2009 official Pac-10 football post

The hardest part is over. Now, Arizona and head coach Mike Stoops can go about the business of becoming more competitive in the Pac-10.

The Wildcats simply had to qualify for a bowl game in 2008 after missing the postseason every year this century. The coach had to have last year's Las Vegas Bowl in order to remain employed. The players needed it to build some confidence and momentum. Fans of the school just wanted something to finally feel good about. Beating a ranked BYU team last Dec. 20 might not seem like much to some schools, but it was a pivotal moment in the modern history of this program. Now what?

The sense of urgency that permeated throughout Tucson a year ago has been replaced by a sense of excitement. That'll happen when you taste a winning season for the first time in a decade. Stoops can breathe a little easier this season, and do what he does best-develop players. The talent pool on both sides of the ball is deeper than it's been in a while, thanks to some really good recruiting, so there'll be no excuses for not playing another December bonus game. Sure, a four-year starting quarterback has departed, but rest assured that the 'Cats are ready for life after Willie Tuitama.

Arizona broke ground with last year's return to the bowl season. Now, it's time to start building again in the desert.

What to watch for on offense More from the running game. Instead of becoming a three-ring circus, which most expected when Sonny %%**! came on board in 2007, the Wildcats have been surprisingly balanced on offense. And it's going to continue. Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin offer an exciting one-two punch out of the backfield. The offensive line has traded finesse for ferocity, attracting a slew of 330-pounders capable of manhandling opposing linemen. Heck, if mobile Matt Scott winds up winning the quarterback derby with Nick Foles, don't be surprised if a little read-option doesn't make its way into the playbook. Obviously, Arizona won't abandon the passing attack, but with so much talent in the running game, why not leverage it?

What to watch for on defense Tons of speed. Yeah, they're all football players, but it's the athletes that make this Wildcat defense so difficult to navigate. They swarm tackle like it's the good old days in Tucson, bringing pressure, taking good angles, and rarely allowing the opposition to break free into space. The linemen, even the 295-pound tackles, are explosive. The linebackers move laterally like defensive backs. And the defensive backs are suffocating. With veterans back at every level, Arizona just might be tough enough this fall to challenge USC as the Pac-10's premier defensive unit.

The team will be far better if… it improves in tight games. When the outcome was decided by 10 points or less in 2008, the Wildcats were just 1-5, including painful losses to Stanford, USC, and Oregon State. The players and the coaching staff still aren't used to winning, having just broken a string of nine straight years without a winning season. It takes time to develop that attitude or swagger at the end of close games, something Arizona witnessed up close a year ago.

The Schedule The non-conference schedule builds to a big day at Iowa that could set the tone for the season, but the opener against Dan LeFevour and Central Michigan will be tricky. The trip to Iowa City begins a run of three straight road games with the first two Pac 10 games at Oregon State and Washington, but at least there's a week off between the two conference games. While there's a nice three game home stretch against Stanford, UCLA and Washington State, three teams that didn't go bowling last year, the payback comes in the end with three road games in the final four against most of the big boys. Closing out at Cal, Oregon, at Arizona State and at USC means the first half of the season has to be strong.

Best offensive player Junior TE Rob Gronkowski. With a blend of imposing strength and seam-busting speed, Gronkowski is an NFL-ready tight end playing in the Pac-10. At 6-6 and 265 pounds, he looks like a tackle, yet is the most dangerous player on the field, especially when the Wildcats need a first down or a touchdown. In his first two years out of high school, he already has 16 touchdown receptions, raising the likelihood he won't be an amateur beyond the upcoming season.

Best defensive player: Senior CB Devin Ross. The fact that the Wildcat pass defense flourished the year after Antoine Cason and Wilrey Fontenot were drafted by the NFL is all you need to know about Ross. He stepped into the lineup and shut down all comers in an All-Pac-10 debut as a starter. He'll be even tougher to beat this fall, as he makes his case for joining Cason and Fontenot at the next level in 2010.

Key player to a successful season: Sophomore quarterbacks Matt Scott and Nick Foles. Whoever wins this offseason battle is going to have sizable shoes to fill. No, neither has to be Willie Tuitama right out of the chute, but he does have to help keep the offense cranking by getting the ball to the playmakers and keeping drives going on third down. The quarterback situation will be just fine in Tucson, but does that mean 2009 or 2010?

The season will be a success if ... the Wildcats bowl for a second straight season. Hey, let's not get greedy, folks. It was just last year that Arizona was pining to end its decade-long postseason drought. Before labeling this program a sleeper out of the Pac-10, take a gander at the road schedule, which includes trips to Iowa, Oregon State, Cal, Arizona State, and USC. If the 'Cats can keep the momentum going with another eight-win season, write it down as a solid year.

Key game: Sept. 26 at Oregon State. Losers of nine of the last 10 in this series, the Wildcats desperately need to break through against the Beavers. Doing it in Corvallis will not be easy. The first Pac-10 game of the season has a way of setting the tone for the rest of the year, so this trip could dictate how seriously and howl long the program contends for a conference crown.

2008 Fun Stats:
- Second half scoring: Arizona 235 - Opponents 111
- Penalties: Opponents 88 for 679 yards - Arizona 53 for 457 yards
- Punt return average: Arizona 17.8 - Opponents 10.6


- 2009 CFN Arizona Preview | [font=verdana, arial, sans serif][size=-1]2009 Arizona Offense
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Check sig. This could be the year.
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Zach Miller could have been better than Heap IMO, but he never fully reached his potential because of injuries and the fact that he went pro early.

Marcedes was the best overall athlete and biggest mismatch but he completely disappeared in some notable big games.

Fred Davis? He didn't even really come along until his senior year. Gronkowski had 500+ yards and 6 TD's as a true freshman and as a sophomore 47catches, 650+ and 10 TD's last year in 9 games. Barring horrible QB play(possible) he should be completely unstoppable next year.
 
Originally Posted by JBWU

Check sig. This could be the year.
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we'll know early in the pac-10 season that oregon away and usc home back to back is going to be difficult. Hopefully Riley and the WR corphave been getting there timing and take pressure off of J. Best.
 
P Mac,

whats the kid name from UofA that was a Freshman lawst yr. #1, he moved to SS right? I liked him vs USC and ASU last yr


Best defensive player: Senior CB Devin Ross.

BAWSEEEEEEEEEEEE
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i'm pretty optimistic about cal this year too, moreso than previous years, but i gotta admit mainly it's cuz longshore ain't around no more tothrow untimely 4th quarter interceptions
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. if Riley has improved and worked on his accuracy, i think they have a shot to do something special this year.USC at home early on is favorable for us; it's at home, it's early in the season, and USC isn't AS good this year as they usually are. gotta watchout for losses in november too tho
 
Originally Posted by 92

Originally Posted by acidicality

Originally Posted by Statis22

Who's gonna solve the Quizz this year?
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no one...since he's better than maurice jones-drew
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Just realized, he is that good.

On a sidenote, I am kind of hoping that my boy Shane Vereen (along w/ Jahvid) has a monster year this year.
Dude is very talented and there is no doubt in my mind that he will be able to bear the burden of replacing the great tailbacks that preceded him.
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,� even though I root for USC, I watch Cal games for my boy Shane cause I played with him in high school
 
I hope Vareen is a beast this year as well. He did pretty well but looking for him to bring that 1-2 punch Cal has had since Tedfords been coach
 
A couple comments...

I've seen some TJ Bryant pictures in here...that kid can definitely lay the wood.

Corp can simply manage a game very well. Won't wow you with his throws, but his strength lies in his ability to not make mistakes. Watching Barkley inspring practices...you just know he has star written all over him. Not afraid to make the big throws unlike Corp, but makes more mistakes.

I think our defense is gonna surprise a lot this year despite the lack of experience. Our strength obviously lies in our secondary. The linebackers look solid.Malcolm Smith is a beast. Galippo is just a pure ballhawk. Has way better instincts than Rey in my opinion. As for the d-line, they have been absolute animals.Everson Griffen looks ridiculously good. Looks like Jethro Franklin has worked him hard. Armond Armstead looks solid too. It should be illegal how good he canmove with that size.

Look out for Curtis McNeal. Short at 5'6 but a very powerful and speedy runner.

Also, expect an improvement from our special teams. In practice, there has been a significant amount of time going through special teams with new coordinatorBrian Schneider.
 
Originally Posted by ninjallamafromhell

Games I'm looking forward to:
Oregon vs. USC
Oregon vs. Utah
Oregon vs. Cal
Oregon vs Boise State

Should all be very good games.
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I've got UO winning that one by at least a couple TD's, they lost a lot from last year and we got em at home. I'll admit though thatI'd love to wallop them more than most teams after Urban and co. kind of manhandled us down there in '05. Coincidentally, Bellotti also referenced thatgame in explaining how he first started looking at using the spread at Oregon.

I think Stanford on the road might end up being our 4th toughest game so long at this new QB(Luck) they got is even 1/2 the player's he's been hypedup to be. Stanford in '09 might have to potential to look a little like Illinois did in '07 when a lot Zook's recruits started breaking out . .
 
Oregon's Kelly, Thurmond voted forTebow

July 30, 2009 9:14 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

LOS ANGELES -- These notes should seem random and all over the place.
  • Oregon coach Chip Kelly made his Pac-10 media day debut with this quip: "Both myself and Walter Thurmond voted for Tim Tebow as first-team, SEC quarterback."
  • Speaking of quarterbacks: None were on hand representing any of the ten teams. No reporter or conference administrator on hand could remember a Pac-10 media day that didn't feature a single quarterback.
  • USC coach Pete Carroll said that oft-injured linebacker Luthur Brown may not be with the teams this year due to academic issues. The Trojans already rebuilding linebacking corps has taken a couple of hits of late, with incoming freshman Frankie Telfort's career ending due to a heart condition and Malcolm Smith, one of the stars of spring, undergoing surgery on his esophagus.
  • Arizona coach Mike Stoops showed up looking like he could suit up this fall. Stoops, long a serious runner, hit the weights hard in the offseason, clearly in order to make paunchy reporters feel bad.
  • All 10 coaches posed for a pre-news-conference photo, surrounding the Rose Bowl trophy. There were lots of grins and backslaps. The Rose Bowl, site of the BCS title game, is double-hosting this year.
  • Stanford running back Toby Gerhart on his running style: "Coach [Jim] Harbaugh said I like to feed people my pads."
  • Carroll was asked what he would do if he could change something about college football: "We would have an awesome playoff system."
  • Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson on linebacker Mike Nixon, who played pro baseball for a while and received a nice signing bonus, which allows him to pay his own tuition and own his own home: "It's the greatest house I've ever seen for somebody not on scholarship. his house is a hell of a lot bigger than mine."
  • Arizona safety Cam Nelson was asked if it bothered him that the Wildcats were picked eighth in the media poll. "It doesn't bother me at all," Nelson began, unconvincingly. Stoops then interrupted, "That means it does bother you." One got the feeling Stoops and Nelson both were perturbed, though only 13 points separated the Wildcats and No. 5 Arizona State.
  • California coach Jeff Tedford said the Bears may travel to Minnesota for their Sept. 19 game a day early to get acclimated to the time change, but he also said he doesn't believe the a.m. kickoff last year at Maryland was as much of an issue as the humidity.
  • Oregon State linebacker Keaton Kristick showed up at the hotel Wednesday in what looked suspiciously like a "lightning yellow" and green Nike T-shirt -- Oregon colors! The Beavers notoriously caffeinated captain -- he'd hit the hotel Starbucks minutes after his arrival -- said something about "Brazil" and "soccer" to explain himself.
  • With sociable Oregon coach Mike Bellotti now the Ducks athletic director, there was real concern about whether any coaches would show up in the Pac-10 hospitality suite Wednesday night. Fortunately, Erickson and Washington State coach Paul Wulff showed up to chat and enjoy free food and libations.

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Media day: Pac-10 now talking the talk

July 30, 2009 8:07 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

LOS ANGELES -- The Pac-10 has been walking the walk on the football field, witness a winning record vs. every other FBS conference since 2000.

But in this fast-paced media age when image is everything and spinning reality is critical to creating perception, the conference used its media day Thursday to do a better job talking the talk.
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[/td] [/tr][tr][td] [/td] [td]AP Photo/Nick Ut[/td] [/tr][tr][td] [/td] [td]Pete Carroll on the Pac-10: "I think it's the best conference in the country."[/td] [/tr][/table]
Which means just about every coach at some point during his presentation cocked his head thoughtfully, conjured a pained look and said in so many words, "Golly, there are just no weeks off in this conference! And we just beat each other up."

Take USC coach Pete Carroll, whose Trojans were picked in the media poll to win their eighth consecutive championship.

"Our conference is so challenging for us," he said. "Year in and year out, without question, our most difficult games, not just one game, but many games, come right from our own conference opponents. I know that we've only lost a few games out of conference through the years, but we've lost a bunch of games to conference opponents. I think it's the best conference in the country."

Carroll went on for a few more minutes but you get the point. This, by the way, was not in response to a question.

It was obvious that when the coaches met with new Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott, whose hiring was in large part due to his willingness to push aggressive and creative marketing plans, the marching orders were to refer to the Pac-10's general awesomeness whenever possible.

After all, it's a strategy that has worked elsewhere.

"This is going to be a physical conference -- only the strong are going to survive in this environment, 2009 Pac-10 football," Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh said. "This is going to be a mighty men conference this year."

Exhibit A for the perception problem was USC's loss at Oregon State last year. To many pundits across the nation, that was another inexplicable implosion by the Trojans.
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[/td] [/tr][tr][td] [/td] [td]Kirby Lee/US Presswire[/td] [/tr][tr][td] [/td] [td]During the first Pac-10 media day under new commissioner Larry Scott, the league seemed more willing to market itself.[/td] [/tr][/table]
It seemed that few realized that the Beavers had finished nationally ranked the previous two seasons while winning 19 games. And then, after the Beavers finished 9-4 and again nationally ranked in 2008, they had seven players picked in the NFL draft.

"This whole perception thing -- I don't know how you say this -- but people ought to look into reality before they really believe in that perception of our conference," Oregon State coach Mike Riley said. "Head-to-head, in bowl games, our league stands out pretty well.

"And, not that this matters in a season, but it does as far as notoriety: We get as many drafted to the NFL as the SEC does."

Actually, that's not true. The Pac-10 has had more players drafted, per team, in each of the last two NFL drafts.

But who's counting?

Apparently this new version of Pac-10, which hasn't spent much energy on press releases tooting its own horn in the past, but distributed Thursday a colorful five page release that featured factoids on the conference's general unwillingness to schedule patsies and the Pac-10's outstanding bowl record.

Associate commissioner Jim Muldoon, after a couple of coaches fielded questions about Pac-10-SEC matchups this fall, made a point of noting the conference is 10-7 vs. the SEC since 2000.

That wasn't all.

In the past, reporters sat at tables while coaches droned on from a podium in a drab conference room. It was indistinguishable from gathering of widget salespeople.

This time, the room featured a pair of giant video screens and loud music that made the assembled laptops vibrate. An ESPN-produced video -- from the World Wide Leader's new Los Angeles digs -- provided pre-coach entertainment. The event was streamed live on the Pac-10's official website and a good number of questions came from fans via Twitter.

Muldoon further noted that conference coaches, who a few years ago griped about even having to attend, were suggesting the event be scheduled over multiple days in order to get more media coverage.

Heck, even the post news conference buffet was the best it's been in years.

This, apparently, is the new rock and roll Pac-10 during the Larry Scott Era.

Of course, the critical thing to remember while talking the talk is to continue walking the walk.

Pac-10 general, 2009 Pac-10 media day, Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils, California Bears, Oregon Ducks, Oregon State Beavers, Stanford Cardinal, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies, Washington State Cougars, Pete Carroll, Larry Scott, Mike Riley, Jim Harbaugh, SEC, ESPN, Twitter

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On stage ... USC

July 30, 2009 3:30 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

LOS ANGELES -- Some quick notes on Pete Carroll and FS Taylor Mays
  • Carroll on Mays returning for senior season: "He wanted to maximize his opportunity to be his best at the next level."
  • Carroll on QB competition: "To me, it is really clear right now. Aaron Corp came out of spring practice the No. 1 guy. But he wasn't that far ahead of Matt Barkley, which was a total shock to us."
  • On LBs: "Those guys played great in spring football and have played great when they've played in the past."
  • Carroll on Frankie Telfort, the incoming freshmen who had his career ended due to a serious heart condition: "This is a crushing report for Frankie, his family and for all of us."
  • Carroll on one thing he'd change about college football: "We'd have an awesome playoff system."
  • Mays on whether USC is vulnerable on defense: "We know what we have in the locker room ... we have so much potential."

USC Trojans, 2009 Pac-10 media day, Pete Carroll, Taylor Mays, Aaron Corp, Matt Barkley, Frankie Telfort

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On stage ... Oregon

July 30, 2009 3:09 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

LOS ANGELES -- Quick notes ...
  • Chip Kelly and cornerback Walter Thurmond III
  • Kelly on his version of the spread offense: "It's a personnel-driven offense ... we'd ultimately want to be a balanced football team."
  • Kelly on defense: "I think our defense is really going to surprise people this year."
  • Kelly on the Boise State game: "We lost a really tough game to them last year. We basically ran out of quarterbacks. It's a great test for us. They are a tremendous football program. But there is no other way we want to be as a football team."
  • Kelly said backup quarterback Nate Costa is "cleared to go ... he feels like he's moving better."

Oregon Ducks, 2009 Pac-10 media day, Chip Kelly, Walter Thurmond III

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On stage ... Oregon State

July 30, 2009 2:59 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

LOS ANGELES -- Quick notes ...
  • Mike Riley and linebacker Keaton Kristick.
  • Riley said Kristick was voted team captain "by the biggest margin that I've ever seen."
  • Riley on the Rodgers brothers, James and Jacquizz, who are coming back from shoulder surgeries: "Both of those guys are 100 percent going into camp."
  • On quarterback Lyle Moevao "[He] should be healthy by the first game ... I'm hoping we'll have two healthy senior quarterbacks by the first game." As for Moevao's status to renew the quarterback competition, Riley said, "I don't know how to answer that yet. I know we'll be very careful with his pitching count. I don't think he is ready today."

Oregon State Beavers, 2009 Pac-10 media day, Mike Riley, Keaton Kristick, James Rodgers, Jacquizz Rodgers, Lyle Moevao, Sean Canfield

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On stage ... California

July 30, 2009 2:47 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

LOS ANGELES -- Quick notes ...
  • Jeff Tedford and running back Jahvid Best
  • Tedford on Best: "I don't think you'll find a better back anywhere."
  • Tedford on expectations of QB Kevin Riley: "I really believe Kevin has matured a lot. He'll take the first snap when we report to camp."
  • Tedford said Best will return kickoffs but he will not return to his old role as gunner on the kickoff team.
  • Tedford on defense: "I really believe we may be improved from last season ... we have a lot of players back ... No one is 100-percent new coming in."
  • Tedford on whether he'll play more than one quarterback: "I'm not a fan of quarterback by committee."
  • Tedford on Best's potential Heisman campaign: "There's one thing I'm very confident of. Jahvid is a 'team above self' guy all the way ... He knows the team is No. 1 ... I think our players and our team will feed off of that, but that is not our goal as a team and I know that's not Jahvid's No. 1 goal."
  • Best on whether he's the fastest player in the Pac-10: "I'd like to think so but there's a lot of speed in the Pac-10."
  • Tedford on high expectations: "I think our program is at a point now that they know how to handle the expectations."

California Bears, 2009 Pac-10 media day, Jeff Tedford, Jahvid Best, Kevin Riley

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On stage... Arizona

July 30, 2009 2:29 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

LOS ANGELES -- quick notes...
  • Mike Stoops and SS Cam Nelson.
  • Stoops on team: "This is our best overall team, one to 85."
  • Stoops on QB competition between Matt Scott and Nick Foles: "That competition will run throughout camp."
  • Stoops on defense: "Defensively, we have never been stronger."
  • Nelson on defense: "A lot of no-name guys."
  • Stoops on scheduling against brother, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops: "We'd love to play Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl this year. That would be about it for us ... the only chance of that happening would be in a bowl game of some sort."

Arizona Wildcats, 2009 Pac-10 media day, Mike Stoops, Cam Nelson, Bob Stoops, Oklahoma Sooners, Matt Scott, Nick Foles

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On stage ... Arizona State

July 30, 2009 1:48 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

LOS ANGELES -- Quick notes ...
  • Dennis Erickson and LB Mike Nixon.
  • Erickson on the offensive line: "What was an Achilles' heel for us last year could be a strength for us now."
  • Erickson on quarterback competition: "I really like our quarterback situation." He again reiterated that Danny Sullivan begins camp at No. 1.
  • Erickson on incoming freshman linebacker Vontaze Burfict qualifying: "It's at the [NCAA] clearinghouse."
  • Erickson on the defense: "We've really improved our speed with our young players."
  • Nixon on Pac-10 running backs: "I don't know if you can really rank them ... while the Pac-10 generally is known as an air-it-out conference, you've got to be able to stop the run if you want to compete."

Arizona State Sun Devils,2009 Pac-10 media day, Dennis Erickson, Mike Nixon, Vontaze Burfict, Danny Sullivan

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On stage ... Stanford

July 30, 2009 1:37 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

LOS ANGELES -- quick notes...
  • Coach Jim Harbaugh and RB Toby Gerhart.
  • Harbaugh on Gerhart: "Toby is our shining star ... What people don't know about is his speed. You'll see him running away from linebackers and defensive backs ... personally, I think his future is as an NFL running back."
  • Harbaugh on two-way players: "I think people will sit back and see if it works for us."
  • Harbaugh on OT Allen Smith: "Right now Allen has been cleared to get back into the weight room full-go. He needs to strengthen his leg ... We're hopeful he will be able to play football this season." Said it could be, "Game 4, Game 5, Game 6."
  • Harbaugh on whether anyone can challenge USC: "There will be nine teams challenging USC."
  • Harbaugh on next step: "The step we've got to take now is we've got to be a relentless team."

Stanford Cardinal, 2009 Pac-10 media day, Jim Harbaugh, Toby Gerhart, Allen Smith

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On stage ... UCLA

July 30, 2009 1:18 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

LOS ANGELES -- Quick notes ...
  • Coach Rick Neuheisel and LB Reggie Carter
  • Neuheisel on recruiting, "I think early commits are a formula for trouble ... if we're ranked 40th today, that's fine."
  • Neuheisel on No. 1 running back Christian Ramirez: "I think he's a very talented young man. He's versatile. He can run inside and outside. I think he's a gifted pass receiver."
  • Carter on quarterbacks: "For (Kevin Prince) to be a redshirt freshman, he was very composed out there ... I think he's going to be a great player."
  • Neuheisel on Prince: "He's wise beyond his years. He's got all the physical things you look for ... His arm is dangerous ... He can make all the different throws ... I believe he is going to give us a chance to exploit all portions on the field ... There will be some growing pains."
  • On going to Tennessee, "It's going to be a great game for us to grow up quickly."
  • Carter on Tennessee: "I keep hearing about a song ... Rocky Top?"
  • Neuheisel on freshman offensive linemen: "If they are ready to play, they will get their chances."

UCLA Bruins, 2009 Pac-10 media day, Reggie Carter, Rick Neuheisel

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On stage ... Washington

July 30, 2009 1:01 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

LOS ANGELES -- Quick notes ...
  • Coach Steve Sarkisian with LB Donald Butler
  • Sarkisian said after summer workouts that the Huskies "look like a different football team."
  • Sarkisian said he wouldn't know until next week whether the four pending JC transfers would get into school.
  • Sarkisian said he didn't know whether quarterback Jake Locker would sign with the Angels, though he added, "I think it will get done."
  • Butler on biggest change with Sarkisian: "I'd say the biggest change is the fire and the passion day in and day out."
  • Sarkisian: "These guys didn't come to Washington not to win a bowl game."

Washington Huskies, 2009 Pac-10 media day, Steve Sarkisian, Donald Butler

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On stage ... Washington State

July 30, 2009 12:50 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

LOS ANGELES -- Quick notes:
  • Coach Paul Wulff with center Kenny Alfred.
  • Wulff said he remains hopeful that quarterback Marshall Lobbestael will be 100 percent by the season opener. Lobbestael suffered a major knee injury last year.
  • Wulff said linebacker Louis Bland re-aggravated his knee injury and "we're going to see how he responds in fall camp."
  • Wulff said he likes the experience on the offensive line and at running back and expects his team to be "a little more physical than in the past."

Washington State Cougars, Paul Wulff, Kenny Alfred, 2009 Pac-10 media day, Marshall Lobbestael Paul Wulff

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Pac-10 ... Maybe it's No. 1?

July 30, 2009 12:05 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

LOS ANGELES -- Quick facts from the Pac-10 before media day begins. Bet some of these surprise some folks:
  • The Pac-10 has a winning record vs. every BCS conference since 2000. Yes, even that one down yonder.
  • The Pac-10 is 9-2 in BCS bowls since 2000.
  • The Pac-10 has the highest all-time bowl game winning percentage of all FBS conferences.*
Moreover, as for this season, of the automatic qualifying BCS conferences:
  • The Pac-10 has the most teams -- six -- without any FCS (I-AA) opponents.
  • The Pac-10 plays the lowest percentage (13 percent) of nonconference games against FCS foes.
  • The Pac-10 plays the highest percentage of nonconference games (50 percent) games BCS opponents.
*Based on current conference membership.

Washington State Cougars, 2009 Pac-10 media day, Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils, California Bears, Oregon Ducks, Oregon State Beavers, Stanford Cardinal, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies

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Pac-10 media poll: Hey, USC is No. 1!

July 30, 2009 11:40 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

LOS ANGELES -- Things go about as expected. First-place votes are in parentheses.
  1. USC (28)... 316
  2. California (3)... 277
  3. Oregon (1)... 250
  4. Oregon State... 216
  5. Arizona State... 155
  6. Stanford... 150
  7. UCLA... 145
  8. Arizona... 142
  9. Washington... 74
  10. Washington State... 35
USC was tapped No. 1 for the seventh consecutive year. The Trojans are trying to win an eighth consecutive conference title.

The media poll has correctly predicted the eventual champion in 26 of 48 previous polls, including nine years in a row (we are SO smart!).

USC is the first school to be picked No. 1 seven consecutive years since the Trojans were atop the poll 18 times in a row from 1965-82.

Note that only 13 votes separate No. 5 Arizona State and No. 8 Arizona. No surprise that voters were all over the place predicting the middle.

Pac-10 general, 2009 Pac-10 media day, Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils, California Bears, Oregon Ducks, Oregon State Beavers, Stanford Cardinal, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies, Washington State Cougars
 
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the official game jersey looks a lot better than the tackle-twill version you can buy i posted earlier

36 days and counting!
 
I hate baseball.

My list of under-the-radar players who'll be well-known by the end of the season :

Stephen Paea - JR - DT : Lock as a future 1st day pick, and he was only a sophomore last year straight out of JC. Ridiculous strength(as in probably thestrongest player in the entire conference) and he's only been playin ball for a couple years now.

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William "Bug" Wright - SO - WR : Little, shifty all-purpose guy.



Marvin Jones - (RS) FR - WR : I don't trust Boateng, so I see him becoming Cal's #1 receiving threat, that and I saw him a little bit in HS and helooked dangerous. It also looks like he chose #1, which means he's probably talented but also kind of an a**hole. I don't have much else to go by butthat.

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Casey Matthews - JR - MLB : Yup, those Matthews'. He played a lot as a true frosh, started midway through lastseason and hasn't missed a beat since, and also supposedly took another huge jump in his development during the spring. If he can really hit his stride later on like his brother did then Oregon might have its first competent, playmaking linebacker since umm . ..?

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Chris Polk - (RS) FR - RB : Former SC commit, was supposedly gonna be UW's Reggie Jr., started the season opener as a true frosh, then got injured. Excitedto see what kind of player he'll be this year.

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Rahim Moore - SO - FS : Not necessarily under-the-radar, but I foresee him becoming a nationally elite safety by the end of the year. Prediction : Gunna willpiss off a bunch of SC fans by proclaiming him as the 2nd best safety in the nation after the game on sep. 12.

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Aaron Corp - SO - QB - Hard to be under-the-radar when a good amount of college football fans across the country already know your name, but too many peopleare also speculating that it's only a matter of time before his college career ends the instant he's benched for Barkley. I think some might beunder-estimating the kind of impact someone with his speed will have in SC's offense. And it's not like he's just faster than SC QB's of thepast, he's got quick feet and legitimate open field speed. Not a 4.4 guy but I think he'll run away from most defenders.

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No one from ASU or WSU really stood out for me.
 
LOS ANGELES -- Quick facts from the Pac-10 before media day begins. Bet some of these surprise some folks:
  • The Pac-10 has a winning record vs. every BCS conference since 2000. Yes, even that one down yonder.
  • The Pac-10 is 9-2 in BCS bowls since 2000.
  • The Pac-10 has the highest all-time bowl game winning percentage of all FBS conferences.*

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Originally Posted by Fecta23

LAmichael James >Chris Polk
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I do not disagree. I wanted to name him, but I also wanted to have a reason other than "I really want this guy to be good, and plus Kellysaid he would have used him in the bowl game. Oh! And he had some ridiculous looking highlights during high school!"
 
Originally Posted by Chester McFloppy

LOS ANGELES -- Quick facts from the Pac-10 before media day begins. Bet some of these surprise some folks:
  • The Pac-10 has a winning record vs. every BCS conference since 2000. Yes, even that one down yonder.
  • The Pac-10 is 9-2 in BCS bowls since 2000.
  • The Pac-10 has the highest all-time bowl game winning percentage of all FBS conferences.*
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

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USC does WORK!!!
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