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UCLA's must replace six starters on defense, including three first-team All-Pac-10 performers.

That is a cause for concern.

On the other hand, safety Rahim Moore, linebacker Akeem Ayers and end Datone Jones are future high NFL draft picks who provide a cause of optimism.

Although the Bruins walked away from spring practices with some questions -- particularly at two linebacker spots -- and an obvious need for some youngsters to immediately contribute, there's enough talent for them to again rank as one of the Pac-10's top defenses.

Here's what coordinator Chuck Bullough had to say.

You lost a lot of guys who saw a lot of action: Who's going to be hardest to replace?

Chuck Bullough: All of them were good. The hardest to replace? It's really different aspects. Obviously, Brian Price being such a disruptive force up front -- that's a guy you're going to miss. Then we have our two linebackers. Reggie Carter was a four-year starter, so obviously his experience, him knowing everything. He was a team leader of the defense. And obviously Alterraun Verner, who was one of the best corners to ever play here. But we have young guys who played well in spring who we hope can step up. Now, I don't know if they will be at the same level as those guys were because those guys were obviously seniors and these guys are younger. But these guys have the ability to get to that level.

How might the 2010 defense be different than the 2009 unit?

CB: We'll be a little younger. We lost those five seniors. But the guys who played this spring -- [middle linebackers] Steve Sloan and Patrick Larimore -- played really well. Replacing Kyle Bosworth at "will" linebacker we've got [Sean Westgate] and we moved a safety down there, Glenn Love, who played real well and was a real surprise of spring. They have a chance to be comparable to the guys from last year. We moved Nate Chandler over from tight end to defensive tackle. He's a big 6-foot-5, fast with great feet. Between him and David Carter and a couple of the young puppies coming in, we'll replace Brian Price. Well, a Brian Price only comes along every once in a while with his explosiveness. But these guys are good football players. The guy stepping in for Verner would be Sheldon Price. He was a freshman last year but he started as a true freshman just like Verner did. It all depends on them taking that next step and being leaders. We lost all our leadership. So I think, with the defense, it will have to be seen as to who takes over the leadership role with these guys gone, when it comes to the fall and it's time to play games, who are the leaders of the defense.

Let's go through the three levels: What are you happy with concerning your defensive line and what concerns you?

CB: We feel very good about our D-line. Obviously, we lost both our tackles, but like I said, Nate Chandler came over and played really well. David Carter has improved. Both of those guys are big bodies -- 6-5 and 6-4, 290 and both of them can run. A tackle we have coming in, Cassius Marsh, who we've been keeping in touch with, is really strong for a freshman, which is usually the problem they have coming in and trying to play Pac-10 football from high school. They aren't strong enough. But he's really strong and he's got a nasty streak. So we're expecting him to have to be in the rotation. We've got a guy, Sealii Epenesa, from Hawaii, who's a big, huge body guy. We'll have to see if he can hold up strength-wise but he'll definitely have the ability down the road. Then we have a guy named [Wesley] Flowers who's coming in. We're not sure if he's a D-end or D-tackle yet. But defensive tackle-wise, I feel pretty confident with the switch-over with Nate and having those other guys step up and grow up and the young puppies coming in and being able to help -- they probably won't be able to start -- but they will be able to help. We'll play about four tackles a game. Defensive end, we lost Korey Bosworth, but we have Iuta Tepa and Keenan Graham who made big improvements during spring. Obviously, Datone Jones should become a dominant defensive line player at tackle and end. He's taken a step up. I project for him down the road that he will be a first-round draft pick. He's that good, that big, that fast and he's really hungry. The other two guys obviously didn't play much, so when the live action starts we'll have to find out about those two. And obviously we have [Owamagbe Odighizuwa] coming in -- one of the top defensive ends in the nation. Then again, can he learn the defense? He's got the ability. But you never know until they get here and try to learn the defense. Obviously there's a lot more scheme in college. So we came out of spring feeling pretty good defensive line-wise, compared to going in. Going in we didn't know what Nate Chandler had, we didn't know what Keenan Graham had, we didn't know that Datone had made such a big jump, which he did.

At linebacker, what does Akeem Ayers need to do to become an All-American sort of player?

CB: He's a guy who should be another high-round draft pick for the NFL. He's grown with the defense and he's probably the most athletic linebacker you're going to find. He's a guy who, the more he's in the system, every year, he's gotten better. His second year, we had to play him as a nickel linebacker because he couldn't mentally handle both base and be a nickel. Those were just two different spots. Last year, he could. This year, we feel he should be even more comfortable with the defense. He should not even have to think at all. He still had to think a little bit last year, I believe, but he should just react now because he knows the defense inside and out

How do the competitions at middle and weakside linebacker stand?

CB: I've mentioned Sloan and Larimore need to battle it out next fall and Westgate and Love got to battle it out in the fall. Both are open. Both will be competitions in training camp. They have three months here to improve and we'll see in training camp. But we've got four guys who we believe can play. They did a good job in spring and showed it. Now it's just going to be a training camp battle.

Rahim Moore is already an All-American: Where can he improve?

CB: He's started for two years. He's into the system for a third year. Now his role has become that he has to be the leader in the secondary. Verner was kind of the leader last year. Now Moore has got to be the leader.

Besides Moore, tell me about what's good and what concerns you in the secondary?

CB: We feel pretty good with our two safeties. Obviously, both Tony Dye and [Moore] have both played. They've started for two years now. That's where our veterans are in the secondary and the safety position. And obviously we have Dietrich Riley coming in who's a big-time recruit who is very bright. We expect him to be able to come in and contribute and play. And we've got some guys who've got another fall to improve. We feel good about the safety position. The corners, obviously I mentioned Price before. He's a second-year starter. He's a tall guy who's gaining weight. Last year, he didn't have enough weight. He was probably 160 pounds. He was too small. But he's gained 15 or 20 pounds, I think, without losing his 10.5 speed in the 100 [meters]. He could be a special player and it's his turn to take over at corner. Then we have Aaron Hester who was a starter before he broke his leg. He's another big, tall, long-armed guy who can run like the wind. We feel comfortable with him. We have Andrew Abbott and Courtney Viney behind those two who are two savvy veterans that we feel can play. And obviously we've got a couple of freshmen coming in. We've got Anthony Jefferson and Tevin McDonald. With Tevin McDonald, we don't know if he's a safety or a corner. We also have Shaq Richardson coming in. So we have some guys there. But it's hard to know with those rookies until they actually play. If those guys can play, they will just be bonuses.

When you lose six guys like you lost, most folks think you'll take a step back. Do you think the 2010 unit can be as good as your 2009 crew?

CB: I think it will be interesting who steps up and becomes a leader. The "mike" [middle] linebacker in my defense has always been that guy. He makes all the checks. So Sloan and Larimore, one of them -- whoever it is -- has got to step up. Reggie Carter grew up into that leadership role as he got older. In spring, we saw Datone and Ayers and Rahim take up that leadership role which last year was with the older guys. Those three guys should be the leaders because they've played so much and gotten a lot of accolades.

Seventh in a series taking a look at top position competitions this fall.

UCLA: Linebacker (times two!)

Why the competition? Middle linebacker Reggie Carter, a four-year starter, and "will" outside linebacker Kyle Bosworth, a 21-game starter, are both gone.

Candidates: In the middle: junior Steve Sloan (6-foot-4, 232) and sophomore Patrick Larimore (6-3, 250). On the outside: junior Sean Westgate (5-11, 216) and junior Glenn Love (6-4, 216).

The skinny: A quick review of the Bruins' depth chart reveals few areas without a fairly clear post-spring pecking order, but both these linebacker spots are wide open. Sloan started nine games as a redshirt freshman, so he has more experience, but Larimore is a hard-hitter who played well this spring. Love had 27 tackles last year as a backup safety in 2009 before being moved up. He has the frame and athleticism to beat out the undersized Westgate, but he's still learning the position. Westgate had 18 tackles and started once last fall. If things don't shake out like the Bruins' coaches want them to, then expect at least one of the three incoming freshmen linebackers to press for playing time. And if touted recruit Anthony Barr isn't the answer at running back, might his athleticism be intriguing on defense?

UCLA

2009 overall record: 7-6

2009 conference record: 3-6

Returning starters

Offense: 7, Defense: 5, punter/kicker: 2

Top returners: K Kai Forbath, QB Kevin Prince, WR Nelson Rosario, FS Rahim Moore, LB Akeem Ayers, DE Datone Jones, P Jeff Locke

Key losses: TE Logan Paulsen, OT Xaiver Su'a-Filo (LDS mission), DT Brian Price, CB Alterraun Verner, LB Reggie Carter, DE Korey Bosworth, LB Kyle Bosworth

2009 statistical leaders (*returning starter)

Rushing: Johnathan Franklin* (566)

Passing: Kevin Prince* (2,050)

Receiving: Nelson Rosario* (723)

Tackles: Reggie Carter (79)

Sacks: Brian Price (7)

Interceptions: Rahim Moore* (10)

Spring Answers

1. The revolver will evolve: While the new "revolver" offense -- read: Nevada's pistol -- wasn't a smashing success, coach Rick Neuheisel and coordinator Norm Chow believe adopting some spread-option elements will add productive wrinkles to the offense, which will burden an opposing defense's preparation. Quarterback Kevin Prince ran something similar in high school and is a good athlete. Will it become the base offense? We'll see.

2. There's speed on the rebuilding D: Sure, the Bruins should take a step back on defense. Losing six quality starters, including three first-team All-Pac-10 performers is a blow. But one thing may accelerate the rebuilding: The defense will be faster in 2010. That doesn't mean it will be better, but speed makes for a more favorable margin of error.

3. The transfers will help: While they were both banged up this spring, receiver Josh Smith and tight end Joseph Fauria -- transfers from Colorado and Notre Dame respectively -- both flashed enough potential during the off-season and the spring to make clear they will be major contributors to the offense.

Fall questions

1. Is there enough in the trenches? UCLA's depth is questionable on both lines, most particularly the offensive line. If everybody stays healthy, things should work out fine -- there's enough experience and talent to get the job done. But a couple of injuries could mean trouble.

2. Who wins out at linebacker? Akeem Ayers is a given at strongside linebacker, but the other two spots haven't been decided. In the middle, sophomore Pat Larimore is battling junior Steve Sloan, while Sean Westgate and Glenn Love, a converted safety, are competing on the weakside.

3. Will Prince break through? Prince has talent and he's been productive at times. A run of injuries hampered his progress in 2009. If he takes a step forward this fall and stays healthy, he has enough skill around him for the Bruins to score plenty of points.

Seventh in a series looking at lineup holes that are important even if they don't make headlines.

UCLA

Everybody is talking about: Three defensive players who earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors need to be replaced: defensive tackle Brian Price, linebacker Reggie Carter and cornerback Alterraun Verner.

Bigger shoes than you think: The Bosworth brothers: defensive end Korey and weak side linebacker Kyle.

These two never became stars but they were multi-year starters who played hard and made plenty of plays for a good defense. Kyle ranked second on the Bruins in 2009 with 77 tackles, with 7.5 coming for a loss. Korey ranked sixth on the team with 58 tackles, 14 coming for a loss. He also broke up five passes.

Who is stepping in: There's not much experience at either position, and it's possible that incoming freshman will immediately enter the mix at both spots. At end, redshirt freshman Keenan Graham is atop the spring depth chart ahead of sophomore Iuta Tepa, who recorded a single tackle last year. There's also senior Reginald Stokes, who's seen plenty of action but is sitting out spring practices with a knee injury. His status for the fall is "undetermined." At linebacker, junior Sean Westgate will get first crack. He recorded 18 tackles last year. Behind him are true freshman Jared Koster, who grayshirted in 2009, and converted safety Glenn Love.

The seventh of a 10-part series that looks at where Pac-10 teams are strongest and weakest as they begin spring practices.

UCLA

Strong: Safety

Why it's a strength: Junior free safety Rahim Moore led the nation with 10 interceptions last year and is a potential preseason All-American. So the Bruins should feel pretty good about that spot. Junior strong safety Tony Dye ranked fourth on the defense with 73 tackles, while his backup, junior Glenn Love, saw plenty of action and finished with 27 tackles. While life for the safeties might be a little bit more difficult without cornerback Alterraun Verner, the Bruins probably have the best returning crew at the position in the conference.

Weak: Defensive front seven

Why it's a weakness: The Bruins not only lost five starters from their front seven, they lost five quality starters, including stalwarts like defensive tackle Brian Price, linebacker Reggie Carter and the Bosworth brothers, end Korey and linebacker Kyle. What's more, the depth is questionable and/or inexperienced, particularly at defensive tackle. While any team would be glad to welcome back players like end Datone Jones or outside linebacker Akeem Ayers, the Bruins will be young up front and that typically is a reason to worry.

Here's a list of the Pac-10 players invited to the NFL combine, courtesy of The Sporting News.

First of all, it's incomplete. Underclassmen will be added later, such as USC receiver Damian Williams and UCLA DT Brian Price. And a number of seniors also will get invitations.

My immediate guess is that Washington linebacker Donald Butler and Oregon defensive end Will Tukuafu will end up receiving invitations, among others.

Arizona: DT Earl Mitchell, CB Devin Ross

Arizona State: DE Dexter Davis, LB Travis Goethel, OT Shawn Lauvao, WR Chris McGaha, WR Kyle Williams

California: DE Tyson Alualu, WR Nyan Boateng, CB Syd'Quan Thompson, WR Verran Tucker.

Oregon: RB LeGarrette Blount, TE Ed Dickson, CB Walter Thurmond, S T.J. Ward.

Oregon State: QB Sean Canfield, OLB Keaton Kristick.

Stanford: TE Jim Dray, RB Toby Gerhart, OT Matt Kopa, DE Erik Lorig.

UCLA: OLB Kyle Bosworth, CB Alterraun Verner.

USC: OT Charles Brown, C Jeff Byers, RB Stafon Johnson, S Taylor Mays, TE Anthony McCoy, G Alex Parsons, CB Josh Pinkard, CB Kevin Thomas.

Washington: DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim.

The Pac-10 bowl season didn't go well, but that doesn't mean you don't make an all-bowl team.

You may notice a lot of USC and UCLA players. You might remember that the LA schools posted the conference's only two wins.

OFFENSE

QB Matt Barkley, USC: Barkley completed 27 of 37 throws for 350 yards with two touchdowns against Boston College in the Emerald Bowl. He also had two interceptions.

RB Toby Gerhart, Stanford: Against an Oklahoma defense ganging up on him, he rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries in a Sun Bowl loss.

RB Stanley Havili, USC: He only rushed for 2 yards, but he also he caught six passes for 83 yards with two touchdowns.

WR Damian Williams, USC: He caught 12 passes for a season-high 189 yards.

WR Damola Adeniji, Oregon State: He caught seven passes for 102 yards and a touchdown in the Beavers' Las Vegas Bowl loss to BYU.

TE Anthony Miller, California: He led Cal with five receptions for 55 yards in the Poinsettia Bowl loss to Utah.

OL Chris Marinelli, Stanford: The offense was without its starting quarterback, but Gerhart gained 133 yards and the Sooners only had one sack.

OL Mike Tepper, California: Cal's pass protection wasn't great against Utah, but running back Shane Vereen finished with 122 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

OL Charles Brown, USC: The Trojans didn't run terribly well vs. Boston College, but they only yielded one sack and gave Barkley plenty of time to throw.

OL Jake Dean, UCLA: He was thrust into the starting lineup after starting center after Kai Maiava was ruled academically ineligible, and the Bruins yielded only one sack vs. Temple.

OL Chase Beeler, Stanford: See Marinelli.

K Kai Forbath, UCLA: He kicked field goals of 40 and 42 yards.

DEFENSE

DE Kenny Rowe, Oregon: He set a Rose Bowl and Oregon bowl record with three sacks in a losing effort against Ohio State.

DT Jurrell Casey, USC: Casey had five tackles, a sack and a 22-yard return of a fumble.

DT Brian Price, UCLA: Price started slowly vs. Temple but he dominated the second half and finished with five tackles, with one coming for a loss.

DE Tyson Alualu, California: Alualu had five tackles, with 1.5 coming for a loss.

LB Akeem Ayers, UCLA: Ayers led the Bruins with nine tackles, two for a loss, and his leaping interception at the Temple 2-yard line, which he returned for a TD, was the play of the Pac-10 bowl season.

LB Kyle Bosworth, UCLA: He finished with seven tackles and 1.5 sacks.

LB Eddie Young, California: Young had seven tackles and returned an interception 31 yards for a TD.

CB Shareece Wright, USC: In his first game back after academic ineligibility, Wright grabbed a key interception.

CB Alterraun Verner, UCLA: Verner had seven tackles, two for a loss, and a pass breakup.

S Rahim Moore, UCLA: Moore had four tackles and an interception.

S Taylor Mays, USC: Mays had five tackles for a Trojans defense that shut down Boston College in the second half.

P David Green, Stanford: He averaged 44 yards on six punts, three of which were downed inside the Sooners' 20-yard line.

If UCLA didn't have to play in the brutal Pac-10, it might have ended up nationally ranked.

The Bruins started 3-0 in nonconference play, holding San Diego State, Tennessee and Kansas State to 38 points combined, but once the competition amped up in conference play the wheels came off.

Starting with a loss at Stanford, the Bruins dropped five in a row before rallying late in the season for three victories that earned them bowl eligibility.

The defense was mostly good. The offense, while better than last year, again was inconsistent. The hope is the bumps and bruises redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Prince and a young offensive line took in 2009 will pay off in future seasons.

Offensive MVP -- K Kai Forbath

UCLA didn't have much offense this year, but Forbath, the consensus All-Pac-10 kicker, scored 100 points. He was 26-of-29 on field goals this year with a long of 53 yards. All of his misses came outside of 50 yards.

Defensive MVP -- FS Rahim Moore

Defensive tackle Brian Price was the Pac-10 defensive MVP, but Moore also deserves credit -- and All-American consideration -- after leading the nation with nine interceptions. He also had 45 tackles, three tackles for a loss and seven pass breakups.

Turning point -- UCLA was 3-0 and on the cusp of a national ranking when it went to Stanford on Oct. 3. Then Toby Gerhart sliced a diced -- and rolled over -- a defense that had dominated previous competition for 134 yards and three touchdowns in a 24-16 Bruins defeat, the first of five consecutive Pac-10 losses. It's one thing to win at Tennessee and beat Kansas State, but the Bruins weren't ready to step up to elite Pac-10 competition.

What's next -- It looks like coach Rick Neuheisel is going to haul in another highly rated recruiting class, but next year could be tough for the Bruins, starting with an absurd nonconference schedule -- at Kansas State, Houston and at Texas (message to AD Dan Guerrero: That's genius for a rebuilding program. Good job!). The offense only loses two starters, but most of the big names will be gone on defense -- it's a near certainty Price joins LB Reggie Carter, CB Alterraun Verner and the Bosworth brothers, LB Kyle and DE Korey, in the NFL draft. The Bruins could be much improved in 2010, but they may not dramatically upgrade the win-loss ledger.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Under new coordinator Chuck Bullough, UCLA's defense had been dominant until it slipped a bit at Stanford in a 24-16 defeat.

The Bruins, still ranked 20th in the nation in total defense and 21st in scoring defense, don't have long to lick their wounds, however. A rolling and 13th-ranked Oregon team comes to town on Saturday, and the Ducks, after a slow start, now lead the Pac-10 in scoring with 34.2 points per game.

	Reuben Canales/WireImage.com
	Chuck Bullough identified Brian Price, Reggie Carter and Kyle Bosworth as his best performers so far.

But Oregon will be without starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who suffered a bruise knee last week against Washington State. Backup Nate Costa is projected to start.

Bullough, a two-time All-Big Ten selection and second-team All-American linebacker at Michigan State University, brought a little Big Ten toughness -- not to mention a long NFL pedigree -- when he replaced DeWayne Walker as the Bruins coordinator.

So what does he think of the Bruins progress so far and how is he going to stop the Ducks' offense?

We decided to check in.

Four games into the season, what's your assessment of how the defense has played?

Chuck Bullough: We've played well. This last game [Stanford], we had a ton of mental errors. That was concerning. We don't know what that was. Since I've been here, when we start school -- and this is not an excuse -- but when we start school, we always have a bad game. We don't know why. We have a ton of mental errors the week we start school and that happened this game. Way more than the last three games. We've got to settle them down and get them playing into the scheme of things. Besides that, the defense has played well. This last game we had a bunch of mental errors on simple stuff, which was disappointing. We've got to go to the next game and get better.

Who's playing well for you?

CB: The guys who are really playing well are [tackle] Brian Price, [linebacker] Reggie Carter and [linebacker] Kyle Bosworth. The other guys are solid and haven't been bad. But the three studs so far have been Price, Carter and Bosworth. And obviously [safety] Rahim Moore, too.

Is there an area you are not happy with?

CB: Not necessarily. As I stated before, it was frustrating as coaches -- and it's on coaching -- but for some reason we had a lot of mental errors on stuff this past week that we generally don't do. Besides that, we've played well.

It appears you won't be facing Oregon's starting quarterback, Jeremiah Masoli, on Saturday. How do things change for you with backup Nate Costa starting? What do you know about him?

CB: He hasn't started a game, so you kind of don't have a feel for him going into a game. He's had a couple of games where he's come in and taken some reps. But the head coach [Chip Kelly], this is his system. He's not going to change his system. He may do some things differently like they did when [former Ducks quarterback Dennis Dixon] was out two years ago -- some little things different -- but basically he kept his scheme the same. You don't want to change your whole philosophy on one injury. You've got to plan for somebody getting injured. So we'll just plan for him and then we'll see how the game progresses -- what are they doing with him that is different than what they were doing with Masoli? If that's even the case.

What's different for the Oregon offense from the early season, when they struggled, to the past three games, when they've played well?

CB: Well, they had that one game at Boise State. Boise looked like they came out to play. Not that Oregon didn't but just that watching film, Boise State really came out and played hard. But since then, [Oregon] has been on a roll. They seem like they've gotten into their groove. They looked out of their groove at Boise State but regrouped. Now they are 13th in the country. They've regained their momentum.

True or false: Oregon tight end Ed Dickson is a handful?

CB: Yes. He is tough.

How do you contain him?

CB: We've talked to coaches who have played against him and that's the one they say is tough. You've just got to make sure you don't get matchup problems with him. You've got to match the proper people on him. You've always got to be aware of where he is, because obviously he is a great tight end. You stress to the players where he is and what his strengths are and what his weaknesses are and all that good stuff. And then you've just got to play.

You're closing in on midseason running this defense, how are things different with you versus with DeWayne Walker last year?

CB: The structure is the same. If somebody was just a casual fan -- a fan in the stands watching -- it would look basically the same. I think the difference could be if you were a coach studying the film and compared it to last year, you'd say, 'OK, they're doing it this way. They're playing this coverage a little different than they did last year.' That always happens when a new coordinator has new ideas. But also we have two new guys on staff [secondary coaches Tim Hundley and Carnell Lake] who bring in a lot of knowledge. To the casual eye, it looks the same. If you were a coach studying it, you'd notice the details inside of it.

UCLA has played pretty good defense for a while now. In terms of the young talent on hand, how close are you guys to becoming a dominant unit?

CB: We feel we can be a dominant unit. We feel we have the players and we want them to feel that feeling of doing that. We've had some talent the last couple of years. We've never as a coaching staff stressed that you're not good enough. It's always about them wanting to think they can be that great. And you strive to it every week. We had a fall back this past week, but it was good for them to see when they watched films that if you play the system, we'll be fine. And if you don't, on any defense you run, you are going to be in trouble.

You're a Big Ten guy from birth. Has it been a struggle for you deal with all that horrible sunshine in Southern California?

CB: No ... especially not for my wife. We have a lot of visitors this time of year when it starts getting cold. My parents just came in. But you know, kids are the same everywhere. I didn't know anything different coming out here to California but kids are the same everywhere, especially now-a-days because of the Internet. They're all doing the same stuff. When I was growing up, it was a whole different lifestyle, but now they're all doing the same thing.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Just about every Pac-10 team feels good about its linebackers.

Not an easy position to rank.

1. UCLA: Senior Reggie Carter was second-team All-Pac-10, up-and-coming sophomore Akeem Ayers and senior Kyle Bosworth man the two outside positions, while sophomore backup Steve Sloan started nine games last year.
2. Oregon State: Keaton Kristick was second-team All-Pac-10, and the two-headed monster on the weakside -- Dwight Roberson and Keith Pankey -- is back. Sophomore David Pa'aluhi -- a mixed martial arts fighter -- is promising in the middle.
3. USC: Yes, USC gets the benefit of the doubt, despite three new starters. By season's end don't be surprised if Chris Galippo, Michael Morgan and Malcolm Smith look like the conference's best unit.
4. Oregon: Spencer Paysinger and Casey Matthews return, and Eddie Pleasant steps in for Jerome Boyd on the outside. There's good depth and good speed here.
5. Arizona State: The Sun Devils have a lot of experience as well as young talent, but the starting crew of Travis Goethel, Gerald Munns and Mike Nixon doesn't possess top-end speed. And sophomore Shelly Lyons is hurt and the NCAA Clearinghouse hasn't yet cleared spectacular true freshman Vontaze Burfict.
6. California: On the outside, Mike Mohamed and Eddie Young have plenty of experience. Inside, Mychal Kendricks and D.J. Holt are promising but green. The depth is solid.
7. Arizona: The Wildcats are fast with Sterling Lewis, Xavier Kelly and Vuna Tuihalamaka, and Lewis and Kelly have starting experience. There's a pretty fair drop-off to the second unit.
8. Stanford: Clinton Snyder will lead a solid crew that includes Will Powers and Chike Amajoyi. The uncertain status of Alex Debniak (knee) hurts.
9. Washington: The Huskies have a solid triumvirate. E.J. Savannah returns after missing all of 2008 due to a suspension. He'll play outside opposite Mason Foster with Donald Butler in the middle. Depth is an issue.
10. Washington State: Andy Mattingly's return on the strongside from defensive end should help. Jason Stripling is a senior on the weakside, but isn't terribly experienced -- he missed almost all of 2008 with a shoulder injury. JC transfer Alex Hoffman-Ellis will man the middle. He redshirted last year. It would help if undersized but quick Louis Bland was 100 percent because he would add much-needed speed.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

The Pac-10 placed 14 players on the 153-man Lombardi Award watch list, which was announced Tuesday.

The Lombardi Award is presented annually by Houston's Rotary Club to the nation's top college football lineman ‐‐ offense or defense ‐‐ who, in addition to outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the discipline of Vince Lombardi.

The watch list was formed by using 2008 postseason and 2009 preseason all-conference
and All‐America teams. Additional nominations were accepted from Rotary Lombardi Award voters and college sports information directors.

So if you are wondering why Oregon State's Stephen Paea or Oregon's Will Tukuafu or California's Cameron Jordan are not on the list, it is not the Pac-10 blog's fault.

On Oct. 14, the 12 semifinalists will be announced. On Nov. 11, the four finalists will be named. All of the finalists will travel to Houston for the ceremony to announce the winner on Dec. 9 at the Hilton Americas.

The Pac-10 guys are:

Tyson Alualu, DE, California
Korey Bosworth, DE, UCLA
Kyle Bosworth, LB, UCLA
Jeff Byers, OG, USC
Reggie Carter, LB, UCLA
Dexter Davis, DE, Arizona State
Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona
Lawrence Guy, DT, Arizona State
Earl Mitchell, DT, Arizona
Mike Nixon, LB, Arizona State
Kristofer O'Dowd, C, USC
Brian Price, DT, UCLA
Brooks Reed, DE, Arizona
Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, DE, Washington

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

These links will get you to Friday.

• Stanford recruiting has Georgia on its mind, hooking a touted receiver. Is this a trend? Not to be outdone, Pete Carroll is trying to get his claws into a big-time defensive end from the state. Wonder if the Atlanta Journal-Constitution will run a correction because Carroll is the coach at USC and there is no school called Southern Cal, at least according to the institution the paper is apparently trying to reference? 
• Arizona coach Mike Stoops has officially wrapped up spring practices.
• Arizona State's spring football prospectus has been released. And, to honor the memory of former Sun Devils coach Bruce Snyder, FOX Sports Arizona will replay the 1996 Arizona State-Nebraska football game Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The three-hour telecast will include some of Snyder's former ASU players talking about their coach, who passed away this week at the age of 69 after being diagnosed with cancer last June.
• California isn't holding an official spring game, but its final scrimmage Saturday is open to the public.
• New Oregon coach Chip Kelly will be a guest on a Pac-10-centric "College Football Live" on ESPN on April 23 (5 p.m., PDT). He also will be on ESPN's "Jim Rome is Burning" on Monday.
• Meet Oregon State's quarterback of the future.
• An amusing Q&A with UCLA linebacker Kyle Bosworth.
• The future looks bright for USC at offensive tackle.
• More on moving the Apple Cup to Seattle's Qwest Field.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

And finally there were linebackers. Or a lack thereof.

All three first-team All-Pac-10 linebackers are gone. USC and California both lost three starting linebackers from elite units.

The only team that welcomes back an intact crew is Washington, which is a mixed blessing when a defense is among the worst in the nation the previous season.

That said: No one is completely rebuilding.

Each linebacker unit, other than USC, has at least one starter back, and the Trojans crew has seen significant playing time and is probably as talented as any in the Pac-10.

Great shape

• UCLA: This is a position of strength for UCLA, with a lot of experience and athletic ability, led by middle linebacker and leading tackler Reggie Carter, who was second-team All-Pac-10 a year ago. Akeem Ayers and Kyle Bosworth man the two outside positions, while Steve Sloan started nine games last year.
• Oregon State: Keaton Kristick, second-team All-Pac-10, leads another solid corps of Beavers linebackers from the strongside. Middle linebacker Bryant Cornell is gone, but he only ranked fifth on the team in tackles. Dwight Roberson and Keith Pankey are back on the weakside, while David Pa'aluhi is slated to replace Cornell.

Good shape 

• USC: Sure, all three starters are gone, but we just can't pull the trigger and downgrade the Trojans. The general feeling that Chris Galippo inside with Malcolm Smith and Michael Morgan on the flanks will be as physically talented as any crew in the conference. Each saw significant action last year and recorded double-digit tackles, with Morgan leading the way with 24, including five for a loss.
• Arizona State: Lost second-leading tackler Morris Wooten but the Sun Devils get everyone else back, including Gerald Munns, who left the team early last season due to personal issues. Moreover, young players such as Shelly Lyons and Brandon Magee will push for playing time.
• Arizona: Lost leading tackler and leader Ronnie Palmer in the middle, but Sterling Lewis (five starts) and Xavier Kelly (eight starts) are back and Vuna Tuihalamaka, who is slated to replace Palmer, saw a lot of action in 2008.
• Stanford: Pat Maynor is gone, but Clinton Snyder leads an experienced crew that includes Chike Amajoyi, Will Powers and Nick Macaluso.
• California: Lost three of its four starting linebackers, but both Eddie Young and Mike Mohamed started games last year, with Mohamed ranking third on the team in tackles.
• Oregon: Jerome Boyd is gone but second-leading tackler Spencer Paysinger and Casey Matthews are back. Eddie Pleasant likely steps in for Boyd.
• Washington: Because the Huskies defense was so bad last year, it's hard to rank them in good shape just because all three starters are back. But the addition of 2007 leading tackler E.J. Savannah, who was suspended by former coach Tyrone Willingham, makes this an area of least concern on a team with many concerns.

We'll see

• Washington State: It might seem like we're picking on the Cougars by leaving them alone down here but here's the situation. WSU lost its best defensive player and leading tackler, middle linebacker Greg Trent, from the nation's worst rushing defense (248 yards per game). Undersized weakside linebacker Louis Bland, who had nine tackles for a loss in 2008, is back, and word is Andy Mattingly might move back to linebacker from end. If that happens, the position upgrades substantially.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Remember that great line in Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises"? A character is asked how he went broke and he responds: "Two ways. Gradually and then suddenly."

UCLA's 59-0 loss at BYU was nothing like that.

The Bruins skipped the "gradual" part and went directly to "suddenly." If a team is going to lose by 59, it needs to hurry and play badly. The Bruins did just that.

Already down 14-0, UCLA fumbled on three straight possessions in the second quarter that result in three straight BYU scores.

"The scoreboard looks like a slot machine when that happens," coach Rick Neuheisel said.

Talk about emotional extremes. A couple of weeks ago, Neuheisel and the Bruins were the toasts of college football after they notched a surprising upset over then-No. 18 Tennessee.

So how do they respond to losing after providing such a rotten followup to winning?

Writing off a 59-zip loss, the program's worst defeat since 1929, seems a little naive. By the same token, a prolonged period of mourning could ruin the season.

"I think I see the right measure of disappointment in what's past and also the right amount of resolve in terms of making sure we atone this weekend," Neuheisel said.

Of course, this weekend the Bruins face a team as desperate as they are. While Arizona didn't get blown out at New Mexico, its second consecutive loss to the Lobos reignited the flame under Wildcats coach Mike Stoops seat.

It's fair to say that both teams are trying to crawl out of the bottom half of the Pac-10 at the other team's expense. When each perused their respective schedules during the preseason, they both probably penciled in a victory.

It's also fair to say that the loser Saturday will feel like the college football gods just put a dent into their bowl hopes.

A couple of angry, desperate teams clawing for survival?

"I always hesitate to say desperate because we're still in week three and the first game in the conference," Neuheisel said. "But it's a game that both teams want desperately."

The truth is, Arizona might be slightly more desperate, at least in the sense that Neuheisel is a first-year coach still in the midst of his honeymoon period who is leading a team with talent issues that aren't his fault.

Stoops is still looking for his first winning record in his fifth season in Tucson.

In the first two games, the Wildcats, against the weakest nonconference schedule in the conference, were dominant on both sides of the ball. But that went away against New Mexico.

Quarterback Willie Tuitama not only threw his first two interceptions of the season in the 36-28 defeat, he also fumbled twice.

Offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes questioned his own play-calling, telling the Tucson Citizen: "We sort of played right into their hands and threw more than we should have. I didn't do a good job."

Said Stoops, "You can't turn the ball over five times and win a football game. We know we're a good football team."

The Wildcats figure to be a much better team with tight end Rob Gronkowski returning to the lineup after missing the first three games due to illness. Gronkowski, an All-American candidate, was touted as the focal point of the offense during the preseason, and Dykes suggested he had a chance to haul in 100 receptions.

So the generally healthy Wildcats are getting healthier, while the Bruins are one of the nation's most injury-riddled teams. The latest casualties are linebacker Kyle Bosworth (sprained knee) and center Micah Reed (MCL tear).

Losing a starting center for two to four weeks -- the Bruins most experienced lineman, in fact -- doesn't help when your offensive line is struggling and lacks depth.

UCLA presently ranks last in the nation with 19 yards rushing per game -- 0.8 yards per carry -- with a long run of seven yards.

"We're trying to solidify who's going to play," Neuheisel said. "One of the major issues we've had since I've been here is the revolving door situation as to who's in the game and who's not."

With Bosworth out, the Bruins also will shuffle their linebackers. Redshirt freshman Steve Sloan will see his first career action on defense, starting at middle linebacker, while Reggie Carter will move from the middle to weakside LB, Bosworth's spot.

Neuheisel told reporters this week that he's looked for wisdom from a note UCLA legend John Wooden sent him before the season began about the peaks and valleys of competition, and also similar words that his former coach at UCLA, Terry Donahue, told him about never getting too high or too low.

The Bruins have seen both extremes. Now they need to figure out who they really are.

"We took one on the chin," Neuheisel said. "We need to take from it what we can take from it and be disciplined enough to not repeat the mistakes. But maybe be more disciplined to forget about it and let it go."

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

The wound licking should be over. What's next?

• Arizona State QB Rudy Carpenter intimated that the play-calling against UNLV was too conservative. All is not lost for the Sun Devils, they just need to practice better.
• Arizona hasn't been much of a comeback team under Mike Stoops. Turnovers are putting the Wildcats in a hole in the first place. Good news on the injury front.
• Oregon QB Justin Roper's sprained knee might be ahead of schedule. He's now probable for the USC game on Oct. 4, but it's not clear who will start against Boise State on Saturday. What is clear is both Jeremiah Masoli and Chris Harper will play.
• Some quick Oregon State notes.
• UCLA's LB Kyle Bosworth is out of the Arizona game with a knee injury, which means some personnel shifts. After the BYU debacle, it's back to work.
• A reporter defends voting USC No. 3 in his latest AP poll. Life is good at USC, which has the weekend off before visiting Oregon State next Thursday. Pete Carroll taped a "60 Minutes" segment and QB Mark Sanchez bought a journal to catalogue his thoughts: "Dear Diary: I feel bad about how mean we were to Ohio State. The Buckeyes fans looked sad. But I'm really upset about not getting a water during a postgame press conference. They gave me one at Virginia! And my hair looked awful on TV!!!! Gosh, I do so love ESPN.com's Pac-10 blog!"
• Washington is trying to stay positive. Hey, what about that endless athletic director search? Molly Yanity considers the Monday press briefing.
• Time for lineup changes at Washington State.
• Last weekend was bad, but the Pac-10 has posted worse weekend results.