This season, the Cougars will be more battle-tested, should be able to run the ball effectively and have the potential to field an improved defense that will be keyed by a solid nucleus of talent in the back seven.

Cougars at a glance

2001 schedule Sept. 1 at Idaho Sept. 8 at Boise St. Sept. 15 vs Colorado Sept. 22 vs California Sept. 29 at Arizona Oct. 6 vs Oregon St. Oct. 13 at Stanford Oct. 27 vs Oregon Nov. 3 vs UCLA Nov. 10 at Arizona St. Nov. 17 at Washington 2000 results (4-7, 2-6 Pac-10) Stanford L 24-10 at Utah W 38-21 Idaho L 38-34 at California W 21-17 Boise St. W 42-35 at Arizona L 53-47 Arizona St. L 23-20 at Oregon St. L 38-9 Oregon L 27-24 at USC W 33-27 Washington L 51-3

OFFENSE
Offensively, expect the Cougars to establish a productive ground game, featuring hard-nosed senior Dave Minnich running behind what should be a much more effective move-'em-out-gang.

Sophomore LT Josh Parrish has the potential to become a top-flight bookend, as does redshirt freshman RT Sam Lightbody, a 6-9, 300-pounder who also excels as a shot putter and discus thrower on the track team. The Cougars also have plenty of talent and depth along the interior.

Minnich isn't going to dance around and be tentative. The rugged 6-0, 220-pounder hits the inside holes with a sense of purpose, so if the offensive line provides more openings, he could be primed for a huge senior campaign.

What really hurt was the loss of talented wideout Milton Wynn to the NFL. Combined with the graduation loss of Marcus Williams, the Cougars really don't have an established big-play receiver going in. A boost, though, could be provided by juco transfer Nakoa McElrath, if he gains the necessary consistency. McElrath caught 10 passes in the final spring game, three of which went for TDs. He'll line up in the slot, with dependable Collin Henderson at the flanker position and 5-, 158-pound junior Curtis Nettles at split end. However, the player to really look out for is junior Mike Bush. The athletically gifted 6-6, 200-pounder was considered the top player on the Cougars' hoop squad. In the spring, which was the first time he's played college football, Bush impressed with his natural pass-receiving skills and long-range potential. It will be very interesting to see how Bush progresses as the season unfolds.

At the helm of the Cougars' attack will again be junior Jason Gesser, with sophomore Matt Kegel settling in as the primary backup. Gesser's mobility is a plus, and this season he figures to be assisted by a productive running game if Minnich remains at full strength the entire way.

DEFENSE
As mentioned, the Cougars linebackers and secondary figure to be a strong suit. The question, though, is whether the defensive line, which appears to be bigger and stronger, shows the necessary improvement. Along the defensive front, the player to watch figures to be 6-7, 280-pound sophomore Rien Long. In the not-too-distant future, Long has the physical ability to rank as one of the top DTs in the Pac-10.

With all three linebackers returning, the Cougars second line of defense should be solid. On the strongside, senior Raonall Smith is the major headliner, although the coaching staff was holding out hope that blue-chip MLB Curtis Holden would be able to provide a huge lift to the defense. The former juco All-American enjoyed an outstanding '99 season with the Cougars, then was forced to sit out the 2000 campaign after failing to meet the NCAA's academic requirements. Holden wasn't able to meet the NCAA's eligibility requirements this season either. Not having a talent like Holden at MLB really hurts. The 6-2, 237-pounder is a gifted athlete who can really pursue to the ball.

In the deep patrol, experienced and talented FS Lamont Thompson, who sat out last season, is back in the starting lineup with the Cougars. He'll work next to fellow senior Billy Newman, with effective junior Marcus Trufant again holding down the LCB spot. On the right side, sophomore Erik Coleman won the job in the spring, edging out sophomore Jason David and senior Mike Freeman.

SPECIAL TEAMS
As far as the kicking game is concerned, improvement is critical. Last year, a missed PAT cost the Cougars against Arizona and they were plagued in other games by missed and blocked FGs. This season, you could see prep All-American Graham Siderius win the placekicking job. Juco transfer Adam Holiday is expected to handle the kickoff duty. In the spring, he was reportedly putting the ball in the end zone.

Overview: Gesser is a capable Pac-10 signal caller, while Minnich gives you everything he has on each carry. With the absence of a proven big-play threat at WR, the Cougars will likely rely on Minnich and what could be a much-improved offensive line to pound away at the opposition. Then, once they move the ball into scoring territory, the new PK has to convert the opportunities on a more consistent basis.

While it's a shame that Holden wasn't able to return at LB, Thompson is back to solidify the FS spot. With Long showing future star quality at DT, the Cougar defense has a chance to show significant improvement if Minnich and the ground attack are able to shorten the game and keep the stop troop fresh. Remember, last year, with an inexperienced football team, the Cougars came amazingly close to winning seven games. That's why with a few breaks and better special-teams play, a winning season isn't out of the realm of possibility. To do so, however, the first two games, against Big West opponents Idaho and Boise State, are critical. The Cougars need good things to happen early in order to gain confidence heading into the Pac-10 schedule on Sept. 22 when they host California.