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It is time to take a last look back at how each Big East team fared in 2011 with season-ending report cards.

Up today: Louisville

Offense: The Cardinals got better as the season went on, thanks to young players improving, a switch at offensive coordinator and the emergence of Big East Newcomer of the Year Teddy Bridgewater. But that doesn't mean everything was peachy in 2011 for the Cardinals. They were worse offensively than they were a year ago with Bilal Powell gone and much shakier offensive line. Louisville went from No. 1 in the league in rushing offense to No. 5, down an average of 50 yards a game. Scoring offense and total offense were down as well. Louisville gave up 20 more sacks this season than a year ago as they had to overcome youth and injuries. If there was one area coach Charlie Strong wanted to see get better, it was getting more consistency in the run game. Last season, Louisville averaged 4.8 yards per rush. This season it was 3.4. The Cardinals also had more turnovers as well, losing the ball 22 times compared to 16 a year ago. All that adds up to a pretty average year on offense.

Grade: C.

Defense: This group was dominating at times, but also had a few mental lapses at times as well. You can probably point to a few of those as a big reason Louisville lost to FIU at home. Still, you have to give this unit credit for playing through some key injuries to important players like Greg Scruggs, Randy Salmon, B.J. Butler and Anthony Conner, plus the suspension of starting safety Shenard Holton. Louisville finished No. 2 in the league in total defense, though it did give up about 20 yards more per game this season than last. The Cardinals were hugely improved on rush defense, giving up about 40 yards fewer per game. The front line was the strength of this team, even with all the injuries, because so many young players were playing on the back end.

Grade: B.

Overall: Things appeared headed for doom when Louisville opened the season 2-4, with losses to FIU and Marshall. But the Cardinals were able to overcome the slow start and pick up a huge win at West Virginia, along with a share of the Big East title for the first time since 2006. Did things go perfectly? No. There were some bad losses, and some good wins as this team figured out how to mature and grow up. Seeing Bridgewater and his young receivers get better was a positive. But there were also times when this team appeared to be unfocused and unable to capitalize on some of its success. Do you give Louisville a great grade for winning a share of the league or do you downgrade for the overall 7-6 record? I give more weight to the conference crown and the way the season finished up. After all, this team far exceeded expectations.

Grade: B.

Previously featured:

• Cincinnati
• UConn

Here are a few Big East news and notes from the final coaches teleconference of the season.

Cincinnati

Coach Butch Jones said Jordan Luallen will remain a part of the game plan against UConn in the season finale, after Luallen had 77 yards on six carries against Syracuse last week. He nearly had two touchdowns, but came up just short both times. Once, he fell at the 1 without being tackled.

"He's an individual who has great intensity, great energy and he's one of our team leaders, and our players really rally around him. He came in and gave us a spark. I thought Munchie (Legaux) took great strides from Week 1 to Week 2. We think he's going to do nothing but get better. Jordan has to learn how to pick his ankles up to keep him from not falling down on the 1-yard line."

Connecticut

The Huskies have played multiple quarterbacks for a majority of the season, and are now facing a team that will do the same against them. Though they are coming off a big win against Rutgers, coach Paul Pasqualoni is aware of what his team is facing on the road against the Bearcats.

"This will be a big challenge for us to go on the road and play a real physical defense, and an offense that scores a lot of points. This will be hard for us," he said.

Louisville

Coach Charlie Strong is hopeful to get some of his injured players on defense back for the bowl game. Defensive linemen Randy Salmon, B.J. Butler and Greg Scruggs have missed a good portion of the season with various ailments, so the month off between games should help get them back on the field.

"We would love to have those guys back," Strong said.

Pittsburgh

Coach Todd Graham said running back Zach Brown (bruised sternum) and receiver Ronald Jones (concussion) were questionable for the finale against Syracuse after getting hurt in the loss against West Virginia. If Brown is unable to go, the Panthers would start their third running back of the season -- true freshman Isaac Bennett.

"We're hopeful Zach will be able to play," Graham said. "If it's possible, he will because he's a tough guy. "

Rutgers

Coach Greg Schiano reiterated his disappointment over his team's performance in a 40-22 loss to UConn, costing his team at least a share of the conference title.

"I thought we had a great week of practice," Schiano said. "I thought they dealt with the hype of the game really well. We just did not perform with precision, we didn’t coach with precision, organization was not precise enough to be able to win a game against a good team like Connecticut in their stadium."

USF

Starting quarterback B.J. Daniels remains questionable with a bruised shoulder, and coach Skip Holtz didn't give any indication about whether he thought Daniels would be able to play Thursday against West Virginia.

"He was able to throw a little bit last night, but I don't know that he's going to be able to have the velocity on the ball or be able to protect himself," Holtz said. "We know he can go out there and run around right now, because his legs are fine, we'll just have to see how he rehabs and heals. We're going to have to wait and see how he responds to the treatment."

Holtz added there is a chance receivers Sterling Griffin and A.J. Love could return this week.

Syracuse

Coach Doug Marrone says his players have got to respond to the adversity that has hit in order to beat Pittsburgh in the season finale and make it to a bowl game. Syracuse has lost four straight after starting the season 5-2.

"It's a difficult situation," Marrone said. "We try to teach our players about adversity early on and in the offseason. Now it's real. Now you have to fight your way through it and go. A lot of the focus right now is making sure we get in the proper state of mind for how we're getting ready to attack, and go out there and play and not worry about not making a mistake or things that cause us to be tight. We just need to go out there and play a good football game."

West Virginia

Coach Dana Holgorsen said he would start Curtis Feigt at right tackle and Quinton Spain at right guard against USF. Both came on in relief -- for Tyler Rader and Pat Eger -- against Pittsburgh, and helped solidify the offensive line. Feigt is a converted defensive lineman who saw his first real significant action of the season last week.

Holgorsen added that Corey Smith would start the game at punter.

It may not have been the prettiest night of football, but the Big East opened the 2011 season Thursday night 3-0 -- including a thrilling come-from-behind win for Syracuse.

So what do we take away from Louisville, Rutgers and the Orange? It is hard to take away much from Week 1. Rutgers beat an overmatched NC Central team 48-0. The defense looked good, but we will know more about the Scarlet Knights after next week's game at North Carolina.

The Cardinals defense looked better than expected in a 21-9 win over Murray State, but the offense was hit or miss and made way too many mistakes. I am not sure any Louisville fan feels good about the offensive performance this morning, especially against an average FCS team.

Syracuse, meanwhile, had the game of the day. The Orange, hoping to build off an impressive bowl season in 2010, looked completely lifeless for three quarters. Fans on Twitter joked about being reminded of the Greg Robinson era. But the fourth quarter was a different game. The Orange scored 22 unanswered points to stun Wake Forest 36-29 in overtime.

The comeback was spurred, in part, when Wake Forest starting quarterback Tanner Price went down with a knee injury in the fourth quarter. He threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns, particularly picking on cornerback Kevyn Scott. There was little pass rush, and the defense seemed flat footed. But after Price left the game, Wake managed just 59 total yards.

Despite the early struggles, Syracuse never gave up and deserves credit for that. No matter how you get it, any win is a big win.

Now here is more on the good and the bad for each team that played Thursday night.

Louisville

• The good: You have to start with the defense. Many thought a pass-happy Murray State would be able to pass over a secondary featuring two inexperienced starters at cornerback. But starters Anthony Connor and true freshmen Andrew Johnson held their own. Connor picked up his first career interception, and Murray State never got a consistent string of big pass plays. Murray State quarterback Casey Brockman threw for just 148 yards and three interceptions. Meanwhile, the defensive line was without B.J. Butler, Roy Philon and Brandon Dunn, and Greg Scruggs played just a handful of snaps. In their place, true freshman B.J. Dubose, sophomore Marcus Smith, Randy Salmon, William Savoy and Malcolm Mitchell all played well. True freshman receiver DeVante Parker also flashed.
• The bad: The offense has to get into a rhythm. The offensive line had five new starters and remains a work in progress. Of the 10 Louisville penalties, five were false starts and one was a hold. Will Stein had good plays and bad plays and fumbled once. Victor Anderson fumbled for the first time in his career. Jeremy Wright fumbled, too. Highly touted true freshman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater only played one series, which featured two false starts, a delay of game and his first career interception.

Rutgers

• The good: The defense had a nice game, posting the ninth shutout under coach Greg Schiano. Rutgers had nine sacks -- the most since a nine-sack day in a 44-9 victory over Cincinnati on Nov. 26, 2005. Scott Vallone got his first career touchdown when he recovered a fumble in the end zone. Duron Harmon had two interceptions, including one he returned 37 yards for his first career touchdown. Harmon, in particular, seemed to be everywhere. Another highly touted freshman, Savon Huggins, got his first two career touchdowns but averaged just 3.2 yards a carry.
• The bad: It is hard to find anything bad in a 48-0 rout. All you can really say is Rutgers did not get much of a test before a big game on the road next weekend. Perhaps Rutgers wants more consistency out of its running game. DeAntwan Williams, Jawan Jamison, Jeremy Deering and Huggins all played, and collectively averaged 3.3 yards a carry. Jamison had the longest run of the day at 14 yards.

Syracuse

• The good: Everybody loves a come-from-behind win. The Syracuse offense finally showed its capability in the fourth quarter, when Antwon Bailey ripped off a 53-yard touchdown run to help tie the game at 29. Ryan Nassib, inconsistent early in the game, was a perfect 8-for-8 to close the game. Hard to believe it was the same offense that had fewer total yards (52) than penalty yards (56) in the first half. The defense came through with some big plays down the stretch, including an interception from Kevyn Scott. But perhaps what you love most is the moxie Syracuse showed in coming from behind to gut out a win.
• The bad: In the first three quarters, the offensive line looked shaky. Receivers had drops. Bailey and Nassib could not generate much of anything. The defense looked slow, out of position and not aggressive. There were wide open Wake Forest receivers left and right. Not much of a pass rush, either. There also was a go-ahead field goal attempt late in the fourth quarter by Ross Krautman that was blocked because of a bad snap.

Reviewing Louisville's spring game from Friday night, won by the Red team (starters) 31-14 against the White team:

Offensive MVP: Teddy Bridgewater might be the quarterback who gets fans salivating about the future, but former walk-on Will Stein looks like he will be hard to unseat. Stein went 10-for-17 for 123 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. Bridgewater was 7-of-16 for 76 yards with two interceptions and a touchdown, and Dominique Brown was just 1-for-9 for 32 yards and a pick.

Defensive MVP: Safety Agyei Williams had two interceptions, including one off Bridgewater. Give another game ball to defensive lineman Randy Salmon, who had two sacks.

Hello again: Running back Victor Anderson, who was the 2008 Big East newcomer of the year but hasn't matched his freshman performance since, had 72 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries, including a 58-yard shake-and-bake touchdown. With presumed starting tailback Jeremy Wright sidelined by injury this spring, Anderson staked his claim to be the guy who succeeds Bilal Powell.

“Vic's had an unbelievable, unbelievable spring,” head coach Charlie Strong told The Courier-Journal. “The way he worked all spring. He was healthy. He practiced every day. Guys just watched him work, and it was just amazing for guys to watch him come out and go to work."

Other notes: Expect Louisville to look a whole lot different during fall camp. The Cardinals had only 38 healthy scholarship players, including six offensive linemen, because of a rash of injuries. But all the injured players should be back this summer and will be joined by an influx of talented newcomers.

Official attendance was announced at 2,483.

Spring practice was in full bloom over the weekend, and you know what that means: scrimmages! Here are some notes on the teams that faced off against themselves on Saturday.

Connecticut

The Huskies didn't hold anything back, and that sometimes was problematic. Linebacker Sio Moore delivered a big hit on quarterback Michael Nebrich and had to be reminded by Paul Pasqualoni that they are, in fact, still teammates.

The defense dominated for most of the scrimmage, and it's no surprise that side of the ball would be ahead of the offense, given the number of returning defensive starters. Quarterback Scott McCummings, who has reportedly had a good spring, fumbled and threw an interception on Saturday. Mike Box got the first reps of the scrimmage under center.

"I thought there was some good give and take,” Pasqualoni said. “I thought there was real, real good competition on both sides of the ball.”

Louisville

Held back a little by injuries this spring, the Cardinals held their first scrimmage on Saturday, a 150-minute, 95-play, hard-hitting affair.

According to the official recap, Will Stein threw two touchdown passes to Josh Chichester, for 16 and 59 yards. Receiver Josh Bellamy also had a big day. Shenard Holton and Marcus Smith each had interceptions, while Randy Salmon and Dexter Heyman were very active on defense.

"It's hard to really see what we have going on out there because we have so many guys injured," coach Charlie Strong said. "We have a lot of guys playing who haven't played much, but it's good that we are starting to build some depth. I was pleased with the effort and I thought there was a lot of good hitting.

Pittsburgh

Only a portion of the scrimmage was open to the media, but the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Buddy Jackson took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown. The cornerback was only recently given a shot to return kicks.

Former guard Chris Jacobson is working at center and had some trouble with shotgun snaps. That will be key for the Panthers, who will be in the shotgun almost exclusively in their new offense. The newspaper also singled out defensive end Bryan Murphy as a spring standout so far.

Syracuse

The offense unleashed some big-play potential in the Orange's 84-play scrimmage. Big plays included a 75-yard pass from Ryan Nassib to Alec Lemon, a 64-yard carry by Antwon Bailey, a 70-yard dash by Prince-Tyson Gulley and a 54-yard pass from Nassib to Marcus Sales. Nassib was 7-of-12 for 192 yards.

But the offense couldn't keep the momentum after three straight scores, turning the ball over and failing to reach the end zone the rest of the day. Coach Doug Marrone said he didn't like the way the defense came out to start the scrimmage, but at least it responded. He singled out linebackers Dan Vaughan and Marquis Spruill and safety Phillip Thomas for praise on that side of the ball.

Louisville became the first Big East team to hit the practice field this morning. As each team gets going, I'll offer a preview of its fall camp, starting now with the Cardinals:

Schedule: Practice started Thursday at 6:10 a.m. The first day in full pads is Aug. 11

What’s new: Just about everything. Charlie Strong takes over as head coach with an all new staff. The offense changes to a spread attack and the defensive scheme is new, too.

Key battle: Quarterback. Veterans Adam Froman, Justin Burke and Will Stein are still competing for the starting spot, which wasn't decided after spring practice.

New on the scene: Defensive lineman Randy Salmon went through spring practice and has a good chance to start. Junior-college transfer Josh Bellamy and true freshman Michaelee Harris will get a long look this month at receiver. Dominique Brown could compete for the job at quarterback, and Louisville will likely find a way to get him on the field somehow.

Breaking out: Running back Jeremy Wright turned heads in the spring before suffering a sports hernia. If he's full strength, he gives this offense a much-needed extra playmaker.

Don’t forget about: Running back Victor Anderson was the Big East's 2008 newcomer of the year, rushing for more than 1,000 yards. He missed large chunks of last year because of various injuries, but he could be extremely productive in Mike Sanford's Florida-esque offense.

All eyes on: Will USC transfer Jordan Campbell and former Michigan signee Demar Dorsey show up? If so, they'll add talent to a defense desperate for more.

Quoting: "We're not a very big football team. We're going to have to go recruit some guys to get to where we need to get to." -- Charlie Strong.

This is the sixth in a series looking at three players from each team who will burst onto the scene in the Big East. It could be an incoming or redshirt freshman, a transfer or just someone stepping into a new role.

Let's look at Louisville.

Josh Bellamy, WR: Last year in junior college, Bellamy had 38 catches for 705 yards and eight scores. The 6-foot, 205-pounder has good speed and knows how to run a route, and he could easily contribute right away to a receiving corps that lacks many proven stars.

Randy Salmon, DL: Salmon came to Louisville from junior college in January, using the spring to get acclimated. It's a good thing for the Cardinals, too, because defensive line is a sore spot. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Salmon has a good chance of winning a starting job right away.

Demar Dorsey, DB: Though Dorsey has yet to officially sign with the Cardinals or enroll, he announced last month that he would play for Charlie Strong. He originally signed with Michigan but was not admitted to school in Ann Arbor. He was one of the top defensive back recruits in the nation, and the secondary was a mess this spring for Louisville. Do the math, and it's not hard to envision Dorsey starting before too long.

More fresh faces.

• Pitt's secondary is still a work in progress, Ralph N. Paulk writes in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
• UConn defensive tackle Twyon Martin is trying to regain his starting status after his coach called him "lazy," Neill Ostrout writes in the Connecticut Post.
• Defensive tackle Randy Salmon, a junior college transfer, is building confidence at Louisville, C.L. Brown says in The Courier-Journal.
• Syracuse is in the home stretch of its spring practice, Nolan Weidner writes in the Syracuse Post-Standard.
• A West Virginia team doctor is still going strong at age 89, Mickey Furfari writes for the Times West Virginian.
• Can Skip Holtz and South Florida challenge the state's Big Three? Tony Barnhart raises the question in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Greg Scruggs says the idea was "a different kind of move."

But if Louisville coach Charlie Strong wanted to move him inside to defensive tackle, Scruggs was on board. Never mind that the junior was listed at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds at the end of last season, making him much more of a defensive end type than a run plugger up the middle.

But Scruggs has put on some weight -- he's now listed at 269 -- and hopes he can be effective at tackle.

"I've gained 15 pounds since January," he said. "I definitely need to get bigger and work on simple things like my striking technique, keeping my foot in the ground and leading with my hands. If I do that, I think I'll be all right. If I stray away from fundamentals or start losing weight, I'm not going to make any progress."

In an ideal situation, Scruggs -- who had 6.5 tackles for loss last season, most among the returning Cardinals players -- would have stayed on the edge. But Louisville lost starting senior tackles L.D. Scott and L.T. Walker from last year's squad, as well as backup Tyler Jessen.

Tim High didn't make much of an impact last year after coming over from junior college and spent much of Wednesday's practice on a stationary bike. Joe Townsend was MIA from practice this week, and Rock Keys isn't currently with the team. Redshirt freshman Roy Philon (listed at 265 pounds) and sophomore Randy Salmon are working at tackle, too, but they're both pretty raw right now.

So Louisville needs bodies at tackle in the worst way, even if that means an undersized guy like Scruggs. He's basically the only veteran at the position right now, although it's new to him.

"It's a different kind of move, but I'm adjusting slowly but surely," he said. "That's what spring practice is for."

It's time to get back to our series looking at where teams are strong and where they're weak heading into spring practice. Today it's Louisville's turn under the microscope.

Strongest position: Running back

Key returnees: Victor Anderson (473 yards, five touchdowns), Darius Ashley (462 yards, four touchdowns), Bilal Powell (392 yards, four touchdowns).

Key departures: FB Joe Tronzo

The skinny: When everybody's healthy, Louisville has one of the better stables of backs in the Big East. Anderson rushed for over 1,000 yards as a freshman before injuries wrecked his 2009 campaign. He'll be limited this spring after offseason surgery. Ashley showed his potential as a freshman a year ago, and Powell bounced back from a disappointing sophomore year to have some nice moments. When Charlie Strong looks for offensive playmakers this spring, he'll find that his best options are located in the backfield.

Weakest position: Defensive line


Key returnees: DE Greg Scruggs (two sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss), DE Rodney Gnat (10 tackles), DE Malcom Tatum (29 tackles), DE William Savoy (five sacks).

Key departures: DT L.D. Scott, DT, L.T. Walker, DT Tyler Jessen

The skinny: The Cardinals have lacked a consistent pass rush for the past couple of years, and their defensive line lost arguably its two best players in Scott and Walker. There's a lot of experience back at defensive end, but the players at that position haven't put up great numbers or performances in the past. Guys like Scruggs and Savoy need to get to the next level. Midyear enrollee Randy Salmon should get a long look at tackle this spring. More bodies and playmakers are needed to allow Louisville to compete with the top teams in the Big East.

Spring football in the Big East kicks off March 16. Here's a breakdown of three issues facing each program heading into the spring:

CINCINNATI
Spring practice starts: March 17
Spring game: April 24
What to watch:

• Building depth: New coach Butch Jones said this is the biggest key for the spring. The Bearcats have a lot of top-flight players with starting experience back, like Zach Collaros, Armon Binns, Isaiah Pead and JK Schaffer. But there's a lot of youth and inexperience in potential backup roles, especially at positions like offensive line, linebacker and receiver. All slates are clean with the new coaching staff, and the spring will be a time when new names can emerge in key roles.

• Defensive line retooling: Jones will switch back to the 4-3 after a year in the 3-4 scheme. Both starting defensive ends from last year are gone, but the smallish line was overpowered at times near the end of the season anyway. Derek Wolfe should be a fixture inside, Dan Giordano, Brandon Mills and John Hughes step into more prominent roles. Jones will have to decide whether to make Walter Stewart a defensive end or keep him at outside linebacker. The Bearcats could use a little more strength and bulk up front against the bigger Big East offensive lines.

• Vidal's arrival: USC transfer Vidal Hazelton is eligible after sitting out last year. He reputedly dominated practices last season, and now he'll get to go full time with the first string. A lot of people will be watching closely to see how he and Collaros connect during the spring. A big year by Hazelton will lessen the loss of star wideout Mardy Gilyard and could keep Cincinnati as the Big East's best offense.

CONNECTICUT
Spring practice starts: March 16
Spring game: April 17
What to watch:

• Secondary matters: UConn returns a truckload of starters and looks rock solid in most areas. But the defensive backfield will be an area of emphasis starting in the spring. Gone are stalwarts Robert McClain and Robert Vaughn from a secondary that got picked apart much of the season by opposing passing games. Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson showed progress by the end of their redshirt freshmen seasons and should be the starting corners. The Huskies need someone to replace Vaughn at safety and overall better performance from the unit.

• Frazer vs. Endres: Zach Frazer and Cody Endres have been splitting starts since the second half of the 2008 season at quarterback. Endres took over early last year and played well until he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Frazer picked things up late after a slow start. The competition should be back on this spring, with Frazer probably holding the edge given his late-season improvement.

• Catch as catch can: Receiver was a major question for UConn going into last spring, when walk-on senior Marcus Easley surprised everybody with his giant leap forward. He became the go-to guy in 2009, but now he's gone, along with starter Brad Kanuch. So the Huskies are basically back in the same position as this time a year ago, needing to find some reliable pass catchers. Kashif Moore may be the next to break out after some good, late-year performances. And perhaps former highly-touted recruit Dwayne Difton will emerge. UConn hopes to catch lightning in a bottle again like it did with Easley.

LOUISVILLE
Spring practice starts: March 24
Spring game: April 16
What to watch:

• Switching to Strong: The Cardinals will have their first practices under new coach Charlie Strong, who promises to bring a much different style than former coach Steve Kragthorpe. Strong is known as being an intense guy on the field, and as a former top-flight defensive coordinator, he will likely be particularly demanding of players on that side of the ball. There will be new terminology to learn, new assistants and new standards to which the Cardinals must adjust in a hurry.

• The quarterback shuffle: Louisville had three quarterbacks -- Adam Froman, Justin Burke and Will Stein -- start games last year. All three will be given the chance to win the job in the spring, and mid-year enrollee Luke Woodley might see some snaps as well. Don't be surprised if this competition goes into the fall and if other newcomers like Dominique Brown get a look. Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford wants to run a Florida-style spread offense, which might favor the more mobile Froman if he chooses to go with a veteran under center.

• Line play: The trenches have not been a particularly strong suit for Louisville the past couple of seasons, one of the reasons why the program has fallen out of annual postseason play. The Cardinals have gotten very little pass rush from the defensive line and not enough of a consistent push from the offensive line. Strong asked the offensive linemen to rework their bodies to prepare for the spread, and he'll need replacements for two senior defensive tackles. Junior-college imports Randy Salmon and Tyler Harrell will have a chance to impress on the defensive line. If the holdovers don't step up, we could see more newcomers in key spots by the summer.

(Read full post)

Louisville has added two defensive line transfers.

Tyler Harrell was a true freshman defensive end for Iowa this season, but did not see any action. He's listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds.

Randy Salmon originally signed with Louisville out of high school before heading to Hutchinson Community College for one season. He recorded 17 total tackles and one sack in 2009.

"Harrell has good size and moves very well, while Salmon is a big, physical player, who fills a huge need for us at the defensive tackle position next season," head coach Charlie Strong said.

Louisville loses its two starting interior defensive linemen from 2009 -- L.T. Walker and L.D. Scott. The Cardinals need a talent upgrade on the defensive line, especially at the end position.

But while Strong needs bodies, he also has to be careful to not rely too heavily on junior-college players. Former coach Steve Kragthorpe brought a lot of two-year players in, and while many turned out to be good players -- like linebackers Jon Dempsey and Chris Campa -- going that route doesn't do much to build for the long term.