Spring Report

Hey All,

After a flu bug and other health concerns wiped out this blog for the rest of the bowl season, I am back with a little comfort food for your football souls. Here's a much needed edition of Notes on a Pac Ten Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Spring has sprung!!!!

Here's a quick heads up as to what to look for as everyone from Pullman to Tucson takes the field for spring football.

ASU: It's not so much the personnel to watch in Tempe this spring as all eyes are on new Offensive Coordinator, Noel Mazzone. Mazzone has come in to run a Texas Tech style offense for HC Dennis Erickson. This isn't a small matter. This switch to a throw-it-every-down-spread-the-field-five-wide-receiver-offense is a giant shift in Dennis Erickson's philosophy. Erickson's has always believed in power ball. Erickson's double tight end, power back, play action offense has been around since his first stint at Idaho in the early 1980s. How this transition goes will determine Erickson's future at ASU.

UofA: The Wildcats have a lot of holes to fill on defense. Namely they have to replace their whole linebacking corps. So, it didn't look to good for the new defense when they gave up over 400 yards and 6 TDs in their first intrasquad scrimmage last week. To say that they need to improve is an understatement. Also, QB Nick Foles is in a dogfight to hang on to his starting job. Don't be surprised if backup Matt Scott wins the starting nod heading into fall camp.

CAL: The Golden Bears still have a fine stable of RBs despite the departure of Jahvid Best to the sunday league. Shane Vereen and Trajuan Briggs will be fun to watch next year. However, with CAL this spring, it's about who's not there as opposed to who is there. The Golden Bears are thin at WR and LB. So much so, that one injury to the linebacking group could derail most of spring ball. CAL has a good recruiting class of LBs and WRs coming in, but we won't see them until fall camp.

UO: Well, what is there to say about Oregon? The entire starting backfield has run afoul of the law and QB Jeremiah Masoli is suspended for 2010. That makes QB Nate Costa the man on the hot seat in Eugene. There are enough talented backs around to keep the Ducks high powered offense rolling if Costa can show some leadership and stay away from injury. The Ducks other big area of concern is on the defensive line. It's not a deep nor particularly talented group. The unit really needs to make big strides this spring.

OSU: The Beavers have been laying low watching the sideshow up at Eugene. However the Beavers need a signal caller. QBs Ryan Katz and Pete Lalich will battle it out for the starting job. This battle started when the NCAA did not grant an extra year of eligibility to QB Lyle Moevao. The Beavers also need linebackers. A big focus will be on Michael Doctor. Doctor is a Sam Mills sized LB (5-11 216). HC Mike Riley hopes he will take over the middle linebacker spot and become the emotional leader of the defense.

SU: Toby is gone, but Harbaugh is back and the university looks to have finally embraced football as a big time activiity on The Farm. Yes, this hasn't been the case in Palo Alto since Pop Warner was there, but here's some facts that will turn your head. One, the Stanford boosters have chipped in to raise the salary pool for assistant coaches. Two, the money was enough to lure longtime coaches Dave Shaw, and special teams phenom Brian Polian to The Farm. Three, the Cardinal are playing their spring game in San Francisco. SU is making serious strides to become a power in the Pac 10. I can't believe that Stanford is actually embracing it's inner football factory.

UW: RB Chris Polk won't go this spring for the Dawgs as he rehabs to get ready for fall ball. Nobody seems to care. All the focus in Seattle is on Jake Locker and his run for the Heisman Trophy. Folks, get ready to see a media campaign like no other to help the QB grab the stiffarm statue. The folks up at Montlake believe they have the best player in the country returning this year, no questions asked. While the main focus will be on Locker from spring ball on, another key focus is on the O and D lines. When HC Steve Sarkisian came to Seattle, he brought with him a program to make his lineman slimmer and quicker. Mobile, athletic lineman are the rock that Sark's O and D are built on.

WSU: The Cougars are just happy to be able to practice this spring. Last year, Wazzu had 24 players miss spring ball due to injury. This year, only four are missing in action. Notably though, LB Louis Bland is one of them. Bland is the heart and soul of the Cougar defense and should be ready for fall. The other story line to look for in the Palouse is whether QB Jeff Tuel can put a strangle hold on the starting QB job. He has the potential to be a great one.

UCLA: Defense was the strength of HC Rick Neuheisal's squad last year. All those guys are gone. Offensively. the bRuins have a lot of guys returning, but their offense stunk. So is that a good thing? Buck up, bRuin fans, Norm Chow is still there and he vows to open that playbook up any day now.

Until Next time,

Remember, spring ball sets the tone for fall camp.

-The Commissioner