Spring
Preview
2008
Pac 10 Spring Football Previews
By
Richard Cirminiello
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2009 Pac 10 - Did going 5-0
in bowls bring respect?
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2009 Pac 10 Recruiting -
What does it all mean?
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2009
Early Lookaheads -
Pac 10
-
2008 Pac 10 Lookbacks &
Recaps
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2008
CFN All-Pac 10 Team
Arizona
Begins: March 8
Game: April 12
The early spring buzz ...
There’s pressure to win at every school, but after finally making it to
the postseason, Arizona and head coach Mike Stoops will be breathing a
little easier this spring. Sure, Willie Tuitama and Mike Thomas are gone
from the offense, but this is Sonny Dykes’ third season as the offensive
coordinator, so digesting the spread offense is one less hurdle to worry
about. Plus, the combination of Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin gives the
Wildcats their most dangerous threats out of the backfield in a long
time.
The big spring
question is ... Who gets next
under center? Most of the attention this spring will be on Tuitama’s
successor, either sophomore Matt Scott or Michigan State transfer Nick
Foles. Scott is the better athlete, and the perceived heir apparent
since signing out of Centennial (Calif.) High School. Foles, however,
has the stronger arm and is a more traditional pocket passer. He was one
of the surprises of the scout team, turning this into a closer
competition than anyone expected. Whoever gets the nod will be in a
position to put up huge numbers right away.
The most important position to
watch is ... left tackle. The challenge for the next starting
quarterback got much tougher once Eben Britton opted for the NFL Draft
rather than returning for his senior year. That leaves a gaping hole on
the left side of the line, where backside pressure was a rarity. The
Wildcats are cautiously optimistic that Phillip Garcia can step in and
help fill the void. The 6-7, 340-pounder sat out his first year out of
junior college to rehab pre-existing injuries, and should be finally
ready to roll this month.
Spring attitude...
No retreat. With the hurdle of reaching a bowl game now cleared, Arizona
has its sights set on scaling the Pac-10 hierarchy and getting a little
closer to the league elite. Of greatest importance, the Wildcats cannot
go backwards or give away any of the momentum it built last year. Even
with a young hurler running Dykes’ system, the offense should be fine
once Pac-10 play begins. If the defense can remain feisty, another
eight-win season is possible in Tucson.
Arizona State
Begins: March 25
Game: April 19
The early spring buzz ... Dennis
Erickson proved he can catch the nation
napping with his 10-win debut in 2007.
Now, he has to show that he can rebound
after his Sun Devils qualified as a
major disappointment with a 5-7 mark. No
one doubts that Arizona State has
talent, especially after back-to-back
recruiting classes that were littered
with premier players. However, Erickson
and his staff must do their part to
avoid the inconsistency that’s plagued
this program for ages. Another losing
season will completely erase whatever
goodwill the coach accumulated in his
first year.
The big spring question is ...
Is
there anything this program can do to
pass protect better? Boy, this is really
becoming a literal sore spot in Tempe.
For two years running, the Sun Devils
have been among the nation’s worst teams
in sacks allowed, stunting the
production of QB Rudy Carpenter. Last
year, Arizona State tried shorter drops
and quicker passes to remedy the
problem, but it still wasn’t enough.
Worse yet, it’ll be breaking in a new
starting quarterback and must replace
top blocker Paul Fanaika. If the
inexperienced passer doesn’t have a good
feel for the rush, the sacks will be
abundant for a third straight year.
The most important position to watch is
... quarterback. Nothing creates the
drama in the spring like a good
old-fashioned quarterback controversy.
Battling it out to replace Carpenter
will be a collection of divergent
talents. The veteran is strong-armed
senior Danny Sullivan, but he left the
door open with a couple of sloppy
efforts last October. Samson Szakacsy is
the best athlete of the candidates.
Chasen Stangel and Jack Elway are
three-star recruits from 2007 and 2008,
respectively. And 6-8, 235-pound Brock
Osweiler is already on campus after
signing with the program in February.
This is a wide-open competition that’ll
likely last deep through the summer.
Spring attitude... This is a
prove-it year for Arizona State, which
regressed in 2008 and was exposed by
tougher opponents in the 10-win season
of 2007. If the Sun Devils remain on a
sideways trajectory, it could become the
beginning of a disturbing trend. Flush
with returning starters and star
potential, the defense might have to
carry this program until the offense
develops a new quarterback and steady
playmakers.
California
Begins: March 17
Game: April 19
The early spring buzz ... Is
everyone judging Cal too harshly because
it hasn’t been to a Rose Bowl in more
than half a century? Let’s not forget
that this is the same program that’s
responded to a 1-10 season in 2001 with
seven straight seasons over .500. Jeff
Tedford has done a wonderful job at
Berkeley, but there is a feeling of
unfinished business as the program
struggles to get over the hump with a
BCS bowl invitation. There’ll be fresh
faces on Tedford’s offensive staff after
line coach Jim Michalczik and
coordinator Frank Cignetti left for new
jobs. Replacing Cignetti will be
well-traveled Andy Ludwig, who was with
Utah last year and had accepted a job
with Kansas State earlier this year.
The big spring question is ...
Is
Tedford done flip-flopping quarterbacks
after last season’s debacle? Neither
Kevin Riley nor Nate Longshore
flourished a year ago, and the
indecision at the position became a
distraction for both players and the
rest of the offense. Riley is back for
his junior year, but Longshore has
exhausted his eligibility. Now what? In
an ideal world, Riley flourishes under
the guidance of Ludwig, putting the top
spot in a choke hold. If he can’t, Brock
Mansion or Beau Sweeney could create
another unsettling quarterback
controversy.
The most important position to watch is
... linebacker. The Bears run out of
a 3-4 set these days, which means top
linebackers are at a premium. Gone from
last season are Zack Follett, Worrell
Williams, and Anthony Felder, who all
earned some kind of All-Pac-10
recognition. Mike Mohamed is the
veteran, but he’ll be looking for
company in March and April. His likely
companions in the starting lineup will
come from a group that includes Devin
Bishop, Eddie Young, D.J. Holt, Charles
Johnson, and Mychal Kendricks. While
there’ll be a drop-off, Cal is hoping
it’s not as precipitous as most expect.
Spring attitude... There’s
absolutely no reason to believe that Cal
is about to get off the eight or
nine-win carousel, especially with RB
Jahvid Best back to electrify the
conference. Still, to get past that
threshold and actually challenge USC,
the Bears must find a groove in the
passing game and replace dominating C
Alex Mack. Even with the losses at
linebacker, Bob Gregory’s defense has
enough talent on the front and back ends
to form one of the league’s best units.
Oregon
Begins:
April 2
Game: April 26
The early spring buzz ... Chip Kelly
has already been designated as the
replacement for Mike Bellotti, but when
will he take over? The whispers are
getting louder that the transition could
take place before the start of spring
practice, sending Bellotti to the
athletic director’s office after 14
seasons as the Oregon head coach. If, as
expected, the baton changes hands in
March, it would send a ripple effect
throughout the Pac-10 and the nation.
Not only is Bellotti the longest tenured
coach in the league, but the Ducks could
enter the season with a top 10 ranking
and a rookie at the helm.
The big spring question is ...
Will
LeGarrette Blount practice? Blount is
supposed to be the centerpiece of the
Ducks’ vaunted ground game, but he was
placed on indefinite suspension by
Bellotti for “a failure to fulfill team
obligations”. That’s code for missing
winter workout sessions, and not related
to academics. Since grades aren’t the
problem, he fully expects to be in pads
in April, which should elicit a deep
sigh of relief out of Eugene. If there’s
any change in plans, it’ll mean more
reps for junior Remene Alston and senior
Andre Crenshaw.
The most important position to watch is
... the offensive line. Uncertainty
on the inside is about the only thing
that might slow this offense down in
2009. The Ducks will be without four
starters from a year ago, including a
pair, Max Unger and Fenuki Tupou, who
were at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
Look for Oregon to build the unit around
Bo Thran, C.E. Kaiser, and Jordan
Holmes, who each started games as
sophomores a year ago. After that trio,
it’ll be up to Mark Asper and a handful
of other freshmen that got most of their
reps on the scout team last year.
Spring attitude... The way Oregon
finished last season, scoring 107 points
in season-ending wins over Oregon State
and Oklahoma State, you get the sense
it’s building toward something special
in 2009. There’s obvious firepower on
offense, especially if QB Jeremiah
Masoli keeps performing like a
superhero, and the defense always finds
a way to be opportunistic. The schedule
is dotted with red-letter games, but be
sure to circle Halloween. USC visits
Autzen Stadium that day in a game that
could decide the Rose Bowl participant.
Oregon State
Begins: March 31
Game: May 3
The early spring buzz ... Go ahead
and overlook Oregon State. You’re
wasting your time. Since Mike Riley
returned to Corvallis, the Beavers have
enjoyed a renaissance of sorts, quietly
winning 28 games and three bowl games in
three years. Last season was going to be
a sure-fire rebuilding year, right?
Nope. In fact, the program came within a
victory of winning the conference and
facing Penn State in the Rose Bowl.
Yeah, there are holes on both sides of
scrimmage, but there were even more in
2008. And as long as the program keeps
extending Riley’s contract, there’ll be
optimism that the Beavers can blow past
preseason forecasts.
The big spring question is ...
How
healthy are the Rodgers brothers? It was
obvious late last year that the Beavers
are a completely different team when
James and Jacquizz are not at full
strength. James suffered a broken
collarbone last November, and is not
expected to go through any contact
drills in April. Why risk further
injury? Ditto Quizz, who sat out the
final two games with a shoulder injury.
Neither player is very big, so the staff
wants to limit their hits to the fall
instead of the spring. These two have to
be healthy for 12 games in order for
Oregon State to reach its full
potential.
The most important position to watch is
... defensive back. The Beavers have
done a nice job of rebuilding on the
fly, but this will be a tall order. The
defense has parted ways with four
starters, all of whom earned All-Pac-10
recognition. That means it’ll be an
especially important spring for last
year’s backups, such as corners Tim
Clark, James Dockery, and Brandon
Hardin, and safeties Cameron Collins,
Lance Mitchell, and Suaesi Tuimaunei.
Hardin, Collins and Mitchell got plenty
of reps as freshmen, representing the
future for the program in the secondary.
Spring attitude... Riley and his
staff have the patent on the blueprint
for winning with less in Corvallis.
Although there will be a lot of new
faces in the lineup again, there’s no
reason to believe the Beavers can’t win
eight or nine times, including another
bowl game. All bets are off, however, if
either James or Quizz Rodgers goes on
the shelf for an extended period of
time. QB Lyle Moevao will be exposed as
less than ordinary without these two
dangerous weapons.
Stanford
Begins: Feb 26
Game: April 12
The early spring buzz ... By
assembling a top 20 recruiting class in
February, Jim Harbaugh dispatched a
statement that he expects more than just
a bowl invitation down the road for his
Cardinal. He plans to eventually win a
Pac-10 championship and play in the Rose
Bowl. Stanford continues to build
momentum on and away from the field,
creating a positive vibe around the
program. Harbaugh wants to keep that
train on the tracks with a spring camp
that’ll be broken into two separate
sections. Other than losing offensive
line coach Chris Dalman, the staff
remained intact during the offseason.
The big spring question is ...
Is
this the year that someone unseats
Tavita Pritchard at quarterback? Not
many starters across the country have
been less efficient than him over the
last two years, so he’s obviously ripe
for the picking. Over that time, he’s
thrown 15 touchdown passes to 22
interceptions, hardly acceptable for a
former NFL hurler, like Harbaugh.
Looking to capitalize on the need for
change are last year’s backup Alex
Loukas and redshirt freshman Andrew
Luck, the gem of the 2008 recruiting
class. It’s still Pritchard’s job to
lose, but his hold on that job isn’t
what it used to be now that Luck is in
the picture.
The most important position to watch is
... the defensive backfield. You
think the Cardinal is serious about
getting better in the secondary after
finishing ninth in Pac-10 pass defense?
In order to provide a hand to the
holdovers, the staff is moving two
offensive skill position players to the
other side of the ball. Delano Howell,
the team’s Freshman of the Year as a
running back is now listed as the
starting strong safety, moving Bo
McNally to free safety. Richard Sherman,
who has 81 career receptions, will be a
cornerback once he returns from injury.
If these two athletes can bolster the
secondary, the entire program will
benefit.
Spring attitude... Keep moving
forward. Now that Stanford is headed in
the right direction under Harbaugh, it
plans to maintain that trend beginning
this spring. After coming so close a
year ago, the Cardinal has its sights
fixed on a bowl game, which would be
tangible proof of their progress and
another shiny recruiting hook for
Harbaugh. The next month ought to be
about improving the passing game, so RB
Toby Gerhart doesn’t have to carry the
offense on his broad shoulders.
UCLA
Begins:
April 3
Game: April 26
The early spring buzz ... The Bruins
haven’t played a game in three months,
but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been
big wins in Westwood. There’s a spark of
excitement around the program that can
be traced to a dynamite recruiting class
that was second to only USC in the
Pac-10. Rick Neuheisel showed that he’s
still got it, attracting a haul of
talent for both sides of the ball. UCLA
didn’t have the bodies to compete a year
ago. This group begins to address that
shortcoming. The only sour note of the
offseason came when popular defensive
coordinator left the program for the
head job at New Mexico State.
The big spring question is ...
How
will the situation at quarterback shake
out? From the moment spring camp broke,
this position was a disaster in 2008.
Kevin Craft filled in after Ben Olson
and Patrick Cowan suffered season-ending
injuries, looking every bit like a
third-stringer. He’s got the clear edge
in experience, but after that, he’s
going to be vulnerable to the young
passers that have been signed over the
last couple of years. Chris Forcier was
a four-star recruit from Karl Dorrell’s
last class, and Kevin Prince and Nick
Crissman were three-star players in
Neuheisel’s first one.
The most important position to watch is
... the offensive line. And it’s not
even close. This unit was a mess,
typifying the Bruins’ season-long
problems on offense. It couldn’t pass
protect or create any space for the
backs. The encouraging news is that UCLA
used a ton of young players, so they’ll
presumably be better with that year of
experience. Linemen, like Jeff Baca and
Mike Harris, were starting at the end of
their rookie seasons, and Micah Kia and
Nick Ekbatani will be senior starters at
guard. In all, nine guys that started
games are back, which is a decent
foundation to build around.
Spring attitude... Improve.
Neuheisel and his staff are still in the
honeymoon phase, so there’s hardly
pressure to guide the Bruins to some
kind of overnight transformation. That
said, signs of progress, especially on
offense are expected after going a
rather ugly 4-8 a year ago. If UCLA can
sneak into the postseason, while mixing
in some of that young talent, it’ll be a
nice building block toward a breakout
season in 2010.
USC
Begins: March 25
Game: April 19
The early spring buzz ... Does the
spring buzz ever really fluctuate at
USC? It hasn’t since Pete Carroll
arrived at the beginning of the decade.
It’s the same old story around Troy. The
Trojans lose a truckload of talent to
the NFL, insert a bunch of new stars
into the two-deep, and prepare for yet
another Pac-10 championship. This time
around, they not only parted ways with a
bunch of really gifted players, but also
both coordinators, Steve Sarkisian and
Nick Holt, to Washington. The focus this
spring will be to retool a defense that
lost nine starters, and try to contain a
quarterback battle that’s liable to
become a major distraction.
The big spring question is ...
Will
the situation at quarterback be any
clearer in April than it is in March?
Last spring, we had Mark Sanchez vs.
Mitch Mustain. This spring, it’s Mitch
Mustain vs. Aaron Corp, with Garrett
Green and incoming freshman Matt Barkley
playing the wild card role. For those
who’ve forgotten, Mustain is the
Arkansas kid, who started for the Hogs
as a true freshman before deciding to
head west. Corp is the former
blue-chipper from the class of 2007, who
actually passed Mustain on the depth
chart at times in 2008. Both were
considered five-star, can’t-miss
prospects coming out of high school,
which will only amp up the interest in
this competition.
The most important position to watch is
... linebacker. Although the Trojans
won’t be hurting at the position, you
certainly don’t get better by losing Rey
Maualuga, Brian Cushing, and Kaluka
Maiava to the NFL Draft. It’s time for
senior Luthur Brown to live up to the
hype that made him one of the nation’s
most coveted defensive players of 2005.
He’ll get that chance this fall. So,
too, will Chris Galippo, Malcolm Smith,
Michael Morgan, and Uona Kaveinga,
who’ve been watching and waiting until
it was their time to crack the starting
lineup.
Spring attitude... While many of the
faces will be new, USC expects nothing
less than another Pac-10 championship
and a run at a BCS title. Expecting
those kinds of results permeates
throughout this program and its fan
base. This spring will be about creating
competition for spots on the depth chart
and getting the new coordinators
comfortable with their new assignments.
Carroll will be keeping a close on the
quarterback derby, making sure it
doesn’t blossom into a circus.
Washington
Begins: April 3
Game: April 22
The early spring buzz ... Hope
springs eternal this time of year. In
the case of Washington football, that
has more to do with a coaching change
than a change of season. Steve Sarkisian
replaced Tyrone Willingham a few months
ago, bringing a fresh outlook and new
energy to the Pacific Northwest. He’s
worked hard to assemble a staff of
experienced assistants, but took an
unexpected hit when offensive
coordinator Jim Michalczik bolted to the
Oakland Raiders after less than two
months on the job. Sarkisian responded
by promoting Doug Nussmeier, who’d spent
last season at Fresno State.
The big spring question is ...
What
can be expected from QB Jake Locker? For
those who forgot, Locker injured his
thumb in the fourth game of the season
and never got back on the field. The
Husky offense suffered accordingly. He’s
expected to be back to 100% by the start
of spring, and ready to resume his
maturation process. Locker, more than
anyone else on this roster, is going to
benefit from working with Sarkisian and
Nussmeier day-in and day-out. To become
a complete player, especially in this
pro-style offense, he’ll need better
coaching than he got from the Willingham
regime.
The most important position to watch is
... the secondary. In the putrid
0-12 season, no area of the team was
more miserable than the pass defense,
which yielded 24 touchdown passes and
had just seven picks. Hope can be found
in CB Quinton Richardson and FS Nate
Williams, the team’s most improved
defender of 2008. After that pair of
returning starters, however, the Huskies
will need a ton of help. Corners Vonzell
McDowell, Matt Mosley, and Marquis
Persley, and safeties Tripper Johnson
and Victor Aiyewa will be first in line
for jobs after lettering a year ago.
Spring attitude... No one, not even
the ever-positive Sarkisian and Holt, is
expecting an overnight transformation in
Seattle. There’s just too much work to
do on both sides of the ball. Progress
will be measured modestly, much like it
was in David Cutcliffe’s first year at
Duke. If Sarkisian and his staff can
improve the Huskies’ fundamentals,
generate some excitement around the
program, and win a few games, it’ll
qualify as a solid foundation for 2010
and beyond.
Washington State Begins: March 17
Game:
April 12
The early spring buzz ... After
delivering one of the worst seasons in
Pac-10 history, Wazzu is taking the
only-way-is-up mindset into spring. Not
only is second-year head coach Paul
Wulff trying to bounce back from a 2-11
debacle, but he was recently slapped
with NCAA sanctions, stemming from his
days at Eastern Washington. While his
sins were not egregious, the situation
certainly hasn’t boosted his approval
rating in the region. It’ll be back to
basics this spring for the
talent-starved Cougars, which didn’t
have a single player on the All-Pac-10
first or second team a year ago.
The big spring question is ...
Is
anyone in Pullman worthy of being called
an FBS quarterback? Four different
players took turns behind center in
2008, combining for a ridiculous six
touchdown passes and 21 interceptions.
Gary Rogers ended his pursuit of a sixth
year of eligibility, leaving Kevin
Lopina, Marshall Lobbestael, and J.T.
Levenseller as the contenders. Lopina
finished the year with zero touchdown
passes and 11 picks on 153 attempts.
Lobbestael is trying to make his way
back from major knee surgery
and a February suspension related to being arrested. Levenseller is
the only one of the three with no
starting experience. This does not look
like it’ll have a happy ending.
The most important position to watch is
... the defensive backfield. The
Cougars have a help wanted sign outside
Martin Stadium after failing to pick off
a pass in the final eight games of 2008.
Most of last year’s letterwinners are
back, which isn’t exactly positive news
considering the results. Chima Nwachukwu
exhibits potential at safety, and five
other underclassmen got reps, led by CB
Romeo Pellum and S Tyree Toomer. It’s
not much, but it’s a start for a
beleaguered group that’s searching for
something positive to rally around.
Spring attitude... Go ahead and
nominate Wulff for Pac-10 Coach of the
Year if Washington State is even
mathematically alive for bowl
eligibility in November. The program
just doesn’t have much talent relative
to the rest of the league. Heck, even
winless Washington has more young
players capable of emerging into
something special. At Eastern
Washington, Wulff had one of the most
potent offenses in the FCS. Before he
even thinks about lighting up the
scoreboard in Pullman, however, he has
to mine something positive out of the
mess at quarterback.