PAC 12 Football Preview 2016
North
#1 Washington State Cougars
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Coach: Mike Leach
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Leach Defensive Coordinator: Alex Grinch Stadium: Martin Stadium (32,248) 2015 Record: 9-4 The Breakdown Offense: This offense has the potential to be the best it's ever been. Luke Falk enters his junior season as a potential Heisman candidate. When you attempt 644 passes you better complete them at a high rate and he does, 69.4 percent. He also takes care of the ball with only 8 interceptions. In two seasons Falk has 51 touchdowns. Falk will have the best receiving core in the conference this season with Gabe Marks,River Cracraft, Robert Lewis and Keith Harrington. All of these player had at least 43 catches last year. Gabe Marks is the best of the bunch with 104 receptions, 1192 yards and 15 TD. Isaiah Johnson could contribute as just a freshman. Protecting Falk will be top priority this season. The whole right side and center return on the line. The left side will be where the focus will be in fall camp. The running game just needs to be viable since they run the ball less than 300 times a season. Both Gerard Wicks and Jamal Morrow are good options when handing it off. Defense: Last years defense made strides going from 38.6 ppg to 27.7. They have 6 starters back four of which are in the secondary. The pass defense was pretty good last year. Shalom Luani was third in tackles last season and led the team in interceptions. Corner Darrien Molton made a huge impact as a freshman. Molton had 44 tackles, but needs to do a bit more this year in terms of defending passes. Marcellus Pippins broke up six passes, had three INT and 43 tackles. The defensive line has question marks but they do have Hercules Mata’afa back. Mata’afa led the team in sacks, 3rd in TFL and 2 hurries as a freshman. Robert Barber returns at NT. The second DE spot will determine how effective this line can be. Linebacker might be the weak link on the defense to start the season but they have the capability to be better. Peyton Pelluer is the real deal at MLB. Last season he totaled 101 tackles. Look for Nnamdi Oguayo to make an impact at Rush LB. Special Teams: Kicker Erik Powell proved he was the man for the job last season. Zach Charme needs to improve on an OK 39.60 punt average. The return game could use a spark this season after being near the bottom in both punt and kick. Overview: This could be the year for Washington State. Their passing attack will be nearly unstoppable. The defense is getting better every year. The schedule is where Washington State can make its claim for the north. Four games will make or break this years season at Boise State, at Stanford, UCLA, and Washington. All the other games should be wins. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Luke Falk, SO, QB 12 G, 644 ATT, 447 COMP, 69.4 PCT, 4561 Yards, 38 TD, 8 INT, 145.89 Rating Rushing Gerard Wicks, SO, RB 13 G, 107 ATT, 610 Yards, 3 TD Receiving Gabe Marks, JR, WR 13 G, 104 REC, 1192 Yards, 15 TD Defense: Interceptions: Shalom Luani, JR, DB 13 G, 4 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Hercules Mata’afa, FR, DE 13 G, 7.0 Sacks Tackles: Peyton Pelluer, SO, LB 13 G, 57 Solo, 44 Assisted, 101 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 9-4 2014 3-9 2013 6-7 2012 3-9 2011 4-8 Washington State Schedule
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#2T Stanford Cardnial
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Coach: David Shaw
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Bloomgren Defensive Coordinator: Lance Anderson Stadium: Stanford Stadium (50,000) 2015 Record: 12-2 The Breakdown Offense: Christian McCaffrey is back after a video game season. He rushed for over 2,000 yards, led the team in receiving. The one thing that McCaffery will have to do more this season is score touchdowns. He only had 13 total last season. He will have a new QB getting him the ball this season. Keller Chryst and Ryan Burns will be taking the competition into fall camp. Both QBs have no experience so don’t be shocked if you see both players getting playing time if things go sour. Michael Rector is back for one last season. He and Dalton Schultz will be top targets for whomever emerges at QB. Simi Fehoko is a freshman WR who could find his way into the lineup by the end of the year. Defense: The front three is young but the Cardinal have talent there. RS Freshman DE Dylan Jackson had offers from Alabama and LSU which is always a good sign. Solomon Thomas had 10.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks in 2015. Harrison Phillips and Jordan Watkins will hold down the DT spot. Stanford is always strong at LB but the loss of Blake Martinez will take its toll. Kevin Palma and Peter Kalambayi were 5th and 7th in tackles last year. OLB Mike Tyler was 2nd in sacks and will look to make an even bigger impact in his senior season. Zach Hoffpauir is back at FS which should help with depth. Dallas Lloyd returns after being third in tackles last season. Quenton Meeks led the team in interceptions with three as a freshman. Special Teams: McCaffery has his hands in everything for this team. He returns kicks and punts and yes, he is great at it. Conrad did nothing but consistently make field goals last season. Jake Bailey steps in at punter. Overview: We have come to expect the defense to be good year after year. The offense sometimes has their down years but they do have Christian McCaffrey back to help work in a new QB. Stanford has a tough road schedule so winning games at home will be even more important this season. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Keller Chryst, SO, QB 4 G, 9 ATT, 5 COMP, 55.6 PCT, 59 Yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 147.30 Rating Rushing Christian McCaffrey, SO, RB 14 G, 337 ATT, 2019 Yards, 8 TD Receiving Christian McCaffrey, SO, RB 14 G, 45 Rec, 645 Yards, 5 TD Defense: Interceptions: Quenton Meeks, FR, DB 14 G, 3 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Mike Tyler, JR, LB 12 G, 5.0 Sacks Tackles: Peter Kalambayi, JR, LB 14 G, 32 Solo, 20 Assisted, 52 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 12-2 2014 8-5 2013 11-3 2012 12-2 2011 11-2 Stanford Schedule
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#2T Washington Huskies
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Coach: Chris Peterson
Offensive Coordinator: Jonathan Smith Defensive Coordinator: Pete Kwiatkowski and Jimmy Lake Stadium: Husky Stadium (70,500) 2015 Record: 7-6 The Breakdown Offense: Everyone is excited about the 2016 season and rightfully so. The one-two punch of QB Jake Browning and RB Myles Gaskin are back for round two. Myles Gaskin did nothing but impress last season. He ended the season with a 181 yard game and 4 TD vs. Southern Miss. Gaskin will get the bulk of the carries this year again. Jake Browning nearly had 3,000 yards passing last season. His completion percentage was at 63.1 which is impressive for a freshman QB. He will however have ti improve on his interception to TD ratio. With 10 turnovers and 16 Touchdowns those numbers will have to improve for this team to rise to the top. The line will be even better this season with three starters and experienced players on the line. What everyone wants to know is who will emerge in the passing game. Their top two receivers are gone from last season and that total to over a third of the production. Dante Pettis is the likely candidate to step up. John Ross can make plays and is a threat down the field. If this unit can rise to middle of the pack or better in the PAC 12 they can take this team to a PAC 12 North title. Defense: The top defense in the PAC 12 comes back missing only 3 starters. The Huskies held opponents under 20 ppg and just over 350 total yards. Washington has one of the best secondaries in the country. Sidney Jones and Budda Baker combined for 6 INT, 17 passes broken up and 95 tackles. Kevin King and Darren Gardenhire will both see a lot of time at corner. Jojo Mcintosh will go full time at SS. The 2016 class is also loaded with four star secondary talent. LB Azeem Victor led the team in tackles (95) as a sophomore. Keishawn Bierria, also a sophomore, was second on the team. You could see a true freshman at OLB with Camilo Eifler coming in. The line will feature DT Elijah Qualls and youth around him. Greg Gaines will start at DT, Jaylen Johnson and Benning Potoa’e at DE. If either Potoa’e or Johnson can emerge as a threat to the QB this team will be even more dangerous. Special Teams: John Ross and Dante Pettis are two players that can take it to the house in the return game. Cameron Van Winkle made all PAT tries and missed just four kicks last season. Tristan Vizcaino will be the new punter but even as a Junior he doesn't have a ton of experience. Jake Browning has more punts than he does. Overview: the defense will be special this season. The offense might struggle at times if teams can stop their rushing attack. The non conference schedule should help them work through the passing attack issues before conference play begins. The last game at Washington State will be huge. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Jake Browning, FR, QB 12 G, 369 ATT, 233 COMP, 63.1 PCT, 2955 Yards, 16 TD, 10 INT, 139.30 Rating Rushing Myles Gaskin, FR, RB 13 G, 227 ATT, 1302 Yards, 14 TD Receiving Dante Pettis, SO, WR 13 G, 30 REC, 414 Yards, 1 TD Defense: Interceptions: Sidney Jones, SO, DB 13 G, 4 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Elijah Qualls, SO, DL 10 G, 4.5 Sacks Tackles: Azeem Victor, SO, LB 13 G, 59 Solo, 36 Assisted, 95 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 7-6 2014 8-6 2013 9-4 2012 7-6 2011 7-6 Washington Schedule
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#4 Oregon Ducks
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Coach: Mark Helfrich
Offensive Coordinator: Matt Lubick Defensive Coordinator: Brady Hoke Stadium: Autzen Stadium (54,000) 2015 Record: 9-4 The Breakdown Offense: Once again Oregon has a transfer QB coming in to start for them. Vernon Adams, had a successful season with only two losses truly to his name, Michigan State and TCU. Welcome in now Dakota Prukop, a FCS All-American. Prukop will bring a true dual threat back to Autzen Stadium. A big question going forward will be can they find a QB going forward for stability. When you discuss top running backs in the league be sure to mention Royce Freeman. The past two season he has averaged 1,600 yards and 17.5 TD. One key stat for seeing Freeman’s improvement is yards per carry. He went from 5.42 to 6.49. The offensive line is the biggest concern on offense. Three new starters and a freshman at center. The offense started to change with the return of Darren Carrington at WR. In his first three games back he had over 100 yards receiving. In his seven games played they lost just one game. Dwayne Stanford and Charles Nelson return to form a nice receiving core. Defense: Brady Hoke comes in as the defensive coordinator for the Ducks. At the end of the day this is where Hoke belongs DC not HC. His 4-3 defense will be welcomed after last season's debacle. They had the worst defense in conference and near the worst pass defense in the country. The secondary returns three starters but an improvement will need to happen or they will look to other players. The open corner spot will go to Malik Lovette or Ugo Amadi. The middle of the defense will be filled with several JUCO players, Jonah Moi and A.J. Hotchkins. Hotchkins totaled over 100 tackles last season and Moi had 82. Johnny Ragin is a favorite to win the 3rd LB spot. With the loss of DeForest Buckner you have to wonder where the pressure will come from this season. The new scheme will create more pressure naturally and Henry Mondeaux should be moved up and down the line. Look for a lot of youth to get a shot at DE this fall. Young players to watch are Canton Kaumatule and Jalen Jelks. Special Teams: Kicker Aidan Schneider made the most out of an opportunity and turned it into a scholarship. Ian Wheeler is back at punter. The Ducks really struggled last season and ranked last in average punt. Oregon always has top options to return kicks with the amount of athletes they bring in. Overview: The offense will be phenomenal again if the offensive line comes together. The defense should be better with a new scheme but is the talent level there. Cross division games against USC and Utah, both away, make a tough schedule, harder. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Jeff Lockie, JR, QB 6 G, 99 ATT, 61 COMP, 61.6 PCT, 580 Yards, 5 TD, 4 INT, 119.43 Rating Rushing Royce Freeman, SO, RB 283 ATT, 1836 Yards, 17 TD Receiving Darren Carrington, SO, WR 7 G, 32 REC, 609 Yards, 6 TD Defense: Interceptions: Tyree Robinson, SO, DB 13 G, 3 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Henry Mondeaux, SO, DL 13 G, 4.0 Sacks Tackles: Tyree, Robinson, SO, DB 13 G, 38 Solo, 26 Assisted, 64 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 9-4 2014 13-2 2013 11-2 2012 12-1 2011 12-2 Oregon Schedule
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#5 California Golden Bears
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Coach: Sonny Dykes
Offensive Coordinator: Jake Spavital Defensive Coordinator: Art Kaufman Stadium: Cal Memorial Stadium (62,717) 2015 Record: 8-5 The Breakdown Offense: They won’t be able to replace Jared Goff but they bring in Davis Webb. The former Texas Tech QB was pushed out last season but has plenty of experience. Webb played a lot in 2013 and 2014. He totaled 46 TD at Texas Tech. The receiving core is thin with the top 6 receivers from last season gone. Several freshman will get an opportunity to play this season. Melquise Stovall is the top recruit for Cal and will play right away. Carlos Strickland a former four star recruit will get a chance to live up to that billing this season. The one area where the team can improve this season compared to last is running the ball. Tre Watson will be the go to guy. Watson will pair with Vic Enwere who had 8 TD last year. Khalfani Muhammad led the team in rushing with 586 yards. Defense: The defense has a chance to better this season with 5 starters back from a team that has improved by 15 points since 2013. The line will make plays this season with DeVante Wilson and James Looney back. A lot of the players who led the team in sacks and TFL are gone though. The secondary is in need of improvement. Two starters return but Damariay Drew is coming off an injury. One player who Cal fans want to see get a chance at corner is Malik Psalms. Had Hardy Nickerson not left for Illinois the overall feel coming into this seasons defense would be really high. Raymond Davison is back at OLB. Newcomer Jordan Kunasyki will get a look at MLB right away. Special Teams: Kicker Matt Anderson will need to repeat his 18-21 performance this season. Dylan Klumph will be the punter this season. The return game will feature Khlfani Muhammad and Vic Wharton. Overview: With Webb they have a chance to put up points again but it won’t be like last season. The defense has come a long way. They will need to take another step forward this season as they will be even more important in keeping Cal in games. The schedule is brutal from top to bottom with only 4 winnable games. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Chase Forrest, FR, QB 3 G, 18 ATT, 10 COMP, 55.6 PCT, 162 Yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 138.38 Rushing Khalfani Muhammad, JR, RB 12 G, 87 ATT, 586 Yards, 1 TD Receiving Chad Hansen, SO, WR 10 G, 19 REC, 249 Yards, 1 TD Defense: Interceptions: Devante Downs, SO, LB 9 G, 2 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Cameron Walker, JR, DB 13 G, 2.0 Sacks Tackles: Damariay Drew, JR, DB 11 G, 43 Solo, 27 Assisted, 70 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 8-5 2014 5-7 2013 1-11 2012 3-9 2011 7-6 Cal Schedule
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#6 Oregon State
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Coach: Gary Andersen
Offensive Coordinator: Kevin McGiven and T.J. Woods Defensive Coordinator: Kevin Clune Stadium: Reser Stadium (45,674) 2015 Record: 2-10 The Breakdown Offense: Too many issues for this offense to click. The QB position should be Darrell Garretson a transfer from Utah State. Garretson really doesn’t have competition so in order for him to lose the job he will have to be hurt. The running game doesn’t look much better going into this season. If they couldn’t get it done with Storm Woods, Ryan Nall and company shouldn’t do much better. Oh and Seth Collins who was a QB last season now WR, led the team in rushing. Yes, Seth Collins is a WR now. After potentially transferring he lands back at Oregon State. Jordan Villamin and Victor Bolden give hope for the future at WR. Overall this is another rebuilding year on offense. Oh yeah, the offensive line comes into the season as the worst in the conference. Defense: The news won’t get much better here. The defense gave up 37 ppg and allowed over 480 yards. The transfers of Rommell Mageo and Justin Strong really hurt the hopes of this team. The focus will be on the sophomore and freshman who can lead this team to a bright future. In the two deep you can find 12 underclassmen and a hand full of transfers. The defensive line has Kalani Vakameilalo, Summer Houston and LaMone Williams. If you are a Beaver fan you want this guys to make noise this year. The secondary has a lot of promise with Christian Wallace and Shurod Thompson. They were both four star prospects something the Beavers don’t get a lot of. Linebacker features one of the teams bright stars, Jonathan Willis. He was third in tackles, top returner in TFL. Kevin Clune is a good pick up at DC but he has his work cut out for him. Special Teams: If you are looking for positivity, we have some here. Kicker Garrett Owens missed four kicks last season but showed he can handle the job. Nick Porebski did a nice job last season and he has one of the most important roles on the team. Victor Bolden can make things happen in the return game. Overview: The rebuild is still on. Find your QB this season, stick with him and grind it out. Work in young defensive players and give them a lot of time. Even if they improve, the win total won’t be able to tell you. Gary Andersen props to you for taking this job. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Seth Collins, FR, QB 8 G, 160 ATT, 83 COMP, 51.9 PCT, 935 Yards, 6 TD, 4 INT, 108.35 Rating Rushing Seth Collins, FR, QB 8 G, 108 ATT, 575 Yards, 8 TD Receiving Jordan Villamin, SO, WR 12 G, 43 REC, 660 Yards, 5 TD Defense: Interceptions: Caleb Saulo, JR, LB 11 G, 1 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Jonathan Willis, FR, LB 12 G, 2.0 Sacks Tackles: Caleb Saulo, JR, LB 11 G, 31 Solo, 38 Assisted, 69 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 2-10 2014 5-7 2013 7-6 2012 9-4 2011 3-9 Oregon State Scheudle
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South
#1 USC Trojans
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Coach: Clay Helton
Offensive Coordinator: Tee Martin Defensive Coordinator: Clancy Pendergast Stadium: Los Angeles Memorial Stadium (93,607) 2015 Record: 8-6 The Breakdown Offense: Max Browne is the next QB in a line of 5 star USC QBs. No pressure but if Browne plays well this team has a chance to win this league. His WR corps has one of the most exciting players in the country in Juju Smith-Schuster. Smith can put up numbers that will put him in consideration for the Heisman. WR/CB Adoree’ Jackson comes in to make big plays. Steven Mitchell Jr. and Darreus Rogers are solid options for Browne. Freshman five star WR, Tyler Vaughns will push for a starting spot. With the top offensive line in the country Max Browne should be protected and holes will be open in the running game. Zach Banner, Toa Lobendahn and Chad Wheeler all have first team OL potential. Justin Davis and Ronald Davis will make this team even more dynamic this year. The two combine for nearly 1,900 yards and 15 TD. This years team should average over 35 points this season. Defense: Here’s where people start to shy away from the Trojans, but you shouldn’t. Last years team wasn’t poor by any means and the secondary is solid. All four starters are back including Adoree’ Jackson. Jackson only had 1 interception but had 8 passes defended. This could be a big year for Jackson. Iman Marshall made a huge impact as a freshman, 3 interceptions, 67 tackles and 9 broken up passes. The safety spot has two starters back and of course nice depth. Linebacker has several options with only 1 starter back. Cameron Smith is one of the best LB in the league. Porter Gustin has potential to go over 10 TFL. Gustin led the team in sacks with 5.5. A player to watch is Uchenna Nwosu at OLB. The front three will feature no returning starters and will be really young. The two deep features all underclassmen. Former five star recruit Rasheem Green, will get a chance to prove that he has NFL talent. Noah Jefferson has experience at NT. this group could make or break the Trojans. Special Teams: Matt Boermeester will be the primary kicker this season. Chris Tilbey will be a player to watch in his punter role. Adoree’ Jackson is a big time kicker returner. Overview: Max Browne is the key to the offensive success. The defensive line has to be good for USC to compete in the south. Alabama and ND book end the schedule. Key conference games will be vs Stanford, Washington and UCLA all away. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Max Browne, SO, QB 3 G, 12 ATT, 8 COMP, 113 Yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 145.77 Rating Rushing Ronald Jones II, FR, RB 14 G, 153 ATT, 987 Yards, 8 TD Receiving JuJu Smith-Schuster, SO, WR 14 G, 89 REC, 1454 Yards, 10 TD Defense: Interceptions: Cameron Smith, FR, LB 10 G, 3 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Porter Gustin, FR, LB 14 G, 5.5 Sacks Tackles: Cameron Smith, FR, LB 10 G, 48 Solo, 30 Assisted, 78 total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 8-6 2014 9-4 2013 10-4 2012 7-6 2011 10-2 USC Schedule
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#2 UCLA Bruins
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Coach: Jim Mora
Offensive Coordinator: Kennedy Polamalu Defensive Coordinator: Tom Bradley Stadium: Rose Bowl (92,542) 2015 Record: 8-5 The Breakdown Offense: Josh Rosen had no problem with the transition from high school to college. Jim Mora had trust in him as well. Rosen had 487 attempts last season and that was with Paul Perkins in the backfield. He completed 60 percent of his passes and threw for 23 touchdowns. The issues however start at WR. Payton, Duarte, and Fuller are gone. Darren Andrews is the top returning WR with 42 catches. Theo Howard will certainly get playing time as a true freshman. Rosen will be able to hit targets, the question is who will be his go to guys and can they make big plays. Losing Paul Perkins will be very difficult to replace. Soso Jamabo will get the bulk of the carries with Nate Starks factoring in as well. The line should still be solid even with several key departures. Defense: The Bruins defense was hit with plenty of injuries last season. The secondary is strong with three starters back and the return of Fabian Moreau. Moreau had over 50 tackles in 2013 and 2014. Jaleel Wadood and Randall Goforth both had over 70 tackles. The front three should be fine despite the loss of All-American Kenny Clark. Eli Ankou had 47 tackles, 5 TFL and 1.5 sacks. The addition of Eddie Vanderdoes is welcomed as he was a key player as just a freshman in 2013. Takkarist McKinley got to the QB 4.5 times in 2015. Linebackers Deon Hollins, Jayon Brown and Kenny Young are all back. Brown led the team in tackles, Hollins was a factor in the backfield and Kenny Young does a little bit of everything well. Filling in the fourth LB slot is freshman LB Mique Juarez. Special Teams: One of the toughest spots to replace will be Kicker Ka’imi Fairburn. JJ Molson comes in as a freshman to handle the duties. Austin Kent will hopefully improve the punting unit. Overview: The defense will keep this team in games while they work in a lot of new skill position players. The defense will be stout despite their big name losses. The non-conference slate is loaded with Texas A&M and BYU. The conference schedule is manageable. Expect the Bruins to hover around 10 wins. |
Top Returners: Offense: Passing Josh Rosen, FR, QB 13 G, 487 ATT, 292 COMP, 3669 Yards, 23 TD, 11 INT, 134.32 Rating Rushing Soso Jamabo, FR, RB 13 G, 66 ATT, 403 Yards, 4 TD Receiving Darren Andrews,JR, WR 42 REC, 429 Yards, 1 TD Defense: Interceptions: Ishmael Adams, JR, DB 10 G, 2 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Takkarist McKinley, JR, DE 13 G, 4.5 Sacks Tackles: Jayon Brown, JR, LB 12 G, 57 Solo, 36 Assisted, 93 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 8-5 2014 10-3 2013 10-3 2012 9-5 2011 6-8 UCLA Schedule
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#3T Utah Utes
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Coach: Kyle Whittingham
Offensive Coordinator: Jim Harding and Aaron Roderick Defensive Coordinator: Morgan Scalley Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium (45,807) 2015 Record: 10-3 The Breakdown Offense: It is a three man race for the Utah QB job. Brandon Cox, Tyler Huntley and Troy Williams. None of them have a lot of experience so this will likely run till game one of the season. One thing that we know for certain about the offense is that they have a great offensive line. All five starters are back with J.J. Dielman and Isaac Asiata being the best of the bunch. The running game will miss Devontae Booker. Joe Williams and Troy McCormick will handle the rushing duties in place of Booker. Williams got some carries last year and scored three touchdowns. Utah fans found out this winter that WR Britain Covey would go serve on a mission after being the number one target as a freshman last season. The next best pass catcher on the Utes from the 2015 season? Harrison Handley with 21 grabs. This unit is relatively unknown but JUCO transfer Alec Dana could work out well for Utah. If this unit doesn’t make strides this season it could be a long year. Defense: Utah always turns in a solid defense and this year is no different. The defensive line is the most feared in the conference. It all starts with DT Lowell Lotulelei who stuffs the run with the best of them. Kyle Fitts causes all sorts of trouble in opponents backfields. He led the team in sacks last season with 7, 10 broken up passes and had 8 TFL. The signing of four star Max Tupai could factor in at Se. Gone are Gionni Paul and Jared Norris from the linebacking corps. The two combined for over 200 tackles last season. Two newcomers, Donovan Thompson and David Luafatasaga, could end up seeing a lot of time at linebacker. This units progression this season will be telling of the season. The secondary brings back four of five starters all upperclassmen. The one open spot could go to sophomore safety, Chase Hansen. Marcus Williams will be back at free safety after a god 2015 season that saw him bring in 5 interceptions. Williams was also third in tackles. Reginald Porter led the team in broken up passes with 11. Special Teams: No way they replace punter Tom Hackett. Mitch Wishnowsky will do his best to follow in his footsteps. Andy Phillips returns after another good season kicking field goals. Overview: The defense will be good as long as the lone weak unit, linebacker, steps up. The offense has too many issue to be overconfident about the team going forward. Getting back to 10 wins is out of the question. Road schedule is manageable this year. Kyle Whittingham may be in for a down year. |
Top Returners: Offense: Passing Chase Hansen, FR, QB 10 G, 1 ATT, 0 COMP, 0 Yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 0.00 Rating Rushing Joe Williams, JR, RB 10 G, 104 ATT, 490 Yards, 7 TD Receiving Harrison Handley, SO, TE 13 G, 21 REC, 286 Yards, 4 TD Defense: Interceptions: Marcus Williams, SO, DB 13 G, 5 INT, 0 TD Sacks: Kyle Fitts, JR, DL 13 G, 7.0 Sacks Tackles: Marcus Williams, SO, DB 13 G, 36 Solo, 30 Assisted, 66 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 10-3 2014 9-4 2013 5-7 2012 5-7 2011 8-5 Utah Schedule
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#3T Arizona Wildcats
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Coach: Rich Rodriguez
Offensive Coordinator: Calvin Magee and Rod Smith Defensive Coordinator: Marcel Yates Stadium: Arizona Stadium 2015 Record: 7-6 The Breakdown Offense: Anu Solomon is back for his junior season after a sophmore year he would like to forget with several injuries. If he stays healthy this season his numbers will rise back towards his 2014 days. The offensive line will need to improve on the 31 sacks they gave up last season. The receiving core losses some of their talent but they still have viable options. Samajie Grant should emerge as the guy this year. Trey Griffey is a nice second or third option. Nate Phillips had 44 catches last season. The running game will be in really good hands with Nick Wilson. Wilson has 2,100 yards in his first two seasons. Orlando Bradford is the next guy up for the Wildcats. Defense: The defense continues to take a step back. New coordinator Marcel yates will put in his 4-2-5 defense. They went from averaging under 25 ppg in 2013 and in 2015 35.8 points. The line will need to improve if the defense as a whole will. Luca Bruno (DE) and Sani Fuimaono (DT) are the two returnees. The other DE spot spot will be filled with youth. Justin Belknap and JUCO transfer Josh Allen could see time their. You will find the strength of the team at linebacker. Cal transfer Michael Barton will fill in nicely. DeAndre Miller is a player that could make a major impact. Paul Magloire Jr. was second in tackles a year ago. DaVonte Neal is the only player we can be certain about. His senior season should be his best to date. Tellas Jones returns at strong safety. Dane Cruikshank is the favorite for the second corner spot. Special Teams: Josh Pollack will enter the year as the Wildcats starting kicker. Matt Aragon comes in as a freshman starter at punter. Tyrell Johnson handles kick return and Nate Phillips is electric at returning punts. Overview: The offense has a lot of potential this season and will put up plenty of points. The question remains if the defense will take a step forward. The PAC 12 schedule is difficult with trips to UCLA, Washington State and Utah. Rich Rodriguez will have his time gunning for a bowl bid. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Anu Solomon, SO, QB 11 G, 330 ATT, 205 COMP, 2667 Yards, 20 TD, 5 INT, 146.98 Rating Rushing Nick Wilson, SO, RB 9 G, 133 ATT, 725 Yards, 8 TD Receiving Nate Phillips, JR, WR 13 G, 44 REC, 564 Yards, 4 TD Defense: Interceptions: Cam Denson, SO, DB 13, G, 3 INT, 1 TD Sacks: Jack Banda, SO, DL 13 G, 3.0 Sacks Tackles: Paul Magloire Jr., JR, DB 13 G, 54 Solo, 18 Assisted, 72 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 7-6 2014 10-4 2013 8-5 2012 8-5 2011 4-8 Arizona Schedule
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#3T Colorado Buffaloes
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Coach: Mike Macintyre
Offensive Coordinator: Darrin Chiaverini and Brian Lindgren Defensive Coordinator: Jim Leavitt Stadium: Folson Field (50,183) 2015 Record: 4-9 The Breakdown Offense: This needs to be the year for the Colorado offense. Sefo Liufau has been the starting QB since he was a freshman and now enters his senior season. Liufau needs to have a season similar to his sophomore season where he threw for 3,200 yards and 28 TD. The offensive line has to be much better this season. The line gave up 40 sacks and 88 TFL. Three starters are back and two freshman could see time on the right side of the line. The last time the Buffs had a 1,000 yard rusher was 2010. Phillip Lindsay is the team's leading rusher. You could however see 4 star athlete Beau Bisharat be the primary back at the end of the year. He has good size and strength and will be able to break tackles. The loss of Nelson Spruce will hurt but the Buffs are confident they will still be able to pass the ball effectively. Shay Fields and Devin Ross return. They were the two best options after Spruce last year. Two WR JUCO players Kabion Ento and Juwann Winfree will make an immediate impact. Defense: The defense continues to make strides. Jim Leavitt took this team from 29 ppg to 27.5 and with 9 starters back they should continue to improve. The secondary is talented and one of the better ones in the conference. Chidobe Awuzie has first team all conference talent. He had 90 tackles, 4 sacks, 12 TFL and 2 interceptions last season. Safety Tedric Thompson led the team in interceptions. Ryan Moeller returns from an injury. The buffs have great depth at corner with Witherspoon, Oliver and Fisher all having experince. Linebacker started as a freshman last season, it worked out. He led the team in tackles with 96. The rest of the LB Corps is strong with Kenneth Olugbode, Jimmie Gilbert, Derek McCartney, and Addison Gillam. The front three needs to better this season. Leo Jackson and Jordan Carrell return. Two sophomores that could make an impact are Jase Franke and Michael Mathewes. Special Teams: Special teams is a major issue for Colorado. Kicker Diego Gonzalez missed 11 kicks last season. Punter. Alex Kinney ranked near the bottom in net average. Overview: The defense should improve again this season with more depth and 9 starters back. The offense will need the new influx of JUCO WR to help out immediately. The schedule sets up for the Buffs to be right around a bowl bid. 1-8 in conference play last season won’t cut it again when we are talking about Macintyre’s job. |
Top Returners:
Offense: Passing Sefo Liufau, JR, QB 11 G, 344 ATT, 214 COMP, 2418 Yards, 9 TD, 6 INT, 126.39 Rating Rushing Phillip Lindsay, SO, RB 13 G, 140 ATT, 653 Yards, 6 TD Receiving Shay Fields, SO, WR 12 G, 42 REC, 598 Yards, 4 TD Defense: Interceptions: Tedric Thompson, JR, DB 13 G, 3 INT, 0 TD Sacks: Jimmie Gilbert, JR, LB 13 G, 6.0 Sacks Tackles: Rick Gamboa, FR, LB 13 G, 58 Solo, 38 Assisted, 96 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 4-9 2014 2-10 2013 4-8 2012 1-11 2011 3-10 Colorado Schedule
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#6 Arizona State Sun Devils
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Coach: Todd Graham
Offensive Coordinator: Chip Lindsey Defensive Coordinator: Keith Patterson Stadium: Sun Devil Stadium (71,706) 2015 Record: 6-7 The Breakdown Offense: The offensive will have a new look this season. At this point the QB situation is still up in the air. The battle between Manny Wilkins and Brady White seem like the early front runners. At the end of the day none of them have played in a college game so you may see several players under center this year. D.J. Foster had his hands in everything while at Arizona State. Foster could be in the backfield or lineup at WR. Running back should be a strength for ASU with Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage. The offensive line however is a weakness with only one returning starter and youth in the two deep. Wide receiver is a spot where Arizona State could excel. Time White is back and Cameron Smith returns from an injury. N’Keal Harry is their top prospect coming in and should see time at WR. Defense: The defense was the worst in the nation vs. the pass last season. The overall defense wasn’t very good either. This season Graham brought in several JUCO transfers to help improve the team in terms of talent and depth. The front line of the defense looks good with JoJo Wicker and Tashon Smallwood. As a freshman Wicker had 4 sacks and 7.5 TFL. The devil position could go to the Devils top JUCO commit, Dougladson Subtyl. Koron Crump could see time at the Spur position. The secondary struggled last season and they have plenty of new faces to join two returning starters. Kareem Orr is a lock at CB. He had 6 interceptions and was one positive in a poor season. Chase Lucas comes in highly regarded at corner. J’Marcus Rhodes, Maurice Chandler and Robbie Robinson are coming in with chances to start or provide depth to the secondary. One of the best LB in the conference plays in Tempe, Salamo Fiso. Heading into his senior season he has totaled 253 tackles so far in his career. Christian Sam is no slouch at WLB. He had 97 tackles 6.5 TFL and 3 sacks. Special Teams: Time White can get the crowd on their feet with his returns. Matt Haack is one of the better punters in the land. Kicker Zane Gonzalez is headed for the record books. Overview: The defense could take a big step forward this season. The offense may go backwards if the QB play doesn’t produce. The schedule doesn’t set up for too many wins this season. Getting back to 6 wins would a good year. |
Conference Rank: #6 South
Top Returners: Offense: Passing N/A Rushing Demario Richard, SO, RB 12 G, 210 ATT, 1104 Yards, 7 TD Receiving Tim White, JR, WR 13 G, 57 REC, 633 Yards, 8 TD Defense: Interceptions: Kareem Orr, FR, DB 12 G, 6 INT, 1 TD Sacks: DJ Calhoun, SO, LB 13 G, 6.5 Sacks Tackles: Salamo Fiso, JR, LB 13 G, 78 Solo, 21 Assisted, 99 Total Last Five Year Win Totals 2015 6-7 2014 10-3 2013 10-4 2012 8-5 2011 6-7 Arizona State Schedule
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