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Considering only Oregon and Washington didn't experience any staff turnover, it seems reasonable to take a look at the staff changes in the Pac-12 this offseason, starting with Arizona.

Arizona had plenty of movement in and out, starting with one half of the coordinator tandems it used on both sides of the ball in 2010.

Team in parenthesis is where the departing coach ended up.

Out
Bill Bedenbaugh, co-offensive coordinator (West Virginia)

In
Robert Anae, offensive line (Seth Littrell moves up from co-offensive coordinator to offensive coordinator)

Out
Greg Brown, co-defensive coordinator/secondary (Colorado)
Duane Akina, secondary (Texas -- Akina was hired away from Texas for a few weeks to replace Brown before deciding to return to Texas).

In
Ryan Walters, secondary (Walters' promotion from defensive GA has not been officially announced but has been reported by the Tucson Citizen)

Out
Mike Tuiasosopo, defensive line (Colorado)

In
Joe Salave'a, defensive line

Reaction: This is a lot of turnover, but one of the payoffs of having co-coordinators means losing one doesn't force you to change your scheme going forward. Littrell was the playcaller in 2010, so losing Bedenbaugh shouldn't cause too much of a shake-up. More than a few folks think Anae's tough-guy ways will help a rebuilding line discover its mojo. Walters started 33 games at Colorado at safety -- all under Brown -- so his familiarity with the scheme should be high, not to mention that's also head coach Mike Stoops' prime area of interest. Still, it's pretty deflating to go from a highly respected veteran like Akina, who was hired away from a marquee program and has deep Arizona roots, to a rookie coach. Tuiasosopo was a good coach and recruiter -- he will be missed -- but Salave'a has plenty of NFL cred that players will respect. It will be interesting to see how this all meshes together this spring.

Arizona has hired former BYU offensive coordinator Robert Anae to fill the same post in Tucson, according to reports.

Anae will replace co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh, who was hired as the offensive line coach at West Virginia on Monday. The Arizona Daily Star reported that Anae's hiring might not be announced for a few days, and that "Anae's arrival could lead to more staff departures, depending on what his role will be with the Wildcats."

Anae, who runs a spread scheme he learned from former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, resigned at BYU after coach Bronco Mendenhall purged his entire offensive staff. Like Bedenbaugh, Anae's specialty is the offensive line, so the fit could be exact, if coach Mike Stoops chooses to go in that direction.

The Wildcats still must fill the vacancy left by Greg Brown, the Wildcats' secondary coach and defensive coordinator this season. He left for Colorado.

Things are going well for Arizona's offense, which is saying something because it lost its starting quarterback when Nick Foles when down with a knee injury against Washington State.

But backup Matt Scott came off the bench and won Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Washington, and now it appears that Foles won't be out long. He's questionable, but traveling with the team to UCLA on Saturday.

So things are feeling pretty good in Tucson. It's also not so bad to have the Pac-10's best defense. And to be ranked 15th and still in the Rose Bowl race, with a marquee game at Stanford looming on Nov. 6.

While there might have been some preseason concerns about coach Mike Stoops using co-coordinators on both sides of the ball, those are now gone.

Seth Littrell calls the offensive plays for the Wildcats, which requires a bit of tweaking for Scott, so it seemed like a good time to check in.

First of all, the offensive numbers are good, so the co-coordinator arrangement seems to be working well: Have their been any surprises in the dynamic that you didn't see coming?

Seth Littrell: No. [Offensive line coach and co-coordinator Bill] Bedenbaugh and I have been together a long time. We have a lot of the same philosophies. Our backgrounds are very similar. We're very close, on and off the football field. Nothing's changed. It's been a great relationship, not only with him but also with the rest of our staff. We are a pretty tight- knit group. We worked together and game-plan together. So there really haven't been any surprises.

You've had some struggles running the ball and protecting the QB: What's going on there?

SL: Early on, we got put in some bad situations, with penalties that put us in a lot of second and third-and-long situations, which we really had to work on. Also protection issues have involved a little bit of everybody. It hasn't been one individual group or one individual player. It's been the group as a whole. Some of it's been the offensive line. Some of it's been the running backs, missing a blitz. Some of it's been the quarterback hanging onto the ball too long, or not getting the right read. We've had to work on that the last couple of weeks and get it fixed. It's really been holding us back. With the running game, we just need to do a better job with the running backs and the offensive line up coming off the line and blocking. Also the O-line got us into the secondary a number of times and we haven't done a great job of making the safeties miss. This past week [against Washington] we did a better job of that. And also we can call a little more [running plays]. When stuff is just not going great, you've still got have confidence in the running game. So it's a little bit on everybody's part. But I think this past week, we did a lot better job of sort of hanging our hat on some of the run stuff, especially with Matt in the game. That opens up the run a little bit more because they've also got to account for him.

Tell me your first thoughts when QB Nick Foles goes down and clutches his knee?

SL: I felt bad for Nick, but I wasn't worried about [backup Matt Scott]. I've said this more than once: I have a lot of faith in Matt and what he brings to the table. He had a really good camp and spring. He came in with a lot of confidence. A lot of people don't understand, that really was a tight race for that job. We have a lot of confidence in Matt. I know he brings a little different dynamic to the game than what Foles brings. They both have their strengths and weaknesses. But we feel very comfortable with Matt, and we probably should've gotten him into the game a little bit more when Nick was playing than we did. I knew that Matt was very capable of coming in and leading this team.

Update me on Foles' status: Any chance he plays at UCLA?

SL: There is a possibility. We're day-to-day on that. I think he feels pretty good. His rehab is going well. Whether he plays on Saturday, we'll just have to see how things progress during the week [Littrell was speaking on Wednesday].

So if Matt Scott is lights-out versus the Bruins, does Foles still automatically return as the starter when he's healthy?

SL: The way I look at it is Foles won the job and it's his job. Due to injury, Matt obviously came in and had a great game this past week. Obviously, I think he is going to have a nice game again this week. But when Foles gets healthy and comes back he will become the starter again. But what this does is, now, you really find ways to use Matt in each and every game. Like I said, we probably should've played him a little bit more early on -- getting some different packages for him. It may be a situation where you could see them both in the game at the same time. Who knows?

That was going to be my next question: Some guys don't like to play two quarterbacks. So, with these complementary sets of skills, you feel comfortable playing two guys?

SL: Absolutely. Neither one of them has an ego. That's the biggest thing. If you looked at Foles the other night, he was rooting Matt on. They compete against each other, but at the same time, and they understand this is a business and this is a job and we do what's best for the offense. I think both of them have handled it very well. And they are going to continue to handle it very well. They are both great players. When Nick gets back in and is healthy, he'll be the starter. And everybody has to be ready to play at any given moment. So, that doesn't mean that just because Nick is starter we won't use Matt.

Seems like Keola Antolin has become your No. 1 running back: What does he do well?

SL: He does everything more consistently right now. Early on, he wasn't as consistent as I would've liked. The past couple of games he's really showed up. Right now, he's probably the most consistent running back I have. Whenever you're putting a guy out there and you're asking him to do a lot of different things and that's the guy you want. A guy you can trust, play after play, to do the right thing. You're right. As of right now, he deserves to play a little bit more. You've got to put the team in the best position to win. As of right now, Keola brings a lot to the table.

I've seen so many big plays this year from receiver Juron Criner: How good can he be?

SL: (Laughs) Really good. He's been banged up a little bit this year. We've just got to keep him on the field as much as possible. Even when he's not making plays, he's a threat. You always have to account for Juron. He's had some great catches for us and some great games. He's made a couple plays down the stretch when we really needed him. He's just got to continue to practice hard, try to stay healthy, and play fast every week. When he plays fast and is on top of his game, he's one of the best in the country. We've got to continue to find different ways to get him the football. And at the same time, we've got spread it around, too. Some other guys have stepped up. We've got to continue to get our other receivers to make plays. We you spread the ball around, you can't focus on one guy. But, yeah, Juron is as good as they come when he's on.

Where do you need to improve to take the offense to the proverbial next level?

SL: This past week we had great balance. You always got have great balance between the run game in the pass game. You want to spread the ball to as many different positions as you can. You don't want to be one-dimensional in the pass game or one-dimensional in the run game. You don't want to be always throwing to one guy or giving it to one guy. As long as we continue to spread the ball around and play fast the great tempo, I think that will be the biggest thing. You want a great balance. And I'm not talking about a great balance that has to be 50-50 run-pass. I'm talking about a great balance of spreading the ball around to as many different positions as we can, in as many different ways as we can.

Arizona opens preseason camp today. Here's a quick look.

Who's back: Eight starters on offense, four on defense and both specialists.

Big names: QB Nick Foles, WR Juron Criner, C Colin Baxter, CB Trevin Wade, DE Ricky Elmore, DE Brooks Reed

What's new: The Wildcats lost both coordinators during the offseason. Offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes is now the head coach of Louisiana Tech. Defensive coordinator Mark Stoops is the coordinator at Florida State. They were both replaced by co-coordinators: Bill Bedenbaugh (offensive line) and Seth Littrell (running backs and tight ends) on offense and Tim Kish (linebackers) and Greg Brown (secondary) on defense. Littrell will call the offensive plays. Brown is the only one of the four who is new to the staff -- he was at Colorado in 2009. Also, Frank Scelfo is the new QBs coach. Beyond the football staff, Arizona has a new athletic director: Greg Byrne, who was hired away from Mississippi State.

Key competition: There isn't too much intrigue heading into fall camp, though the pecking order at defensive tackle is worth watching. As for the official depth chart, Vaughn Dotsy and Jovon Hayes are competing at right guard as are Phillip Garcia and Jack Julsing at right tackle. Is Nic Grigsby going to stay healthy and remain No. 1 ahead of Keola Antolin at tailback? The weakside LB spot is unsettled between Paul Vassallo and R.J. Young.

Breaking out: The 6-foot-4 Criner has a chance to be an All-Conference performer. 258-pound H-back Taimi Tutogi had a good spring and figures to help the offense in myriad ways as a runner, blocker and receiver. Who will get more sacks: Elmore or Reed? The over-under for the pair is 18.

Quote: Coach Mike Stoops on exceeding preseason expectations but then flopping in the Holiday Bowl against Nebraska: "Last year that was a little bit of a question mark for this team and a lot of people questioned our ability in picking us preseason eighth, but we finished tied for second and went to the Holiday Bowl. This is a team that I thought really achieved some good things last season and I think the loss in the Holiday Bowl really humbled us and fueled us in the offseason. We realized how quickly things can disintegrate if we don’t do things right. I think we are eager to get back out on the field and correct some of those things."

Notes: Arizona will hold most of its training camp practices at the Rincon Vista Complex, located near the school's soccer and track facilities on 15th Street and Plumer Ave. The newly renovated Jimenez Practice facility on campus will host its first practice later this month. The Wildcats will be at Ft. Huachuca from Aug. 11-15... Cornerback Shaquille Richardson, one of the three UCLA signees who was kicked off the team last month after being arrested for stealing a purse, is now with the Wildcats... Receiver Delashaun Dean, who had caught 132 passes over the past three seasons, was given the boot after being arrested on a gun charge. He has transferred to Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Part II of a chat with Arizona's co-offensive coordinator Seth Littrell, who will call the offensive plays this season.

Read Part I here.

We know the established guys: Give me some names of youngsters or former reserves who impressed you.

Seth Littrell: A guy who not a lot people have heard about who had a pretty solid spring was two guys at receiver. Gino Crump, who transferred here last year from West Virginia, has really done some good things and is developing his skills. His deal when he got here was he was inconsistent catching the football, but he did a better job hanging onto the football this spring. He didn't drop as many balls. Also a guy in the same category is Travis Cobb, who is always impressive because he's extremely fast. He can really stretch the field. The biggest thing with him was getting comfortable in the offense. He did a lot better this spring than he did last fall when I don't know how comfortable he was. He was pretty impressive in practices just going to get the football. Nick would drop back and throw a fade route and it would look like it was going to be overthrown by 10 yards and Cobb just runs and gets it. Pure speed, he's probably the fastest guy on our team. Then there's Taimi Tutogi. He played a few games last year and didn't redshirt and played as Chris Gronkowski's backup. But this spring he's really come along. We've done a lot of things with him, from the fullback position to putting him on the line as a tight end, or lining him up at tailback, which we've done in a few practices. He's a guy who, if he develops and gets that confidence as a running back, or fullback, H-back, the more we can expand his role even to tailback also. There's a lot of guys who stepped up and had good springs. Some young O-linemen. It's hard to say one guy. There's a lot of young guys who did some good things this spring.

What will be different about the offense next fall compared to what we saw in 2009?

SL: Hopefully, we'll be better. Without giving away too much, we're going to do some different things, things we were even talking about before Coach Dykes got the head job at Louisiana Tech. We're always looking to expand and looking to get better. I feel like this spring we've done some evaluations of what we feel like we need to do to be a top offense in the country. Even with Coach Scelfo coming in, bringing a new set of eyes and being able to evaluate some of the things we were doing. Sometimes it's good to have something from the outside looking in to give you a different perspective. We've been looking at some of the stuff he did at La-Tech. They were very successful there.

Tell me about how Coach Stoops decided that you would call plays?

SL: The biggest thing with this offense is we are all part of this offense. Obviously, one guy has to be designated to call the plays. In the course of the game, we're all having input. Even though I may be calling the offense, we've called it all week, we have a script, we pretty much know what we're going to do situationally throughout a game. When you're calling it, obviously you've got to get some type of game-time rhythm, know the situations and how to set stuff up. But also at the same time, Frank is going to be in the box with me. Coach Bedenbaugh will be on the field with [receivers coaches Garret Chachere and Dave Nichol]. Really, honestly, it's a matter that coach Bedenbaugh has to be on the field with the O-linemen. That's a huge role for him, being around the linemen the whole game, making adjustments. It would be pretty difficult for him to call plays from down there. Not to say he couldn't because he could but it's really just a matter of me being in the box.

Football coaches, by nature, are fiery guys, as you know from working with the Stoops brothers. Sometimes the collaborative process can get pretty animated: Think everybody will be able to get along?

SL: I don't think there's any doubt. We're all pretty passionate. I've been around coach Stoops for a long time. I played offense [at Oklahoma], but I played under Bob Stoops at OU and Mike Stoops was the D-coordinator. And I've been under [Mark] Mangino and Mike Leach and a lot of different guys. Everybody has their own fire and passion. Obviously, I've only coached with them [at Arizona] for one season but we've been around each other. One thing about Mike is he's passionate about the game but nothing is ever personal. It's about business and winning football games. He knows I'm the same way. We've always gotten along and always had a great relationship. It's going to be no different.

In 2000, Seth Littrell was a fullback and captain of Oklahoma's national championship team.

In 2004, he was a graduate assistant at Kansas.

In 2010, he became the Arizona Wildcats' co-offensive coordinator. And, at 31, will be the youngest play-caller in the Pac-10 and one of the youngest in the nation.

It's been a quick climb through the coaching ranks for Littrell. And there's pressure, sure. Wildcats coach Mike Stoops tapped him to fill the job capably manned last fall by Sonny Dykes, who's now Louisiana Tech's head coach, over two more veteran assistants, line coach and co-coordinator Bill Bedenbaugh and quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo.

While Littrell goes to great lengths to play down the distinction of calling plays, it's clear that Stoops believes he's got a talented young coach who's up to the job.

The good news is Littrell has a lot to work with. Seven starters return from an offense that averaged nearly 32 points per game in Pac-10 play, including quarterback Nick Foles.

With the Wildcats concluding spring practices last weekend, it seemed like a good time to check in with Littrell.

So give me the rundown of the offense this spring: What are you happy with? What didn't go as well as you wanted it to?

Seth Littrell: Overall, we were pleased. The biggest thing was the effort. We did some different things offensively that we haven't done in the past, trying some new things out to maybe fit us a little bit better personnel-wise with some guys. I think our players really enjoyed it. So overall they were pretty focused and intense. There was good competition. We had a lot of guys with a lot of returning experience so the hardest thing with that a lot of times is they get bored. We tried to find different ways to keep it exciting and keep it enthusiastic. They were willing to come out and work to become the No. 1 offense in the Pac-10, which is always what our goal is. Probably the most disappointing thing was we came out flat in the spring game. I thought we had good work for the most part leading up to that. We were pretty basic and vanilla in the game, but I was a little disappointed in how flat we were. We didn't make plays we'd made all spring. We dropped too many balls, which hadn't been a problem. Way too many turnovers. Things we didn't have issues with during the spring just kind of popped up in a game-type atmosphere. But that's really the only disappointment I had.

Nick Foles, I wouldn't say faded a bit late in the season, but he didn't have a good Holiday Bowl: Where did he get better this spring?

SL: Overall grasp of the offense. In Nick's defense, he played pretty well early in the season but each and every game we put more on him. I don't know if he faded out but looking back on it maybe we had a little too much offense. Maybe he wasn't ready for all that. That's not an excuse for him. He'd only played a few games -- he redshirted and played a few games at Michigan State [from where he transferred] -- so he's still pretty young. We probably could have kept it a little safer for him, not put so much on him. I think the thing he's really improved in is understanding the offense. Understanding that not every play has to be a touchdown. It's about moving the chains and being productive and getting the ball into other guys' hands. He doesn't have to be the superstar. There's 11 guys on the field and everybody has a role to play. He's just one part of that 11.

Where does backup quarterback Matt Scott stand?

SL: I thought Matt Scott had an unbelievable spring. He's probably been one of the guys I've been most impressed with -- he's probably had the biggest jump of anybody. Coach Scelfo does an unbelievable job with those quarterbacks. [No. 3 QB] Bryson Beirne even had a good spring. Things [Scott] needed to work on, he worked on them and bought into it and worked each and every day. He's way more accurate than he was because of the things he's worked on with Coach Scelfo. Another thing is he really took it upon himself to study the offense. He wants to get involved and learn and it showed on the field.

You oversee the running backs: Are there concerns that Nic Grigsby might not be able to stay healthy?

SL: It may appear that way, huh? It wasn't only him, though. I was down to my fifth running back last year. We played five different guys. We had to get [fullback Taimi Tutogi] ready to take some snaps at tailback. It's always a concern for running backs. I've been around offenses that have been two or three years without one injury and they've been some of the smallest guys on the field. It's always a concern, as a running backs coach, keeping your guys healthy. But as long as we're doing what we need to do in the offseason with [strength and conditioning coach Corey Edmond] and the weight room. As long as we are taking care of our bodies, I don't think that should be too big of an issue. I don't know how well we did that last year. Hopefully we learned a big lesson and are trying to protect ourselves better by taking care of our bodies and doing what is necessary in the offseason to prevent some of that.

Seems like you guys are fairly strong on the offensive line: How did they do this spring?

SL: They are a very solid group. Coach Bedenbaugh does an unbelievable job with O-linemen. Just how physical and tough those guys are. They are obviously the leaders on our offense. Everybody kind of looks to those guys and they set the tone. One thing we still have to develop is depth across the board. But when you talk about our first five -- and really up to seven or eight, we've got pretty solid guys -- we're pretty comfortable. As always, and it's the same across the country, everybody is looking for depth across the offensive line.

In Part II on Thursday, Littrell talks about youngsters who stood out this spring, changes in the offensive scheme and why he was tapped the play-caller.

It appears Mike Stoops has named a play-caller for his offense: Seth Littrell, who also oversees running backs and tight ends.

Littrell, 31, a Mike Leach disciple, joined the Wildcats staff in 2009 and played on Oklahoma's 2000 national championship team when Stoops was the Sooners defensive coordinator.

Littrell was named co-offensive coordinator with line coach Bill Bedenbaugh when Sonny Dykes was hired as Louisiana Tech's head coach. New quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo also was a candidate to call plays.,

But Littrell, who will spend game days in the press box, will make the final call, the Tucson Citizen reported.

“He and Bill set up the daily game plan, and then Seth calls it,” Stoops told the Web site. “Still, I’m not really worried about scoring points, really. I think we should be able to do that pretty consistently. I think we’re much better offensively than a year ago.”

That final point seems to be a theme of the Wildcats this spring: The offense in year two under quarterback Nick Foles has the potential to score a lot of points. Foles will have four or five legitimate threats at receiver and a reliable backfield, led by Nic Grigsby. The line also figures to be first-rate, led by veteran center Colin Baxter.

Moreover, unlike a number of Pac-10 teams, the Wildcats have solid depth and experience at quarterback.

The question is defense, where two JC transfers are being counting on to fill two of the three voids at linebacker.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Tim Kish, one of Arizona's quartet of coordinators, brandished a football helmet during a news conference Friday.

"I haven't seen any of these fly across the meeting room yet. Does that answer your question?" he said, drawing laughs.

Kish was specifically addressing how coaching life might be different with the Wildcats now that the notoriously hot-headed Stoops brothers -- head coach Mike and former defensive coordinator Mark -- won't be fussing at each other this season, but the gesture also seemed meaningful for coming to terms with Mike Stoops' admittedly "unorthodox" decision to enter spring practice with four coordinators and no designated playcallers.

There will be many voices of authority telling Arizona's players what to do in 2010.

"I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think it could work," Mike Stoops said.

Stoops lost his brother, now at Florida State, on defense and Sonny Dykes on offense. Dykes became Louisiana Tech's head coach.

The vacancies were filled by two men on both sides of the ball: line coach Bill Bedenbaugh and running backs/tight ends coach Seth Littrell on offense and linebackers coach Kish and secondary coach Greg Brown on defense. Bedenbaugh, Littrell and Kish were promoted from within. Brown was hired away from Colorado.

Moreover, Kish noted that Mike Stoops will always play a major role with the defense, while new quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo also is a possible playcaller.

Stoops said that deciding who ultimately has the final word on play calls will be "a process that will be on-going as we go through spring."

"It's probably a little bit unorthodox, but I think our players are as confident as they have ever been in our staff," he said. "I think they have a great feeling of continuity. That's the biggest thing. There's not a lack of trust there."

While there may be skepticism about how well the arrangement will work outside the program, all coaching parties were preaching a party line of jovial collaboration heading into spring practices.

"There's no egos between Greg and I," Kish said.

Said Bedenbaugh: "Everything up to this point has been great and it's going to continue to be great. ... We've been in this offense. We know what we want to do. We think alike. We want to run the same things."

Wildcats players also were -- not unexpectedly -- positive about the coaching situation. An obvious benefit for them is familiarity and continuity. There's no plan for wholesale scheme changes on either side of the ball. On offense, in particular, with 10 starters back, the transition should be fairly smooth.

But quarterback Nick Foles at least admitted that he's really not sure how everything will go down in practices and games.

"I am curious because it's something different. When there's something different that you're not used to, you're going to be curious," he said. "I know I'm going to hear a lot of voices, but these guys have a lot of great knowledge so I'm looking forward to them critiquing all of us and getting us better."

The initial task is fairly simple: coaches will coach their positions.

Foles' early focus with Scelfo is improving his footwork. Kish has to find three new starting linebackers. Brown has two holes in his secondary. Bedenbaugh's line has a chance to be one of the best in the Pac-10. Littrell has experience all over the field at the skill positions.

But at some point somebody has to be first-among-equals on both sides of the ball, other than Stoops. The collaboration will face a stress test as a pecking order is established this spring.

"That's what we'll do during scrimmages," Bedenbaugh said.

While there's consensus now, it remains to be seen among the coordinator quartet whether any helmets will be hurled to punctuate an opinion during future staff meetings.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona finished tied for second in the Pac-10 last year. It beat Oregon State, Stanford, USC and arch-rival Arizona State. After a mostly miserable decade without a bowl berth, the Wildcats have earned two consecutive postseason invitations.

Slowly but surely, Mike Stoops has built a contender.

Holiday Bowl.

That is a conversation-stopper in Tucson. Bring up the Wildcats 33-0 Holiday Bowl drubbing at the hands of Nebraska, and everyone around the program just shakes their heads.

"It was kind of a meltdown of major proportions," Stoops said.

Yep.

The Wildcats, who started spring practices on Friday, are a combined 16-10 over the past two seasons. Nine of those defeats came by 10 or fewer points and four by three points or fewer. Suffice it to say, Stoops has built a competitive team that is much different than the crew he inherited.

Oh, but that Holiday Bowl. It was so ugly -- Arizona was outgained 396 yards to 109 -- that it seemingly doused much of the momentum for a program on the rise.

"We lost a lot of respect in that game and that's just how it happens -- it can happen pretty quickly," Stoops said. "I think our players are excited to regain their stature."

That's the rub. The embarrassment of the Bawliday Bowl represents a challenge: Move forward and up or sink back down into Pac-10 and national irrelevancy.

There are plenty of challenges ahead that have nothing to do with the bowl game dismantling. Both coordinators -- Mark Stoops on defense and Sonny Dykes on offense -- are gone. The younger Stoops is now running Florida State's defense and Dykes is Louisiana Tech's head coach.

Mike Stoops opted to fill those vacancies with co-coordinators: line coach Bill Bedenbaugh and running backs/tight ends coach Seth Littrell on offense and linebackers coach Tim Kish and secondary coach Greg Brown on defense. Bedenbaugh, Littrell and Kish were promoted from within. Brown was hired away from Colorado.

Toss in Stoops' interest in defense and new quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo on offense -- he might end up calling the plays; Stoops has yet to assign the duties -- and that's a lot of chefs in the kitchen.

On the players' side of things, there's plenty of continuity on offense with 10 guys with significant starting experience back. The defense is another story, with seven starters gone, including all three linebackers and both defensive tackles.

Still, to avoid taking a step back as a program, the first step forward might be coming to terms with the, well, you know.

What the heck happened?

"We made some tactical mistakes," Stoops said.

Stoops wasn't happy with some of the bowl preparation and his team's frame of mind on game day. And Nebraska surprised the Wildcats with their schemes on both sides of the ball. On offense, the Wildcats "just couldn't get open," Stoops said.

Cornerback Trevin Wade offers his own theory.

"People wanted to go home for Christmas and see their families," he said. "I know it's all business and everything, but we're still college kids and people wanted to go home. Had they given us a couple days, people would have come back happy and ready to go."

Hmm. Asked about that, quarterback Nick Foles said, "He might have something there but I don't know. I really have no comment on that."

Foles' ultimate diagnosis seems the most popular: "It was one of those games when it seemed like nothing could go right. I really can't explain it."

Foles was 6-for-20 for 28 yards with an interception, and that performance is perhaps the main reason he still has to look over his shoulder at backup Matt Scott this spring. Scott started the first three games last year before Foles took over.

Foles said the game should operate as a "chip on our shoulders" during spring practices.

"It makes your stomach hurt watching that film. It really humbles you," he said. "But I don't think you burn the tape. You want to. But to become a great player, you've got to experience things like that and learn from it."

Stoops accepts the ultimate responsibility for the Holiday Bowl, but it's also clear that he's just a bit irked at how it has obscured what his team accomplished in 2009 and how the team has gained steam the past two seasons.

And he knows that the meltdown will fuel skeptics who believe the Wildcats will fall back into the pack in 2010.

"A lot of people don't think we're going to be this or that. They didn't think that last year. That's fine with us. The proof will be in the scoreboard and in the wins and losses," he said. "We had a lot of good wins. Everyone forgets about Stanford. Everyone forgets about Oregon State. Everybody forgets about USC. You don't beat those teams without having a good program. You just can't do it."

Doing it again will be the best way to make everyone forget about the, er, thing that happened in San Diego.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Will have a lot more from Arizona spring practices, but here are some notes and depth chart updates after a round of interviews.

• Coach Mike Stoops said he still hasn't decided who will call plays on offense and defense. He said that he'll make that decision after evaluating his options during spring practices. Stoops lost both coordinators this offseason -- Sonny Dykes on offense and Mark Stoops on defense -- and replaced them with co-coordinators, Bill Bedenbaugh and Seth Littrell on offense and Greg Brown and Tim Kish on defense. Only Brown, who came from Colorado, wasn't already on staff.
• Three key players will sit out this spring. Starting guard Vaughn Dotsy had back surgery on Wednesday. Running back Greg Nwoko is still recovering from a shoulder injury. Projected starting defensive tackle Dominique Austin is out with a toe injury.
• While Nick Foles is the No. 1 quarterback, coaches are emphasizing that backup Matt Scott will play a role this year. And if he outplays Foles this spring, the QB competition will be on again in the preseason.
• The Wildcats are replacing all three starting linebackers from 2009. Junior college transfers Paul Vassallo and Derek Earls are listed as the first-team "Will" and "Mike" linebackers, respectively. Jake Fischer is No. 1 at "Sam."
• Joe Perkins steps in for Cam Nelson at free safety, while Marcus Benjamin replaces Devin Ross at cornerback opposite Trevin Wade.
• With Austin out, JC transfer Jonathan Hollins steps in at defensive tackle besides nose tackle Lolomana Mikaele.
• Richard Morrison has moved from quarterback to receiver.
• With offensive lineman Adam Grant getting a sixth year of eligibility, he slides in at left tackle with Phillip Garcia opposite him on the right side. Colin Baxter is the center and Conan Amituanai is the left guard. With Dotsy out, Jovon Hayes, Chris Putton and Trace Biskin will get looks.

Taking a look at what to watch for as teams head into spring practices, officially ringing the bell on preparations for the 2010 season.

Arizona
Spring practice starts: March 5
Spring game: April 10

What to watch:

The new coordinators: The Wildcats lost two outstanding coordinators -- Sonny Dykes on offense and Mark Stoops on defense -- and decided to replace them with four guys. Tim Kish, promoted from linebackers coach, and Greg Brown, hired away from Colorado, will run the defense, while Bill Bedenbaugh and Seth Littrell, both promoted from within, will run the offense, with an assist from new quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo. These guys will need to develop a coaching rhythm this spring that will ensure things go smoothly in the fall.

The JC linebackers: The Wildcats must replace three starting linebackers, and JC transfers Derek Earls and Paul Vassallo weren't brought in to watch. If they step into starting spots, then guys like sophomore Jake Fischer, redshirt freshman Trevor Erno and redshirt freshman Cordarius Golston can fight over the third spot and add depth.

Foles 2.0: Quarterback Nick Foles was dynamic when he was on last year, but the shutout loss in the Holiday Bowl served as a reminder that he's not there yet. He's going to be surrounded by a lot of weapons at the skill positions, so he should be able to take another step forward this spring, even with the loss of Dykes.

Arizona State
Spring practice starts: March 30
Spring game: April 24

What to watch:

The QB battle: It's a wide-open battle between Michigan transfer Steven Threet and Brock Osweiler, though the new guy -- Threet -- is perhaps the most intriguing. Samson Szakacsy was supposed to join the battle, but his elbow problem is acting up again, coach Dennis Erickson said Thursday. The competition will be overseen by new offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone, who's been handed an offense that has sputtered the past two seasons.

O-line issues (take 3): The Sun Devils' offensive line has struggled three years running, and it won't matter who starts at QB if the unit continues to get pushed around. First off is health. Will Matt Hustad, Zach Schlink, Garth Gerhart, Mike Marcisz and Adam Tello be ready to battle the entire spring? If so, there should be good competition here, particularly with a couple of JC transfers looking to break through.

The secondary: The Sun Devils were very good against the pass last year, but three starters in the secondary need to be replaced. Both starting corners are gone -- though if Omar Bolden successfully returns from a knee injury he should step in on one side -- as well as strong safety Ryan McFoy. The good news is a number of guys saw action here last fall, so the rebuilt unit won't be completely green.

California
Spring practice starts: March 6
Spring game: N/A

What to watch:

Embattled Riley: When things go well, the quarterback often gets too much credit. When things go badly... well, you know. Senior Kevin Riley has started 22 games and has played well at times. But there's a reason he's in a quarterback competition for a third consecutive season. Will he be able to hold off a rising Beau Sweeney this spring?

Rebuilding the D: The Bears had questions on defense even before coordinator Bob Gregory unexpectedly bolted for Boise State. Five starters need to be replaced, including mainstays like end Tyson Alualu and cornerback Syd'Quan Thompson, both first-team All-Pac-10 performers. And with Gregory gone, a new, likely more aggressive scheme now must be incorporated.

RB depth: Shane Vereen is the obvious starter after the departure of Jahvid Best, but Cal has, during the Tedford years, always used two backs. So who's the No. 2? Sophomore Covaughn DeBoskie was third on the team with 211 yards rushing last year, while promising freshman Dasarte Yarnway redshirted. One or the other will look to create separation.

Oregon
Spring practice starts: March 30
Spring game: May 1

What to watch:

The D-line: The Ducks lost perennially underrated end Will Tukuafu, tackle Blake Ferras and backup Simi Toeaina up front. Considering the plan is to run an eight-deep rotation, there will be plenty of opportunities for players like ends Terrell Turner and Taylor Hart and tackles Anthony Anderson, Zac Clark, Wade Keliikipi as well as 6-foot-7 JC transfer Isaac Remington to work their way into the rotation.

The passing game: The Ducks' passing game was inconsistent last year, though by season's end receiver Jeff Maehl was playing at a high level. Refining that part of the offense with quarterback Jeremiah Masoli would make the spread-option even more dangerous. The receiving corps is looking for playmakers, which means youngsters, such as redshirt freshman Diante Jackson, might break through.

Who steps in for Ed Dickson? Oregon only loses one starter on offense, but tight end Ed Dickson is a big one. David Paulson was a capable backup last year, and mercurial Malachi Lewis may be ready to step up. Expect JC transfer Brandon Williams to work his way into the mix.

Oregon State
Spring practice starts: March 29
Spring game: May 1

What to watch:

Katz steps in: Sean Canfield is off to the NFL, so the Beavers' biggest question this spring is crowning a new starting quarterback. Most observers feel the job is Ryan Katz's to lose, and the sophomore looks good throwing the rock around. Still, being a quarterback is about more than a good arm. If he falters, Virginia transfer Peter Lalich might offer an alternative.

Better defensive pressure: The Beavers run a high-pressure defensive scheme, so when the stat sheet says they only recorded 17 sacks in 2009, which ranked ninth in the conference and was 22 fewer than in 2008, you know something is wrong. The entire defensive line is back, so the hope is a year of seasoning, particularly for ends Gabe Miller, Matt LaGrone and Kevin Frahm will mean better production this fall.

The O-line grows up: The Beavers' offensive line returns four starters from a unit that got better as the year went on. Still, it yielded 29 sacks and the run game struggled at times -- Jacquizz Rodgers often had to make yards on his own. Talented left tackle Michael Philipp, who did a solid job as a true freshman starter, should be much improved. A second year playing together with underrated senior center Alex Linnenkohl also should help.

Stanford
Spring practice starts: March 1
Spring game: April 17

What to watch:

Replacing Toby: How do you replace Toby Gerhart and his 1,871 yards and 28 touchdowns? You do not. But the hope is sophomores Tyler Gaffney and Stepfan Taylor and senior Jeremy Stewart will provide a solid answer that keeps the Cardinal's power-running game churning. It helps to have four starters back from a good offensive line.

Rebuilding the D: If you toss in linebacker Clinton Snyder and end Erik Lorig, Stanford must replace six defensive starters from a unit that ranked near the bottom of the conference in 2009. The secondary is a particular concern after giving up 23 touchdown passes and a 63 percent completion rate. The hope is good recruiting from coach Jim Harbaugh will provide better athleticism in the back-half. Another issue: There was huge coaching turnover, particularly on defense during the offseason, so new coordinator Vic Fangio & Co. will be implementing new schemes and learning about what sort of talent they have to work with.

Luck steps up: This was Gerhart's team in 2009. Now it's Luck's. He might be the most talented QB in the conference. Heck, he might become a Heisman Trophy candidate before he's done. But life won't be as easy without defenses crowding the line of scrimmage because they are fretting about Gerhart. Luck will need to step up his game -- and leadership -- to meet the challenge.

UCLA
Spring practice starts: April 1
Spring game: April 24

What to watch:

Prince becomes king? The fact that offensive coordinator Norm Chow has been such an advocate for sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince should tell you something: He's got the ability. Prince flashed some skills during an injury-plagued 2009 season, and it's important to remember he was a redshirt freshman playing with a questionable supporting cast, particularly the O-line. Prince needs to improve his decision-making, and the passing game needs to develop a big-play capability that stretches defenses.

Front seven rebuilding: UCLA not only must replace six starters on defense, it must replace six guys everyone in the Pac-10 has heard of. And five of the lost starters come from the front seven, and the guys who were listed as backups on the 2009 depth chart won't necessarily inspire confidence. In other words, the Bruins will try to take a step forward in the conference with what figures to be an extremely green defense, particularly up front.

The running game? Know what would help Prince and a young defense? A better running game. The Bruins were significantly better in 2009 than in 2008, but that merely means one of the worst rushing attacks in the nation moved up to ninth in the conference. There's a logjam of options at running back -- with a couple of dynamic runners in the incoming recruiting class -- and the offensive line welcomes back a wealth of experience. It would mean a lot if the Bruins could boost their rushing total to around 150 yards per game (from 114.6 in 2009).

USC
Spring practice starts: TBA
Spring game: TBA

What to watch:

Welcome, Lane Kiffin: The Pete Carroll era is over. Enter Lane Kiffin & Co. In terms of scheme, things will be fairly consistent, seeing that Kiffin was formerly Carroll's offensive coordinator and Monte Kiffin was Carroll's defensive mentor. But there will be a period of adjustment. The guess is the hyper-intense Ed Orgeron might provide a bit of a shock to the D-linemen.

Matt Barkley Year 2: Barkley won't have the president of his fan club -- Carroll -- around anymore. He's a true talent. Everyone knows that, even without Carroll's daily sonnets about his ability. But the numbers show he threw 14 interceptions in 12 games vs. 15 TD passes last year, so he's obviously not arrived. Kiffin runs the offense, so you can expect these two to work closely together. Barkley will have plenty of help on offense, but the talent won't be as good as it was in 2009, with six starters needing to be replaced, including his top two targets (receiver Damian Williams and tight end Anthony McCoy).

Secondary questions: All four starters from the defensive backfield are gone, including center fielder Taylor Mays. It helps that cornerback Shareece Wright, an academic casualty in 2009, will be back. He was a projected starter last fall. There's plenty of talent on hand, but last year's team proved that the Trojans don't always just plug-and-play.

Washington
Spring practice starts: March 30
Spring game: April 30

What to watch:

Unleashing Locker: The return of quarterback Jake Locker was the best news any Pac-10 team received this offseason. Locker's passing improved dramatically in just one year under coach Steve Sarkisian, so it's not unreasonable to expect him to be even better in 2010, particularly with nine starters back on offense and just about every skill player on the depth chart.

Replacing Te'o-Nesheim: Daniel Te'o-Nesheim was a four-year starter who blossomed into an All-Pac-10 performer despite almost no supporting cast. He led the Huskies with 11 sacks in 2009, which was 8.5 more than any other player. Also, opposite end Darrion Jones is gone, and the cast at the position is extremely young. Who's the next pass-rushing threat?

The Butler did it: Linebacker Donald Butler blossomed last year, earning second-team All-Pac-10 honors and leading the Huskies in tackles and tackles for loss (15.5). Toss in E.J. Savannah's failure to earn a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA, and the Huskies have some questions at linebacker. Mason Foster is a sure thing at one outside position, and Cort Dennison likely will fill a second gap, but there's an opportunity for a young player to fill void No. 3.

Washington State
Spring practice starts: March 25
Spring game: April 24

What to watch:

Tuel time: Coach Paul Wulff decided that freshman Jeff Tuel was the Cougars' quarterback of the future last year, so he opted to start him instead of going with a redshirt season. Tuel showed promise in six games, completing 59 percent of his passes with six touchdowns and five picks. Most of his supporting cast is back on offense, so the expectation is the Cougars' offense could take a significant step forward this fall.

O-line intrigue: Some of the Cougars starting on the offensive line last fall didn't look like Pac-10 players. Injuries and youth made the line a glaring area of weakness, even with veteran Kenny Alfred at center. Alfred is gone, but the expectations are that last year's youth will be saltier after taking their knocks. Plus, a couple of juco additions should be in the mix for starting jobs.

Growing up: There is hope in that 19 starters are back from a team that played a lot of underclassmen in 2009. That youth should mature in 2010. And solid recruiting classes the past two seasons should offer an infusion of young promise.

Mike Stoops now has four coordinators at Arizona, but only one wasn't on staff in 2009.

Stoops promoted offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh and tight ends/running backs coach Seth Littrell to fill the void left when offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes took over at Louisiana Tech, the Arizona Daily Star reported.

Stoops did hire a quarterbacks coach from outside the program: former Louisiana Tech offensive coordinator Frank Scelfo. Dykes coached quarterbacks last year.

Stoops told the Star he hasn't decided who will call plays.

Stoops previously hired Greg Brown away from Colorado and paired him with linebackers coach Tim Kish as co-coordinators on defense.

Arizona coach Mike Stoops said he's interviewed three candidates to replace Sonny Dykes at offensive coordinator and may make a decision as early as Friday.

Stoops is expected to name co-coordinators, giving offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh a promotion, but he wouldn't confirm that Wednesday.

The Wildcats lost both coordinators: Dykes was hired as Louisiana Tech's head coach, while Mark Stoops became Florida State's defensive coordinator.

Greg Brown and Tim Kish have been named co-defensive coordinators. Kish was promoted from linebackers coach and Brown was hired away from Colorado.

Stoops signed a class of 20 on Wednesday and also announced some other team news.

• Redshirt freshman receiver DeWayne Peace will move to cornerback.
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Richard Morrison will move to wide receiver.
• David Emerick was named assistant director of operations/recruiting coordinator. He held previously held a similar post at Texas Tech.
• The season-opener at Toledo has been moved to Sept. 3 and will be broadcast on ESPN.
• The Wildcats will have new uniforms in 2010.

The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard to be a shepherd.

• Arizona has filled half its offensive coordinator vacancy with line coach Bill Bedenbaugh, but Mike Stoops is still looking for a quarterbacks coach and play-caller.
• Arizona State has picked up a commitment from a kicker.
• Cal has picked up a commitment from a receiver.
• Oregon has snagged a player who was committed to Washington.
• Meet this Happy Oregon State recruit.
• An update on how some UCLA Bruins played in the East-West Shrine game.
• USC should be better on defense in 2010. Some USC notes.
• Washington and Washington State battle for in-state recruits.