taken from:
http://www.nss.net/cfb/pac10prev.html
USC
Despite coming off a 6-5 season in 2001, a year ago here we wrote, ?USC has all the pieces in place for a strong season.? They did with a brilliant 11-2 campaign under second-year coach Pete Carroll. This program is in very good shape, with Carroll essentially improving the defense (his specialty) and gifted offensive coordinator Norm Chow running the offense (his longtime specialty).
This team lost key pieces on the offense, including Heisman Trophy winning QB Carson Palmer. But the defense was terrific, allowing 18 points and just 80 yards rushing per game! With 6 starters back on ?D?, anchored by junior Shaun Cody, junior Mike Patterson, DE Omar Nazel and junior Kenechi Udeze. Nazel and Udeze combined for 14 sacks last season!
Six starters are back on offense, mostly along the offensive line. Junior QB Brandon Hance looks to step in for the departed Palmer. Hance started nine games for Purdue back in 2001 before transferring to USC. The backfield has a new look with Hershel Dennis (190 yards, 4 yds per carry) but three freshmen may also step in (Reggie Bush, Chauncey Washington and LenDale White). WRs Mike Williams (1,166 yards, 13 TDs) and Keary Colbert will make the transition easier for the new QB. They lost a lot on ?O?, but that ?D? is still outstanding.
Arizona State
The Sun Devils (8-5 SU, 7-5 ATS) snuck up on a lot of folks last season ? remember they finished second in the PAC-10 with a 5-3 record, just behind USC and Washington State. Head coach Dirk Koetter begins his third season at ASU with imaginative, wide-open offenses. Arizona State outscored teams by a 34-32 average and rolled up 426.4 yards per game in 2001 and last year was at 32-28 with 399 yards per game.
They lack balance, with 94.5 yards rushing and 304 yards passing per game, but they put points on the board and win, which are the bottom lines. With 16 starters back, 9 on offense, this bunch looks ready to attack opposing secondaries again. 6?-5? junior QB Andrew Walter fits in fine and passed for 3,584 yards, with 26 TDs, 14 INTs. The entire offensive line is back along with junior WR Daryl Lightfoot (38 catches, 539 yards). Senior RB Mike Williams (7 TDs) is back, so look for plenty of points.
The defense allowed 246 yards passing and 111 yards rushing last season. 7 starters are back, but they lost their best defender to the NFL in Terrell Suggs (24 sacks). Junior DE Jimmy Verndon is back, while sophomore Jamar Williams steps into ASU?s 4-2-5 defense with an accent on speed.
Washington
The Huskies have had two winning, though underachieving, seasons, but coach Rick Neuheisel has 16 starters back. The offense is loaded, and this team averaged 31 points and 352 yards passing per game ion 2002! Lookout for a monster offensive season again.
Senior QB Cody Pickett leads the way and had a big junior season with 4,186 yards, 26 TDs, 13 INTs. He was the first Pac-10 QB to top 4,000 yards passing. The WR corps is deep, with super junior Reggie Williams (1,390 yards, 11 TDs), and junior Charles Fredrick. This team has averaged 279.5 and 352 passing yards per game the last two seasons! Senior Rich Alexis and junior Chris Singleton anchor a ground game that was below-average (77 yds rushing pg).
The defense has only 8 starters back and needs to find a way to stop the pass. The secondary is experienced, but the unit allowed 257.5 yards passing per game, not good in the pass-happy Pac-10. Much of the front line returns and Washington?s run defense was terrific, allowing 96 yards rushing per game, led by junior DE Manase Hopoi (7 sacks).
UCLA
New head coach Karl Dorrell takes over and he inherits 7 returning starters on both offense and defense. That?s good news for a team that averaged 30 ppg with a strong running game (132 yrpg) and passing attack (241 yppg).
But the pivotal position at QB is open, and they are all sophomores. Matt Moore, Drew Olsen and John Sciarra will be fighting it out. The running game should be strong again, with sophomore speedster Tyler Ebell, who led the team last season with 924 yards, 4.4 yards per carry and 9 TDs, and FB Matt White. A big plus will be four of five receivers back, with senior WR Tab Perry, junior Craig Bragg and sophomore Junior Taylor.
The UCLA defense was average in 2002 (26 points, 136 yards rushing allowed pg) and has plenty of experience back (7 starters). Senior DT Rodney Leisle, senior LB Brandon Chillar and senior DE Dave Ball anchor a veteran unit. But a new coach and question marks at QB will make it tough for the Bruins and the schedule is brutal.
Oregon State
Mike Riley returns to Corvallis. Riley coached Oregon State before Dennis Erickson, who left to coach the 49ers in the offseason. The Beavers tied for fourth in the Pac 10 last season with three other teams, but this talented team outscored opponents by a 33-19 average and has 16 starters back, 10 on offense.
Oregon State was the No. 1 rushing team in the Pac 10 last year, with 160 yards per game, and they will be strong again with the entire offensive line back along with the starting backfield. Junior RB Steven Jackson has averaged 5.3 and 5.5 yards per carry the last two seasons (he had 1,656 yards, 15 TDs last year). 6?-6?, 234-lb junior QB Derek Anderson is solid after passing for 2,994 yards, with 24 TDs and 12 INTs. The receiving corps should be a strength, led by senior James Newson (968 yds, 5 TDs in 2001, 1,119 yards, 11 TDs last fall).
The defense should be strong with senior MLB Richard Seigler, senior DT Dwan Edwards and senior DE Noah Happer. (6-5 ATS) Oregon State?s ?D? held seven opponents under 20 points last season and they look strong again.
Oregon
The Oregon Ducks (7-5) have plenty of talent, but fell apart late last season losing 6 of their final 7 games. 14 starters return, including 8 on offense, to try and prevent that collapse from repeating.
The entire offensive line returns, but someone has to step forward at running back, likely RBs junior Ryan Shaw and freshman Chris Vincent. Senior QB Jason Fife completed 53% of his passes for 2,748 yards, 24 TDs and 10 INTs and led an offense that outscored foes by a 33-27 average. Speedy senior WR Samie Parker will team with Demetrius Williams on a club that averaged 232.8 yards passing per game.
Defensively, the Ducks fell apart late, allowing 40 points in four of its last seven games. Senior LB Kevin Mitchell leads the way along with senior FS Keith Lewis (5 INTs). The kicking game was a great strength and should be again with PK Jared Siegel (19-of-23 FGs). They should score plenty of points again.
Washington State
The Cougars lost key talent from a Rose Bowl team that went 7-1 in the Pac 10 (10-2 regular season, 7-4-1 ATS). QB Jason Gesser left for the NFL and Mike Price went to Alabama before losing that job in the blink of an eye. Most important, this is the first season for the Cougars without Price coaching since 1988.
Mike Doba takes over as head coach, and he ran the defense last season (his 9th year here). Washington State outscored foes by a 34-21 average, so the ?D? was as good as the ?O?. The defensive line is big, with 6?-5?, 332-lb Tai Tupai and run stuffer Jeremey Williams anchoring the middle. The secondary is strong, led by senior CB Jason David (7 INTs) and the linebacking corps is deep. The defense gave up 82 yards rushing/256 yards passing per game.
The offense has a new QB with 6-5 senior Matt Kegel, who threw 40 passes last season. Kegel has great weapons in WRs Devard Darling and Sammy Moore. Senior RB Jermaine Green (784 yards, 5.5 yds per carry) led the team in rushing behind a very strong offensive line. A tough September schedule sees the Cougars at Notre Dame, at Colorado and at Oregon.
California
Hats off to Golden Bears head coach Jeff Tedford, an offensive wizard who turned around Cal last fall. Cal went from 1-10 to a surprising 7-5 season with an offense that tallied 35.6 points and 247 yards passing per game. Tedford did wonders for senior QB Kyle Boller and Cal should score a lot again. Tedford coached record-setting offenses with the CFL?s Calgary Stampeders along with Fresno State and Oregon.
Step No. 1 is a replacement at QB. Sophomore Richard Schwartz and junior Reggie Robertson get first cracks. At RB, junior Terrell Williams (139 yards) will team with senior Adimchinobe Echemandu. They do have experience at wideout which will help in WR Jon Makonnen (team leading 54 catches, 7 TDs) and junior Geoff McArthur.
The Bears outscored opponents by a 35-26 average in 2002. Despite that disparity and a winning record, Cal ranked second to last in total ?D? in the Pac 10 (278.8 yards passing per game allowed). Junior LB Wendell Hunter and DT Josh Beckham are part of a rebuilding ?D?. Cal looks like a team that will score and give up plenty of points.
