Bruins at a glance

2001 schedule Sept. 1 at Alabama Sept. 8 at Kansas Sept. 15 vs Arizona St. Sept. 22 vs Ohio St. Sept. 29 at Oregon St. Oct. 13 vs Washington Oct. 20 vs California Oct. 27 at Stanford Nov. 3 at Washington St. Nov. 10 vs Oregon Nov. 17 at USC 2000 results (6-6, 3-5 Pac-10) Alabama W 35-24 Fresno St. W 24-21 Michigan W 23-20 at Oregon L 29-10 Arizona St. W 38-31 at California L 46-38 Oregon St. L 44-38 at Arizona W 27-24 Stanford W 37-35 at Washington L 35-28 USC L 38-35 vs. Wisconsin L 21-20

In order to win the Pac-10 -- and they probably are the co-favorite going in along with Oregon -- the Bruins not only have to show significant improvement on defense but also have to make up for the loss of big-play TD-maker Freddie Mitchell to the NFL.

DEFENSE
Let's start out with the defense, where Phil Snow takes over as coordinator. Coming over from Arizona State, Snow will create a more aggressive unit with fewer nickel packages.

The healthy return of senior LDE Kenyon Coleman is huge. He took part in spring practice and appears primed for an outstanding 2001 campaign. Mat Ball, a 6-5½. 263-pound sophomore, will open at RDE, ahead of Rusty Williams, who did not participate in spring practice while he was recovering from the shoulder surgery he underwent before the Sun Bowl. On the inside at DT, there will be a three-man rotation. Senior Ken Kocher, who only started one game last year due to ankle/knee injuries, will open alongside sophomore Rodney Leisle. Senior Anthony Fletcher enters fall camp as the No. 3 DT.

Linebacker figures to be a very strong position. Super blue-chip senior MLB Robert Thomas will be looking to make his mark as one of the top Bruin linebackers of all time, in a class with the likes of Jerry Robinson and Ken Norton Jr. He's the anchor of the Bruins' defense. Flanking Thomas is senior Ryan Nece, a three-year starter at OLB for the Bruins. Junior Marcus Reese will open on the strong side, where he shows the potential necessary to become an outstanding performer in the Pac-10.

In the secondary, the Bruins will have to make up for the graduation loss of solid RCB Jason Bell, but overall this group is in good shape. Ricky Manning has developed into a quality LCB, while veteran Marques Anderson shifted from SS to FS in the spring, adapting well to the change. He's viewed as the best athlete on the team, with his knowledge and experience figuring to come into play more at FS. Currently, the RCB and SS spots are up in the air. Sophomore Keith Short or junior Joe Hunter are in contention for the starting RCB job, but freshman Matt Ware could also figure in the equation. A gifted 6-3, 195-pounder from Malibu, Calif., Ware was regarded as one of the elite high school safeties in the country. With his skill level, the general feeling is that he could operate at any spot in the deep patrol. At SS, the Bruins need somebody to take control of things during fall practice. In the mix are redshirt freshman Ben Emanuel, sophomore Kevin Brant and senior Jason Stephens, along with another high-profile incoming freshman, Jibril Raymo (out of Los Angeles). Considered one of the top 10 DBs in the country, the 6-3, 194-pound Raymo will have an opportunity to compete for the SS job.

OFFENSE
The Bruins' offense, which I discussed at the top, could be as good or better than last year's attack force, which scored 35-plus points in five of the last seven regular-season games. To do so, it will be critical that underrated junior QB Cory Paus and super blue-chip senior RB DeShaun Foster stay on the field the entire way. Last year, Paus would have led the Pac-10 in passing efficiency had he not missed three-plus games early on after going down with a separated shoulder against Alabama in the season lid-lifter. Then, against Wisconsin in the Sun Bowl, he suffered a fractured collarbone. He was back under center in the spring, reportedly throwing the ball extremely well. Remember, last season he threw for 309 yards against California, 363 against Oregon State, 328 against Stanford and 298 against Washington. The backup job has yet to be settled, with senior Scott McEwan and junior Ryan McCann battling for the job.

Foster didn't practice in the spring after undergoing surgery to correct a dislocated finger on his left hand. This fall, if he can shake the injury jinx and prove to be more durable, Foster could push himself into the thick of the Heisman race. The Bruins have developed some nice depth behind Foster. Sophomore Akil Harris, a slashing runner, is the top backup, but keep an eye on redshirt freshman Manuel White. He's a physically talented big back at 6-3 and 240 pounds, in the mold of former Bruin star Theotis Brown. With his ability to catch the football, I'm told that head coach Bob Toledo and new offensive coordinator Kelly Skipper will be looking for ways to incorporate him into the offense. The FB will be senior Ed Ieremia-Stansbury, a versatile 6-1½, 259-pounder who has been tried at QB and LB during his stay with the Bruins.

At WR, senior Brian Poli-Dixon will be expected to become the No. 1 go-to option, taking over that role from Freddie Mitchell, who opted to move on to the NFL with collegiate eligibility still remaining. Can you imagine the Bruins' offense with Mitchell? This would be a tremendously dynamic offense. Even without Mitchell, things look really good. Opposite Poli-Dixon will likely be sophomore Tab Perry, a big 6-3, 218-pounder who gained some experience last season. Redshirt freshman Craig Bragg, who has excellent speed, played well in the spring and figures to see plenty of action.

With the Bruins employing lots of double TE sets, senior Bryan Fletcher and junior Mike Seidman will be counted on to provide solid play as a one-two punch. Both present excellent targets with their size.

Keying the Bruins offensive line is junior RT Mike Saffer, with senior Troy Danoff over the ball at center. The Bruins also have an experienced RT in junior Bryce Bohlander. Stepping into starting roles at guard are sophomore Shane Lehmann and redshirt freshman Eyoseph Efseaff.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Special teams should be a solid area for the Bruins. PK Chris Griffith and P Nate Fikse, both juniors, are proven performers.