Pac-10 Conference Scouting Report

(In predicted order of finish)

USC

Head coach: Paul Hackett, third year

Record at USC: 14-11

Record in 1999: 6-6, 3-5 tied for sixth

Returning starters: 16

The only time anyone says Student Body Left around USC anymore is to announce the student body has left the building. Not many seem interested in Southern Cal football. In fact, attendance at the Los Angeles Coliseum last year was the lowest it has been since 1987.

But Carson Palmer may make those in the L.A. area and across the nation sit up and take notice. The sophomore quarterback has been pegged as the savior for this once-proud program.

“He’s the nucleus of the team,” said wide receiver Kareem Kelly. “He just adds so much to the offense. It’s a totally different team when he’s in.’

The problem last year was that Palmer was only in the first three games. In the third game against Oregon, he broke a collarbone. Now he is 100 percent healthy and has been picked as the next great Pacific-10 Conference quarterback.

“Carson is one of the best young quarterbacks in the country,” said USC coach Paul Hackett.

“Someday, I can tell my kids that Carson Palmer handed me the ball once,” said tailback Petros Papadakis.

Hackett is concerned about Palmer getting his timing back with a young receiving corps led by Kelly. The Trojans also have some question marks at tailback. Two-year starter Chad Morton, the eighth all-time rusher at USC, is gone. Sophomore Sultan McCullough (the Pac-10 100-meter champion in 1999) and junior Malaefou MacKenzie will try to replace him. Papadakis could also be in the mix.

The Trojans appear to have the conference’s top defense, even though they will be without Antuan Simmons. Simmons, a projected first-round draft pick, spent weeks in the hospital this summer after doctors discovered tumors wrapped around his left kidney.

Still nine starters return from the Pac-10’s third-ranked defense, including linebackers Zeke Moreno and Markus Steele.

UCLA

Coach: Bob Toledo, fifth year

Record at UCLA: 29-17

Record in 1999: 4-7, 2-6, ninth

Returning starters: 17

The running joke last year between Bob Toledo and Washington State coach Mike Price was that they were going to give up coaching and head to Cabo San Lucas and open a fishing business.

If Toledo has another year like last season, that joke may become a reality. Coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons, Toledo and his Bruins struggled to an ignominious ninth place finish.

With 17 starters returning, UCLA should be the turnaround story in the Pac-10. The Bruins’ defense should be much improved over last year. All three linebackers are back, as well as All-America candidate Kenyon Coleman at defensive end.

On offense, Toledo has settled on sophomore Cory Paus (95 of 197 for 1,336 yards, 7 TDs, 9 INTs) as his starter. Tailback DeShaun Foster is completely recovered from an ankle injury. And Freddie Mitchell, one of the fastest and most versatile players in the Pac-10, should be the headliner at wide receiver.

Washington

Head coach: Rick Neuheisel, second year

Record at UW: 7-5

Record in 1999: 7-5, 6-2 tied for second

Returning starters: 15

The Huskies are thin at receiver. Have an unproven running back. Don’t have a solid defense. Could be suspect on the offensive line if anyone goes down. And were picked by the media to finish first in the Pac-10.

Thank you, Marques Tuiasosopo. Of course, the senior quarterback is not the only reason the Huskies are No. 13 in the country, but he is the main reason. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Tuiasosopo threw for more than 2,200 yards last season and was the second-leading rusher on the team with 541 yards. He also became the first player in Division I to rush for 200 yards and throw for 300 yards in the same game.

Washington will have trouble finding someone to throw the ball to. Top receiver Chris Juergens is likely to miss the year with an injury, and tight end Jerramy Stevens’ future is in doubt because of problems with the law. That leaves Todd Elstrom, who had 11 catches last season, as UW’s most experienced wide receiver. The Huskies lost the three biggest talents - Lester Towns, Mac Tuiaea and Jabari Issa - from a defense that wasn’t all that great.

Then there is the schedule. The Huskies play Miami at home and visit Colorado and Oregon in the first month.

Oregon

Coach: Mike Belotti, sixth year

Record at Oregon: 39-20

Record in 1999: 9-3, 6-2, tied for second

Returning starters: 9

Mike Belotti stepped to the podium at Pac-10 Conference media day and immediately started to wonder what the media was thinking when it picked his Ducks to finish third.

“There are more questions in my mind about this team than any team since I’ve been with the Ducks,” he said. “I’m hopeful despite the loss of an all-time leading receiver (Tony Hartley) and one of best rushers in history of this conference (Reuben Droughns).

“We have no experience in the backfield whatsoever,” he continued. “The offensive line is a question mark. On defense, we have huge questions. We return three starters.”

This season is not so much about what the Ducks lost, but what they gained. Maurice Morris, the all-time leading rusher in JC history, is expected to more than adequately fill the shoes of Droughns. Joey Harrington and A.J. Feeley are coming on strong at quarterback. The receiving corps, featuring Keenan Howry and Marshuan Tucker, is deep and talented.

On defense, the Ducks will rely on senior linebacker Matt Smith (75 tackles in 1999) and defensive end Saul Patu, a three-year starter.

Oregon State

Coach: Dennis Erickson, second year

Record at OSU: 7-5

Record in 1999: 7-5, 4-4, fifth

Returning starters: 16

The Beavers are starting to get greedy. After the first winning season since 1970, people around Corvallis are asking for more. And Erickson appears to be ready to give it to them.

“The big thing at Oregon State was getting past not winning six games,” said Erickson. “Now we need to take it to a level where it’s consistent. “This league is tough, and you never know one week to the next what can happen,” he continued. “The bottom line is our players know they can be successful.”

With players like running back Ken Simonton, the second-leading rusher in the Pac-10 last season, and quarterback Jonathan Smith, who ranked third in total offense, the rest of the conference teams know the Beavers have what it takes.

Defense could be the key to OSU victories. The group, led by defensive end DeLawrence Grant, is known for its quickness and hard hits. The secondary returns all four starters. Last year, this group helped the Beavers lead the Pac-10 in passing efficiency defense and tie for the lead in scoring defense (23.1 points per game). They were second in overall defense, allowing 355 yards per game.

Arizona

Coach: Dick Tomey, 14th year

Record at Arizona: 90-58-4

Record in 1999: 6-6, 3-5, tied for sixth

Returning starters: 13

Arizona is finally Ortege Jenkins’ team. The senior quarterback had split time with Keith Smith for the three seasons. Now, with Smith gone, it is Jenkins’ time to take over. But even he knows he can’t do it alone.

“I’m excited about the fact that we have a veteran offensive line coming back,” Jenkins said. “As a quarterback, that gives you the chance to win lot of ballgames. I feel we have a great chance of establishing ourselves with a good offense.”

That offense has the tools to be one of the most explosive in the Pac-10. Wide receiver Bobby Wade was Jenkins’ go-to guy as a freshman last season. Wade is expected to take over where Dennis Northcutt left off last season. In the spring game, Wade caught three passes for 41 yards then turned around on defense, intercepted a pass and returned a fumbled pitch 83 yards for a TD.

Sophomore running back Larry Croom is expected to fill the void left by first-round draft pick Trung Canidate. Senior Leon Callen was in the mix but quit the team after problems with grades.

Arizona’s defense gave up an uncharacteristic 30.3 points per game last year. That unit returns five players, including the entire front four. But the defense may have to find a replacement for outside linebacker Adrian Koch. The 26-year-old senior tore his ACL in the last contact practice of the year. But doctors said Koch could still play this season.

Arizona State

Coach: Bruce Snyder, ninth year

Record at ASU: 52-39

Record in 1999: 6-6, 5-3, fourth

Returning starters: 12

Delvon Flowers was expected to be one the Pac-10’s top running backs this season. Ryan Kealy was expected to be one of the top quarterbacks.

Flowers tore his ACL last week and is gone for the season. Kealy was stopped by police with half the medicine cabinet floating through his system and is probably gone for the season.

Arizona State’s hopes for going to a bowl game? You guessed it - gone for the season.

Despite losing two of their best offensive weapons, the Sun Devils do have one of the top offensive lines and the top tight end in the Pac-10. Todd Heap led the team in catches last year (50) and should continue to be a problem for opposing teams this year. Jeff Krohn, a redshirt freshman, appears to be the starting QB. Davaren Hightower, who rushed for 16 yards per game, will replace Flowers.

On defense, the Sun Devils have the Pac-10’s best tandem of linebackers outside of USC. Adam Archuleta, a former walk-on, was the first Sun Devil since 1996 to record more than 100 tackles. He also led the conference in tackles for loss. Solomon Bates was a freshman All-American, despite not starting the first three games and missing the final four with an MCL sprain.

Stanford

Coach: Tyrone Willingham, sixth year

Record at Stanford: 30-27-1

Record in 1999: 8-4, 7-1, first

Returning starters: 15

Tyrone Willingham insists Stanford was not a fluke last season. Most pundits are insisting the Cardinal prove it. Stanford beat only one team with a winning record last season and that was Oregon State. And it lost 69-17 to Texas and 44-39 to San Jose State.

Still Willingham is undaunted.

“Our program was a fine unit last year, but it’s no longer 1999. It’s 2000. We have to go forward and try to replace a lot of players who provided us with All-American play. We have some building to do but we are extremely excited about the challenges that lie ahead for our program.”

The biggest challenges will be replacing quarterback Joe Borchard and wide receiver Troy Walters. Borchard signed a pro baseball contract. Walters is trying to make the Minnesota Vikings’ roster.

Trying to fill the void left by Walters, the Pac-10 player of the year, will be senior DeRonnie Pitts. Pitts, a second team all-conference pick, averaged 77.5 yards per game and scored eight touchdowns.

Replacing Borchard is Randy Fasani. Fasani, the No. 1 quarterback in the country as a high school senior in 1996, has thrown only 22 passes at Stanford.

“The plan was already in place for Randy to get a lot of snaps in the spring in case Joe (Borchard) would not be back,” said Willingham. “It’s a case of us simply accelerating that plan.”

Sophomore Kerry Carter will be the tailback. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound running back should provide the Cardinal with its first real running game since 1997.

On defense, the keys will be Willie Howard and Riall Johnson. Howard, the top defensive lineman in the Pac-10, terrorized quarterbacks last year and finished with 10 sacks. Johnson, an outside linebacker who puts on a big end rush, had 13 sacks in 1999.

Washington State

Coach: Mike Price, 12th year

Record at WSU: 59-66

Record in 1999: 3-9, 1-7 10th

Returning starters: 13

The Cougars may not be better, but they will be more exciting. Gone is the drop-back, predictable style of quarterback Steve Birnbaum. In its place is sophomore Jason Gesser. The smaller, quicker Gesser (6-0, 200) should provide a spark with his scrambling ability and arm.

Gesser could have the top receiving corps in the Pac-10 to throw to this season. Marcus Williams (6-5, 225) and Milton Wynn (6-3, 205) both possess good speed, hands and leaping ability. Collin Henderson and Farwan Zubedi have proved they can go over the middle and catch the short-yardage passes.

In the backfield, sophomore Deon Burnett, the top freshman rusher in Cougar history, returns. But junior college transfer David Minnich is pushing him.

The offensive line could be one of the biggest problems. The linemen are talented, but very young, with four sophomores and two redshirt freshmen expected to see playing time. On defense, the Cougars must recover from the loss of middle linebacker Curtis Holden (grades) and the potential loss of safety Lamont Thompson (neck injury).

California

Coach: Tom Holmoe, fourth year

Record at Cal: 12-21

Record in 1999: 4-7, 3-5, tied for 6th

Returning starters: 13

Coach Tom Holmoe knows better than anyone this could be his last year with the Bears. In fact, if he doesn’t win, he may want it to be his last season. Holmoe was offered a contract extension and refused to sign it until after the year is complete.

“I want to win each week and take it from there,” he said.

In order to win, Holmoe must do something about his offense. The Bears were the worst in the Pac-10 last season. They finished last in rushing, passing and scoring offense.

“Last year the team got a lot of experience, and I hate to look back and chalk it up to experience,” Holmoe said. “But a lot of last year’s redshirt freshmen, freshmen and sophomores are now sophomores and juniors with a lot of experience.”

The one player who got the most and worst experience was quarter Kyle Boller. The freshman took a beating in conference play and only completed 39 percent of his passes. He also had 15 interceptions. But Boller did earn the respect of his teammates and coach.

Boller has four returning starters on the offensive line, so that should give him more time in the pocket. He also has sophomore Joe Igber with him in the backfield. Igber averaged 4.7 yards per carry and was second only to WSU’s Deon Burnett in yards by a freshman (694).

Cal must replace seven starters from the conference’s top defense. All-Pac-10 defensive end Andre Carter is back.