ESPN College Football

Happy Friday.

• There's plenty of work ahead for new Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez.
• A tribute to former Arizona State great Randall McDaniel. Maybe former Sun Devils linebacker Vontaze Burfict was all-hype?
• California's renovated Memorial Stadium will be ready for the season opener.
• Colorado's Nick Hirschman isn't planning to hand the starting quarterback job to Connor Wood.
• A tip of the cap to former Oregon linebacker Dewitt Stuckey, who is funding a scholarship as a tribute to a high school teammate who passed away in 2010.
• Will those young Oregon State players forced into action in 2011 be better for it in 2012?
• The official release on Stanford's new linebackers coach.
• A chat with UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone.
• Things look solid for USC at cornerback.
• New Utah offensive coordinator Brian Johnson gets a nice raise after his promotion.
• An overview of Washington's secondary.

All the vampires walkin' through the Valley; move west down Ventura Boulevard; And all the bad boys are standin' in the shadows; and the good girls are home with broken hearts.

• Walk-on quarterback Alex Cappellini is hoping to make some noise this spring with Arizona.
• A list of ASU players who will either see limited action or are out for spring ball. Todd Graham also spoke with season ticket holders, and House of Sparky has the complete breakdown. Plus a podcast chat with Brandon Magee.
• Cal and Washington State have both targeted Marin Catholic quarterback Jared Goff, and a lot of the conference isn't far behind.
• A very cool story from The Register-Guard's Rob Moseley about former Oregon linebacker Dewitt Stuckey establishing a scholarship fund for a friend who died. Bryan Bennett talks about taking on a bigger leadership role as he battles for Oregon's starting quarterback job.
• Which Oregon State players are making the biggest strides in the offseason?
• Stanford is now the place for blue-chip football players. Ten players vital to Stanford's success next year.
• UCLA has decided to close its pro day to the media and the public.
• Previewing USC's wide receivers and running backs. Matt Kalil understands what it takes to succeed in the NFL.
• Former Utah lineman Tony Bergstrom could be one of the players to earn some buzz at the combine.
• Former Washington tackle Senio Kelemete is doing a combine diary.
• Former Washington State assistant Timm Rosenbach is the new offensive coordinator at Montana.

Oregon linebacker Kiko Alonso, the favorite to replace the departed Casey Matthews in the middle of the Ducks' defense, was arrested Sunday and charged with burglary, criminal mischief and criminal trespass in Lane County, according to local reports.

Alonso had played well this spring -- the Ducks' spring practices concluded Saturday -- but this doesn't figure to help his standing, particularly considering he was suspended for the 2010 season after a DUI arrest. That arrest, you might recall, came just a day after coach Chip Kelly met with reporters to talk about the run of recent off-field trouble his team was having.

Alonso, a junior from Los Gatos, Calif., ended up blowing out his knee last spring, so he wouldn't have been available in 2010 in any event.

As for the Ducks' options at middle linebacker, here's what Rob Moseley wrote in the Eugene Register-Guard.

Senior Dewitt Stuckey entered the spring atop the depth chart at middle linebacker, but Alonso pushed him early in April and then took over full-time with the first-string after Stuckey suffered a concussion in a scrimmage. They are the only scholarship middle linebackers currently on the roster, though the Ducks signed a talented group of recruits at the position in February, including four-star middle linebacker Anthony Wallace of Dallas, Texas.

Oregon concludes spring practices with its spring game on Saturday. Here's a brief primer.

Spring game: 4 p.m. ET at Autzen Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN2. Here’s the link to the Oregon spring game on ESPN3.com.

Questions answered: The Ducks lost five starters from the defensive front seven, but this one may be more a reload rather than rebuild. This is due in large part to the experience of the so-called new guys, most of whom saw significant action last fall. Ends Dion Jordan and Brandon Hanna -- returning starter Terrell Turner sat out with a leg injury -- and tackles Ricky Heimuli, Taylor Hart and Wade Keliikipi all played well. At linebacker, Kiko Alonso takes over in the middle for Casey Matthews, while Michael Clay, Josh Kaddu and Boseko Lokomobo capably man the outside spots. More depth is provided by Dewitt Stuckey and Derrick Malone.

Questions unanswered: The defense was mostly in control this spring, and a lot of that was due to three new starters on the offensive line. Things aren't settled there other than tackles Mark Asper and Darion Weems and guard Carson York. Further, the Ducks are replacing their top two receivers, Jeff Maehl and D.J. Davis, and that may be a spot the requires help from a touted crew of incoming freshmen.

Spring stars: Jordan was an intriguing prospect when he switched to defensive end last season. Now he's starting to look like a player. Alonso missed last season due to suspension -- he also was injured -- but he's brought a physical presence to the middle of the defense. Running back Lache Seastrunk has played well enough to earn touches at a deep position. Spring always provides good walk-on stories, and the Ducks have theirs in Ramsen Golpashin, a fifth-year senior who's in the mix at offensive guard. Now some of you less sentimental sorts might not be thrilled with what a senior walk-on winning the job says, but let's see the glass as half-full.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Oregon Ducks 2008 overall record: 10-3 2008 conference record: 7-2 Returning starters Offense 5, defense 5, kicker/punter 0 Top returners QB Jeremiah Masoli, RB LeGarrette Blount, TE Ed Dickson, CB Walter Thurmond III, DE Will Tukuafu, FS T.J. Ward Key losses C Max Unger, LT Fenuki Tupou, RB Jeremiah Johnson, WR Terence Scott, DE Nick Reed, CB Jairus Byrd, ROV Patrick Chung, DT Ra'Shone Harris 2008 statistical leaders (* returners) Rushing: Jeremiah Johnson (1,201) Passing: Jeremiah Masoli* (1,744) Receiving: Terence Scott (751) Tackles: T.J. Ward* (101) Sacks: Nick Reed (13) Interceptions: Walter Thurmond*, Jairus Byrd (5) Spring answers 2009 Schedule Sep. 3 at Boise State Sep. 12 Purdue Sep. 19 Utah Sep. 26 California Oct. 3 Washington State Oct. 10 at UCLA Oct. 24 at Washington Oct. 31 USC Nov. 7 at Stanford Nov. 14 Arizona State Nov. 21 at Arizona Dec. 3 Oregon State 1. Passing the test: The Ducks passing game was only OK last year -- ranking fifth in the Pac-10 -- and with two of the top three receivers leaving, it was a question mark entering spring. It's less so now. Both quarterbacks Jeremiah Masoli and Justin Roper threw well, particularly in the spring game, while Jamere Holland led a receiving corps that appears capable and deep. No longer does it seem essential that JC transfer Tyrece Gaines and freshman Diante Jackson contribute from game one. 2. Linebacking up: Oregon's linebackers have been mostly mediocre in recent years, but this crew has a chance to tip the scales from middling to good. Casey Matthews, Spencer Paysinger and Eddie Pleasant give the Ducks a solid troika of experienced starters, with JC transfer Bryson Littlejohn, Dewitt Stuckey and Josh Kaddu providing depth. 3. DL hope: Oregon lost three starters from its 2008 defensive line, and projected 2009 starter Tonio Celotto quit football. All that raised eyebrows, but the D-line controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the spring. Will Tukuafu, the lone returning stater, tackles Brandon Bair, Blake Ferras and Simi Toeaina and end Kenny Rowe showed promise up front. The question, though, is whether much of their success was a function of the banged-up offensive line's struggles. Fall questions 1. O-line woes: With returning starters C.E. Kaiser and Bo Thran sitting out due to injuries, the offensive line was green and it looked the part during spring practices. Run and pass blocking were problems. Moreover, when the injured players return, there's still a question of who will be the fifth starter and whether there will be some reshuffling of positions in the fall. 2. Thurmond sidekick? Cornerback Walter Thurmond, who was banged up much of last year, was healthy during spring practices and he looked like the NFL prospect he is. But who will play opposite him and fill the void left by the early departure of Jairus Byrd to the NFL? Will it be Talmadge Jackson or Willie Glasper, who were both injured, or will someone else step up? 3. Nothing special: A lot is expected of incoming punter Jackson Rice and kicker Mike Bowlin, particularly after the inconsistency -- and downright awfulness (see the spring game) -- of the kicking and punting. If those guys aren't ready, special teams may be an adventure next fall, though it's worth noting the kicker Morgan Flint, who was mostly solid last year, may have just had an off couple of weeks.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

There are a lot of reasons to like Oregon's chances next season.

The Ducks are coming off a 10-3, top-10 finish, which includes a massacre of Oklahoma State in the Holiday Bowl.

They've got more certainty at quarterback with Jeremiah Masoli than just about any other team in the Pac-10. They've also got a 1,000-yard rusher returning in LeGarrette Blount, a marquee tight end in Ed Dickson and two of the best defensive backs in the conference in corner Walter Thurmond and safety T.J. Ward.

	Geoff Thurner/Oregon Media Services
	Chip Kelly takes over an Oregon team that finished 10-3 last season.

On the other hand, both lines need to be rebuilt. Not to get too technical about football, but lines are important in this game.

Chip Kelly will finish up his first spring as Oregon's head coach with the spring game on Saturday, so it seemed like a good time to check in.

So any thoughts on firing your quarterbacks coach [former head coach and incoming athletic director Mike Bellotti] this spring?

Chip Kelly: No, I actually gave him an incentive package to stay, but I don't think that's going to work out.

Any surprises in the process of going from offensive coordinator to head coach?

CK: No. It was exactly what I thought it would be. A lot more time needed for things outside of football. Trying to manage your day and your schedule and whatnot -- you don't get to just go off to practice or lock yourself away in a film room and watch tape all day. There are other things you have to attend to. But I knew that going in. It's just trying to get a set schedule and stick to it. You've got to learn to say no to some things. But it's what I expected.

Can you give me a couple of examples of changes you've made on how things might have been done in the past?

CK: I think we're practicing -- trying to get as much as we can out of practice. Our attention to detail and focus on the individual practices. I think that's a hard thing, no matter where you are during the spring. Obviously, your first couple of practices in the spring, you're flying around. On your scrimmage days, you're flying around. We've tried to increase the intensity in every practice and tried not to waste a day. I think that's kind of our philosophy. Our goal as a team is to win the day, and I think our kids have really adopted that, knowing that no matter if it's practice nine or practice 14, we've got to maximize it because we only get X amount of chances during the spring to be together as a group. So it's about not just going through the motions but to actually invest yourself. And our players have done that. It's really just changing the mindset a little bit. They've really done that and it's really a credit to our kids and the coaches here. Same thing as a coach. You can think, 'Ah, it's only spring ball.' But we need to get better every day and our players have bought into that.

We've joked about how Mike Bellotti is a West Coast guy and you're an East Coast guy. Have there been moments when some of the players saw some of that edgy East Coast come out and it was a little shock to their systems?

CK: I don't know if it's a shock to their system because I've been here for two years. But I think maybe because I will talk to defensive players now and special teams players -- things that weren't in my realm as offensive coordinator. During special teams [the previous two years], I'd take the quarterbacks off to the side and it was an individual period. Now, I'm trying to help Tom Osborne, our special teams coordinator, get the best looks we can possibly get. That's a little different. But because I've been here I think our players understand my personality.

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