ESPN College Football

Last week, Ted gave you the rundown of which Pac-12 players will be attending media day on July 26. Now the on-stage lineup has been set.

We'll be there to bring you each team's summary "On stage..." post like we did last year, as well as "Seen and Heard" posts, a multi-story notebook and plenty of videos.

We can't make any promises that the entire Google-web won't collapse and Utah's "On Stage" post won't disappear like it did last year (Ted still feels really bad about that one), but he told me he's going to slip the IT guy at Sony Studios a $20 just in case. (Anyone needing a refresher on that story can check out the final question from this mailbag last year.)

Here's the lineup so you can start planning ahead.

9 a.m. Larry Scott, Pac-12 Commissioner

9:15 a.m. Washington State - Coach Mike Leach, Elliott Bosch (OL), Deone Bucannon (DB)

9:30 a.m. California - Coach Sonny Dykes, Bryce Treggs (WR), Nick Forbes (LB)

9:45 a.m. Washington - Coach Steve Sarkisian, Keith Price (QB), Sean Parker (DB)

10:00 a.m. Oregon State - Coach Mike Riley, Brandin Cooks (WR), Rashaad Reynolds (DB)

10:15 a.m. Oregon - Coach Mark Helfrich, Marcus Mariota (QB), Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (CB)

10:30 a.m. Stanford - Coach David Shaw, David Yankey (OL), Shayne Skov (LB)

10:45 a.m. Break

11:00 a.m. Colorado - Coach Mike MacIntyre, Paul Richardson (WR), Chidera Uzo-Diribe (DE)

11:15 a.m. Utah - Coach Kyle Whittingham, Jake Murphy (TE), Trevor Reilly (DE)

11:30 a.m. Arizona - Coach Rich Rodriguez, Terrence Miller (WR), Jake Fischer (LB)

11:45 a.m. USC - Coach Lane Kiffin, Marqise Lee (WR), Hayes Pullard (LB)

12:00 p.m. Arizona State - Coach Todd Graham, Taylor Kelly (QB), Alden Darby (S)

12:15 p.m. UCLA - Coach Jim Mora, Xavier Su’a Filo (OL), Anthony Barr (LB)

The official start to the countdown to the Pac-12 College Football Season begins for most media folks at media day (for the Pac-12 blog, there is no start or finish line, just one continuous super-marathon of joy).

This year Pac-12 media day is Friday, July 26 at the Sony Studios Lot in Culver City, Calif. The Pac-12 coaches will be in Bristol, Conn., talking to ESPN folks the two days before the LA event, and yours truly will also be there, making himself profoundly annoying.

In LA, Kevin and I will be there, diligently polishing the bland overflow of verbiage into shiny nuggets of fun and useful information.

But the chief question on your mind is this: Who shall tell you reporters about how offseason workouts were the best IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD and that this team has great chemistry and leadership?

Glad you asked. Each team brings its coach and two players, one offense, one defense.

And here they are:

Arizona: LB Jake Fischer, WR Terrence Miller
Arizona State: QB Taylor Kelly, S Alden Darby
California: WR Bryce Treggs, LB Nick Forbes
Colorado: WR Paul Richardson, DE Chidera Uzo-Diribe
Oregon: QB Marcus Mariota, CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
Oregon State: WR Brandin Cooks, CB Rashaad Reynolds
Stanford: OG David Yankey, LB Shayne Skov
UCLA: OLB Anthony Barr, OG Xavier Su'a-Filo
USC: WR Marqise Lee, LB Hayes Pullard
Utah: TE Jake Murphy, DE Trevor Reilly
Washington: QB Keith Price, S Sean Parker
Washington State: S Deone Bucannon, C Elliott Bosch

The most glaring omission is Arizona State defensive tackle Will Sutton, who is only the defending Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. The second most glaring is Arizona running back Ka'Deem Carey, who only led the nation in rushing last year.

Carey's excuse is offseason, off-field trouble. He's not talked to reporters since a series of knuckle-headed events. Many of you might recall his last public quote not being particularly admirable.

Sutton's omission was coach Todd Graham's decision, according to the Sun Devils sports information department, though it's no secret Sutton isn't a huge fan of interviews, despite being pretty good at them and never receiving any bad publicity (at least that comes to mind).

Darby was selected for his "leadership." The problem with that explanation is it chips away at Sutton, fairly or unfairly, as in: Is he not a good leader, too? And everyone wants to talk to Sutton, a preseason All-American who notably opted to return for his senior season instead of entering the NFL draft.

Things certainly will be quieter at Arizona State's table. If Sutton attended, many of the reporters on hand would have written, "Will Sutton is unblockable and Arizona State is going to be good" stories. Now they won't, which means less buzz for the team.

Does it matter? It certainly won't blow up a season. But there are probably a few AP voters on the East Coast who will, as a result, know less about the Sun Devils before they fill out their preseason ballots. In college football, where you start does matter in terms of where you finish.

We've looked at offensive three-headed monsters -- elite combinations of quarterback, running back and receiver -- so now let's look at the defensive version.

That would be elite combinations of top tacklers, top sack men and top interceptors, as tackles, sacks and interceptions make defensive coordinators happy.

The combinations here might be stronger even than the offensive troikas. Stanford, for example, welcomes back an elite, All-America sort of player for each category. It seems to us all 12 teams have at least one player to be excited about heading into the fall.

Just two teams -- Arizona State and Utah -- only hit on one category. Arizona, Colorado and Washington join Stanford hitting all three, though Colorado's interception numbers from 2012 are so meager -- 3! -- that it's not terribly relevant. And USC's just missing was a matter of 0.4 tackles per game.

So here's how we see things stacking up.

And, again, you should feel free to be outraged by our lunkheaded bias against your team, which obviously should be ranked much higher.

1. Stanford
LB Shayne Skov, OLB Trent Murphy, S Ed Reynolds

The skinny: Three potential All-Americans. There is no finer troika in the nation. Not sure if anyone else is even close.

2. USC
LB Hayes Pullard, OLB Morgan Breslin, S Dion Bailey

The skinny: Pullard was seventh in the conference with 8.2 tackles per game, just behind safety T.J. McDonald. Breslin is transitioning from defensive end to outside linebacker, which actually seems like a better fit. And Bailey, who led the Trojans with four interceptions, is moving back to safety from linebacker.

3. UCLA
LB Eric Kendricks, OLB Anthony Barr, S Randall Goforth

The skinny: UCLA gets here on the power of the first two, an elite combination, with Barr a likely top-10 NFL draft pick next spring. That balances out the questions in the secondary. Goforth, a promising player, just seemed like as good a choice as any.

4. Oregon State
LB Michael Doctor, DE Scott Cricthon, CB Rashaad Reynolds

The skinny: Doctor took a big step forward last year, even if D.J. Alexander is a flashier player. Crichton, first-team All-Pac-12 in 2012, is trying to lead the Beavers in sacks for a third consecutive year. Reynolds had three picks last year and now becomes the Beavers' lead cornerback with Jordan Poyer off to the NFL.

5. Oregon
LB Derrick Malone, DE Taylor Hart, S Erick Dargan

The skinny: Malone was just thrown in there because the Ducks' linebacker situation is cloudy. Hart is a budding all-conference guy who should get his due this fall. Dargan led the Ducks with five picks, but there's an acknowledgement here also of cornerback Ekpre-Olomu, a preseason All-American, who had four.

6. Arizona State
LB Chris Young, DT Will Sutton, S Alden Darby

The skinny: Sutton is the big fish here, obviously. Linebacker is a question for the Sun Devils, who lost their top two tacklers. Young and Darby are returning starters, though, with Young ranking third in tackles and Darby second in interceptions in 2012.

7. Washington
LB John Timu, OLB Josh Shirley, CB Marcus Peters

The skinny: This is a solid but unspectacular trio, as none of the three were all-conference. But the Huskies defense, which was greatly improved in 2012, has a lot of production back. It's worth noting that defensive end Andrew Hudson tied Shirely for the team lead with 6.5 sacks, and linebacker Shaq Thompson also had three picks, like Peters.

8. Arizona
LB Jake Fischer, LB Marquis Flowers, CB Jonathan McKnight

The skinny: All three leaders are back, but they get marked down for the overall defensive numbers in 2012. Flowers, an underrated player, had 5.5 sacks and was tied with McKnight with three interceptions.

9. California
LB Nick Forbes, DE Chris McCain, S Michael Lowe

The skinny: Forbes averaged 7.1 tackles per game last year. McCain tied for the team lead in sacks with 3.5, but don't be surprised if Todd Barr or Brennan Scarlett lead the pass rush. Lowe had three picks last year to tie for the team lead, but he's listed behind Alex Logan on the post-spring depth chart.

10. Washington State
S Deone Bucannon, OLB Logan Mayes, LB Cyrus Coen

The skinny: Bucannon is an A-list guy, earning second-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2012. He led the Cougars in tackles and interceptions, so we included Coen, who was second with three picks. The gigantic void is the pass rush, which lost four-year sack leader Travis Long.

11. Utah
LB/S Brian Blechen, DE Trevor Reilly, S Eric Rowe

The skinny: These are three solid players, but there's a lot of uncertainty on the Utes defense. The Utes lost their top two sack men and their top three cornerbacks. Blechen has bounced back and forth between linebacker and safety, and neither Reilly nor Rowe were able to top the depth chart at his position this spring without an "Or" beside him.

12. Colorado
LB Derrick Webb, DE Chidera Uzo-Diribe, CB Kenneth Crawley

The skinny: All three leaders are back, but we're listing the promising Crawley instead of the two guys who had a single pick last year. Uzo-Diribe is legit. He has 12.5 sacks over the past two seasons, including seven last year. Big issue here, however, is how terrible the Buffs defense was last year.

Junior Sean Mannion was elected one of five Oregon State captains, which makes one wonder if his teammates are voting on who should be the starting quarterback.

Mannion, of course, is locked in a tough competition with senior Cody Vaz for the starting job. This is his second consecutive year as a team captain.

Cornerback Rashaad Reynolds, receiver Brandin Cooks, offensive guard Grant Enger and linebacker Michael Doctor also were voted captains for the 2013 season, via a team vote this week.

Reynolds, a senior, was an honorable mention all-Pac-12 selection in 2012. He has a team-high 25 consecutive starts and enters his final season as the Beavers’ top returning defensive back with 157 tackles and four interceptions.

Cooks, a junior, also is coming of a Pac-12 honorable mention season. He enters the year as a recently anointed Phil Steele’s preseason third-team All-American, with 1,542 yards receiving. He is on pace to join Mike Hass and James Newson as the Beavers’ all-time 3,000-yard receivers.

Enger was also a Pac-12 Honorable Mention selection last season. He has started 21 games.

Doctor is the team’s active leader for tackles with 172 stops. The senior has started 24 straight games and led the 2012 team for tackles with 83. Doctor has also accounted for 15 tackles-for-loss and three interceptions.

Mannion was the first sophomore in school history to have the team captain honor last season. The quarterback enters the season fifth at OSU for career passing yards and touchdowns with 5,774 and 31, respectively.

Have a great weekend.

As always, follow the Pac-12 blog on Twitter.

To the notes.

Ryan in New York City: Did you read [Brian] Fremeau? He makes you and Miller look like clowns. Try objective analysis and not who's the most charming coach when making your selections. Really, read Fremeau. Brutal.

Matt in Ontario, Calif. writes: Your Post Spring Power Rankings are (crud). If you say UCLA and Arizona St are 3A and 3B then you should give the edge to the two time defending PAC 12 South Champ. Tell me what other school has played in every PAC 12 Championship game. Give the Bruins a little love.

Kevin Gemmell: I packaged these two questions together for a reason.

Ryan, first off, how did you get an advanced copy of the Christmas card Ted and I are sending out this year?

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you like Fremeau's projections because he has USC winning the South and UCLA finishing fourth. Clearly, you think we don't give USC enough love (even though the stipulation is there that USC could be a 10-win team and take the South) and give too much to UCLA.

Matt, you don't like our power rankings because we didn't clearly have UCLA as the top team in the South -- rather we separated the Bruins and Sun Devils with "A/B."

One guy is mad for giving UCLA too much love. Another is mad for not giving them enough.

When I started out in this business, around the time our hearts sank for Titanic and Dirk Diggler's name was so bright it burned out light bulbs, one of my first editors said if you've got both sides mad, you're doing something right. By the way, Matt, I'd like to refer you to my daily UCLA ritual. Ryan, I've always found Lane Kiffin to be extremely charming. Yet while the Pac-12 blog got along great with Chip Kelly, we wouldn't call him the most charming guy -- but his team sat atop the power rankings for a long time. Just sayin'.

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Brent in Salt Lake City writes: Kevin,I liked your draft updates on the Pac-12, however, I think only including the last two years for the Utes is deceiving for us as a school. It makes it look worse (and we don't need help looking bad right now). Maybe consider a follow-up post where you look at including Colorado and Utah's performance in the same window (since 2000) and include all our draft picks?The Utes have put tons of players into the NFL via the draft since 2000. We've been [cruddy] enough since joining the Pac-12, I'd prefer to think fondly on our draft history. Thanks - enjoy your work.

Steve in Salt Lake City writes: While I understand your keeping to the PAC10/12 for your article I think you probably should have used Utah's and Colo's past history to 2000 since they are certainly in the conference going forward.

Kevin Gemmell: Colorado and Utah fans, I did you wrong. But know that this slight wasn't intentional. It was a Pac-12 writer writing a Pac-12-centric story. Sometimes I forget that there were other conferences before ours. Maybe I was jealous. Maybe I don't like to think about you running around with all of those other teams in all of those other locker rooms. I didn't want to recognize the life you had before the Pac-12.

But fair is fair -- and I owe you a statistical breakdown. I already included the 2013 and 2012 drafts in the original post. Here's the rest of the years.

Since 2000, Colorado has had 34 players drafted -- including four first-round draft picks. Their best draft was 2003 with six players taken and the low end was zero players drafted in 2010, 2005 and 2001. By round, it's four in the first, five in the second, three in the third, two in the fourth, five in the fifth, six in the sixth and nine in the seventh.

• 2011 (4): Nate Solder (No. 17), Jimmy Smith (27), Jalil Brown (118), Scotty McKnight (227).
• 2010 (0)
• 2009 (1): Brad Jones (218).
• 2008 (2): Jordon Dizon (45), Terrence Wheatley (62).
• 2007 (2): Mason Crosby (193), Abraham Wright (238).
• 2006 (4): Joe Klopfenstein (46), Jeremy Bloom (147), Quinn Sypniewski (166), Lawrence Vickers (180).
• 2005 (0)
• 2004 (2): D.J. Hackett (157), Sean Tufts (196).
• 2003 (6): Tyler Brayton (32), Donald Strickland (90), Chris Brown (93), Justin Bates (219), Brandon Drumm (236), Wayne Lucier (249).
• 2002 (5): Daniel Graham (21), Andre Gurode (37), Michael M. Lewis (58), Justin Bannan (139), Victor Rogers (259).
• 2001 (0)
• 2000 (4): Ben Kelly (84), Damen Wheeler (203), Brad Bedell (206), Rashidi Barnes (225).

Since 2000, Utah has had 34 players drafted, including three first-round draft picks and the No. 1 overall pick in Alex Smith in 2005. The high was in 2010 with six players taken and the low was 2008 and 2004 when no players were drafted. By round, it's three in the first, six in the second, three in the fourth, two in the fourth, four in the fifth, six in the sixth and nine in the seventh.

• 2011 (2): Brandon Burton (139), Caleb Schlauderaff (179).
• 2010 (6): Koa Misi (40), Zane Beadles (45), Robert Johnson (148), David Reed (156), Stevenson Sylvester (166), R.J. Stanford (223).
• 2009 (4): Paul Kruger (57), Sean Smith (61), Brice McCain (188), Freddie Brown (252).
• 2008 (0)
• 2007 (2): Eric Weddle (37), Paul Soliai (108).
• 2006 (2) Spencer Toone (245), Quinton Ganther (246).
• 2005 (5): Alex Smith (1), Sione Pouha (88), Chris Kemoeatu (204), Paris Warren (225), Jonathan Fanene (233).
• 2004 (0)
• 2003 (3): Jordan Gross (8), Lauvale Sape (187), Antwoine Sanders (258).
• 2002 (2): Cliff Russell (87), Ed Ta'amu (132).
• 2001 (2): Andre Dyson (60), Steve Smith (74).
• 2000 (3): John Frank (178), Mike Anderson (189), Richard Seals (218).

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BDAZzler in Phoenix writes: Considering that ASU will be facing a much tougher schedule this year than they have in the past few years, and that they have been underwhelming against the softer schedules in those years, how many early-season losses will it take for us to say that the Giant will continue to be sleeping this year?

Kevin Gemmell: Arizona State's schedule is interesting this year. We're going to give them the benefit of the doubt against Sacramento State. Then they've got back-to-back Pac-12 games sandwiched between a home game against Wisconsin and a neutral field game against Notre Dame.

Obviously, going 4-0 during that stretch would be outstanding. I don't think they will. It has nothing to do with talent or coaching. Those are just four really hard games to play without any bye weeks in between. 3-1 would also be great. 2-2 would be solid and even 1-3 would be OK -- so long as that one win was USC for South Division tiebreaking purposes. No promises there.

Losing all four would be a huge blow. ASU could still win the South Division with a 1-4 start -- but they'll have to run out seven straight (which is unlikely) and hope that USC loses. Taking at least one of those games will be critical.

If they win a couple of those games early, it will be a huge boost to their national credibility. And I think they can beat Wisconsin and Notre Dame. I'd say they are underdogs at Stanford, though not by much, and depending how USC's quarterback competition shakes out and the new defense comes together, that could be a coin flip. But it's at home, so maybe they get an edge.

But it's also not the end of the world if they have a slow start. It just means they'll have a lot of making up to do on the back end.

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Derek in Portland writes: I liked the Oregon State cornerback article. But please explain to me how this is more important than the quarterback competition?

Kevin Gemmell: Just for the record, I said it might be. And here's my thinking. You know what you are getting with Sean Mannion and Cody Vaz. Both of them have won big games and both have quality experience/starts.

This isn't a situation with two or three young quarterbacks who have never taken a collegiate snap learning an entirely new offense and trying to build continuity with receivers. These guys have been in the system for multiple years and they know who they are going to be throwing to.

Of course, the quarterback is the most important position on the team. You'll never hear either half of the Pac-12 blog say otherwise.

However -- the cornerback spot -- and we're just talking about Oregon State, not making a sweeping statement about all teams -- that position battle is extremely important because whoever fills in for Jordan Poyer will be joining an experienced secondary. And if I'm an offensive coordinator scouting Oregon State and putting together my passing game plan, I'm looking at the experience of Rashaad Reynolds, Ryan Murphy and Tyrequek Zimmerman -- and also the lack of starting experience at left corner -- and that's where I'm testing the waters.

The combination of Sean Martin and Steven Nelson (and it sounds like Mike Riley wants to use them as a duo -- which makes sense) might end up being as lockdown as Poyer was. And for the record I think Martin did an outstanding job last season in spot duty -- so much so that I bestowed on him the highest honor we have on the Pac-12 blog back in Week 10: a helmet sticker.

But until we see what he/Nelson can do each week, that position is more of an unknown than what we'll be getting at quarterback. And that's why it might end up being the more important position battle.

While so much of the attention on Oregon State this spring has been on the quarterback competition -- one of the most intriguing in the nation between Sean Mannion and Cody Vaz -- there are other critical position battles.

And the one at cornerback might even be of greater importance.

Post spring, Sean Martin sits atop the depth chart at left corner, opposite returning starter Rashaad Reynolds on the right side. This position is of great interest because it was formerly held by the departed Jordan Poyer -- one of the school's top secondary players of all-time who sits fourth on the school's career interceptions list with 13.

Pushing Martin is junior college transfer Steven Nelson -- who was rated by one service as the No. 2 JC cornerback in the country.

But head coach Mike Riley isn't approaching it with the thought that one will be a starter and one will be a backup. If all goes according to plan -- it's likely we'll see them on the field at the same time.

"That competition is good for the Beavers because my goal out of this thing is that both of these guys become bona fide starters," Riley said. "They both won't necessarily start on first down, but if they proceed to grow as we've seen them through their competition in the spring, then you'll see them both playing together a lot. Third-down defenses, nickel or dime. We actually need both of them to be considered as starters."

He says that with the caveat that he's not ready to say which one has pulled ahead in their competition. Spring depth charts offer a little insight, but not nearly enough to pass judgment.

Once a commit to Georgia, Nelson comes to Oregon State from the College of Sequoias in California, and has spent the spring playing catch up. Martin, however, started three games last year -- twice as a nickel and one at corner against Arizona State when Poyer was out with an injury. After missing the majority of 2011 with a broken foot, Martin bounced back in 2012 to register 43 tackles, two interceptions and three pass breakups.

Martin's experience might be what keeps him atop the depth chart -- at least for now.

"I think Sean Martin has improved dramatically in the course of two years here and I think Steven has all the athletic tools to be a corner in our league and be a good player," Riley said. "He needs to learn more and more about what we do and how he fits into that, but I think he's very conscientious and I think he'll make that move. I think this has all been very good."

After a rough 2011, where the Beavers ranked 104th in pass-efficiency defense, they bounced back and were 20th nationally last year. After giving up 28 passing touchdowns in 2011, they cut that number in half to 14 in 2012. Poyer was a huge part of that, hauling in seven of OSU's 20 interceptions last season.

With Reynolds (25 career starts) on the other side and returning safeties Tyrequek Zimmerman (13 starts) and Ryan Murphy (15 starts), the secondary should again be solid with just the one hole to fill.

But Riley isn't as concerned with finding one guy who can step in for Poyer as he is developing them to work together in unison.

"I'm not ready to say which one of them is going to come out of the fold as 'the starter,'" Riley said. "But my goal is for both of them to be ready to play and be good, solid players in the fall."

The Pac-12 conference has announced its 2012 individual honors and all-conference first and second teams as voted on by the coaches.

Offensive Player of the Year: Marqise Lee, WR, USC.
Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year: Will Sutton, DE, Arizona State.
Freshman Offensive Player of the Year: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon.
Freshman Defensive Player of the Year: Leonard Williams, DE, USC.
Coach of the Year: David Shaw, Stanford.

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE

QB Marcus Mariota, Fr., Oregon
RB Kenjon Barner, Sr., Oregon
RB Ka’Deem Carey, So., Arizona
WR Marqise Lee, So., USC
WR Markus Wheaton, Sr., Oregon State
TE Zach Ertz, Sr., Stanford
OL Hroniss Grasu, So., Oregon
OL Khaled Holmes, Sr., USC
OL Brian Schwenke, Sr., California
OL Xavier Su’a-Filo, So., UCLA
OL David Yankey, Jr., Stanford

SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE

QB Matt Scott, Sr., Arizona
RB Johnathan Franklin, Sr., UCLA
RB Stepfan Taylor, Sr., Stanford
WR Austin Hill, So., Arizona
WR Robert Woods, Jr., USC
TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, So., Washington
OL Jeff Baca, Sr., UCLA
OL David Bakhtiari, Jr., Colorado
OL Sam Brenner, Sr., Utah
OL Kevin Danser, Sr., Stanford
OL Sam Schwartzstein, Sr., Stanford

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE

DL Scott Crichton, So., Oregon State
DL Dion Jordan, Sr., Oregon
DL Star Lotulelei, Sr., Utah (2)
DL Will Sutton, Jr., Arizona State
LB Anthony Barr, Jr., UCLA
LB Trent Murphy, Sr., Stanford
LB Chase Thomas, Sr., Stanford (2)
DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, So., Oregon
DB Jordan Poyer, Sr., Oregon State
DB Ed Reynolds, Jr., Stanford
DB Desmond Trufant, Sr., Washington

SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE

DL Henry Anderson, Jr., Stanford
DL Morgan Breslin, Jr., USC
DL Ben Gardner, Sr., Stanford
DL Datone Jones, Sr., UCLA
LB Kiko Alonso, Sr., Oregon
LB Michael Clay, Sr., Oregon
LB Brandon Magee, Sr., Arizona State
DB Deone Bucannon, Jr., Washington State
DB Alden Darby, Jr., Arizona State
DB T.J. McDonald, Sr., USC
DB Nickell Robey, Jr., USC

FIRST-TEAM SPECIALISTS

PK Vince D'Amato, Jr., California
P Jeff Locke, Sr., UCLA
RS Reggie Dunn, Sr., Utah
ST Jordan Jenkins, Sr., Oregon State

SECOND-TEAM SPECIALISTS

PK Andrew Furney, Jr., Washington State
P Josh Hubner, Sr., Arizona State
RS Marqise Lee, So., USC
ST David Allen, Sr., UCLA

ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION

• ARIZONA: WR Dan Buckner, Sr.; LB Jake Fischer, Jr.; OL Kyle Quinn, Sr.; DB Jared Tevis, So.
• ARIZONA STATE: LB Carl Bradford, So.; DB Deveron Carr, Sr.; TE Chris Coyle, Jr.; OL Evan Finkenberg, Jr.; RB D.J. Foster, Fr.; RB Marion Grice, Jr.; DT Jaxon Hood, Fr.; DB Osahon Irabor, Jr.; DB Keelan Johnson, Sr.; QB Taylor Kelly, So.; RS Rashad Ross, Sr.
• CALIFORNIA: WR Keenan Allen, Jr.; RS Brendan Bigelow, So.; DB Josh Hill, Sr.; LB Chris McCain, So; ST Avery Sebastian, So.; DB Steve Williams, Jr.
• COLORADO: DB Kenneth Crawley, Fr.; TE Nick Kasa, Sr.; OL Alex Lewis, So.; DB Marques Moseley, Fr.; OL Daniel Munyer, So.; P Darragh O’Neill, So.; DL Will Perciak, Sr.; RB Christian Powell, Fr.; OL Yuri Wright, Fr.
• OREGON: OL Jake Fisher, So.; DL Taylor Hart, Jr.; WR Josh Huff, Jr.; DL Wade Keliikippi, Jr.; TE Colt Lyerla, So.; DB Terrance Mitchell, So.; DL Isaac Remington, Sr.; RS De’Anthony Thomas, So.
• OREGON STATE: WR Brandin Cooks, So.; OL Grant Enger, Jr.; DB Raashad Reynolds, Jr.; PK Trevor Romaine, So.; DL Andrew Seumalo; OL Isaac Seumalo, Fr.;
• STANFORD: DB Usua Amanam, Sr.; DB Terrence Brown, Sr.; DB Alex Carter, Fr.; ST Alex Debniak, Sr.; OL Cameron Fleming, Jr.; RB Ryan Hewitt, Sr.; QB Kevin Hogan, So.; RS Ty Montgomery, So.; DB Jordan Richards, So.; LB Shayne Skov, Sr.; DL Terrence Stephens, Sr.; RS Drew Terrell, Sr.; TE Levine Toilolo, Sr.; P Daniel Zychlinski, Sr.;
• UCLA: DB Andrew Abbott, Sr.; OL Jake Brendel, Fr.; WR Shaq Evans, Jr.; TE Joseph Fauria, Sr.; QB Brett Hundley, Fr.; LB Eric Kendricks, So.; DL Cassius Marsh, Jr.; RS Damien Thigpen, Jr.;
• USC: LB Dion Bailey, So.; QB Matt Barkley, Sr.; ST Tony Burnett, Sr.; TE Xavier Grimble, So.; PK Andre Heidari, So.; DL Wes Horton, Sr.; OL John Martinez, Jr.; P Kyle Negrete, Sr.; LB Hayes Pullard, So.; RB Silas Redd, Jr.; OL Max Tuerk, Fr.; DL George Uko, So.; DL Leonard Williams, Fr.
• UTAH: DB Brian Blechen, Jr.; DL Nate Fakahafua, So.; DL Joe Kruger, Jr.; TE Jake Murphy, So.; OL Jeremiah Poutasi, Fr.; LB Trevor Reilly, Jr.; DB Eric Rowe, So.; P Sean Sellwood, Sr.; OL Tevita Stevens, Sr.; RB John White, Sr.;
• WASHINGTON: LB Travis Feeney, Fr.; ST Justin Glenn, Sr.; DL Andrew Hudson, So.; DB Sean Parker, Jr.; RB Bishop Sankey, So.; OL Drew Schaefer, Sr.; DL Danny Shelton, So.; LB Shaq Thompson, Fr.; LB John Timu, So.; WR Kasen Williams, So.;
• WASHINGTON STATE: WR Brett Bartolone, Fr.; OL Elliott Bosch, Jr.; RS Teondray Caldwell, Fr.; LB Cyrus Coen, So.; DL Xavier Cooper, Fr.; LB Travis Long, Sr.; LB Darryl Monroe, Fr.; DB Daniel Simmons, Sr.

NOTES

• By School: OREGON and STANFORD placed the most players on the first team with five selections each, followed by OREGON STATE with four.
• By Class: Of the 26 first-team selections, 14 are seniors, five are juniors, six are sophomores and one freshman.
• Unanimous: Only one player was named on the first-team ballot of all 12 head coaches--WR Marqise Lee of USC.
• Two-time selections: Two players are repeat first-team selections from last year--DT Star Lotulelei of Utah, LB Chase Thomas of Stanford.
• All-Academic: Two players were named to the first team on both the All-Pac-12 Team and the Pac-12 All-Academic Football Team--P Jeff Locke of UCLA, OL Khaled Holmes, USC. In addition, OL Kevin Danser of Stanford, DL Ben Gardner of Stanford and Michael Clay of Oregon were named second-team All-Academic and second-team All-Pac-12.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- It was a barnburner -- again -- at Arizona Stadium. Here's how we saw things in Oregon State's 38-35 victory:

It was over when: Oregon State cornerback Rashaad Reynolds broke perfectly on a Matt Scott pass and grabbed an interception that ended Arizona's comeback hopes in the final minute.

Game ball goes to: Beavers quarterback Sean Mannion, who was 29 of 45 for a career-high 433 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Stat of the game: The teams combined for 1,157 yards -- 612 from Oregon State and 545 from Arizona.

Unsung hero of the game: While Storm Woods had a crucial fumble for Oregon State, he also rushed for 161 yards on 29 carries with a touchdown. The long-dormant Beavers running game is back.

Best call: On third-and-5 from the Wildcats' 9-yard line, Mannion found backup tight end Connor Hamlett for the decisive score with 1:09 left. The Beavers caught 29 passes tonight, but that was the only one Hamlett grabbed.

What it means: Oregon State now has three quality wins, two on the road. The Beavers should move up in the polls, into the top 15. This just further shows their legitimacy as a Pac-12 contender. Of course, rival Oregon did beat the Wildcats 49-0. As for Arizona, there was little to suggest this isn't a bowl team. They merely have lost to the Nos. 2 and 18 teams in the nation.

2011 overall record: 3-9

2011 conference record: 3-6 (fifth in North)

Returning starters: offense: 8; defense: 8; kicker/punter: 1

Top returners
QB Sean Mannion, DB Jordan Poyer, WR Markus Wheaton, WR Brandin Cooks, DE Scott Crichton, DB Rashaad Reynolds, OL Josh Andrews, S Anthony Watkins.

Key losses
WR James Rodgers, S Lance Mitchell, C Grant Johnson, DT Fred Thompson (passed away last December, could have been in contention for starting spot).

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Malcolm Agnew* (423 yards)
Passing: Sean Mannion* (3,328 yards)
Receiving: Markus Wheaton* (986 yards)
Tackles: Anthony Watkins* (85)
Sacks: Scott Crichton* (6)
Interceptions: Jordan Poyer* (4)

Spring answers

1. Running game revival: Head coach Mike Riley has been adamant that his team will be better at running the ball in 2012. The Beavers rotated through four backs last season -- mostly because of injuries -- but redshirt freshman Storm Woods has come on strong in the spring. Though a pecking order hasn't been established, it's safe to say that the Beavers will have a deep rotation.

2. Secondary depth is solid: With Watkins sidelined during the spring with a shoulder injury, it opened up opportunities for Ryan Murphy and Tyrequek Zimmerman to replace the graduated Lance Mitchell. Murphy, last year's nickelback, looks like he's won the job to start along Watkins. Pair that with Poyer and Reynolds and the Beavers should be solid in the defensive backfield.

3. LB corps filling out: D.J. Welch looks like the heir apparent to Cam Collins on the strong side. Feti Unga, who was among the conference leaders in tackles last year prior to a knee injury, appears to be back and ready to go for the fall. Michael Doctor also appears more comfortable as he readies for his second year as a starter. Rueben Robinson and Cade Cowdin should provide the Beavers with some good depth across the board.

Fall questions

1. Offensive line issues: With only eight healthy linemen this spring, there wasn't much of an opportunity to fill out a starting five. Riley said he doesn't like leaving spring without knowing who his starters are, but it's just something they have to deal with. Andrews helps solidify the line and Grant Enger and Colin Kelly will be in the mix when they return from injury. But with a big influx of freshmen, Riley has essentially said all positions are up for grabs.

2. Has Mannion taken the next step? If you ask Riley, he has. If you ask Mannion, he has. But it won't be known until he steps on to the field. He showed last season that he has the potential to be an A-list quarterback in this conference. Better decisions should improve his 16-to-18 touchdown to interception ratio and an improved running game will almost certainly be a plus.

3. Who is No. 3 at WR? We know about Wheaton. We know that Cooks is up and coming. But who is going to be that No. 3 option for Mannion? Jordan Bishop is penciled in as the slot guy, but he missed his second straight spring. That opened the door for Obum Gwacham to emerge as the potential No. 3. He's Wheaton's immediate backup on the outside, but Riley couldn't help but gush about Gwacham's performance this spring.

As Oregon State wraps up its spring session Saturday with its Fan Fest activities at Reser Stadium, head coach Mike Riley said he's feeling pretty good about what the Beavers accomplished this spring.

Last year's growing pains, which led to a 3-9 season, also produced a lot of first-time starters who now have some game experience. In fact, there will be 27 players on the 2012 roster who have started at least one game. That depth allowed Riley to really focus on the details this spring.

"I'm not sure we got the whole volume of what we wanted to get in, but we got to repeat a lot of stuff," Riley said. "We took this spring as a fundamentals look. We tried not to be too exotic. We worked on the timing of certain routes with the receivers and quarterbacks, worked on the details of fundamentals and blocking schemes. It was a good mixture of coverages, but not too much that we can't get good reps. Volume hasn't been great, but our work on the details has vastly improved."

Riley said he's liked the growth of the quarterbacks, citing an improvement in efficiency and overall production. Starter Sean Mannion said he's a much more confident quarterback as well.

"The Sean Mannion now is more comfortable," Mannion said, when asked to describe himself from last year to this year. "I think he's more experienced. I think he's improved his accuracy, improved his decision making. But that being said, I know there is a long way to go."

The biggest frustration for Riley this spring was the lack of depth on the offensive line. With players like Colin Kelly and Grant Enger out, Riley said it was a good chance for other players to compete. Plus, with an influx of offensive linemen coming in this fall, there is more uncertainty across the line than any other position group on the Beavers' roster.

"You always want to come out of spring set on starters," Riley said. "But we're not going to be able to do that on the offensive line. We'll still be scratching and clawing to find the right group of guys."

Riley said he's been very pleased with the development of safeties Ryan Murphy and Tyrequek Zimmerman. With Jordan Poyer and Rashaad Reynolds returning at both cornerback spots, Riley thinks he's got a pretty good secondary.

"I like the look of that group a lot," he said. "They are all really instinctual players as well as talented. That goes a long way to being successful. Reynolds has grown a lot and Poyer is a proven commodity and it's been fun watching the two safeties grow."

Oregon State also was one of its deepest wide receiving corps in years. And Riley has previously said he wants to take more shots down the field this season. He's moved Obum Gwacham into the slot as a third receiver (though he'll continue to back up Markus Wheaton) in an effort to get more playmakers on the field.

"It's a good step for the growth of this offense and we really like [Gwacham] in that spot," Riley said. "We've gotten a good look at him inside and we've been really pleased how he's adapted to the role."

What is it with defensive backs driving in the state of Oregon?

Oregon State cornerback Malcolm Marable has been suspended indefinitely after he was cited for driving 104 mph on Interstate 5 in a 65-mph zone around 1 a.m. on Sunday.

You might recall that former Oregon CB Cliff Harris, who was heading into the 2011 season as a returning All-American, was stopped last June while driving 118 mph at 4:30 a.m. That began Harris' downward spiral into suspension and then dismissal from the Ducks.

So you could conclude that Harris was a bit quicker than Marable, but neither was able to outrun the ole blue lights.

This is further bad news for the Beavers' defensive backfield. Coach Mike Riley previously suspended two other cornerbacks indefinitely: Sean Martin for an alleged DUI and Mishawn Cummings for an undisclosed team rules violation.

None of these three, however, are returning starters. Jordan Poyer and Rashaad Reynolds started every game last year at the two corners.

Oregon State and Arizona State seem to be battling to become the Pac-12's biggest MASH unit.

Most folks already know about the uncertainty of receiver James Rodgers (knee) and tight end Joe Halahuni (shoulder), who are doubtful to play at Wisconsin on Sept. 10. But there are a couple of other injuries worth following that are also critical.

• On the "fairly good," side of the injured list is DT Kevin Frahm. He had surgery on Monday to repair a torn meniscus. The hope is he will return to practice in time to play at Wisconsin.
• The news is not so good for cornerback Brandon Hardin and his shoulder. He'll need surgery to fix a fracture, and the procedure could end his season. At the minimum, he'll be out six weeks. Sophomore Rashaad Reynolds will step into a starting role.
• Defensive tackle Dominic Glover still hasn't been cleared academically. What once seemed like a minor issue is taking longer than expected to resolve, which is reason to be nervous.
• Things are cloudy at tight end until Halahuni comes back. Freshman Kellen Clute hurt his knee in the scrimmage, and two redshirt freshmen, Tyler Perry and Connor Hamlett, will be suspended for a game, though it's unclear which game at this point.
• Also, linebacker Cameron Collins continues to be limited by an abdominal issue. He had offseason surgery and has missed a lot of practice time.

Getting away from injuries, it appears that true freshman Malcolm Agnew is on the cusp of earning the starting spot at running back. The last true freshman to start at the position for the Beavers turned out OK, you might recall.

Oregon State's lengthy injury list added a new name Friday: starting cornerback Brandon Hardin, who will be out indefinitely with a shoulder injury that requires surgery.

Hardin has 15 career starts. The Beavers' secondary was widely viewed as the defense's decided strength heading into preseason practices.

Sophomores Rashaad Reynolds and Sean Martin will move up in the pecking order at cornerback opposite Jordan Poyer. Also, redshirt freshman Malcolm Marable has switched to corner from tailback to bolster depth.

On the positive side of the Beavers' 15-man injury list: Defensive tackle Kevin Frahm may be able to return for the Wisconsin game on Sept. 10. He's been diagnosed with a meniscus tear in his right knee and will have surgery Monday to repair it.