NCAA Football Notebook Example:
PAC-10 NOTEBOOK
Arizona: The Wildcats entered spring without having announced an offensive play-caller. After the departure of coordinator Sonny Dykes, coach Mike Stoops elevated offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh and running backs/tight ends coach Seth Littrell to co-coordinators. As it turns out, Littrell will be the one to call the plays, although he's quick to point out it's a collaborative effort. Littrell, 31, was a running back at Oklahoma during the national championship season of 2000.
Arizona State: ASU has to replace starting wide receivers Chris McGaha and Kyle Williams. Judging by early returns, George Bell, a transfer from Southwestern Community College, should be at the front of the line. Bell, who was rated the No. 3 junior college wideout by Rivals.com, is enrolled for spring. He had two-year junior college totals of 134 catches for 2,068 yards and 17 touchdowns.
California: Running back Shane Vereen did not get a lot of work during the spring, but that was to allow him to rest. He is one of the few players whose starting status is undisputed, and he took a beating with his load of carries at the end of last season. In the Bears' final controlled scrimmage on April 17, Vereen carried the ball just a few times before watching most of it from the sidelines. Despite the loss of Jahvid Best, the Bears feel good about their starting tailback spot.
Oregon: In addition to the Ducks' off-field woes, highlighted by the season-long suspension of star quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, three players left the program, coach Chip Kelly announced in early February. They are WR Garrett Embry (a backup and special teams player), DL Andre Iupati (transferred to Division II Humboldt State) and DL Terrance Montgomery (two tackles last season). Embry was dismissed from the team in January and was being investigated for an alleged theft at a fraternity house.
Oregon State: The Beavers should be strong up front defensively, with all-American candidate Stephen Paea back for his senior season. Paea explored leaving for the NFL with a season of eligibility left but eventually decided he liked college football, and could use another season of experience. "I was worried because he was going through the evaluation process," Riley said. "I guess I felt OK because Stephen went into it wanting to come back."
Southern Cal: Is quarterback Matt Barkley safe now that Lane Kiffin is the sheriff at USC? There is a new quarterbacks coach (Clay Helton) and the new head coach, so Barkley just won't be handed the keys. Senior Mitch Mustain is still around to compete, although backup Aaron Corp decided to transfer. "This is a position that lacks substantial depth, but there are two quarterbacks who have played in lots of big-time games," Kiffin said in the Orange County Register. "I'm looking forward to continuing their development in our offense."
Stanford: The one player who most closely resembled Toby Gerhart during the spring game was a player wearing No. 51. That was Alex Drebniak, who is a linebacker, but got several carries as a tailback in the spring game. He hit the holes hard and with the same kind of power that Gerhart did, something the regular Cardinal backs did not do. He is not a candidate for the vacancy at tailback -- yet.
UCLA: UCLA is looking for more big plays on offense, and the Bruins hope that last year's experience, plus three years in coordinator Norm Chow's system, yields those results. Kevin Prince will be entering his second season as the starting quarterback, and 6-5 wideout Nelson Rosario came on late in the season, posting 30 catches for 526 yards in the final six games. He and WR Taylor Embree (45 catches for 408 yards) need to continue to develop.
Washington: Sophomore defensive end Andru Pulu, a potential starter with UW losing both starters from 2009 to graduation, was suspended indefinitely after being investigated and later charged with assault. His status for the 2010 season remains uncertain. Another potential starting end, Everrette Thompson, will be out 4-6 months after suffering an Achilles tendon injury. And another defensive end, Kalani Aldrich, missed the spring to rehab a chronic knee injury. That means UW was without three of its top four defensive ends, with only Talia Crichton available.
Washington State: The Cougars continue to get good news on the progress of senior RB James Montgomery, who suffered a calf injury early last season that was initially described as career-ending. Montgomery didn't take part in spring practice, but head coach Paul Wulff said that he is doing well enough that he should be able to return to action this fall. A transfer from Cal and a highly-touted recruit out of Sacramento in 2006, he could be a starter if healthy.
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