10. The first question that anyone asks Jeff Tedford is who the QB is going to be? Longshore has to be near the top of the Pac-10 QB's in wins and Riley is the fan favorite because of his Armed Forces Bowl performance. We saw how many QB's were injured in the Pac-10 last year (Booty, Dixon, Longshore, Leaf, Olsen, Cowan) so it's good to know that we have the best combination to start the year.
9. One aspect of WR's that's often overlooked is their ability to block, and no disrespect to Desean Jackson, but trying to block DB's with the same juke moves used to return punts doesn't get the job done. Robert Jordan had the tenacity, but he couldn't have weighed more than a buck fifty if he was soaking wet. The new WR's (Calvin, Boateng, and Ross) are all very physically developed and that will create extra yardage for our RB's when they get to the outside or into secondaries.
8. Running back by committee.
Tedford calls this group the most athletic we've had since the beginning of his tenure with the program, (I respectfully disagree and think the combo of Arrington and Lynch circa 2004 were superior) but this group is definitely faster with two track superstars in the backfield. With a solid rotation of backs it should keep them fresh through the year. I think this is the year where there is the least separation between the #1 and #2 back heading into the season so they should split the carries more evenly than in the past.
7. The worst problem with our defense last year was the lack of pass rush and we ranked last in the Pac-10 in sacks. Part of the reason was Rulon Davis' injury in the first game of the season, but the lack of depth was obvious. This year we should have a better rotation and higher quality DE's coming off the edge to rip some helmets off. Rulon Davis looks faster and stronger than last year, and if he stays healthy I think he should compete for all-Pac10 honors. On the other side is Tyson Alualu who flashed signs of potential with a dominant performance in the Colorado St game, but fell off midway through the year. Cameron Jordan is our future star on the defensive line and I'm expecting him to be the first one off the bench for a boost. Ernest Owasu filled in a big frame with his redshirt year and looks ready to compete for some time.
6. We have a very favorable schedule and we should be favored in the first four games that we play. If Arizona St loses to Georgia on Sep 20th, than I think we'll be favored against them. I'm expecting us to give Arizona St some revenge after we let our game with them slip away last year. We can realistically be undefeated heading into our week 10 match up with Oregon and our games with them are always competitive. Beating USC in the Coliseum is tough for anyone and likely a loss for us, but if we get through week 11 with only one loss then we should still be headed for the BCS and at least 10 wins.
5.The secondary is another area that we should vastly improve. The best secondaries are complemented by an excellent pass rush and if our D-line improves even slightly, than so does the number of turnovers we generate. Syd Thompson is one of the best in the Pac-10 and Marcus Ezeff reminds me of a more athletic Donnie McClesky. Despite the leadership that Thomas DeCoud provided for the defense, he was often out of position in pass coverage and gave up a lot of big plays. In his defense he was often forced to help out in run support, but Bernard Hicks already has more big plays (INT's and pass deflections) in half as many games. Chris Conte will be a second year starter and should get his hands on a few more balls this year (no pun intended).
4. No superstars on the offense. I think a lot of people feel that there was some disruption on the team that deterred them from accomplishing their goals, and I've interpreted it to mean that one player or a small group of players put their personal goals before the team's. Tedford has been spectacular at taking what the defense is giving him and if he's not concerned with getting any certain player a specific number of touches each game, then we should be an even more balanced on offense. That's difficult to do if you consider how closely divided the number of run and pass plays we ran last year, but expect us to have more big yardage plays this year on both the ground and in the air becuase of it.
9. One aspect of WR's that's often overlooked is their ability to block, and no disrespect to Desean Jackson, but trying to block DB's with the same juke moves used to return punts doesn't get the job done. Robert Jordan had the tenacity, but he couldn't have weighed more than a buck fifty if he was soaking wet. The new WR's (Calvin, Boateng, and Ross) are all very physically developed and that will create extra yardage for our RB's when they get to the outside or into secondaries.
8. Running back by committee.
Tedford calls this group the most athletic we've had since the beginning of his tenure with the program, (I respectfully disagree and think the combo of Arrington and Lynch circa 2004 were superior) but this group is definitely faster with two track superstars in the backfield. With a solid rotation of backs it should keep them fresh through the year. I think this is the year where there is the least separation between the #1 and #2 back heading into the season so they should split the carries more evenly than in the past.
7. The worst problem with our defense last year was the lack of pass rush and we ranked last in the Pac-10 in sacks. Part of the reason was Rulon Davis' injury in the first game of the season, but the lack of depth was obvious. This year we should have a better rotation and higher quality DE's coming off the edge to rip some helmets off. Rulon Davis looks faster and stronger than last year, and if he stays healthy I think he should compete for all-Pac10 honors. On the other side is Tyson Alualu who flashed signs of potential with a dominant performance in the Colorado St game, but fell off midway through the year. Cameron Jordan is our future star on the defensive line and I'm expecting him to be the first one off the bench for a boost. Ernest Owasu filled in a big frame with his redshirt year and looks ready to compete for some time.
6. We have a very favorable schedule and we should be favored in the first four games that we play. If Arizona St loses to Georgia on Sep 20th, than I think we'll be favored against them. I'm expecting us to give Arizona St some revenge after we let our game with them slip away last year. We can realistically be undefeated heading into our week 10 match up with Oregon and our games with them are always competitive. Beating USC in the Coliseum is tough for anyone and likely a loss for us, but if we get through week 11 with only one loss then we should still be headed for the BCS and at least 10 wins.
5.The secondary is another area that we should vastly improve. The best secondaries are complemented by an excellent pass rush and if our D-line improves even slightly, than so does the number of turnovers we generate. Syd Thompson is one of the best in the Pac-10 and Marcus Ezeff reminds me of a more athletic Donnie McClesky. Despite the leadership that Thomas DeCoud provided for the defense, he was often out of position in pass coverage and gave up a lot of big plays. In his defense he was often forced to help out in run support, but Bernard Hicks already has more big plays (INT's and pass deflections) in half as many games. Chris Conte will be a second year starter and should get his hands on a few more balls this year (no pun intended).
4. No superstars on the offense. I think a lot of people feel that there was some disruption on the team that deterred them from accomplishing their goals, and I've interpreted it to mean that one player or a small group of players put their personal goals before the team's. Tedford has been spectacular at taking what the defense is giving him and if he's not concerned with getting any certain player a specific number of touches each game, then we should be an even more balanced on offense. That's difficult to do if you consider how closely divided the number of run and pass plays we ran last year, but expect us to have more big yardage plays this year on both the ground and in the air becuase of it.
3. Leadership is going to be much more abundant this year. It has been a huge focus of the team in the off-season, and I'm anticipating players on both sides of the ball to display the moxie this team lacked last year. Tedford giving up the play calling duties should help him pay attention to the
2. Special teams is going to improve this year. We had the best punter in the Pac-10, but from all accounts Bryan Anger has an even stronger leg. If he can be consistent than he should be dominant. We also had the best punt returner in the nation, but nobody would kick him the ball. Syd Thompson was an incredible return man in high school because of his fluid hips and incredible vision. I'm expecting our field position to be better this year on punt returns. Any improvement from in FG kicking is likely to generate at least one win for us.
1. The best offensive line in the Pac-10 is going to take a lot of pressure off of the young running backs and wide receivers. Regardless of the who starts at QB, they should have plenty of time to find the open man.
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