By Scottie Bricker
Arizona Daily Wildcat
September 3, 1997

PAC-10 Preview

Arizona Daily Wildcat Crunch time! After last year's losing season, the Wildcat's look to break away from the pack.

Washington Huskies

The Huskies enter the 1997 campaign as the odds on favorite to spend New Year's Day in Pasadena. Washington returns 16 starters from last year's 9-3 squad, including sophomore quarterback Brock Huard, senior tailback Rashaan Shehee and senior linebacker Jason Chorak.

Huard started eight games as a freshman last season, taking over the reigns in the third game of the season. He threw for 1,678 yards with 13 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions, the best freshman season in school history.

"I think you are going to see the quarterback position have a more important role," head coach Jim Lambright said. "Brock Huard is a winner. He has a winner's personality to him."

Shehee will take over the starting tailback spot after missing seven games last year with foot and ankle injuries. Shehee rushed for 242 yards and four touchdowns last year, including a 131 yard performance against Brigham Young. He also rushed for two scores in that game. If Shehee can stay healthy, he could make a run at the conference rushing title.

Chorak, last year's Pacific 10 Conference defensive player of the year, will anchor a defense that was second in the conference in both rushing defense and total defense last season behind Pac-10 champion Arizona State. Chorak led the conference in sacks with 14.5, and is a first team All-America selection on every preseason listing.

Washington is ranked fourth in the preseason Associated Press poll and third in both the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and CNN/Sports Illustrated Top 20. The Pac-10 media also selected Washington as their favorite to win the conference, giving them 28 of a possible 31 first-place votes.

Washington: 7-1 in the Pac-10, 10-1 overall.(projected)

Southern Cal Trojans

Southern Cal returns eight starters from last year's offensive unit, but despite that experience, the Trojans enter the 1997 season with many questions. Head coach John Robinson knows that this year is a pivotal one for the Trojans.

"This is a 'Prove It' year," Robinson said. "We have a number of players who simply have to prove that they can up their level of play. If they do, we can be successful in 1997."

The biggest question for USC lies at quarterback where they need to replace Brad Otten. Quincy Woods, John Fox and Mike Van Raaphorst are all battling for the starting job and could all see time at some point in the season.

Coach Robinson is open to the possibilities of his quarterback controversy.

"There is no favorite," Robinson said. "The most important thing is for us to allow them to compete and show off their skills."

Whoever wins the starting role will be protected by an offensive line that returns all five starters from last year. Sophomore guard Travis Claridge leads the way, providing the Trojans with solid run blocking and pass defense.

The Trojans also return their top three rushers from last season, seniors Lavale Woods, Delon Washington and Rodney Sermons.

On defense the Trojans have many questions regarding the overall depth of their team. They lost a host of talented players but return junior defensive back Daylon McCutcheon and sophomore linebacker Chris Claiborne. Both were Honorable Mention All Pac-10 selections last season.

"I am concerned about the overall depth of this defense," Robinson said. "We'll miss some outstanding players who made a lot of plays last year, but we have a couple of players capable of stepping up and filling those roles."

The Trojans will be tested early and often in a nonconference schedule that includes a home opener against Florida State and a road contest against Notre Dame. They also travel to Washington and Arizona State.

Southern Cal: 5-3 in the Pac-10, 6-5 overall.

Washington State

The Cougars return junior All-America candidate Ryan Leaf at quarterback and senior tailback Michael Black to an offense that was third in the conference in passing last year. Ninth-year head coach Mike Price is excited about having those two players on his team.

"It is great having two top quality athletes in the backfield," Price said. "They should be able to improve in the little things and put it all together."

Leaf was second in the conference in total offense last year while starting all 11 games for the Cougars at quarterback.

Black had the tenth best rushing year in school history last season, barely missing a 1000 yard season. He had a 214 yard rushing performance against California.

Leaf will have two solid receivers in seniors Shawn Tims and Shawn McWashington. The pair combined to catch 39 balls for 493 yards and three touchdowns, but will need to improve their statistics to make up for the loss of Chad Carpenter to graduation.

The Cougars return two outstanding defenders in senior lineman Dorian Boose and senior linebacker Brandon Moore. Boose recorded 6.5 sacks last season while also registering 11.5 tackles for loss. Moore, who was second on the team in tackles last season with 86, will be charged with filling the void left by the departure of All-America linebacker James Darling, last year's leading tackler.

"We've got so many guys who want to fly around and hit people," Price said of his defense. "I am concerned about injuries but I think we have good depth."

The Cougars already opened the season with a hard fought 37-34 victory at home against UCLA on Saturday. The victory gives WSU a jump start on the conference race and provides them with momentum going into their next game, at Southern Cal, in two weeks. If the offense stays healthy, it will take a great defensive effort to beat this team.

Washington State: 5-3 in the Pac-10, 7-4 overall.

Stanford Cardinal

With a 38-0 victory over Michigan State in the Sun Bowl, the Cardinal finished 1996 with five straight wins, including four conference victories. The Cardinal hopes to use that momentum to carry them into the upcoming season.

Head coach Tyrone Willingham enters his third year after having gone 14-9-1 over his first two seasons. Willingham is excited at the prospects of his team.

"We have a chance to be a very good football team," Willingham said. "We return several experienced players who have had success and know how to win football games."

Stanford will be led by junior quarterback Chad Hutchinson who threw for over 2,000 yards last year to go along with 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Hutchinson will anchor an offense that was last in the conference in rushing, scoring and total offense last year. Hutchinson will often be looking for senior wideout Damon Dunn and junior receiver Troy Walters. Both Dunn and Walters caught over 30 passes last year, but will have to step up their performance this season to improve the lack of offense from a year ago.

Also returning for the Cardinal on offense are their two leading rushers, seniors Mike Mitchell and Anthony Bookman. Mitchell, who will be the starting tailback, led the team in rushing with 809 yards in 164 carries and four touchdowns, good enough for sixth best in the conference.

The defense will be led by seniors Kailee Wong and Jon Haskins, who led the team in sacks and tackles, respectively.

The main question for the Cardinal lies in the secondary where they return only one player from last year's squad. Junior Cory Hill will anchor the secondary along with newcomers seniors Kadar Hamilton and Alistair White and junior Tim Smith. The trio of inexperienced players combined to start only seven games last year.

Stanford: 5-3 in the Pac-10, 6-5 overall.

UCLA Bruins

UCLA returns ten players from last year's offense that averaged 30 points per contest. The offense is led by junior quarterback Cade McNown and senior tailback Skip Hicks. McNown completed 52.4 percent of his passes last year and finished last in passing efficiency in the conference. However, McNown is fifth all time in career passing yards at UCLA, needing just 2,047 to pass former Bruin standout Tom Ramsey. Hicks, meanwhile, became only the 8th back in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season.

Second-year head coach Bob Toledo hopes that a smoother offensive scheme will further develop the production of his offense.

"The continuity in our offense should help our progress," Toledo said. "You can never underestimate the value of continuity on your staff."

The Bruins also return their top two receivers, Danny Farmer and Jim McElroy. Farmer caught 31 passes for 524 yards and four touchdowns last year while McElroy had 26 receptions for 527 yards and one score.

On defense the Bruins will look to senior linebacker Brian Willmer, last year's leading tackler, and senior free safety Shaun Williams.

Willmer recorder 102 tackles last year while Williams chipped in 59 with one interception.

Defensive end Weldon Forde will also provide the Bruins with solid help up front. At 6-1 and only 230 pounds, Forde is one of the smaller lineman in the conference, yet still managed to record 13 tackles for loss, including six sacks last season.

Toledo hopes to establish some consistency in the defensive structure and avoid some of the troubles that have plagued the Bruins in the past.

"Our goal is to reduce the number of big plays we allow," Toledo said. "We need to create more big plays of our own with turnovers."

With their early conference loss to Washington State, the Bruins will be hard pressed to get back into the hunt for Pasadena. The Bruins have two tough nonconference games against Tennessee and at Texas before they return to conference play.

UCLA: 5-3 in the Pac-10, 6-5 overall.

Arizona State Sun Devils

Defending Pac-10 champions Arizona State begin defense of their crown without 14 members of last year's Rose Bowl team. Gone are quarterback Jake Plummer, wideout Keith Poole and tailback Terry Battle, as well as defensive end Derrick Rodgers, linebacker Scott Von der Ahe and free safety Mitchell Freedman.

The Sun Devils return the fewest number of starters of any conference team.

Junior quarterback Steve Campbell will attempt to fill the shoes of Plummer, who finished his career as the ASU leader in attempts, completions, touchdowns and yards. At 6-8, Campbell is the tallest signal caller in Sun Devil history.

Junior wide receiver Lenzie Jackson caught 36 passes for 505 yards and three touchdowns last year, and will be the go to guy for Campbell this season.

Senior Michael Martin should be the starting tailback, but will share time with sophomore J.R. Redmond throughout the year. The pressure will be on both tailbacks to account for the loss of 1,000 yard rusher Battle, who left school early for the NFL.

Sixth-year head coach Bruce Snyder is not worried about the loss of so many of his star players from a year ago.

"I really believe that you rebuild every team, every year," Snyder said. "This team has to know that they're not going to start off naturally as a winner."

The defense will rely heavily on senior linebacker Pat Tillman and senior cornerback Jason Simmons. Tillman led the team in interceptions last season with four and was second on the team in total tackles with 91. Simmons finished with 43 tackles while starting all 11 games.

The main concern for Snyder is to make sure that the team does not take anything for granted.

"I'm going to keep the underdog mentality," Snyder said. "I think what's going to come out is that we're not going to be ranked number one in the conference. I'm going to grab on to that challenge and say, 'They don't believe you can do it.'"

Nevertheless, the Sun Devils will be hard pressed to repeat their success of a year ago.

Arizona State: 3-5 in the Pac-10, 5-6 overall.

Oregon Ducks

Oregon returns only nine starters from last year's 6-5 squad including senior tailback Saladin McCullough and sophomore linebacker Peter Sirmon.

McCullough rushed for 685 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.

The offense will be led by either or both Jason Maas or Akili Smith. Maas and Smith, both juniors, are engaged in a battle that may not be decided until shortly before kickoff of their home opener against Arizona. Neither quarterback has seen significant action and both will be put to the test early in the conference race.

Head coach Mike Bellotti enters his third year at the helm and is concerned with the pressure of living up to the success his team had last season.

"It will be tough to be better offensively than we were last year," Bellotti said. "Mostly because of what we accomplished (449 yards and 34.4 points per game). I do think we have the potential to be just as explosive."

Sirmon leads the defense into the 1997 campaign after a stellar freshman season in which he finished second on the team in tackles with 69. He will be joined by junior middle linebacker Chris Vandiver and sophomore defensive backs Chris Young and Brandon McLemore. Young and McLemore finished the year with 47 and 37 tackles, respectively, and will look to step up their performance in the secondary, where the Ducks defensive backs intercepted only seven passes last year.

The defensive unit will be much improved from last year's team that finished next to last in total defense. Only one senior starter returns from last year's squad, but coach Bellotti is ready and excited about his team.

"Our defense will be better without a doubt," Bellottie said. "There is a lot of young talent and tremendous athletes."

Oregon has one of the easiest schedules of any Pac-10 team, but with their inexperience they will struggle to keep pace with the conference elites. Nonconference home games against Fresno State and Utah will help the confidence, but the tough conference schedule may be too much.

Oregon: 2-6 in the Pac-10, 5-6 overall.

California Golden Bears

With the loss of quarterback Pat Barnes and tight end Tony Gonzalez to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs and second leading receiver Na'il Benjamin to graduation, the Golden Bears will be searching for leadership and offensive production.

First year head coach Tom Holmoe says that the team should have the same look as last year's squad, but the coach will have his work cut out for him in his inaugural season.

"I don't think that you'll find any drastic differences in the Cal team from a year ago," Holmoe said. "We'll have similar looks on offense and defense and I believe we'll continue to compete for 60 minutes."

With only six starters returning on offense, Cal will look to senior wideout Bobby Shaw to for the bulk of their offense. Shaw caught 58 passes for 888 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Junior college transfer Junior Vedder will take the reigns of the Cal offense. Vedder won his final 17 games as a starter at Saddleback JC in California, passing for 1,115 yards and five touchdowns against only one interception.

The Golden Bears also return their top two rushers in seniors Brandon Willis and Tarik Smith. Willis ran for 701 yards in 187 carries and five touchdowns, while Smith rushed 56 times for 400 yards and four touchdowns.

"We may emphasize our running game more this season," Holmoe said. "For the most part, we'll stay on track, and maybe simplify a few things on defense and build upon last season."

The defense returns nine starters from last year's 6-6 squad, led by senior tackle Brandon Whiting and the leading tackler from last season, sophomore linebacker Matt Beck.

Cal will need tighten up on the defensive side of the ball to avoid finishing dead last in total defense for the second year in a row. The Golden Bears allowed an average of 460 yards per game and also allowed 44 touchdowns, second to Oregon State's 46.

California: 2-6 in the Pac-10. 5-6 overall.

Oregon State Beavers

The Beavers will struggle again as they come into the 1997 season losers of 16 of their last 17 conference games, and 20 of 23 overall. First year head coach Mike Riley inherits a program that has been six feet under for some time now, but maintains that his program will continue to look towards the future.

"As I have seen Oregon State in the past I think the spirit of this team has been good," Riley said. "It is important for us to establish the basis of a system, both offensively and defensively, so we have a foundation."

The Beavers will have to account for the absence of their two leading rushers from last season, Akili King and Darron Kirkman. The two combined to rush for over 1300 yards and ten touchdowns.

Junior quarterback Tim Alexander, who carried the ball 82 times for 566 yards last year, will carry most of the load on offense, along with wideouts DeShawn Williams and Roddy Tompkins, who caught 18 and 15 passes, respectively, last year.

Coach Riley promises to change the offense in an effort to revitalize his team.

"We will use some of the stuff from the past," Riley said. "We will be moving towards a more balanced attack, but we may not be able to do that now as much as we will in two or three years."

Oregon State: 0-8 in the Pac-10, 1-10 overall.