,
and true freshman J.T. Levenseller.
Lobbestael, in particular, could climb
the depth chart in a hurry in April if
he shows a knack for picking up the
offense quickly.
The most important position to watch
is ... Defensive line. Wulff has
already started putting out APBs for
quality defensive linemen. Not only
does the shift to a four-man front
mandate a need for more bodies, but last
year’s starting ends, Ropati Pitoitua
and Aaron Johnson, are out of
eligibility, and the Cougs’ best tackle,
A’I Ahmu is currently on suspension for
a misdemeanor alcohol offense. As it
stands now, Wazzu is going to have an
awful rough time stopping opposing
running games in 2008.
Spring attitude... Naturally, the
Cougars would like to surprise everyone
and end their four-year bowl drought,
but 2008 is more likely to be about
setting the table for 2009. With so
much change taking place at a school
that won just five games last year and
loses its all-time leading passer,
Washington State will contend for the
Pac-10 basement this season. If a
quarterback of the future emerges and
depth is built along both lines, Wulff’s
debut at his alma mater will be a
success.