There’s a new face on the Pac-10. Gone are coaching
constants Rick Neuheisel, Mike Price and Dennis Erickson. In are
Keith Gilbertson, Bill Doba and Mike Riley. Only Oregon’s
Mike Belotti is still here from the 2000 season. And with those
coaching changes, the Pac-10 has been thrown into turmoil. Original
Pac-10 contender Washington looked horrendous in a 28-9 loss to
Ohio State, while Washington State ““ picked to finish at the
bottom of the conference ““ took Notre Dame into overtime and
routed Colorado. Oregon State fell to Fresno State, while
USC’s young offense ““ now without Heisman-winner Carson
Palmer ““ put up 23 points on Auburn’s vaunted defense.
Not a lot separates teams 1-8, and even Stanford and Arizona have
made some rumblings about jumping for a bowl bid. All the teams
have their questions and weaknesses, but each also has the weapons
to make itself potentially dangerous. A team-by-team look at the
Pac-10:
Arizona Wildcats 2002 record: 4-8, T-9th Pac-10
It may be nothing shy of a miracle that Wildcat head coach John
Mackovic is still in Tucson. Following his team’s loss to
UCLA in 2002, a player upheaval nearly ran Mackovic out of Arizona.
There is some talent, but the Wildcats are a far cry from a
contender. Best Offensive Player:Â Running
back Clarence Farmer. He’s splitting time with Mike Bell, but
before his injury, Farmer was one of the best backs in the Pac-10.
If he’s healthy again, he has the size and speed combination
to keep defenses honest. Best Defensive Player:
Cornerback Michael Jolivette. He had to miss much of this past year
due to a knee injury, but no quarterback wants to throw
Jolivette’s way.
Arizona State Sun Devils 2002 Record: 8-6, 3rd
Pac-10 The rebuilding process started this past season. The
“what-if” questions will most likely begin, namely what
if defensive end Terrell Suggs and wide receiver Shaun McDonald
decided to return instead of forgoing their senior seasons?
Best Offensive Player: Quarterback Andrew Walter.
He’s got the arm and ability, but does he have the weapons?
If the Sun Devils find him one, the offense should have no problems
moving the ball. Best Defensive Player: Safety
Riccardo Stewart. He has been all over the place, and more
importantly, is making plays.
Cal Bears 2002 Record: 7-5, T-4th Pac-10 The
Golden Bears’ sudden improvement this past year helped head
coach Jeff Tedford pick up Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors.
However, his toughest task is yet to come. Only three starters
return on defense, and the Golden Bears will have to rely heavily
on the quick maturity of 10 junior college transfers. Best
Offensive Player: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers. It may be his
first year in Tedford’s system, but his gun for an arm is too
good to keep off the field. Best Defensive Player:
Defensive tackle Lorenzo Alexander. He’ll command
double-teams, and is a run-stuffer. He was an honorable mention
All-Conference selection this past season.
Oregon Ducks 2002 Record: 7-6, 8th Pac-10 Lost
in the coaching musical chairs is that head coach Mike Belotti
returns for his ninth season, by far the longest tenure of any
coach in the Pac-10. Last season’s 7-6 record was doubtless a
disappointment. With talent at the skill positions, however,
Belotti’s Oregon team has to be considered among the most
dangerous in the Pac-10. Best Offensive Player:
Placekicker Jared Siegel. He may play only on special teams, but
Siegel will consistently put points up on the board. He kicked a
59-yarder against UCLA last year that proved to be the difference
in the game. Best Defensive Player: Linebacker
Kevin Mitchell. He led the Pac-10 in tackles this past season, and
for good reason. He operates well in open space and has great
speed.
Oregon State Beavers 2002 record: 8-5, T-4th
Pac-10 It may be Mike Riley’s second go-around with the
Beavers, but it’s a different story now. Instead of beginning
a rebuilding process, Riley has plenty of talent on both sides of
the ball to con- tend now. Still, the only question may be how
quickly this team gels in Riley’s system. Best
Offensive Player: Running back Steven Jackson. He is a
physical, punishing player ““ one of the nation’s best
running backs. He’s also dangerous coming out of the
backfield. Best Defensive Player: Linebacker Richard Siegler. A
physical linebacker, Siegler led the Beavers last season with 99
tackles.
Stanford Cardinal 2002 record: 2-9, T-9th
Pac-10 Teevens may have a brilliant offensive mind, but it will
take a while for the Cardinal to return to the top. At the top of
Stanford’s agenda is choosing among quarterbacks Chris Lewis,
Kyle Matter and Trent Edwards. And after Edwards’ performance
in the Cardinal’s come-from-behind victory over San Jose
State, the nod should go to him. Best Offensive
Player: Wide receiver Luke Powell. Forget his diminutive
size; Powell gets results. He was a one-man wrecking crew against
San Jose State, tallying 12 catches for 172 yards and two
touchdowns. Best Defensive Player: Safety
Oshiomogho Atogwe. He’s the most consistent player, and could
rack up quite a few tackles.
UCLA Bruins 2002 record: 7-5, T-4th Pac-10 The
Bruins’ young offense has taken a while to get going, but the
defense is strong at each position. If the offense can gain
consistency ““Â then this team can win lots of games. If
the offense can’t, even a defense as strong as the
Bruins’ can only go so far. Best Offensive
Player: Wide receiver Craig Bragg. For this offense to be
successful, it needs its best playmaker to generate yardage and
score touchdowns. Best Defensive Player:
Cornerback Matt Ware. Defensive tackle Rodney Leisle is a surefire
NFL prospect, but Ware’s size and speed changes the way
opposing offenses draw up their game plans.
USC Trojans 2002 record: 11-2, T-1st Pac-10 The
Trojans’ surprisingly easy 23-0 rout of Auburn answered many
questions. They will try to replace a Heisman winner with
quarterback Matt Leinart, who will simply be asked to not lose the
game. You can afford to do that when you have this defensive
line’s depth of this linebacker corps’ speed.
Best Offensive Player: Wide receiver Mike
Williams. He’s a matchup nightmare. He burst onto the scene
last season , even though he wasn’t a heralded recruit. Now
everyone knows his name. Best Defensive Player:
Line backer Matt Grootegoed. It’s difficult not to pick
someone from the defensive line, but Grootegoed is what makes the
Trojan defense so great. He’s a hard-hitter with speed, and
if anything gets past the defensive line, he can easily clean it
up.
Washington Huskies 2002 record: 7-6, T-4th Lost
in all the hoopla over Rick Neuheisel’s controversial
departure is that this was a team many thought would contend for
the Rose Bowl title in the preseason. If the Huskies develop a
running game, they still should be in the Pac-10 title hunt.
Best Offensive Player: Quarterback Cody Pickett. A
difficult pick for a team with Reggie Williams, but the Huskies
need Pickett to come through. Best Defensive
Player: Linebacker Marquis Cooper. He doesn’t miss
many tackles, he led a Husky rush defense allowing only 97 yards a
game in 2002. He’ll be able to attack more, too, now that
former safety Greg Carothers has moved to linebacker.
Washington State Cougars 2002 Record: 10-3,
T-1st Pac-10 The Cougars may have been selected to finish at the
bottom of the Pac-10, but they sure aren’t playing like
cellar dwellars. A week after taking Notre Dame to overtime,
Washington State then routed Colorado, 47-26. Best
Offensive Player: Quarterback Matt Kegel. Questions abound
as to who will step up to replace Jason Gesser, but Kegel has
answered them for now. He may not be the best pro prospect on this
team, but he is the most valuable. Best Defensive
Player: Safety Erik Coleman. He earned Pac-10 honorable
mention a year ago, and returns as the anchor of the Cougar
defense.